Gaming World Forums

General Category => Entertainment and Media => Topic started by: Marcus on May 02, 2008, 06:48:30 pm

Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Marcus on May 02, 2008, 06:48:30 pm
Kotaku just reported (http://kotaku.com/386606/esrb-rates-earthbound-for-wii-vc) that Earthbound for the Wii has been given a rating of E for everyone.  This can only mean one thing: it's coming to VC (and only 6+ months late and counting!).  I will seriously gift this game to anyone who doesn't have the means of purchasing it and this includes people who hate Earthbound or have no intention of playing it at all.  That's how well I want this game to fucking do.

To make this topic viable... let's make it another Mother discussion.

Nintendo sucks for breaking Itoi's will to create games.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ghost_Aspergers on May 02, 2008, 06:56:16 pm
I am beaming.... ear to ear man. This is without a doubt one of the greatest games of all time. If it helps the cause... I will gift this game too when I can (it's what, $8 in VC?). My wish is to see Mother 3... or better yet, a compilation of them all coming to the US.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: An Hafferdat Squid on May 02, 2008, 07:05:27 pm
I am beaming.... ear to ear man. This is without a doubt one of the greatest games of all time. If it helps the cause... I will gift this game too when I can (it's what, $8 in VC?). My wish is to see Mother 3... or better yet, a compilation of them all coming to the US.
better yet, at least fucking give us mother 2. @__@
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: swordofkings128 on May 02, 2008, 07:08:43 pm
Hmm, I wonder if this has anything to do with Earthbound being the #1 most wanted game on the Virtual Console in Nintendo Power, even though they stated results will have no effect on what will actual go on the Virtual Console...

Can't wait though, I love Earthbound. It's my second favorite RPG(Right below Chrono Trigger o' course).

Oh, and btw, Mother 1, a japan only game, was #4 most wanted, beating Majora's Mask.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: maladroithim on May 02, 2008, 07:09:09 pm
My wish is to see Mother 3... or better yet, a compilation of them all coming to the US.

Man why won't this happen.  The humor in the mother games seems much more relevant to America than to Japan anyway.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Marcus on May 02, 2008, 07:39:45 pm
better yet, at least fucking give us mother 2. @__@


Mother 2 is Earthbound.

Quote
My wish is to see Mother 3... or better yet, a compilation of them all coming to the US.

Last year EGM heard an "inside rumor" that Nintendo was making a mother trilogy compilation for the DS.  Considering the GBA is pretty much dead, a DS release would be the only viable option for something like this.  If all three Mother games came out, translated, in one single edition I would probably shit my pants three times.

Three times.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: NightBlade on May 02, 2008, 07:42:49 pm
Mother 2 is Earthbound.

Last year EGM heard an "inside rumor" that Nintendo was making a mother trilogy compilation for the DS.  Considering the GBA is pretty much dead, a DS release would be the only viable option for something like this.  If all three Mother games came out, translated, in one single edition I would probably shit my pants three times.

Three times.


I just hope for you fans that they don't royally screw up the port like they did with the final fantasy games.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Marcus on May 02, 2008, 07:49:40 pm
Quote
I'm actually surprised they even bother to put Earthbound characters into the Smash Brothers games.

Nintendo is full of sadists.  What better way to piss off an entire fanbase than by being a massive cocktease?
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Mateui on May 02, 2008, 07:52:37 pm
I have no idea what Earthbound is about other than that I know Ness and Lucas are from the series. I've never heard what all the fuss is about. I know some people are extremely obsessed with Earthbound (hmm.. Marcus...) but I don't really know why. Please elaborate to those of us who have been in the dark all these years.

(Also, I wouldn't mind receiving this as a gift when its released as I don't plan on buying it blindly, but I will check it out if I get my hands on it).
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Dale Gobbler on May 02, 2008, 07:56:27 pm
Gift it to Mateui when its gets to the virtual console, apparently he hasn't lived life to it's fullest potential.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Fire Mage on May 02, 2008, 08:00:47 pm
Gift it to me eventually. :(
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ohlichris on May 02, 2008, 08:02:04 pm
Mother 3 coming out overseas would be a dream come true. I really hope that compilation for the DS rumour is true.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Marcus on May 02, 2008, 08:34:25 pm
I have no idea what Earthbound is about other than that I know Ness and Lucas are from the series. I've never heard what all the fuss is about. I know some people are extremely obsessed with Earthbound (hmm.. Marcus...) but I don't really know why. Please elaborate to those of us who have been in the dark all these years.

(Also, I wouldn't mind receiving this as a gift when its released as I don't plan on buying it blindly, but I will check it out if I get my hands on it).

Yeah it's pretty much this:

Quote
It is basically Barkley, Shut up and Jam: Gaiden of the 90s. It is sort of a parody of the genre but the joke is that it does things better and more fun than what it pokes fun at.

The game's systems are actually pretty generic (think Dragon Quest set in a modern world) but the fun thing is that nothing makes sense and it's all designed to be a major joke.  It has a "plot" but completely ditches it after the intro and it doesn't pick up again until near the end.  It was the first notable RPG where the environments where more important than the characters themselves and every location is expertly crafted and really memorable. 

But it's not Mario or pokemans so Nintendo doesn't care.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Master Tea on May 02, 2008, 09:40:03 pm
Starmen.net is having tremendous progress on their fan translation, you could wait for that. It's about the only way Mother 3 is going to be exposed to English speakers.

Also, results from a VC poll in Nintendo Power (as of 4-28):

(https://legacy.gamingw.net/etc/starmen.net/reidman/np-poll-sm.jpeg)

Awesome.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Marcus on May 02, 2008, 09:41:21 pm
man, it's pretty awesome to note that Earthbound beat out Super Mario RPG and Mother beat out Majora's Mask.

Super Mario fucking RPG.

EDIT: AND Chrono Trigger.  Jesus Christ Nintendo EARTHBOUND IS BIGGER THAN CHRONO TRIGGER You DUMB BASTARDS!

EDIT 2: This has to be a marketing scheme.  It has to be.  The crafty shysters at Nintendo are rubbing their hands while reading internet forums.  They KNOW people will eat this up when it comes out I KNOW IT
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ryan on May 03, 2008, 01:39:23 am
yeah i think me and Adeline are the only two people on gw who haven't played any of the mother games

(i will check them out!)
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: headphonics on May 03, 2008, 01:40:50 am
i played it for like an hour once and then got bored and didn't quite understand why everyone raved about it.  i guess i'll make another attempt to play it.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ghost_Aspergers on May 03, 2008, 01:47:48 am
I have no idea what Earthbound is about other than that I know Ness and Lucas are from the series. I've never heard what all the fuss is about. I know some people are extremely obsessed with Earthbound (hmm.. Marcus...) but I don't really know why. Please elaborate to those of us who have been in the dark all these years.

(Also, I wouldn't mind receiving this as a gift when its released as I don't plan on buying it blindly, but I will check it out if I get my hands on it).

MY EXPERIANCE WITH THE SERIES

Well, what got me to play it was watching a video of the last fight of Earthbound (Mother 2). Although I've had both games in rom form for at least 6 years at that point (and the third had just come out a year before), I never played them because it never really interested me. It felt too gimmicky. Quirky for the sake of being quirky wasn't much of a hook... so I always brushed it off. I had no idea just how insane the games are.


After seeing this... I immediately searched for Mother 3' final fight and... well... although I have no idea what is going on ( I didn't want to spoil this game for myself yet).... the video had me intrigued!


After eventually playing through the first two games... I looked Mother 3's script up... and I found out just how fucked up the game was... but not before I attempted to figured out series timeline.


What? Well... I tried. Here's what I picked up from Mother 3.


Quirky? Zany? Fun? You be the judge.

...

Actually, it's best not to take the games seriously.

Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Marcus on May 03, 2008, 02:01:13 am
Yeah, we had a debate in the last Mother topic about how truly disturbing the games are despite the bright, colorful graphics.  The final boss fights were insane and JESUS CHRIST the music.

The games themselves use heavy symbolism to satire modern society like lazy and irresponsible cops (Captain Strong and the Onett police force only being good and putting up road blocks), cults and people who worship idols blindly, drug abuse, and capitalism.

I may be looking too deep into it, but I still think the way you gain access to Master Belch's lair was commentary on how dumb and impatient gamers are.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Tau on May 03, 2008, 06:19:24 am
i played it for like an hour once and then got bored and didn't quite understand why everyone raved about it.  i guess i'll make another attempt to play it.
Pretty much this. I don't know why I liked Homeland yet didn't like the game it's inspired from?
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Erave on May 03, 2008, 07:21:25 am
Yeah it's pretty much this:

The game's systems are actually pretty generic (think Dragon Quest set in a modern world) but the fun thing is that nothing makes sense and it's all designed to be a major joke.  It has a "plot" but completely ditches it after the intro and it doesn't pick up again until near the end.  It was the first notable RPG where the environments where more important than the characters themselves and every location is expertly crafted and really memorable. 

But it's not Mario or pokemans so Nintendo doesn't care.

That was the one thing that bothered me. The plot was completely dropped after the intro, but you're right, the atmosphere and the idea of travelling to vast lands was the charm of the game. Each town/location was super memorable.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: thejackyl on May 03, 2008, 01:36:32 pm
if only I could get the VC one for free, since I have the original copy of Earthbound.  Also, it kinda sucks that they included Lucas (From Mother 3) in SSBB.  It seemed to be a way of doing one of 2 things.

A: Rubbing it in our face that they won't release Mother 3 over here
B: Are really planning on releasing M3 Over hear.

I wouldn't mind it for the DS as long as it doesn't turn all gimmicky
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: jamie on May 03, 2008, 01:46:20 pm
shit i thought earthbound was about as interesting as harvest moon before this topic. now i gots to look into this.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: NiuHaka on May 03, 2008, 07:24:59 pm
yeah, i know I've heard about this game somewhere but now I'm actually interested... i think... i kinda thought it was like harvest moon as well.

This is a bit of a showlow question but: Is there any fighting/combat in this game?

EDIT: HAHAH! what is that word? Showlow??? i meant shallow. sheesh!
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Marcus on May 03, 2008, 07:43:44 pm
Quote
This is a bit of a showlow question but: Is there any fighting/combat in this game?

yeah
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Eltee on May 03, 2008, 07:46:56 pm
Fuck yeah man, if this comes to VC... the world will be a better place. I know it's been on jap vc for a while though..

there's even a demo of it in japanese Brawl.

Though I'm not sure when I'll next buy a points card.. I'd probably get this and Sin & Punishment, if I do. Either way, it's not out yet.. I'm pumped now though. And my sis will be DELIGHTED to hear this when she gets a Wii this summer. She'll jump over this game like

Whoever follows the Mother 3 translation blog, raise your hands into the air. That just can't come fast enough..




EDIT: Oh and, NiuHaka, if you've ever played the old Dragon Quest games.. Earthbound's fighting system is pretty much the same.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ghost_Aspergers on May 03, 2008, 08:03:32 pm

Whoever follows the Mother 3 translation blog, raise your hands into the air. That just can't come fast enough..

I check twice a week. Before the blog I had no idea why translations took so long... though the coding in Mother 3 seems to be especially bad. Almost intentionally. The shit they had to go through for battle text and the whole text welding thing just to save space was ridiculous.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Artis Leon Ivey Jr on May 03, 2008, 08:14:05 pm
i never got into it, just like panda, but i did read all of gygas's lines came from a porno the author watched when he was little.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: wilikeh on May 03, 2008, 09:30:27 pm
this is awesome because i never got to play through it as a kid, and i never was a big fan of emulating games... i'll totally be downloading when it is released.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ghost_Aspergers on May 04, 2008, 05:59:20 am
You can't go wrong with a game that features Dali's clock as an enemy!

(http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/9942/clockfx3.gif) (http://starmen.net/mother2/ebdb/enemies.php?enemy=88)
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: SpiralViper on May 04, 2008, 12:10:13 pm
Earthbound has awesome writing and atmosphere but pretty boring gameplay. That said, the quirkiness more than made up for it.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Mongoloid on May 04, 2008, 11:18:28 pm
I tried this game and played through like the first two or three hours, saved game and did something else, and never wanted to play it ever again.

It's really boring as far as RPGs go. I need something more than an awesome story, especially when the graphics are pretty much the worst thing I've ever seen in a video game.

Though Ness is one of the best SSB character IMO.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Jester on May 04, 2008, 11:31:40 pm
although i dont feel as strongly as eric, i do feel kinda the same. ive never managed to get past zombie town. one or two days max, and im bored of it and never want to play it again.

its too bad because i would like to see what happens, i just dont want to fight every dog/bee/zombie/tree/clock/goo on the way there :(
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: thejackyl on May 05, 2008, 02:12:46 am
although i dont feel as strongly as eric, i do feel kinda the same. ive never managed to get past zombie town. one or two days max, and im bored of it and never want to play it again.

its too bad because i would like to see what happens, i just dont want to fight every dog/bee/zombie/tree/clock/goo on the way there :(
Use a game genie code if you're playing on an emulator/SNES  Most enemies until later will be instant kills IIRC
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Marcus on May 05, 2008, 07:30:08 am
Quote
It's really boring as far as RPGs go. I need something more than an awesome story, especially when the graphics are pretty much the worst thing I've ever seen in a video game.

I still don't understand this statement considering Earthbound had more character sprites and tiles than any other SNES game and the backgrounds were generated through math equations.  I can understand not liking CARTOON SHIT but the game pushed the cart sized when it was first released.

I'm pretty sure the game also has the largest SNES sound track.  I know some ridiculous percentage of Mother 3's cart was taken up by it's stupidly huge amount of music.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Eltee on May 05, 2008, 11:12:25 am
I have to agree that it's  hugely boring


But I like boring games, to an extent.


*grumble grumble*mmorpgs*grumble grumble*




haha i managed to plug mmorpg hate in this thread i rule
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Raimiette on May 05, 2008, 11:52:41 am
I couldn't play this game for too long because of the gameplay.  I absolutely hated how they did the random battles.  I liked everything else though.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: local_dunce on May 05, 2008, 11:59:52 am
You know, I have never played this game but I've heard so much about it...
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Eltee on May 05, 2008, 12:08:11 pm
I couldn't play this game for too long because of the gameplay.  I absolutely hated how they did the random battles.  I liked everything else though.

I was under the impression that encountering baddies on the field wasn't exactly "random battles" ;/
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ghost_Aspergers on May 05, 2008, 12:17:40 pm
It's random. As soon as you are a screen away... the baddies on the field respawn. Sometimes in a completely different set... unless they dissapear altogether, which can also happen.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Marcus on May 05, 2008, 01:10:25 pm
Also, unlike 99% of other RPG's, if you're three or four levels higher than the enemies in a current field then they actually run away from you.  If you touch them then you automatically win and get the experience and money you'd normally get.  Combine this with a rom's speed hack and that's how people managed to buy the seaside shack before leaving Onett (which grants you access to some picture book that you'd normally get after beating the game).
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ragnar on May 05, 2008, 01:33:29 pm
I still don't understand this statement considering Earthbound had more character sprites and tiles than any other SNES game and the backgrounds were generated through math equations.  I can understand not liking CARTOON SHIT but the game pushed the cart sized when it was first released.

I'm pretty sure the game also has the largest SNES sound track.  I know some ridiculous percentage of Mother 3's cart was taken up by it's stupidly huge amount of music.

Well the way things look Homeland will have 78 battle themes by the time it's done

Also I NEED Mother 3 - it looks like everything Earthbound had but it also seems to flow a lot better and is just better GAME in general. But I'm waiting to play it in English :(

But yeah Nintendo's a bunch of cunts for having hopeless nerds resort to looking up things like ESRB ratings and PATENTS just to get some evidence of what they're doing behind the scenes - guys you're a business who has to satisfy consumers and not like the Vatican and you just let out some purple smoke whenever you feel like saying stuff (I think that's what they do maybe they're getting high 420 in there)

Also basically the series has been the only vidcon I've liked in years

Edit: Want to punch Nintendo - like not even anyone in charge, just the IDEA of Nintendo - like just take some ESSENCE OF NINTENDO and mold it in a guy and beat the shit out of it
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Eltee on May 05, 2008, 03:44:01 pm
Well the way things look Homeland will have 78 battle themes by the time it's done

Ha-ah. So that's what "that" was for. I still have a prototype you sent me for opinions a while ago.

Freaky music, no less.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: maladroithim on May 05, 2008, 03:59:30 pm
Well the way things look Homeland will have 78 battle themes by the time it's done

Man I am ridiculously jealous that you get to write the music for this game and that Marcus won't let me.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Sarhan on May 05, 2008, 04:10:53 pm
I've always wanted to play the Earthbound games but have never actually tried them for whatever reason. All of my friends that have played it are always saying how good it is. Good to hear it's coming out on VC. I'll probably buy it when it does come out.

I just hope it isn't over hyped. Hate it when that happens.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Supra Mairo on May 05, 2008, 04:21:21 pm
I really dont get this game, i played it for like 20 minutes and I was bored out of my mind, and while i enjoy how the game looks and the rare perspective that everything is drawn its not enough to keep me into this.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ralph on May 05, 2008, 09:20:51 pm
That cultist village was awesome!

What was it called again? Happy Happy Village?
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Marcus on May 05, 2008, 10:04:33 pm
Quote
Man I am ridiculously jealous that you get to write the music for this game and that Marcus won't let me.

you never asked.

Quote
The first two towns are kind of boring, it doesn't start to pick up until you get to Threed.  Granted, Twoson does have a few hippies and a village full of Blue supremacy cultists to beat up on, ending with a Blues Brothers parody as it transitions into Threed's plotline.  I'd recommend getting past the lull at the beginning before passing judgement.

Also, the battles don't get interesting until after you actually get your full compliment of party members which is a shame because the first 6 or so hours of the game really kill any motivation for the new players.  Once you actually learn how to abuse the rolling hp counter (which is pretty much required in later battles as enemies deal more damage than your own hp) and you start getting more psi's for paula and using Jeff's inventions the game gets so much better.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: jman00 on May 05, 2008, 11:02:02 pm
That game is so broken, like the rolling HP bar counter is so needed for those tougher bosses like I'm sure there were other bosses, but those were the ones I could think of that always did crazy amounts of damage to me... I remember though I 1 hit KO'd Starman Deluxe with a Multi Bottle Rocket, that was hilarious, I was in shock for 10-15 minutes, it was then I began to realize that Multi Bottle Rockets are so broken in this game.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ghost_Aspergers on May 05, 2008, 11:03:20 pm
I wonder if there is a way to do the rolling counter in RM/GM/etc... because that is definitely a cool feature. Even when you take lethal damage.. if you scroll/ select fast enough you'd still be able to heal/ win before you actually die (though I hear in mother 3 that even if you defeat the enemy in this situation, you still lose).
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: darkjak951 on May 05, 2008, 11:29:55 pm
Kotaku just reported (http://kotaku.com/386606/esrb-rates-earthbound-for-wii-vc) that Earthbound for the Wii has been given a rating of E for everyone.  This can only mean one thing: it's coming to VC (and only 6+ months late and counting!).  I will seriously gift this game to anyone who doesn't have the means of purchasing it and this includes people who hate Earthbound or have no intention of playing it at all.  That's how well I want this game to fucking do.

To make this topic viable... let's make it another Mother discussion.

Nintendo sucks for breaking Itoi's will to create games.

u would even gift it to me?! XD
Anywho, this game is incredible. If you had an NES and liked RPGs but never played this game, shame on you! This is one of the best SNES rpgs ever(riiiiight next to ff6) and if only they would FUCKING RELEASE MOTHER 3 IN AMERICA ALREADY(not that its likely, although there has been rumor of it being released here on the DS)
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Marcus on May 05, 2008, 11:48:04 pm
That game is so broken, like the rolling HP bar counter is so needed for those tougher bosses like I'm sure there were other bosses, but those were the ones I could think of that always did crazy amounts of damage to me... I remember though I 1 hit KO'd Starman Deluxe with a Multi Bottle Rocket, that was hilarious, I was in shock for 10-15 minutes, it was then I began to realize that Multi Bottle Rockets are so broken in this game.

Multibottle Rockets are pretty rare but you're SUPPOSED to abuse the rolling hp bar.  Later bosses do tons more damage than your HP so it gives you time to heal them before they die.  Mother 3 kills you if you don't heal before the end of battle so it's a little more difficulty to balance out healing and damage dealing.

Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ghost_Aspergers on May 05, 2008, 11:59:14 pm
Rare? Not if you take the long walk through the pyramids. There is a guy at the exit who sells them. It's worth it because doing 1k+ a pop (if your int or whatever is high enough) is a boss killer in 1-2 rounds.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Iaman on May 06, 2008, 01:42:09 am
if only I could get the VC one for free, since I have the original copy of Earthbound.  Also, it kinda sucks that they included Lucas (From Mother 3) in SSBB.  It seemed to be a way of doing one of 2 things.

A: Rubbing it in our face that they won't release Mother 3 over here
B: Are really planning on releasing M3 Over hear.

I wouldn't mind it for the DS as long as it doesn't turn all gimmicky
Or, you know, perhaps they included Lucas because they cater to their Japanese audience before they cater to their English-speaking audience, as evidenced by the simple fact that there's not an English version of Mother 3 yet, or by the MYRIAD OF OTHER GAMES THAT NEVER REACH NON-JAPANESE GAMERS.

EDIT: I mean seriously I doubt Sakurai went LET'S PUT LUCAS IN JUST TO SPITE THOSE SILLY NON-JAPANESE PEOPLE.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Marcus on May 06, 2008, 01:47:57 am
Quote
EDIT: I mean seriously I doubt Sakurai went LET'S PUT LUCAS IN JUST TO SPITE THOSE SILLY NON-JAPANESE PEOPLE.

but i do believe sakurai removed the masterpiece demo of earthbound from SSBB JUST TO SPITE THOSE SILLY NON-JAPANESE PEOPLE
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Mama Luigi on May 06, 2008, 02:02:38 am
God, I was thinking about Earthbound some more today. That game really impacted my life, and I'm really grateful I got to play it. I loved just exploring the towns and pretending I was actually a citizen of that town. I'd go to the bakery and buy something worthless like a cookie and run away to my hideout in Onett to snack on it and hang out with my buddies. Game defines epic for me, it's pretty much the best game ever made in my eyes.

I think I was probably around 7 or 8 so the strategy guide was a must. I'm really glad I had it as it helped me get through the harder parts like Threed and that god-forsaken desert dig thing. Actually the whole game was pretty hard, but I loved the greater part of it.

Having beaten the game at least 10 times, I'd say that yes, the beginning is a little boring. The first cave is really stupid and Twoson doesn't really pick up the pace either. In Threed things start to pick up, and from Fourside on things just keep getting better and better.

Haha I remember I didn't understand the scene where Speaking of Poo, I never did obtain the , which is supposed to be incredibly rare but insanely useful. I think I gave up after fighting 50 of those golden starmen or whatever. Shit sucked.

Also the end boss was the greatest thing ever. Heavy fucking metal on a Super Nintendo game. Giygas is an instant classic.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ghost_Aspergers on May 06, 2008, 02:09:20 am
I remember farming for the Sword of Kings. I knew where to get it from.... and I was mowing the groups down, beating them on contact roughly 70% of the time (and killing them in 1-2 rounds when I did actually fight them)... but still.... the sword never dropped. Two and a half hours later (I did this on the psp while watching TV) I gave up when I realized I gained about 20 levels and that was more useful to me than the sword ever was.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: thejackyl on May 06, 2008, 10:51:17 am
Yeah, out of the 6 times I beat the game, I've found the Sword of Kings twice.  It's only really useful when you arent farming for it, plus I think it give Poo +30 offense or something like that.

Also, as much as I love this game, I hate the first "sanctuary", and the fight against the , those are the only two places I have ever died before forming the whole party.  Even then I think I got to the
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Eltee on May 06, 2008, 11:16:00 am
Ness is always viciously overpowered compared to everybody and then the endgame arrives and make him twice as overpowered as he was.

Also, I always leveled in the first cave. That way I guess the police was just a pushover whenever I got there.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ghost_Aspergers on May 06, 2008, 02:08:03 pm
Also always kicks my ass too since   Then again I found it funny since when I got back Ness was around level 70 and everyone else was about 35-45, iirc

Man.. nothing is worse than when This happened to me twice in a row.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: maladroithim on May 06, 2008, 02:32:01 pm
you never asked.

Actually I did.  Twice!

When I was younger and replayed this game frequently I always tried to get the Sword of Kings and that special bat that are both rare drops but I never could.  I don't know if the developer really intended for people to *try* and get the items, but rather intended for a very small portion of players to luck out and happen to get them without realizing how rare they are.

I think I was probably around 7 or 8 so the strategy guide was a must. I'm really glad I had it as it helped me get through the harder parts like Threed and that god-forsaken desert dig thing. Actually the whole game was pretty hard, but I loved the greater part of it.

Man I don't know if the VC version would be the same without the guide.  I hope (though I doubt) that they scan the entire strategy guide and include it as the electronic game manual in the VC version.  They have done similar things before, such as including in the VC version of Star Tropics' electronic manual the puzzle solutions that required referencing the original printed manual (wow guys what a sentence).
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ghost_Aspergers on May 06, 2008, 03:12:26 pm
I wonder what was in the original strategy guide. The nerd in me is contemplating a search through ebay for a good condition copy so I can frame it and mount it on my wall.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: thejackyl on May 06, 2008, 03:58:29 pm
If you bought the game from a store it comes with the guide.

its pretty cool, though.  It's your average strat guide, but there are some pages that are dressed up as newpaper pages or something like that and give you information about the next area.  Also some of the enemies have some claymation like pictures to go with their stats and descriptions.  For a strategy guide it's pretty cool.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: maladroithim on May 06, 2008, 04:59:29 pm
its pretty cool, though.  It's your average strat guide

It's an important distinction between an average strategy guide and an average Nintendo strategy guide.  The guide had the aforementioned flavor bits like fake newspapers and clay art and the rest, but if I recall the entire guide was written with this sort of irreverent attitude and generally had a lot more style than most guides.  The guide was sort of like old issues of Nintendo Power where it was a pleasure to just read the guide on its own as it did a lot more than just present you with maps and data.  It wasn't just a strategy guide but I feel that it was core to the entire experience (this may be why it was packaged with the game).
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ragnar on May 07, 2008, 01:14:18 am
Man I am ridiculously jealous that you get to write the music for this game and that Marcus won't let me.

Well I remember HOMEBOUND from like 5 years ago and you did some music for that; and it was the shit might I add
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ultimaweapon9 on May 10, 2008, 02:22:01 am
It's an important distinction between an average strategy guide and an average Nintendo strategy guide.  The guide had the aforementioned flavor bits like fake newspapers and clay art and the rest, but if I recall the entire guide was written with this sort of irreverent attitude and generally had a lot more style than most guides.  The guide was sort of like old issues of Nintendo Power where it was a pleasure to just read the guide on its own as it did a lot more than just present you with maps and data.  It wasn't just a strategy guide but I feel that it was core to the entire experience (this may be why it was packaged with the game).

Yeah, that pretty much sums up why I love (and still have) the Player's Guide.  It's so atmospheric, if that makes any sense.

Also, I remember (though I must've torn them out) some truly awful scratch-n-sniff stickers of some of the enemies, like Shroom and Carbon Dog.  They smelled absolutely terrible, but I really wish I still had them...
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Eltee on May 10, 2008, 04:53:29 am
A putrid mushroom and a dog made out of carbon ought to smell bad.

Use your brain a little.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Hatman on May 10, 2008, 05:38:33 am
Quote
After seeing this... I immediately searched for Mother 3' final fight and... well... although I have no idea what is going on ( I didn't want to spoil this game for myself yet).... the video had me intrigued!

After doing a bit of research, I found the original idea behind that fight.


It was removed despite being so brilliant because some pissy-pants testers had nightmares. :x
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: big ass skelly on May 10, 2008, 05:51:51 am
That game is so broken, like the rolling HP bar counter is so needed for those tougher bosses like I'm sure there were other bosses, but those were the ones I could think of that always did crazy amounts of damage to me... I remember though I 1 hit KO'd Starman Deluxe with a Multi Bottle Rocket, that was hilarious, I was in shock for 10-15 minutes, it was then I began to realize that Multi Bottle Rockets are so broken in this game.
Yeah man it's not easy it's fucking broken man

I took so much damage off one set of rockets I was like "what ME???" cause I'm such a great Gamer and it shocked me. Those rockets are broken. I'd say the whole game is broken.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Eltee on May 10, 2008, 05:24:55 pm
After doing a bit of research, I found the original idea behind that fight.


It was removed despite being so brilliant because some pissy-pants testers had nightmares. :x

I did spoil myself the end a while ago and found it brilliant like it was, but this...

this is brilliantly traumatizing.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ultimaweapon9 on May 10, 2008, 10:29:16 pm
A putrid mushroom and a dog made out of carbon ought to smell bad.

Use your brain a little.

Yeah, thanks for the tip, douchebag
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Rye Bread on May 10, 2008, 11:54:23 pm
I'll try to pick this up when it comes out on VC, but I have absolutely no spendable cash until like, October, so I'll probably have to wait until then.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Niitaka on May 11, 2008, 12:12:34 am
also the mother 3 translation patch is coming out in about a month or two
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Marcus on May 11, 2008, 01:25:29 am
also the mother 3 translation patch is coming out in about a month or two

[citation ][/citation]
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ghost_Aspergers on May 11, 2008, 01:29:23 am
It's BS. I'm on the site several times a week and there has been no such talk.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Hatman on May 11, 2008, 01:31:53 am
It's actually a pretty safe assumption it'll be done over the summer, since in the update posted some 30 minutes ago, the team just finished everything involving the menus with the exception of some simple polishing.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Eltee on May 11, 2008, 05:18:44 am
Well, I would ASSUME it's CLOSE to completion, if you check the list. How long the rest'll take is a mystery, but they seem to be getting loads more  confident with every update.



GOD I CAN'T WAIT


GOOOOOOOOD


GOD PLEASE GOD DAMNIT


I just realized when this comes out I will drop everything I am playing and just play this.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Marcus on May 11, 2008, 06:23:43 am
The thing that pisses me off about the way Nintendo is handling this franchise is that Mother 3 seriously is the best GBA rpg if not the best 2D rpg of this decade.  I mentioned this over at rmxp.org but Mother 3 is on the same vein as Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy 6 in that it doesn't really REDEFINE the genre so much as it is incredibly designed and feels complete.  You can tell when a game is half assed or rushed but playing Mother 3 feels like you're playing a game made with ACTUAL LOVE AND CARE. 

I secretly think that Japan holds back all of their good games from the American audience and force feeds us this generic trash full of big eyed blonde 12 year olds and harem houses because if anyone played Mother 3 when it came out they probably wouldn't have cared about Mario RPG Brother's in Time or Swordcraft Story or Summon Knight or Riviera whatever.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ghost_Aspergers on May 11, 2008, 12:53:22 pm
You know.... I think you're on to something. Why else would they let games like fucking Dancing with the Stars Wii and Ponyz slide while they refuse to translate a game that already has a cult following and a feature in their cash cow, Brawl.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Ralph on May 11, 2008, 06:43:50 pm
I secretly think that Japan holds back all of their good games from the American audience and force feeds us this generic trash full of big eyed blonde 12 year olds and harem houses because if anyone played Mother 3 when it came out they probably wouldn't have cared about Mario RPG Brother's in Time or Swordcraft Story or Summon Knight or Riviera whatever.
Swordcraft Story was a Summon Knight spinoff. Anyway, yeah, I think you're on to something too. It's really suspicious, to say the least.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: maladroithim on May 12, 2008, 03:52:53 pm
Well it does take real manpower to get a bigger game (like an RPG) over here and maybe none of the employees at Nintendo felt like doing it :(

Also I am looking forward to playing a patched Mother 3!  It kind of brings me back to being a teenager when I would play emulated ROMs of things like Bahamut Lagoon or Final Fantasy V because US versions didn't exist.  Are there like *any* games in the translation scene that anyone will care about after this?
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Marcus on May 12, 2008, 07:40:04 pm
Quote
Are there like *any* games in the translation scene that anyone will care about after this?

there's still the original tactics ogre because ebay fags horde the ps1 rerelease.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Grin Tree on May 18, 2008, 06:19:24 am
Well, I don't have a Wii...but this thread finally convinced me to play EarthBound.  Now I'm stuck in Moon Side, WTF do I do?  I need to find some gold tooth guy with a unibrow, or something.

Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Raimiette on May 18, 2008, 03:33:48 pm
I couldn't play this game for too long because of the gameplay.  I absolutely hated how they did the random battles.  I liked everything else though.

I was under the impression that encountering baddies on the field wasn't exactly "random battles" ;/

Yeah, actually I have no idea why I inserted "random" into that sentence.  I was actually referring to the crazy seizure-inducing flashy backgrounds mainly.  It's very hard on the eyes.
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Rowain on May 18, 2008, 11:45:55 pm
Yeah, actually I have no idea why I inserted "random" into that sentence.  I was actually referring to the crazy seizure-inducing flashy backgrounds mainly.  It's very hard on the eyes.

Well, the enemies on the field were randomly generated!
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Death Gulp on May 20, 2008, 11:22:44 am
dude i still have the actual game for my super nintendo, I should bust that out later. Really though EB is fucking sick, it's also funny, i think so, as it makes 'fun' of all RPG's. If i had a wii would i would still buy this for the virtual console regardless
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Grin Tree on May 21, 2008, 08:57:41 pm
Well, I beat the game yesterday.  I had a few gripes with the gameplay (mainly the battle system), but the game has too much character to really hate it for that.

But the battles were really annoying!
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Eltee on May 24, 2008, 03:43:49 am
Say, you guys know how the Mother 3 blog seems to be talking about how the translation makes so much progress etc etc..

And how  the to-do list is getting pretty small? Well guess what. Check this out.

Quote from: Mato
I don’t want to give an estimated date just yet, but the script drafts, the remaining hacking, and the testing will probably take at *least* 4 or 5 months. Please don’t misquote me or read too far into that though — “at least” means just that, and I haven’t named a specific month either. Just making that disclaimer, because people are quick to play purple monkey dishwasher when it comes to this stuff

Who'd have thought? I certainly thought, with all the progress that was made, that it'd be pretty near.. guess not!
Title: Earthbound is rated E for everyone
Post by: Marcus on May 24, 2008, 04:58:19 am
I always rolled my eyes with the fan translation because it seemed like mother3.org basically walked in circles and posted about how good things were going before they started collaborating with starmen.  I think it only took half this time for dejap to translate Tales of Phantasia.