Earthbound (Review)

August 16, 2025

Earthbound (Review)

Earthbound (Mother 2) Review

"You're my very own natural born fighter... you'll go far... Remember to 'Go for it!'"

Earthbound. The game was released on August 27, 1994, in Japan, and on June 1, 1995, in North America. It's a JRPG. A rare contemporary RPG in an overcrowded sea of fantasy and science fiction. When I was around 10 years old, we got the SNES, and one of the games on there was Earthbound. And that’s how I got introduced to the game.

I played this game a lot growing up, but I never actually got far in it. But years later, I found the game on the Nintendo Switch, and I decided to get back into the game and finally beat it. Now, a couple more years later, after many hours of playing the game and three accidental restarts, I’ve finally beaten the game on August 15, 2025. I’m here to write about this game because I loved it and wanted to share my thoughts in a review, and maybe even encourage others to try it as well. This game has been such a cool journey.

This game starts with a kid named Ness, but you have the option of giving them your own name, which was Alen for me. I thought about keeping the original names, but since that’s what I named him so many years ago, it kinda stuck with me, and I like it.

In EarthBound (Mother 2), the plot is about a character named Ness, who was awakened by a meteor and faced with a great quest to defeat the alien lord, Giygus. He is guided by Buzz Buzz, a creature from the future, and is told a prophecy: Three boys and a girl are to be the ones to defeat Giygas by collecting the eight melodies from sanctuaries across the world, uniting his psychic powers with the Earth. He is joined by his new friends Paula, Jeff, and Poo. The game is full of stories, humor, death, and many bad guys to defeat. This game is part 2 of a series, but you do not have to play the others to get the story.'

The game starts in Ness' hometown, Onett. Then you defeat a boss and head to the next town, Twoson, and you basically journey from place to place, bringing you all over the world, and it was crazy! Like, I mean, all across the world, into deserts, caves, and cities, and... a Jurassic world? And they fight a wide range of bad guys, from snakes and mushrooms to evil moles and monsters, or evil blue people! It's quite the journey, and it's full of awesome and cool things! I will admit, this game could be sorta creepy! I mean, the music, the bad guys, and the setting!? It definitely had some creepy parts, and it’s definitely HARD. The game is a turn-based combat with a rolling HP system. As the characters gain experience from battles, they level up, increasing their stats like offense, defence, and PSI. I really liked how it worked, and there's even an autopilot feature for battles.

"After all, it could only cost you're life, and you got that for free!"

The storyline in this game was simple yet amazing. The game was almost emotional. I mean that ending scene? After the journey was over, you defeated Giygus, and you journeyed home? It was hard. Like when you finish reading a book series, or finish your delicious bowl of ice cream. It's over now, you've completed the long journey...So of course, I'm playing through it again right now.

This game, though, brings you on such a journey. And there's nothing more nostalgic or calming than listening to 'Home Sweet Home'. This song is amazing, and it plays whenever you're home, and it brings back memories for me from when I first started playing this game. And the rest of the soundtrack is just *Chef's kiss* mua! I love it. There are some groovy ones I jam to, ones I sleep to, or ones that bring back the scary places in the game... *shudders*... but it's amazing, I love all of it.

"Hey, it's your dad. You've been out there for a long time now. It may not be my business, but don't you think it's a good idea to take a break?"

One thing I loved about this game was the parents. Most games put them in the background, and by the second town, you’re already forgetting them... or they die. But in this game, they're just a phone call away. You actually get homesickness in the game and can call your mom to cure it. But I really love the dad cause he’s there for your whole journey, from across the phone, saving your progress, supporting you, and sending you money一Hard earned money at that. He works so much that he can't come home, sending you thousands of dollars during your progression and making sure you're provided for! He’s basically the fifth member of the crew.

If you're playing this game or want to start, but you have some questions or want some tips, please feel free to reach out. I'd love to help anyone starting this game or wanting to start it. If you don't have the game but want it, it's available on Nintendo Switch Online for free. Note: It's only if you have Online. You may find it on Android or a Nintendo 3DS. This game is AMAZING, please play if you can. It took me... *cough cough* almost a year to beat, BUT I was new and didn't know how to do everything. So... remember to uh... be smart when you play and know what to do, cause I was lost. But remember, I did get my save restarted TWICE!... or was it three times?... idk, but because of that, you could say I took three years lol.

Anyway, this game rocks, and I would say it's good for 9/10+. I spent a long time on it, but you gotta remember to go outside and touch some grass. Even right now! How long have you been looking at a screen? Go outside! But enjoy playing this game! 一or just reading my post on it lol.

"Just remember, I'm always behind you 100%. Don't be afraid."