Salvatore Pane on Earthbound
An awesome appreciation of one of my three favorite video games & media experiences. (others: Chrono Trigger & Final Fantasy VI (or III on the version I had))
Tags: earthbound, salvatore pane, videogames
Ken Baumann
Read that yesterday and thought about replaying Earthbound. FFVI is good too.
Where do you find that kind of fun now? Have not kept up with anything since Gamecube.
Yes, actually, the influence of computer (or video) games in our contemporary culture is huge – this is what I call “mind-expending”
I’ve replayed EB a couple times since I first played & beat it at ~11yrs, and have done the same with Chrono Trigger and FFVI.
I have a Playstation 3, but I haven’t found a game as intriguing as any of those… so much focus on producing spectacle now, in game design, that story & aura are often tossed first. Favorite game I’ve played in awhile was Batman: Arkham Asylum, which had beautiful moments and was really fun.
I want to play an RPG and cry again, though.
Earthbound is the greatest RPG video game that I’ve ever played.
I don’t play many video games (hell, guess I haven’t played one on a console in years) but Okami was pretty good! A lot of PS2 and 3 games were pretty good in the aura, atmosphere or story department. Shadow of the Colossus, Little Big Planet, Katamari, etc.
Have you played Ico? It’s by the same team that did Shadow of the Colossus. I haven’t played it in years, but I remember it being absolutely fantastic.
Has anyone played Mother 3? You have to emulate it but the fan translation is excellent, and it’s probably the closest I’ve come to crying for a video game since Aeris died in FFVII (I was young; I had a crush). I mean genuinely an interesting story, a good game, really beautiful animation, in terms of storytelling really obviously the best thing going apart from Shadow of the Colossus, maybe even over it.
(Note for non-nerds: In Japan, Earthbound is Mother 2. Here Mother 3 would probably be Earthbound 2, but Nintendo will never release it here because it would freak parents out and possibly sell about fifty copies.)
I was going to play this, but I downloaded Mother I and didn’t much care for it. RPGs from that era just don’t age well, and it momentarily made me rethink my love of Earthbound. But maybe I’ll check out the sequel. I don’t understand why Nintendo wouldn’t localize this for American release.
I might play that now that you mention it. Games!
I should mention Mother I is for the original Nintendo, and Mother 3 is for Gameboy Advance. We’re talking a twenty year difference.
Read that yesterday and thought about replaying Earthbound. FFVI is good too.
Where do you find that kind of fun now? Have not kept up with anything since Gamecube.
Yes, actually, the influence of computer (or video) games in our contemporary culture is huge – this is what I call “mind-expending”
I’ve replayed EB a couple times since I first played & beat it at ~11yrs, and have done the same with Chrono Trigger and FFVI.
I have a Playstation 3, but I haven’t found a game as intriguing as any of those… so much focus on producing spectacle now, in game design, that story & aura are often tossed first. Favorite game I’ve played in awhile was Batman: Arkham Asylum, which had beautiful moments and was really fun.
I want to play an RPG and cry again, though.
Yeah, Mother 3 is its own thing entirely. You’ll understand pretty quickly why Nintendo isn’t ever letting it near a system largely used by/identified with kids.
Earthbound is the greatest RPG video game that I’ve ever played.
Is Earthbound the best RPG, or is it Deus Ex? Are you willing to call Deus Ex a straight-up RPG? Am *I*?
I don’t play many video games (hell, guess I haven’t played one on a console in years) but Okami was pretty good! A lot of PS2 and 3 games were pretty good in the aura, atmosphere or story department. Shadow of the Colossus, Little Big Planet, Katamari, etc.
Have you played Ico? It’s by the same team that did Shadow of the Colossus. I haven’t played it in years, but I remember it being absolutely fantastic.
Ken,
Try Terranigma for SNES. I think it was only released in Japan. But I’m sure you can find a ROM that has it translated to English. It will remind you of the good times.
Has anyone played Mother 3? You have to emulate it but the fan translation is excellent, and it’s probably the closest I’ve come to crying for a video game since Aeris died in FFVII (I was young; I had a crush). I mean genuinely an interesting story, a good game, really beautiful animation, in terms of storytelling really obviously the best thing going apart from Shadow of the Colossus, maybe even over it.
(Note for non-nerds: In Japan, Earthbound is Mother 2. Here Mother 3 would probably be Earthbound 2, but Nintendo will never release it here because it would freak parents out and possibly sell about fifty copies.)
Mother 3 is fucking amazing. No lie. I don’t drop fucks willy-nilly.
Although, sadly, I haven’t had the chance to play it for nearly a year, now. The rigours of my university course, combined with the addictive gateway drug qualities of video games in general, mean that I just can’t play any of them if I ever want to get anything done.
I got about 50% of the way in, though, and it was absolutely brilliant. Maybe even better than EarthBound.
I totally nerded out on it, actually. I got the Japanese game, tried to learn Hiragana, got bored. Then, when the English fan translation was released, I bought a GBA homebrew cart and a second-hand GBA Micro just to play it. Very much worth it.
Oh, also, there seems to be some confusion. Mother 3 = EarthBound 2.
Deus Ex is pretty sweet. Never finished it, though.
I never finish games.
I wouldn’t call Deus Ex an RPG. Maybe it would be a ‘first person action role playing game’ or something ridiculous.
I was going to play this, but I downloaded Mother I and didn’t much care for it. RPGs from that era just don’t age well, and it momentarily made me rethink my love of Earthbound. But maybe I’ll check out the sequel. I don’t understand why Nintendo wouldn’t localize this for American release.
I might play that now that you mention it. Games!
I should mention Mother I is for the original Nintendo, and Mother 3 is for Gameboy Advance. We’re talking a twenty year difference.
http://drawchan.net/dc/test/src/127575281278.jpg
I feel terrible about this, but whenever someone writes about video games I want to beat the shit out of them and make them do real things.
I love video games, but if that’s what you’re writing about it’s because you’re a total bitch.
Ah! Just writing that makes me feel terrible.
But seriously, go get arrested, or get AIDS, or break an arm, or something.
Also, the end of the world is probably the second most boring thing to write about after writing about video games.
I get it, it’s all over.
Come up with some solution type shit, or shut the fuck up and go mow your parent’s lawn.
deus ex is great / dauntingly large and long / found myself thinking this morning about a level on a ship and i was like “wow that was a long level i’d forgotten about completely, i can’t even remember how that level fit in between paris, hong kong, etc.” i didn’t actually think the word etc, but you get what i mean etc.
in finishing deus ex i remember feeling sort of dogged, sort of tunnel-visioned, perhaps at the expense of enjoyment, the way i feel when i am finishing a really long novel that i really like
Yeah, Mother 3 is its own thing entirely. You’ll understand pretty quickly why Nintendo isn’t ever letting it near a system largely used by/identified with kids.
Oh man, you need to finish that game. Fuck whatever they’re trying to teach you. The ending is honestly the sort of thing I’ve been trying to pull off in a novel for years. Just beautiful.
:(
Vidja games!
Ico is great! In general, I think any game that makes you feel simultaneously desperate and hopeless about reaching your goal is great. And Ico makes you save the princess / key to your freedom by beating away pits full of scary shadow monsters with a stick you find.
yeah, i know. i’m an old crochety asshole.
Is Earthbound the best RPG, or is it Deus Ex? Are you willing to call Deus Ex a straight-up RPG? Am *I*?
vidya games
Ken,
Try Terranigma for SNES. I think it was only released in Japan. But I’m sure you can find a ROM that has it translated to English. It will remind you of the good times.
Mother 3 is fucking amazing. No lie. I don’t drop fucks willy-nilly.
Although, sadly, I haven’t had the chance to play it for nearly a year, now. The rigours of my university course, combined with the addictive gateway drug qualities of video games in general, mean that I just can’t play any of them if I ever want to get anything done.
I got about 50% of the way in, though, and it was absolutely brilliant. Maybe even better than EarthBound.
I totally nerded out on it, actually. I got the Japanese game, tried to learn Hiragana, got bored. Then, when the English fan translation was released, I bought a GBA homebrew cart and a second-hand GBA Micro just to play it. Very much worth it.
Oh, also, there seems to be some confusion. Mother 3 = EarthBound 2.
Deus Ex is pretty sweet. Never finished it, though.
I never finish games.
I wouldn’t call Deus Ex an RPG. Maybe it would be a ‘first person action role playing game’ or something ridiculous.
http://drawchan.net/dc/test/src/127575281278.jpg
I feel terrible about this, but whenever someone writes about video games I want to beat the shit out of them and make them do real things.
I love video games, but if that’s what you’re writing about it’s because you’re a total bitch.
Ah! Just writing that makes me feel terrible.
But seriously, go get arrested, or get AIDS, or break an arm, or something.
Also, the end of the world is probably the second most boring thing to write about after writing about video games.
I get it, it’s all over.
Come up with some solution type shit, or shut the fuck up and go mow your parent’s lawn.
deus ex is great / dauntingly large and long / found myself thinking this morning about a level on a ship and i was like “wow that was a long level i’d forgotten about completely, i can’t even remember how that level fit in between paris, hong kong, etc.” i didn’t actually think the word etc, but you get what i mean etc.
in finishing deus ex i remember feeling sort of dogged, sort of tunnel-visioned, perhaps at the expense of enjoyment, the way i feel when i am finishing a really long novel that i really like
Oh man, you need to finish that game. Fuck whatever they’re trying to teach you. The ending is honestly the sort of thing I’ve been trying to pull off in a novel for years. Just beautiful.
:(
Vidja games!
Ico is great! In general, I think any game that makes you feel simultaneously desperate and hopeless about reaching your goal is great. And Ico makes you save the princess / key to your freedom by beating away pits full of scary shadow monsters with a stick you find.
yeah, i know. i’m an old crochety asshole.
vidya games
ZZZZZIPP HAS PLAYED SOME GAMES AND IT IS THE ENDING TO GRIM FANDANGO THAT HE CANNOT FORGET.
THOSE EARLY LUCASARTS ADVENTURE GAMES WERE “CHALLENGING” THE PLAYER TO THE SAME EXTENT EARTHBOUND WAS ZZZZZIPP THINKS. MAYBE BECAUSE OF THIS EXPOSURE WHEN ZZZZZIPP PLAYED EARTHBOUND (2 YEARS AGO) HE FOUND IT BORING.
IS A “METAL GEAR SOLID” GOING TO BE ON THE MIXTAPE SALVATORE?
Yes. Oh, yes.
It’s ok, dude. Just don’t read “Tetris” by Justin Taylor. You’ll implode.
On PS3 I enjoyed the story in Fallout 3, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Valkyrie Chronicles. If you want a good throwback try 3D Dot Heroes. But I play a lot of DS games for that classic RPG feel.
I would not call it a straight up RPG. But it is awesome.
How about Xenogears? I have fond memories of that game.
ZZZZZIPP HAS PLAYED SOME GAMES AND IT IS THE ENDING TO GRIM FANDANGO THAT HE CANNOT FORGET.
THOSE EARLY LUCASARTS ADVENTURE GAMES WERE “CHALLENGING” THE PLAYER TO THE SAME EXTENT EARTHBOUND WAS ZZZZZIPP THINKS. MAYBE BECAUSE OF THIS EXPOSURE WHEN ZZZZZIPP PLAYED EARTHBOUND (2 YEARS AGO) HE FOUND IT BORING.
IS A “METAL GEAR SOLID” GOING TO BE ON THE MIXTAPE SALVATORE?
Yes. Oh, yes.
It’s ok, dude. Just don’t read “Tetris” by Justin Taylor. You’ll implode.
On PS3 I enjoyed the story in Fallout 3, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Valkyrie Chronicles. If you want a good throwback try 3D Dot Heroes. But I play a lot of DS games for that classic RPG feel.
I would not call it a straight up RPG. But it is awesome.
How about Xenogears? I have fond memories of that game.
If you care about video games at all, you should check out this guy’s website:
insomnia.ac
It should take a couple of days or so to acquaint yourself with his ideas (click on the Masters of Controversy link in the sidebar, scroll to the bottom and work your way up). Whether you agree with him or not–and I’m willing to bet most of you will dismiss him for his misogyny and huge fucking ego–I’m pretty sure you won’t think about video games in the same way ever again. You might even come back to this thread and realize just how unconsidered (at the very least) most of these comments are.
If you care about video games at all, you should check out this guy’s website:
insomnia.ac
It should take a couple of days or so to acquaint yourself with his ideas (click on the Masters of Controversy link in the sidebar, scroll to the bottom and work your way up). Whether you agree with him or not–and I’m willing to bet most of you will dismiss him for his misogyny and huge fucking ego–I’m pretty sure you won’t think about video games in the same way ever again. You might even come back to this thread and realize just how unconsidered (at the very least) most of these comments are.
I finished the game in the same way – it is something that simply must be, despite the level of enjoyment you have in the end. I can’t take extended breaks from games or I’ll never finish them, and I wouldn’t do that to DE.
new one comin’ out soon, looks pretty sweet so far
this has been Video Game News on a Lit Blog
I finished the game in the same way – it is something that simply must be, despite the level of enjoyment you have in the end. I can’t take extended breaks from games or I’ll never finish them, and I wouldn’t do that to DE.
new one comin’ out soon, looks pretty sweet so far
this has been Video Game News on a Lit Blog
Yes, Yes, Yes! The Ocarina of Time, Chrono Cross, and Final Fantasy IX were, for me, almost religious experiences, especially Zelda. Also, they have influenced my writing maybe more than anything. It was the music, the time travel, ‘Another Word,’ etc. I knew it was a only a matter of time before a wave of video game influenced art and writing would burst onto this scene of ours. or yours. it already has mine, actually.
Yes, Yes, Yes! The Ocarina of Time, Chrono Cross, and Final Fantasy IX were, for me, almost religious experiences, especially Zelda. Also, they have influenced my writing maybe more than anything. It was the music, the time travel, ‘Another Word,’ etc. I knew it was a only a matter of time before a wave of video game influenced art and writing would burst onto this scene of ours. or yours. it already has mine, actually.