I didn't have a chance to play Earthbound when I was small, but I saw many screenshots and knew there was some serious fandom for the game. Years ago when it first came out, I had the misconception of it being an American-made game; it looked very different than any RPG I'd ever seen and didn't sport the anime style artwork that most JRPG's are known for. Bear once in a while would mention how awesome it is and how much he loves it; so given the fact that he actually owns a copy, I decided to give the game a try.

We ended up waking up every morning for weeks, eager to play Earthbound together as our daily morning routine. We eventually finished it and I am very happy we decided to play it together and was even eager to start playing its sequel, Mother 3 (which we still haven't gotten around to yet). I can't say that I'm a rabid fan of the game, but I can say that it's cool and that it stands strong among other classic RPG titles.

There are so many things that make this game different, cool, and interesting -from its unique visual style, to its unique environments and concepts. One of the things I enjoyed the most about this game was the feeling that the game didn't take itself seriously. It's goofy and whimsical without the feeling that it's being goofy as a gimmick; there were always interesting surprises and twists around the next corner.

One thing that was very surprising was that I found myself looking forward to finding and reading npc dialogue upon discovering a new town. I don't think I've EVER read every piece of dialogue I came across in any other game for the simple fact of enjoying it. Another big surprise was that though the game is goofy and whimsical, it actually has some rather serious and philosophical elements as well. The only thing that I think is kind of a shame is that I never felt any real attachment to the main characters because there is barely any dialogue exchange amongst them. I guess that maybe you're just supposed to use your imagination???

Anyway- It was a really great game to go through and warrants a look if you enjoy RPG's. XD Just remember that when playing it, to take your time and enjoy the game for what it is. =) I'm kinda feeling that a lot of people seem to be in a rush to pass games nowadays without taking the time to savor the experience. =/