Overall: Let me start by saying I did not play Earthbound growing up so I am not blinded by nostalgia for this game. That being said I have to say that Earthbound is now one of my favorite RPGs ever after beating it not too long ago. It blended a great story, game play, and superb music into one complete package. Now the game is not without it's faults like the difficulty and cheapness of some attacks and psi attacks in the game. I'll get to that later. Like I said I love this game with a passion. I cannot stress how much I love this game people. Lets get this show on the road.
Graphics: What can I say about the graphics in a game that's eighteen years old. Well I could start off by saying that they are great. I mean let's be honest the graphics in earthbound are fantastic. I guarantee that everyone has seen some sprites from this game somewhere before. The graphics are bright and colorful which might have some players dismissing this as a mere kids game but trust me it is not. I'll get to that later. Like I said the graphics in the game are amazing. The character sprites on Ness and the gang are nicely detailed and the environments look awesome as well.
Sound: The music in this game is freaking fantastic. Like the character sprites I can guarantee that everyone has heard one of the tracks from this game somewhere on the Internet. The music sets a brilliant tone from a happy town to a spooky cave or even in a land filled with dinosaurs. I love the music for this game so much that even after beating the game I listen to the soundtrack all the time while doing house work. The sound effects in the game are also really really good. I especially love the battle sound effects the m
Addictiveness: This game is highly addictive. I find myself thinking about it even after I completed the story. Before I beat the game I would find myself thinking about the next thing I had to do in the game whilst doing other things. The game play is just simple enough for anyone to pick up and fun enough to entertain even the most hardcore gamers.
Story: The story is one of excellence. I loved the story from the begging. I will try not to spoil it for the readers who haven't beat the game but Ness gets roped into a massive quest by pure coincidence. That's all I'm going say about the story. If you want to know more play the game. Okay a little more
. It is Ness's job to stop an evil Alien named Giygas. He must collect the sounds of each "Your Sanctuary" in a sound stone with the help of three friends he meets along the way(Paula, Jeff, and Poo). The kids meet many friends along the way like a gang leader who hangs out at an arcade, a band that is always tricked into servitude, and a race of strange aliens who help the group along their quest.
Depth: The game is not TOO terribly long or hard to beat. It is a healthy amount of time for an RPG. The game can be as long as you make it you could breeze through the game and not get the secret items or get all the psi abilities or it could be a long time if you do get everything. There isn't much in the way of side quests in this game but there are a few.
Difficulty: This game is by no means difficult. It is one of the easier RPGs I have played. But it isn't easy either it is a good balance of challenge and fun. At times some bosses are pretty hard but if you give it time this game will be a welcome challenge for gamers young and old.