Summary
While many iconic titles from the SNES era have become legendary within the gaming community,Earthboundstands out as an odd outlier in many regards. When it originally launched in 1994,Earthbounddidn’t receive the same critical reception that other titles released on the console that same year — likeDonkey Kong CountryandSuper Metroid— had, and its bizarre marketing campaign in the West led Nintendo to deem it unsuccessful. However, 30 years after its release,Earthboundhas finally found an audience as a cult classic, quirky RPG that has gone on to inspire dozens of successful indie titles in the modern age of gaming.
TitledMother 2in Japan and designed as a follow-up to the Famicom’sMother,Earthboundwas the first of the series to be released outside of Japan, warranting a name change. While otherSNES gamesof the time had connections to larger franchises and starred iconic characters,Earthboundlacked this key puzzle piece since its only predecessor was a Japan exclusive. However, despite flying under many players' radars at the time of release, the game has gone on to become a beloved title among classic JRPG fans thanks to its charming characters, quirky humor, and endearing story.
Earthbound’s Cult Classic Potential Has Never Been Fully Realized by Nintendo
AlthoughEarthboundhas seen some degree of representation within Nintendo’s catalog of iconic IPs, it has a hard time standing up against the likes ofMario,Zelda,Pokemon, andAnimal Crossing. For the most part,Earthboundwas the only entry in the franchise that ever made its way outside of Japan, that is until Nintendo released the originalMotheron the Wii U Virtual Console in 2015 asEarthbound Beginnings. Nintendo has thrownEarthbounda bone in other ways — like with the inclusion ofprotagonist Ness in theSuper Smash Bros. series— but the IP has never really reached its potential with official content.
Nintendo has re-releasedEarthboundon a variety of platforms, including the Wii U and 3DS Virtual Consoles, SNES Classic, and Nintendo Switch Online.
Fans Have Picked Up Earthbound’s Legacy Where Nintendo Hasn’t
Nintendo may be resistant towards newEarthboundcontent, but fans have picked up the slack over the years to fill in the gaps left by official releases. TheEarthboundcommunity is very dedicated to a game that has never seen an official sequel released in the West, though there has been afan translation ofMother 3and an infamous campaign to get it an official release. There have been other creative attempts to carry on the spirit ofEarthboundthrough fan mods and ROM hacks, which have ultimately led to many spiritual successors in the form of stand-alone indie games.
Indie Games Have Carried the Torch for Earthbound in the Modern Gaming Age
AlthoughEarthbound’s brand of quirky humor weaved between surprisingly dark undertones may have been a one-time thing, at least in the West, many indie games have successfully replicated the feel of the game. TheseEarthbound-inspired indieslikeUndertale,OMORI, andLisa: The Painfulshow a clear dedication to the style and charm that madeEarthbounda unique experience for players and why it has persisted as a cult classic for 30 years. Many of them lean into aspects thatEarthboundcould only scratch the surface of, such as more overtly dark themes and even elements of horror in the case of titles likeOMORIandYume Nikki.
Undertaleis likely the most famousEarthbound-inspired indie, withcreator Toby Foxhaving created theEarthbound"Halloween Hack" as one of his first forays into the gaming space before creating the beloved indie. Other titles likeOMORIhave featuredEarthbound’s iconic format of a four-character party of children tackling darker themes than the game’s charming exterior would have players believe. Even ifEarthboundnever sees a new entry, there are clearly passionate fans willing to play with many of the themes the game pioneered and create fantastic successors to the legacyEarthboundhas left behind.
