Happy Birthday, EarthBound!
As Nintendo gears up this month for what’s bound to be an important E3, it would be remiss of us not to acknowledge another important Big N-related event taking place in the coming weeks. Namely, the 25th anniversary of beloved SNES classic EarthBound.
Technically, you could consider the anniversary of EarthBound to be one of two dates: that of its Japanese release, or that of its U.S. one. In the former’s case (June 5, 1995), we’d actually only be celebrating the RPG’s 24th anniversary. However, in the case of the latter (August 27, 1994), we’d be hitting the much more exciting landmark of 25 years.
Regardless, we at The Punished Backlog found it fitting to celebrate both dates. As you might have already noticed, we’re publishing this article on June 5 — a nod to the U.S. release — with plans to follow up with a wrap-up piece on August 27.
Why the two-parter? It’s simple. As the name of this site suggests, we’re constantly struggling to manage our growing backlogs. A game that has popped up frequently among our staff members’ lists is EarthBound — a title that is old enough to have passed many of us by, yet still holds a surprising amount of cultural relevance in today’s day and age. This brought up an interesting proposition: Why not play through EarthBound in celebration of its big 25th — thus, killing two birds with one stone — and share a summary of our experiences?
Hence, our EarthBound Punished Playthrough was born! Nothing crazy in terms of logistics — we kept things simple. Today, we’re sharing an “Entrance Survey” that those of us participating in the challenge each took. From now until late August, we’ll be playing through the game to completion and gathering our thoughts. Then, on August 27, we’ll post an “Exit Survey” detailing our final impressions on the game and its legacy.
Sound good? With that out of the way, here are our thoughts on EarthBound going into our respective playthroughs:
EarthBound Entrance Survey
Playthrough participants: PJ Manning, David Silbert, Sam Martinelli, Anna Hickey
Estimated game length: 28 to 36.5 hours (source: How Long to Beat)
Survey questions: Is this your first time playing EarthBound? If not, when did you last play it, how far did you get, and how many times have you played through it?
When/where was the first time you heard of EarthBound?
When you hear/think about EarthBound, what comes to mind?
Which console did you play it on originally (if applicable)?
How are you playing it this time around?
For those new to the game, what have you heard about the game going into it?
If you have played this before, what do you hope to get out of this playthrough to differentiate what you’ve done in the past?
Regardless of whether you’re a newcomer or a veteran, how much are looking forward to your playthrough, on a scale of 1 to 10?
Any final thoughts before diving into the world of Ness and his pals?
PJ Manning
Is this your first time playing EarthBound? If not, when did you last play it, how far did you get, and how many times have you played through it?
No, I played EarthBound very briefly in college. A friend of a friend had a SNES. I got enough first-hand exposure through that to get a taste for its charm, battles, and world. Still, three hours of gameplay is only three hours. I’ll be entering this experiment with a taste for EarthBound but largely fresh eyes.
When/where was the first time you heard of EarthBound?
Melee; get ready to read that a lot. But unlike Marth, Roy, and the greater Fire Emblem franchise, 12-year-old me could grasp EarthBound as a concept. When those two Japanese bois rolled onto the roster, the sheer number of games in their franchise (and opaque-ness of their trophy descriptions) never made sense to me. But with EarthBound, it was one character and one game. Plus, Onett was (and still is) a phenomenal stage.
When you hear/think about EarthBound, what comes to mind?
I think of the wacky character models. The sprites always irked me, just a bit. Something about their gourd-shaped appearances always felt off when compared to the compact or streamlined sprites I was used to. I recognize it has its charm, but the design was enough of an oddity to dissuade me from investigating the game until recently. Otherwise, I’m excited to learn what a “Mr. Saturn” is and see those characters in action.
Which console did you play it on originally (if applicable)?
Like I mentioned above, I got to play a bit on SNES. SNES and a CRT — my college friends (and myself) were very into the retro-game feel.
How are you playing it this time around?
SNES (Classic).
For those new to the game, what have you heard about the game going into it?
Since I am as good as new, I’ll answer this, too. I know a handful of things, but I don’t want to dive too deeply here. I got some hot tips about secret moves and the color purple, but I’ll hold my tongue until the exit survey. Unfortunately, the biggest spoiler is the most well-known aspect of the game. Even non-gamers I know are familiar with Giygas — which speaks wonders to the set piece.
If you have played this before, what do you hope to get out of this playthrough to differentiate what you’ve done in the past?
Get past the opening level.
Regardless of whether you’re a newcomer or a veteran, how much are looking forward to your playthrough, on a scale of 1 to 10?
Flip a coin, either 7 or 8. I’m very excited to go hands-on with this. I like the not-too-demanding time commitment, and it was a big reason I picked up the SNES Classic in the first place. But how excited can I be if I haven’t dove in already? In my two months with the Classic, I replayed FFVI and Yoshi’s Island. Then, I redownloaded Persona 5 to start my third playthrough.
Tldr; Excited, but not enough to have started playing of my own accord.
Any final thoughts before diving into the world of Ness and his pals?
PK Fire.
David Silbert
Is this your first time playing EarthBound? If not, when did you last play it, how far did you get, and how many times have you played through it?
First time, for me. Well, technically I played about 20 minutes of it back when it released for the Wii U’s virtual console, but as many here can attest to, I have trouble finishing games I start…
When/where was the first time you heard of EarthBound?
Had to be back when I started playing Super Smash Bros. Melee. Granted, I was like 10 at the time, and while I doubt I’d heard of the title EarthBound, per se, I certainly was familiar with its protagonist, Ness, thanks to Nintendo’s brawler series.
When you hear/think about EarthBound, what comes to mind?
Honestly, my mind goes to many places. Ness, Onett, this ridiculous rendition of the song “Pollyanna (I Believe in You),” and of course, the countless interviews with journalists asking Reggie Fils-Aimé where the hell Mother 3 is at.
Which console did you play it on originally (if applicable)?
As I said before, it was on the Wii– hey! I can hear you groaning from the back. …the Wii U.
How are you playing it this time around?
The SNES Classic (I’m expecting this to be a popular answer).
For those new to the game, what have you heard about the game going into it?
Only that there’s a really sick twist (both in a cool and sadistic sense) during the final boss encounter. It must have been an absolute pain for SNES owners to figure out in the ’90s and yet, looking back, it has become one of the most iconic RPG moments in gaming history.
If you have played this before, what do you hope to get out of this playthrough to differentiate what you’ve done in the past?
I hope that I — gasp — actually finish it this time.
Regardless of whether you’re a newcomer or a veteran, how much are looking forward to your playthrough, on a scale of 1 to 10?
9. I’m not expecting a revolutionary gameplay experience, considering how far JRPGs have come over the past 25 years. However, I fully expect the atmosphere, music, and storytelling to live up to the lofty hype they’ve garnered over the years.
Any final thoughts before diving into the world of Ness and his pals?
None, except that the song “Boy Meets Girl (Twoson)” is an absolute banger, and I’m going to absolutely lose my shit when it first pops up in-game.
Anna Hickey
Is this your first time playing EarthBound? If not, when did you last play it, how far did you get, and how many times have you played through it?
First timer here!
When/where was the first time you heard of EarthBound?
Smash and lots of the sort of ~wider collective video game knowledge~ were not a huge part of growing up playing games for me. EarthBound didn’t enter my radius until the release of Undertale with all the theories and comparisons between the two. Which I didn’t pay much attention to at the time because I was enjoying Undertale and thought maybe I should give EarthBound a go at some point if people think there’s a connection.
When you hear/think about EarthBound, what comes to mind?
I genuinely know very little going in, though I have a feeling it’ll be cute, but pretty weird. Not weirdly cute — cute, but weird. A childhood tale that in retrospect is pretty buck wild for a kid is the sort of overall vibe I get for some reason.
How are you playing it this time around?
On my 3DS I have named Robert. He is a good boy.
For those new to the game, what have you heard about the game going into it?
Not a whole heck of a lot, I’ll tell you that. Giygas is a thing? I’ve heard tell of a space bee of some kind?? I do hope there’s some sort of deontological morality system or pacifist option because that’s kinda my jam to play with and analyze.
Regardless of whether you’re a newcomer or a veteran, how much are looking forward to your playthrough, on a scale of 1 to 10?
Probably a good 7. Definitely looking forward to playing it and getting it off my list! Though, generally speaking, turned-based combat is a bit of a turn off for me. I am also pretty hit-or-miss on liking the overall narratives in any given media, so I’m very interested to see how I like this one. Not expecting this to be an all-time fave or anything, but I am quietly hopeful that the game will win me over with its music and charm.
Any final thoughts before diving into the world of Ness and his pals?
Let’s get to it. I’m ready!
Sam Martinelli
Is this your first time playing EarthBound? If not, when did you last play it, how far did you get, and how many times have you played through it?
I remember playing the first few minutes on an emulator not long after Super Smash Bros. Melee came out, when I was trying to find out what every character’s game was like (this was before YouTube, obviously). I didn’t really “get it” at first, not understanding that this was supposed to be a 20+ hour experience. Also my mom made me take down the emulator because she said it was “stealing.”
When/where was the first time you heard of EarthBound?
I hadn’t heard of it until I saw Ness appear in the original Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64. Makes sense, since the only sequel the game ever got only came out in Japan.
When you hear/think about EarthBound, what comes to mind?
So many people telling me it’s the greatest SNES game ever, and that I’m a goddamn lunatic to think otherwise.
How are you playing it this time around?
I will be playing it on the SNES Classic.
For those new to the game, what have you heard about the game going into it?
I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of the Super Nintendo, as it’s my favorite console ever. Somehow, EarthBound fans have made me feel as though I’ve missed out on the quintessential SNES experience, which I hadn’t believed was possible. Perhaps they’re right, and my whole view of what made the console great will shift after playing it.
If you have played this before, what do you hope to get out of this playthrough to differentiate what you’ve done in the past?
I hope to give it a real chance this time. I didn’t grow up playing RPGs, so it was impossible for me to get into EarthBound on my first try. Now that I’m more seasoned on the genre, I hope to push through some of the early RPG stuff en route to a better overall experience.
Regardless of whether you’re a newcomer or a veteran, how much are looking forward to your playthrough, on a scale of 1 to 10?
I would say 6/10, not because I think the game will be bad or disappointing, but because I don’t want to set it up to fail. If I keep my expectations in check, I may end up liking parts of the game more than if I set lofty expectations.
Any final thoughts before diving into the world of Ness and his pals?
Honestly, I like playing older games from a scholarly perspective so I can create a broader frame of reference for when I talk about newer titles. Sometimes, like with Chrono Trigger, I play an old game and become smitten. In other cases, like with Super Mario RPG, I have a good enough time but still view the game as somewhat of a relic of its time. I don’t know where EarthBound is going to land on that spectrum, but I think it’s important to give it the old college try, at least so I can understand why any person would rank it above Donkey Kong Country or F-Zero on their list of best Super Nintendo games.
And there you have it! As always, thanks for reading, and be sure to check back on August 27 for our full thoughts on EarthBound in time for its 25th anniversary.
