Earthbound's Greatness: Chapter 1
The RPG we know as EarthBound was a very unique game. Whereas most RPGs took place either in a fantasy setting full of knights, dragons, and sorcery or a futuristic setting with spaceships, robots, and technology, EarthBound was not. EarthBound took place in a setting that was far more familiar. EarthBound took place in a world very similar to the one we know today. The characters did not ride Chocobos or rocket ships, they traveled in bicycles and buses. Due to this, EarthBound was quite a different experience for many gamers. Many diehard RPG fans were turned off by this modern-day setting and never even gave EB a chance. People who actually played EB would realize that this atmosphere was one of the greatest things about the game. This article dissects how this setting was different from most games and explains why it was one of the aspects that made EarthBound the special game it was.
From the opening introduction of EarthBound, you could tell that the setting was different. Heck, the game even said, "The Year is 199X." Right there it was telling you that the game took place in a time that we knew and were comfortable with. The introduction then would zoom through Onett, a town that looked like a typical American suburb. That opening sequence alone was enough to put many gamers at ease and allowed them to enjoy the game more. At this point they relized that they did not have to take time to get used to the new world they were about to explore. The world was really their world, or if not their world, a world almost exactly like it. The could relax and not have to ponder what certain things were.
While playing through the game, this level of comfort would contintue. The places they went to for the most part seemed like places that have been to in their lives, from arcades to police stations. They saw familiar sites from Stonehenge to pyramids. The items they used were like things that they used in there lives such as bats and frying pans. Even the unrealistic things such as aliens, dinosaurs, and PSI are things that weren't completely beyond belief. All of them were things that players imagagined when they were kids. EarthBound catered to the inner child in everybody. This was something that no Final Fantasy could do.
The modern-day setting did so much for EarthBound. It put gamers at ease in a world that they knew and trusted. It not only brought out their inner child, making it seem like all of those dreams we had as children about saving the world. EarthBound's setting made it a unique, great game that would stay in the minds of gamers for all of time. It was not the only great thing about EarthBound, but it was certainly one of the best features of the game. Without this innovative setting, I don't thing EarthBound would have been half as great as it would be.
The RPG we know as EarthBound was a very unique game. Whereas most RPGs took place either in a fantasy setting full of knights, dragons, and sorcery or a futuristic setting with spaceships, robots, and technology, EarthBound was not. EarthBound took place in a setting that was far more familiar. EarthBound took place in a world very similar to the one we know today. The characters did not ride Chocobos or rocket ships, they traveled in bicycles and buses. Due to this, EarthBound was quite a different experience for many gamers. Many diehard RPG fans were turned off by this modern-day setting and never even gave EB a chance. People who actually played EB would realize that this atmosphere was one of the greatest things about the game. This article dissects how this setting was different from most games and explains why it was one of the aspects that made EarthBound the special game it was.
From the opening introduction of EarthBound, you could tell that the setting was different. Heck, the game even said, "The Year is 199X." Right there it was telling you that the game took place in a time that we knew and were comfortable with. The introduction then would zoom through Onett, a town that looked like a typical American suburb. That opening sequence alone was enough to put many gamers at ease and allowed them to enjoy the game more. At this point they relized that they did not have to take time to get used to the new world they were about to explore. The world was really their world, or if not their world, a world almost exactly like it. The could relax and not have to ponder what certain things were.
While playing through the game, this level of comfort would contintue. The places they went to for the most part seemed like places that have been to in their lives, from arcades to police stations. They saw familiar sites from Stonehenge to pyramids. The items they used were like things that they used in there lives such as bats and frying pans. Even the unrealistic things such as aliens, dinosaurs, and PSI are things that weren't completely beyond belief. All of them were things that players imagagined when they were kids. EarthBound catered to the inner child in everybody. This was something that no Final Fantasy could do.
The modern-day setting did so much for EarthBound. It put gamers at ease in a world that they knew and trusted. It not only brought out their inner child, making it seem like all of those dreams we had as children about saving the world. EarthBound's setting made it a unique, great game that would stay in the minds of gamers for all of time. It was not the only great thing about EarthBound, but it was certainly one of the best features of the game. Without this innovative setting, I don't thing EarthBound would have been half as great as it would be.
