How Earthbound Became The Ultimate Cult Classic | Retrospective Documentary

In today's video, we will explore the complete history of Earthbound, from the game's initial ideas and inception to its localization issues and legacy. This video, despite being over an hour long, doesn't cover EVERYTHING about the game, but offers a nice snapshot into my favorite game's interesting history.
Earthbound/Mother 2 Interviews:
yomuka.wordpress.com/2009/04/...
Clyde Mandelin Legends of Localization Book:
www.fangamer.com/products/leg...
PDF Scan of Mother 2/Earthbound’s Official Guides:
archive.org/details/mother-2-...
www.nintendo.co.jp/clvs/manua...
The Video Game History Foundation’s Secret Earthbound Content Video:
• EarthBound's Most Hidd...
Earthbound Anti-Piracy Showcase (Thane Gaming): • EarthBound: Giygas Ant...
CREDITS
MUSIC
“The Lost Underworld” - Earthbound
“Summers Remix” - Irikachana
“Get on the Bus” - Earthbound
“L o f i Snowman” - VG Lofi Nights
“Home Sweet Home” - Mingo
“The Place” - Earthbound
“Friendly Neighbors” - Earthbound
“Battle Against a Machine Remix” - Jorge Fuentes
“Pokey Means Business” - Earthbound
“Earthbound 8 Melodies Remix” - Atzin
“Your Name, Please” - NoteBlock
ART
Thumbnail: magicwaffles123
Battle Backgrounds: RedWool
Ignacio Zurita
blu_Shade
NathanPls
GumWad201
Tigerfog
Franciskunky
Goodevanin
HammyTheGameGeek
KLN
E.M. Engel
Vicky/Ness
Fourside
LemonT
4Fourside
Pastal Bird
Jtopolosky
Blu_shade
Gabotto
PhaseSix_Soft
Skitty
Bluwiikoon
Echoperson
Beli_vran
Taco john dolan
CrossingTheseAnimals
John P
Silverflamng
ADDITIONAL CREDIT
OkeijiDragon
Neoangelwink
AnyaPanda
AnthonyTRP
Starmen.net
Mother Forever
Chuggaconroy
Earthbound Central
Menocu87
Farfromsubtle
Tozadius
Thane Gaming
Globo Gaming
Let’s Play Network
The Video Game History Foundation
Clyde Mandelin
Kever M.
RockinRay3305
ArmoredChocobo
Sony Shock
Subscribe for more awesome videos! Smash that like button and cool things will happen, maybe...
My Twitter: / pstcchannel
Questions, suggestions for the show? Email me at [e-mail]!
Microphone: www.amazon.com/Shure-SM7B-Car...
Webcam: www.amazon.com/Logitech-C922x...
DSLR: www.amazon.com/Canon-Mark-DSL...
Capture Card: www.amazon.com/Elgato-Capture...
Green Screen: www.amazon.com/LimoStudio-Chr...
Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
2:28 Part 1 - Reckless Wildness
19:01 Part 2 - This Game Stinks!
36:31 Part 3 - A Legacy is Born
47:14 Part 4 - An Honest Critique
58:50 Outro
#earthbound #mother2 #retrospective

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

Wow, I can't believe I finally got this out! This video took a LOT of work and patience, with loads of copyright problems and blocked content. Thank you all so much for checking out a retrospective documentary about my favorite video game of all time. What are your favorite memories of Earthbound? Let me know in the comments below! Also, be sure to check out the original Mother Retrospective as well! Love ya!

[@HowToAdapt]

How did you have copyright problems. It’s a documentary/educational. Isn’t that covered under fair use??

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

@@HowToAdapt yes, but unfortunately Sony auto-blocks the music because they released a studio version of it once. I finally got around it!

[@HowToAdapt]

@@PressStartToContinueYT That’s good to know!! I’m launching my own channels right now, and I’ve been nervous about this because, while I know I’m safe with fair use, I continuously see posts like this and it was making me nervous because all my footage and music is from video games, so I wasn’t sure why some stuff gets taken down and others don’t. Like, when the GTA trilogy trailer dropped, everyone was posting stills and saying they weren’t using video because of copyright claims.

[@giannijimenez5684]

My first time seeing mad duck, it was a magical experience and it isn’t favorite thing ever now

[@Prince_Gator]

@@PressStartToContinueYT this game is my absolute favorite game but Nintendo would never ever localize a game is mother fan or earthbound fan is Mother 3 but thank you so much.

[@kylemundy8871]

I was so sick as a kid, I had to be bedridden at home from school for weeks. My friend let me borrow Earthbound so I had something to do with my time. I focused on the game to mentally escape my own shitty situation, and got carried off to a magical place where 4 kids saved the world. This game means so much to me, as it does us all, and I'm so happy to share its memory with all you fine people. It will never die, just like that sad snowman from Magicant.

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

that snowman just hits different.

[@kylemundy8871]

@@PressStartToContinueYT lol that snowman hits like a Mac truck

[@HarmonicaPresents]

What an interesting coincidence. A couple years ago, when I was in so much pain (back and muscle related) that I couldn't even get out of bed, for some reason I decided that was my opportunity to try out Earthbound for the first time. Certainly helped pass the time.

[@Mr.Peanut1986]

I was on work comp, at home with a fused ankle when I played for the first time. On the SNES Classic. I'm very fond of it. Your story was really awesome to read! Thank you!

[@DampWetstew]

54:10 Speaking of Tony. One of my favorite moments of the game is how pissed he is if you talk to him after saving him from the Starmen with Jeff Ko'd. He says something along the lines of "you were supposed to protect him! Bring him back! Bring my Jeff back to me, Ness!" Like it really hits you how much he cares for Jeff. The boy ruined his own birthday party to make sure Jeff has some food for his trip. Tony is so sweet.

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

great point! I never knew this about the game

[@Maliku616]

Wow, I never even considered alternate dialogue like that. That’s awesome!

[@dingus783]

@@Maliku616 yeah, I’m pretty sure this game has alternate dialogue for almost everything

[@KopperNeoman]

It hits harder when you realise that nowadays, Tony would be forcibly draped in a million Pride flags - if not by Itoi, then by the localisers. Just look at the critical versus fan response to the new Spider-Man versus the new Robocop. But in the 90s, he was allowed to be a realistic boy who fancied someone. He was allowed to be Tony of Snow Wood, not Purveyor #352432 of THE MESSAGE.

[@IAMVOMITFOREVER]

@@KopperNeoman ​​⁠given nintendos track record with lgbt “representation”, probably not. maybe other companies are guilty of using queer identity as a way to pander instead of using it to flesh out a character, but with their own properties, nintendo doesnt seem to really do either. any nintendo character who is actually lgbt is only implied, only confirmed outside the game itself (ie: interviews or posts, like tony), are outright censored and rewritten, or are harmful stereotypes not necessarily meant to positively represent. given their current business model, i doubt nintendo would ever hypothetically use tonys orientation to pander to a queer audience, especially considering hes a very minor side character in a game nintendo doesnt seem to give much attention to in the first place. id also argue that w/o the context of itois confirmation, jeff & tonys relationship could easily read as platonic, meaning that they wouldnt even have much of anything in-game to draw attention to regarding his orientation

[@cessnafun5385]

I don't know why, but Ramblin' Evil Mushrooms just get me in a vibe that no other enemy in Earthbound can get me into. It's why they are my favorite enemies.

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

they rock!

[@orb9760]

Ramblin' Evil Mushroom scattered its spores! Ness began to feel strange!

[@pattyofurniture694]

I love that they are a smash bros item now

[@citizenblue]

Just make sure to turn your controller lol!

[@RiskierGoose340]

They’re so far my least favorite enemy. Haven’t completed the game yet, but they’re really annoying personally.

[@rachelhendricks6886]

This will soon be known as the ultimate Earthbound documentary that everyone must watch. Thank you so much.

[@joshshrum2764]

AND I MISS YOU ⚡️✌🏻

[@drcidd8153]

@@joshshrum2764 Nah, he lost points for calling it oh-net. There's a number convention in the names. It's pronounced one-ette, then there's two-son, three-d, and four-side. Not oh-net and tuscon.

[@Ner0mancer]

@@drcidd8153 🙄

[@drcidd8153]

@@Ner0mancer It may seem minor, but it's pretty important if you considering this the "ultimate earthbound documentary".

[@harrylane4]

@@drcidd8153 except official sources call it o-nett, not one-it. So the pun is text based. You’re objectively wrong.

[@Unquestionable]

I'll never forget Earthbound. My parents let me pick one game that summer and being a very nerdy and RPG hungry 11 year old picked it up, having seen it mentioned (along with it's predecessor) in Nintendo Power. And my copy sadly was broken, took it home after pouring over the included guide only to find it wouldn't load up. Had to return it and thankfully they had one more copy left so it was only a temporary set back.

[@zetto156]

I am still reeling from the loss of Satoru Iwata. We didn't deserve him, what a legend. So much of my childhood joy is directly attributable to his work.

[@chokkymiilk]

Except mother is the brainchild of shigesato itoi?? What?

[@zetto156]

@@chokkymiilk Iwata was instrumental in the programming. Without his involvement the game may never have been finished

[@jackwolfgaming013]

I don't usually like, or watch, long play videos like this. ...but bro, this was fucking killer. Damned good work. Damned good. Shared it on Twitter. So dope

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

Thanks a lot man!

[@Kuce]

Earthbound has touched our lives in so many ways! When it released, my family rented it from the local video store. I needed my older sister to help me read the text since I was only in Grade 1. After that I have a lifelong love for this game that I truly think I’ll play even when I’m an old man.

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

Based on the box arts depicting the clay models of the main casts, _Earthbound_ could've been a great stop-motion movie. I wonder what Gigyas look like in clay form.

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

hmmmmm

[@Electrosa]

Horrifying, I'm sure. Imagine Laika having a crack at Giygas.

[@Bulmin1]

Maybe having a Gigyas made from red dyed cotton.

[@Edbound]

please God i'd do anything for all 3 games to be turned into a stop motion series

[@starkiller6tothe9gaming81]

He'd probably be shitty greenscreen background

[@chrisbg99]

I remember being 12 the summer of '95. I had never heard of EarthBound. I didn't play RPGs. But that summer the June '95 issue of EGM came in and I happily read through it when I came across the 2 page spread review for EarthBound. The actual review of the game didn't really sell me on it but the screenshots of the game and the description of its odd sense of humor got my attention. At that point I really wanted to play it. That summer I was visiting my Grandpa in Fargo for a few weeks and he would let me rent games for the SNES he had for us when we visited and sure enough EarthBound was for rent. I rented it and while I didn't beat it in the rental period (got pretty close though) I was entirely enamored with it. I can't say for sure when I'd get my own copy, might have been later that year or the next but I did and it quickly became one of my favorite games. Throughout high school I'd replay it on a fairly regular basis and it was one of my favorite games of all time already. Then in 2002 after sending the SNES home ahead of coming home from my first year of college, my brother decided he could give away the SNES collection. Along with EarthBound. For a few years I didn't have a SNES any more, I wasn't big into emulators, so EarthBound sort of faded away. Then in 2006, I believe, I started collecting the SNES and restarted my collection. One day while in Jamestown, ND with my parents and sister for my sister's wedding prep, I ventured off and found a local used game store in town and came across a loose copy of EarthBound for 60 bucks. I knew I had to have it and thus I did. When I finally got home I was so excited to finally play it again after a 5 years I must have blasted through it in a weekends time. In the subsequent 15 or so years EarthBound has become my absolute number 1 favorite game ever. I bought shirts, knick knacks, and other things. I even got a tattoo based on the Starman insignia on my chest. I've watched EarthBound go from a still relatively underappreciated game to one that is largely celebrated to the point where I think it has started to get a tad oversold and that has caused some backlash against it. But as it stands I just love that it found a new generation of fans and I enjoy finding streamers who are playing EarthBound for the first time and seeing how they react to the game now. I love retrospectives like this as well because EarthBound has fairly interesting development history. Just knowing that if Satoru Iwata hadn't came in and saved the game we might have never even got it released in NA because it certainly wouldn't have been ready until it was too close to the N64's launch for Nintendo to bother. And one final comment, I too love Pokey Means Business. EarthBound as we all know has a pretty varied and unique sound to it but even Pokey Means Business stands out in the soundtrack with its metal sound as opposed to much of EarthBound's jazz/R&B/early rock 'n roll sound. Probably one of the only tracks in the game that sounds aggressive.

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

great story!

[@ElectricMan3444]

Y-Your profile picture ITS GIGUS AAAA-

[@Satur9gaming]

Mother 3 is one of my all time favorite games. I bought Earthbound a few years ago from a little shop near me. I just played and beat it for the first time a week ago! I love it so much. The whole series is just so charming and quirky.

[@bennyjames7806]

I know it’s a year later haha but which one do you prefer?

[@cosmiccowboy1922]

My favorite music track in EarthBound is either “Because I Love You,” the song that plays after the Giygas fight or “Summers, Eternal Tourist Trap” because they’re both so chill and really represent the laid-back nature of the game. Whenever I hear those tracks, I get this wave of nostalgia and I just feel so cozy and I don’t want the songs to end. I actually posted my cover of a more chill Summers theme (it’s a little unpolished but if I tried for perfection I never would’ve finished it) and I’m working on Because I Love You at the moment -(shameless self promotion)-

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

HA! I will have to check it out!

[@catpip_]

The song that plays after the Giygas fight is called "The Heroes Return," one of my favorite songs in the OST, just really conveys the grand feeling of finally defeating Giygas and going back home after everything you've been through

[@mojomystique6797]

Mine is the drug store theme song lmao

[@giannijimenez5684]

I keep seeing more EarthBound content being posted on here and it makes me so happy!!!

[@PaganPoet]

Every time I replay this game, I have to talk to every single NPC, read every sign, check every unique looking sprite, etc. It's a huge contrast to most other RPGs from this era, where talking to NPCs is a tedious necessity to find out what to do next.

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

i know right? I've played through the game soooo many times, but I still find things that I forgot about or hadn't noticed before!

[@Azure1013]

This video made me reflect on my own story with this series, and how everyone who’s been affected by the series has their own story to tell... great video, and I can’t wait for the next one... it’s my favourite video game of all time ;)

[@CoasterGuy95]

No matter how you say it, earthbound is the cultiest of cult classics. It’s a damn shame it sold like ass. This game is one of, if not the greatest game ever made (it’s tied with mega man 7 for me lmao. Both perfect games)

[@novelezra]

Honestly I think it selling like ass, in hindsight just makes the story even sweeter. The beauty of EB story is in its early fans banding together to say "we aren't just a fanbase, we are a force". And thats wonderful.

[@mimszanadunstedt441]

It sold like ass, because was stinky lel. Legalize psychedelics, they are medicine.

[@TRJ2241987]

I got it on launch day in '95. I literally only anticipated it because the magazine ad had a screenshot of the character that says "I just farted....sorry" ..........that's all it took for 8 year old me to beg for it. My parents had also just gotten divorced at the time

[@brya9681]

Lol its insane that people say this is one of the best games. It can be your favorite but it is not the best, it's incredibly, deeply flawed on almost every level. It's ideas aren't do e well at all and being quirky will only get you so far. There are so many better jrpgs from this Era that may not have it's unique setting but actually do the video game part of being a video game well. I.e Treasures of Rudras, Live A Live, Far East of Eden zero ect

[@AB-qe8cs]

@@brya9681 well that’s a complete and total opinion. I don’t see any flaws with it. But so is my opinion of it not having any flaws. I just like the game.

[@user-wk4np7fh2v]

The part where they nonchalantly asked you for your real name so they could F with you at the final boss :')

[@kutenno3763]

That's my favorite part of the game! When Paula starts catching your name while she's praying for help, I got so excited the first time through. They wouldn't be saving the world if you weren't playing the game. I love when games, movies, TV shows, etc break the fourth wall tastefully. Whether it's Deadpool knowing he's in a comic or Paula calling out to you for help, it gets me every time.

[@albertonolasco9721]

I played it this year, like between March or April, i didn´t made it to college last year and the pandemic didn´t allow me to enjoy too much of my the time I had to spare, tbh, i was feeling pretty bad since i failed last year´s test and the moment to made the whole calification to college was starting again,I had the strenght to go over again and fail. Since I was applying to an art school, besides a written exam, I had to work on a binnacle to record my feelings and thoughts throughout the months we had until the exam, and honestly they were pretty depressing until I drank the coffee at Saturn Valley, when it ended i let a tear slip through my cheeks and felt warmness, called my bf and gave thanks to the love and support he gave me(I named Ness with his name). That moment gave the strenght and words I needed to get myself together. Now, while I´m writing this, I´m ending my first semester at college, and all because of Mother 2

[@kssomms]

Thanks for the excellent video. Here's my Earthbound story and some thoughts for anyone interested: My friend got Earthbound for his birthday. I was almost ten years old, he was turning twelve. It was a new game at the time (it was July 1995), and his parents knew he liked RPGs. They didn't know that we thought it was a dumb game from what we saw of it in magazines, and at Target where they had the game preview station that showed the ad for it (I think it was the ad in this video at 32:58). I remember thinking how stupid it was because it wasn't a traditional fantasy RPG with swords and shields, etc. So as disappointed as he (and I) was that this was the game he got for his birthday, we ended up playing it right away during the birthday party. He wasn't too impressed (soon enough he would grow to like it), but I was fascinated, and I think he gave the controller to me so he could do other birthday party things. It was so strange to me. The part that got to me was when Pokey's mom kills the talking fly (BuzzBuzz) thinking it's a dung beetle. It was unexpected, sad, and somehow kind of funny as well. Not long after that I ended up selling some games to get my own copy. I sold it complete in 2012 for $650.00 because I needed the money. I made myself feel better about selling it by saying that in Earthbound, if you had a copy of the game Earthbound, you would have to sell it, it would be part of the story. I kind of regret selling it, as I knew I probably would. I'm sure playing Earthbound at that age had a big influence on me as I grew older. Instead of yearning for my own world to be a fantastic world of other RPGs, with the help of Earthbound, the boring world around me became more fantastic. Much of its humor and charm didn't dawn on me until later in life. It really does a good job of shining a light on the many sillinesses of the contemporary world and adult life. I'm lucky to have met friends later in life who also share a love for it, and to this day we might still come up with names for people who would be enemies in Earthbound (mainly people who kick us out of places for skateboarding or yell at us while skateboarding. Ex: 'man with large arms in a car yells something mean at you and your friends.' It sometimes makes life less frustrating to look at it through the Earthbound lens.

[@VCV95]

The entire mother series (and some fan games lmao) are among my personal favorite jrpgs of all time. I occasionally replay earthbound, and have been slowly working through mother 3 (that plot weight though). Thank you for having such a firey passion about a truly phenomenal game. Imma have to look up the songs you featured in the video too. They are amazing!

[@danl0134]

I rented this game when it came out. I remember reading the Gamepro review you mentioned which I believe gave it a 3.0 for “Fun Factor” but Earthbound looked interesting enough to rent anyway. I’m glad I did. It became one of my favorite games of all time and remains in that list today. Back in the mid 90’s I’d try to get my friends interested in Earthbound but it was considered a slightly below average RPG with “bad” graphics. I’m so glad it’s gotten the recognition it deserves over the last 2.5 decades.

[@layzzzee9484]

The earthbound series is so underrated! I was introduced to earthbound 2 around 2017 because my dad owns an NES and I caught him playing it late at night. It captivated me with its weird, quirky music and atmosphere and different enemies, npc's, psi abilities and storyline. (I also find the noises earthbound makes when you use psi very satisfying.)

[@mrpiranhas5405]

I have never played any rpgs let alone earthbound but this video was awesome plus the other ones you have done on the mother series. Can't wait for the mother 3 retrospective!

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@evilitself8669]

:)

[@natezuniga-qd7pe]

I’ll never get tired of listening about earthbound. I was lucky enough to rent it twice in a row with the strategy guide when it first came out. When I was about 9 y.o.

[@connorl3124]

My favorite action is in everdreads fight, “knitted it’s brow” not so much wacky but amusing

[@therealseanw.stewart2071]

Thank you for making this video. EarthBound is near and dear to my heart, and will always be one of my favorite games since childhood. I was lucky enough to have experienced the entire game from start to finish completely blind, with nothing spoiled for me, and it's an experience I'll never forget. Sure, the gameplay may not be the most unique or sophisticated in RPGs, but the journey was so bizarre, charming and...warm and nostalgic that it stands among the greatest as one of my ultimate comfort games. Mother 2 is Shigesato Itoi's masterpiece! Shout out to the late, great Iwata as well. That "In my heart, I am a gamer" moment makes me a little emotional every time. Thank you for everything, Satoru Iwata.

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

Thanks for the comment! Yeah, Iwata gets me a bit emotional each time I think about him :(

[@wi11ow8]

It amazes me how theres more stuff i learn about my favorite franchise to this day! Im glad you were able to release this because and well done man!

[@jakewiegand8513]

This video is BRIMMING with information and is so well researched. Amazing documentary. Im sure your hard work will bring even more exposure to the property

[@elfiebranford9330]

I hope my little comment helps bring this video some much-deserved attention from the algorithm!! The sheer effort, passion, and overall detail on this project needs to be shared with the world for everyone to see!! It really is the most Cult Classic of Cult Classic games. No, pieces of entertainment and media PERIOD!!

[@Itshomski]

It’s finally outttttt. This was amazing everything in this video was well thought out and scripted. Amazing work the amount of work you did just to get this out was unworldly!!!

[@mrt8bit692]

Back when all the hurricanes were hitting the east coast, I was pretty much shipped to my grandparent's house to evacuate... But before I left I brought my super Nintendo with a copy of earthbound. Honestly one of the most memorable times of my life. I beat the game in about a week and have been one of the biggest earthbounds fans there have ever been for the past 7 years of my life. Such an amazing game.

[@marywallace3620]

I recently discovered your channel and I gotta say, I'm blown away by your series of documentary videos on Earthbound/Mother. I remember when was I was like five or six, I saw my grandpa playing Earthbound on the SNES and because I was having a little bit of trouble learning how to read at the time, he started a new save file for me and made me read through every single line in the game (except for the battle messages because they sometimes went by too fast). So whenever a cut scene happened, or if I talked to an npc or read a sign in the game, he would have me read it out loud, making me start over whenever I messed up or stumbled on a word, but I'm glad for it because not only did I learn how to read from playing Earthbound, this game is one of my and my grandpa's favorite games.

[@franklinbrooksstoppedcomme3267]

Wow, really sweet little story there! Wish I had fond memories like that of my grandparents. You've had some truly great people in your life. I'd treasure it if I were you.

[@oaktreeYT609]

Ahhh it feels like I’ve been waiting for forever for this and it’s sooooo awesome. Thank you so much for this video!

[@dannyk2184]

I hope that next year or December 2021 we would get a snes update for earthbound cause I need to try this for first time I can't take watching videos about this but I need to experience it I'm already older now but need to play this for the first time I need some nostalgic vibes in my mind like dkc 1 2 3

[@orb9760]

If/When it comes out, you will not be disappointed.

[@bobroberts5259]

Hey man, this was so great. I just finished the game earlier today for the first time... Finally. I needed some more earthbound content and came across this. Couldnt be happier. Your love of the game is very apparent, and it feels like you gushed, and organized all my thoughts about it for me, so beautifully. I Just wanted to say thank you. And your effort is truly appreciated.

[@brandonwilliams6119]

Earthbound was so ahead of it’s time it took a while for it to catch on and with the help of Ness’ inclusion in Smash Bros to get people interested in the series. I for one was very interested in playing Ness’ game and get to know how he gets his Psychic Powers and all he goes through to save his world. It still represents our world and culture itself at times. I wonder how the series would have been if Mother 1/Earthbound Beginnings released first in the series.

[@spudsT]

This is really great. It’s hard to say something new about this series because so much has been said and you nailed it.

[@3layerdipstack726]

What needs to be said is that it needs to be ported to switch

[@spudsT]

@@3layerdipstack726 that would be nice!

[@lowke8444]

As someone who's been stuck in a rut struggling with major procrastination due to perfectionism in everything I do, knowing that the creator of a masterpiece like earthbound struggled with that too, but was still able to finish it with his team and make a fantastic game within the span of six months is both super encouraging and reassuring. Thank you so much for putting the work in making an amazing documentary man, keep it up!

[@amandaggogo]

What a stunning and well made retrospective! I can tell you put a ton of work into this. Earthbound for me as a kid was a family thing. I remember my brother firing it up, and my mom and myself watching him as he named all the characters, respectively after us and our dog. From there we all took turns playing and watching, so we beat it together (along with all of us playing it through alone many times as well.) Once, the majority of my game collection got stolen from me and my family helped me track down replacement copies of my games, earthbound being the hardest to find, we checked eBay, we called all the local shops, got on waiting lists, etc. finally managed to snag a replacement copy to the tune of $150, which was not cheap by any means, especially for my family, but the game meant so much to me that if I couldn't replace any of them but one, that would be it. Today it sits with my other (small collection) of snes games and I fire it up still from time to time for a nostalgia trip. :0)

[@budd8852]

Incredible! Great work, as always. It's been a long time coming, but this video was worth it!

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@coolpringles]

i loved this video, every second of it!! you can really tell how much love and care went into the making of this video i'm really glad youtube recommended it to me :)

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

Thank you so much!!

[@kevinkingslayer2450]

Great video!! Im prepping myself to play this game and your video gave me a lot of insight into the game... Thanks a million my guy!!! Keep up the good work...

[@senflyer-]

YT sent me here and I'm glad it did. This was a great indepth video! I'll definitely check out your older videos as well.

[@thewafflrman5326]

I'm still really young (only an early teen). I don't have a crazy story but Earthbound is still really important to me. It started when I was a wee child. I was watching Jackspticeye play Undertale for the first time and he briefly mentioned it being inspired by Earthbound or one of the other games from the Mother series. I didn't pay much mind to it until later when I watched Markiplier play Escape the Facility and he encountered the earthbound fight and he got really excited about it. Markiplier mentioned Earthbound a few more times and it really stuck in my mind. I thought of it as a popular old game that a lot of KZbinrs used to play. That was really it for me until a few more babby years later. I found out that my mom used to play it and that it was her favorite game when she saw it at a little game shop and immediately bought it. When we got home, she started playing it. Sadly I didn't remember much and because of her weird work schedule. Every time she would continue to play it, I'd be asleep. At this point I really liked Earthbound, I thought everyone knew it and that was it for most of my years. Until... After we moved and settled down, I as a new teenager had wanted to actually talk to my mom about something other than Art tips and the downward spiraling of my grades, So, I asked her what happened to earthbound and if we could play some of the soundtracks in the car. (She was always enthusiastic about the game and played her favorite themes in the car). We did, and I asked her a few questions. The way we spent time together was, On her off days from work and if the house was clean and she wasn't feeling exhausted, she come into the living room and we'd play a game together or I'd convince her to play a game I loved and I would watch her play. Well, since she finally finished her first run of Undertale (Pacifist, though I had to REALLY stop her from ruining her perfect run and accidentally killing a monster), I asked her if I could watch her play Earthbound again because I didn't get to see much of it the last time I saw her play and she turned to me in the car and said, "Do you wanna play?" Needless to say, I was very excited and every day when she was off work, we would sit down with the SNES and she would watch me play Earthbound for the first time. I absolutely fell in love with it. There was nothing I really hated in the game (except for a few annoying things here and there) and I always would joke around about the characters. I loved every enemy and I never really got mad when I was feelin funky or when I was diamondized. I could really just appreciate the entire game. Earthbound was easily my favorite game and I really needed to find something to support my newfound obsession with it. Usually, fanfictions, friends who I know that I can about the game to, looking at fanart or TikToks or making my own, reading fan comics, etc but I couldn't oddly enough. I know there's a lot of art and stuff out there but none of it really satisfied me the way the Overwatch, Invader Zim, or Deltarune community did. Mostly because when I asked about it at school, no one knew what it was, not even the boy who brags about being the gamiest gamer and hacker in all the lands and ridicules me about how not playing the old Kingdom Hearts game or knowing every pokemon move in existence. The ONLY person I could talk to about the game was my mother. So I went from thinking that Earthbound was this really popular game that all gamers have played once or twice in their lifetime to thinking that it's a really rare game that no one knows the true beauty of. This happened last month and I already kinda feel nostalgic. I'm a little late to the game but this will never not be my favorite videogame, ever. It's really heartwarming to read everyone else's stories about this peculiar game. It really scares me though that It will eventually be forgotten. I can't help but feel like I want to cry when I discuss amazing games because, with my neverending fear of passing time, I just can't help but think about it. Sorry for the Essay, I need to go cry now. FUN FACT: After I finished Earthbound's sweet ending, both me AND my mom wanted to replay it right there. I was still itching for more genocide and walking around and talking to the amazing characters. And yes, and me and my mother are looking for Mother 1 and 3 to fuel our need for more Earthbound.

[@giganticmoon]

This whole essay was beautiful, I’m going through half the stuff you went through, without the whole mom loves video games, you see, my dad grew up on Atari, and that was all he really played, all my friends had parents that loved video games, which made me feel left out. I asked if they heard of Earthbound, assuming they didn’t, and, I was right. I played this game on NSO, it changed me. There’s a lot of stuff that’s wrong with it, but you get over it. I really am just scared that it’ll fade out, as most of the fangame creators left, nobody’s on Starmen, or on the sub. It’s just sad. Almost everyone only cares about the newest CoD, or Fortnite Chapter like, 5, my whole childhood, I’ve been this nerdy kid, nobody really understood me. (that sounded corny.) I thought that people’s opinions were trash, or invalid, and now, because of Earthbound, Mother 3, and KZbin, I learned that people are just different, even though I can’t accept that, I know it’s true. Because of ALL this that I’ve just typed, I’m working on a game that I’d call, “father.”

[@thewafflrman5326]

@@giganticmoon It’s very refreshing to read about other people’s experiences. You said you’re working on a game? That’s really cool!!! When/If you finish it, will it be playable for others? 😅

[@razorbackroar]

You still one of the homies 💪🏼

[@thewafflrman5326]

@@razorbackroar 😟

[@swilson-738]

I love this playlist, you're an awesome explainer and you're really getting me back into my Mother phase. Thank you so much dude

[@danielscott70x7]

This is just the best. Thank you. Looking forward to the Mother 3 retrospective.

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@TeamMades]

Great video. All the hard work really paid off, well done!

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@VirusVisal]

Thank you for these videos, I found your channel with the Mother retrospective just yesterday and I look forward to the rest of these series

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

:), thanks for watching!

[@rgprosucctions1704]

Yesss More Over an hour game documentaries about games I've never played. Gotta be one of my favorites genders

[@Keanuplz]

just started playing the game and I truly appreciated learning about the series. thank you for this wonderful video!

[@ThaRixer]

Great video and i hope your channel recieves more growth in the forseeable future. I grew up with the PS1 and PS2 so the only time i was really ever exposed to different game consoles stemmed from let's players or AVGN. Chuggaaconroy's initial earthbound let's play got me into the game and i loved it from start to finish. I feel like i wasn't really aware of how ahead of it's time it was since i played Earthbound in like 2010 or something. I was just too young to really grasp the genius aspects of the game overall, you encapsulated everything i love about this game and the series as a whole.

[@BenSliwa]

Amazing video brother! Loved every minute

[@StirringPotential]

Just watched the whole video. This really does make me miss earthbound. Awesome work!

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

thanks a bunch!

[@Charlie-uh3nd]

An amazing retrospect keep up the good work buddy !

[@snorlax42]

Omg you had a clips from Video Games Awesome! They were the ones who introduced me to the game and their little incomplete playthrough holds a special place in my heart

[@TheWaffleFactory]

Thanks for using my artwork as the thumbnail! I’m always excited to see people enjoy my stuff!

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

I love it! I went back and forth on some other art, but this was just too good!

[@TheWaffleFactory]

@@PressStartToContinueYT Looking forward to the 3rd entry!

[@TopazToad]

This was absolutely phenomenal. Thank you for this:)

[@andrewray2507]

I'm so happy you made this! Thank you

[@MagillanicaLouM]

Even for a story heavy genre like RPGs, the vibes and overall tones of the game are probably the most important aspect for me personally. So for why Mother in general have reached the populariry it has now i understand wholeheartedly. Mother 1 still my favorite in the series in this regard

[@nickearls2381]

Was excited to load up a nice Earthbound video and to my surprise you've got my brother's Onett theme cover in the background! Man that's a weird feeling. Great video.

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

Awesome! It's a fantastic remix!

[@freddysfuntime]

I was so happy to hear your reaction to the final Pokey fight theme! It blew me away when I heard it the first time. So much so, I recorded it on a VHS tape so I could show it to my friends and brothers. I played this game the first time back when it came out, and have played through it 4 or 5 times since then. I'm finishing a playthrough now on my SNES mini, and my love and appreciation for this game continues to grow. It's a truly unique experience on the SNES and it's enduring qualities and individuality have stood the test of time better than any other game on the system, IMHO. The SNES is probably the system that had the most impact on me, and Earthbound is the one that felt the most personal. I really enjoyed watching these videos, but I'm going to save the Mother 3 video till after I've played the game. I have it ready, but I want to finish Earthbound again first before I get into it.

[@herrtituswinslow4717]

I got to play both Earthbound Beginnings and Earthbound on our Wii U a couple years back. Been a fan of the games since. Whenever this game gets any attention I'm happy. Hope it gets ported to the switch someday.

[@BonesNeverLie]

And Mother 1 & 2 came out to today on virtual console for Switch, let’s go baby!

[@jucool5]

I'm so glad this got ported on the switch. I'm a new fan and kept hearing about this game and decided to give it a try. Now it's one of my favorite games

[@JustChrisWillDoTa]

Really cool video. You've got a sub from me. I had heard of Earthbound before, but I only actually played it once I got my SNES Mini. It has since become one of my fave games overall, and I wish I had known about games like this back in the day when I had my SNES at the time.

[@sanctioned1176]

Got Earthbound for my birthday as a kid. It was the first game I fully beat; I literally couldn't stop playing. Almost 40 years old now and I have played thousands of games. To this day Earthbound is my all-time favorite game. I always tell my friends I am looking for the next Earthbound. No other game has ever made me feel the way I felt playing Earthbound.

[@simongamer987]

I’ve watched this 3 times now. So well made… this channel will be huge soon

[@pabloospina]

Earth bound is now on switch

[@bslick216]

I’m sure you are working diligently on your story of mother 3 but I cannot wait for it to come out! It seems like it takes you 3 months to produce these super in depth videos and if mother 3 takes longer I understand but just know that I’m sure that me and many others are eagerly awaiting that video. Keep up the great work!

[@minette6644]

the pure joy i felt seeing an hour long earthbound documentary in my recommended AHHH

[@lawrencemcstephens308]

Excellent retrospective, and glad I discovered your channel today! Unlike yourself, EarthBound was a love at first sight game for me when it released in 1995. I remember seeing ads for it in Game Players magazine, which I had a subscription to at the time. There was a video store in my hometown called Mr. Movies, and as soon as I saw EarthBound on the shelf, after seeing the ads, I rented it immediately. I was also at the perfect age at the time, since the game came out when I was 12 years old. So, I was roughly the same age as all of the protagonists of the game, which made it very relatable for me, especially with the contemporary setting. I never ended up beating the game when I first rented it, but rented it several times throughout the years in an attempt to beat it. It wasn't until I picked up a copy with the players guide off of eBay sometime in early 2000, (for $30!), that I was eventually able to beat the game. I played it relentlessly, sometimes more than once per year to the end, and it became my all-time favorite Super Nintendo game. Eventually, I considered it to be my all-time favorite game, very closely tied with Chrono Trigger and Illusion of Gaia. I still go back and revisit the game almost every year, and my 12-year-old son has also played in beaten it, and loves it. It's because of his love of Undertale that he was able to adapt to the gameplay style of EarthBound so easily, plus me talking about the game and showing him the funny images in the player's guide over the years of his childhood.

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

thank you so much for sharing your story! I find it fascinating to hear about people's differing experience with the game when it first came out.

[@juicybullet]

Thank u for making this. It brought me back.

[@ARDIZsq]

"Anime with deep and relatable characters" *shows Asuka* I see you're a man of culture as well.

[@duck_man1048]

My favorite one is Insane Cultist’s and Mr Carpainter’s signature attack, where the game says ex. “Mr. Carpainter usized a paint attack!” It made me chuckle when fighting him haha

[@SpunkyDunk]

The story behind Earthbound certainly is an interesting one, and I do like the risks that Earthbound's own story took itself. I haven't finished Mother 3 yet but I'm fairly convinced that there will never be another game quite like Earthbound ever again. Earthbound is faaaaaaaaaaaaaaar from perfect, but it's unique, funny, and emotional all in its own ways, and I haven't heard of anyone regretting playing it once they finish it. A great entry in video game history, I'd say.

[@starman532]

Awesome video man!

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

Thanks Starman!

[@TehDrewsus]

I absolutely love this. I was in the same boat as you. I didn't care for the game at all the first time I rented it. Tried it again and fell in love. Now it's my favorite RPG, and in my top three of all time favorite games. Thanks for doing this!

[@SEGplus]

One of my favorite games of all time! Alot of fond memories when i was young. I still think about the sounds of hitting a monster.. lol ❤ i just wish i kept the amazing box it came in. Subscribed 💫

[@rarewaffle3531]

Man, you just reminded me how much I love Video Games Awesome, gonna watch me again some episodes haha Incredible docummentary, was a joy to watch all the way through. Amazing work mate!!!

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

Thanks a ton!

[@barnes92196]

This video got you a new loyal subscriber. Lifelong mother fan!

[@DublinSeafoodInc]

Starting in 2011, I watched videos on EB, and listened to EarthBound music all the time. It wasn't until about 6 weeks ago that I really sat down and played EarthBound for the first time. What a blast. Beating the game was so satisfying.

[@Umbrellas0]

My favorite enemy move besides making something spin around is "sizing up the situation"

[@austins.2495]

I had such a good time playing through this when the SNES classic came out

[@n1ktend091]

Fantastic work as always man 👏👏👏

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

Thank you!!!

[@studioarentain3960]

Been waiting for an hour long retrospective on a game! And this is the perfect game for it

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

YAS

[@michellejones9800]

Thanks for doing this awesome video on probably my favourite game.

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@AllNightPettingZoo]

I've passed on EarthBound several times but your enthusiasm has convinced me to give it another shot.

[@stocktonrose8912]

This Game has literally inspired me to pursue game development as a career. Knowing how difficult it would be has always scared me but after learning the story behind earthbound and what it means to me is just more inspiration. This is probably the greatest game of all time!

[@GabrielShakkori]

Was so happy to wake up and see this!

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

woohoo!

[@lucasparadox6823]

This is a very entertaining look at the games history, good work! Hopefully someday it comes back onto either the switch Eshop or VC since getting an SNES Classic ain't exactly easier than finding a copy of OG Earthbound... being said i love the 3ds release but i would love to play it on my TV aswell, especially so i can actually show the game to my family

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

Thanks for watching, it means a lot!

[@L1ntaur]

I ain't gonna lie, the big box worked on me when I was younger. Bought it when it came out, did not regret it. Still my favorite RPG of all time.

[@BlancoDasMe]

Great watch! I didn’t know what earthbound was until smash bros came out like you pointed out in your video. Always wanted to play and finally did when it released for virtual console on the 3ds. I can only pray for mother 3 to be localized to the US…I want to play it officially!

[@SpiritProductions99]

mother has always been a big part of my life when I played Ultimate. I'm playing Earthbound right now, and I have to say it's my favorite game of all time. Whenever I hear the original Mother title theme I can't help but smile. Im also currently making a short story called "Spirit Travels: Father" which takes gigantic inspiration from Mother 1 and 2, but combines the stories together to be one big story on its own. I absolutely love the writing, characters and enemies- I absolutely love this game and whenever Itoi joins in on a direct, I can't help but smile and feel warm and fuzzy because of how wholesome it is

[@SpiritProductions99]

Note: I played Mother 3 when I was 22,now I'm playing Mother 2 at age 24. I might play Mother 3 again when I'm 26 so I can appreciate the game even more

[@xenxander]

I didn't have nintendo power, but the 'because this game stinks' add was mailed to my house as a stand-alone advert. I saw it and thought it funny and amusing enough to present it to my mother. It said '$10 off the purchase of Earthbound' on the other side. My mother said she already shopped for Christmass presents. I nodded and left the kitchen but what I didn't know what, she kept that ticket and lo and behold i got Earthbound for Christmas that year. :P It was just a random chance my home was one of the homes that got the stand-alone mail add and my family was well enough off to afford it for the holiday. I still have the box and the guide it came with to this day (am over 40 now).

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

what a cool story!

[@thequickt1197]

Thank you for reigniting my love for Earthbound with this

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

thank you for watching!

[@BonesNeverLie]

Really hoping we get a official mother 3 localization

[@Archetype_M3T4L]

Thank you Satoru Iwata, Shigesato Itoi, and the teams that worked in the series.

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

Agreed!

[@narutosnes1974]

One of best youtube videos ever released about earthbound ❤️

[@PressStartToContinueYT]

thank you so much!

[@Bubblily]

this is one of, if not, the most underrated videos of all time