EarthBound

EarthBound is a 1994 (1995 in America) SNES RPG. It's so popular that I probably don't have to say much about it; few games achieve the kind of cult classic obsession as this original masterpiece. Known as Mother 2 in Japan, the game tell the story of a young psychic 13-year-old boy and his friends who travel across the globe fighting monsters and entering various hallucinogenic states.

Simply put, you have to play EarthBound to understand it.

The game was written and directed by Shigesato Itoi, and "brilliant" might just be an understatement. Unfortunately, purchasing a cart will cost about 80 bucks (on a good day) to 120. A complete set can easily sell for $500 on Ebay. I was lucky enough to find a copy for $6 at a garage sale, but that was without a doubt the greatest gaming bargain I've ever snagged.

It's the sequel to a Japanese game, Mother, which was intended for release in America on the NES as "Earth Bound." However, marketing fucks at Nintendo pushed Mother/Earth Bound back, and back, and back, and it was eventually scrapped altogether. Luckily the game had already been translated by Nintendo and in 1999 one of these prototype carts went up for sale on Ebay (for $400!). It was dumped by Demiforce, who hacked away the copy protection and added "Zero" to the title to differentiate it from its sequel. You can play this ROM on an NES emulator, so check out the links and the end of this post if you're interested. I haven't played this game yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

It's also got a sequel, Mother 3--released for the GBA--which fans have graciously translated for the English-speaking world. Why doesn't Nintendo want Americans to play these games? Who knows. The controversy is filled with speculation and rumor, and I'm not even going to touch it in this review except to say that Nintendo is losing money by not releasing Mother and Mother 3 in America. Hopefully they have plans for some sort of compilation in the future, but I doubt it. It's also a shame that such a compilation would probably be released for the 3DS, but fans can dream about playing all three games on the big screen. EarthBound Zero is easy--use a hacked Dreamcast, Xbox, or order a reproduction cart online. For Mother 3, your best option is running in on a hacked Xbox or using the VBACE emulator.

EarthBound (Mother 2) starts out like many RPGs, with the main character leaving his hometown in search of high adventure. But that's where most similarities end. The music is quirky, the characters are insane, and lewd and/or toilet humor abounds. What other game has the balls to name one of the main characters "Poo"?

I'd tried for years to complete this game, but I never managed to even get to the second town. Retrospectively, I know that I was simply too young to understand why EarthBound was so interesting. I hadn't played enough video games to appreciate the differences between this game and more "serious" RPGs like Breath of Fire or Final Fantasy. Interestingly enough, EarthBound's humor is quickly revealed to be quite dark and disturbing, which only serves to accentuate the nuanced world created by Itoi.

The graphics are bright and charming. The music is upbeat, diverse, and plentiful (over 10 battle themes alone!) The battle system is similar to Dragon Warrior, but set in 199X. You'll pull money out of an ATM, call your Dad on the phone to save, visit Hotels, and use your psychic powers to overcome the ultimate evil and save the world. The only complaint I could possibly make is that you'll never have enough spaces for all your items, but one could easily argue this only adds to the challenge and appeal.

EarthBound isn't the hardest game in the world, but it's no cakewake. There were times in which I suffered crushing defeats, but with a little persistence and leveling up, every challenge was surmountable. I finished the game last night, after years of playing through only the first town over and over. Somehow, this time, everything "clicked," and I couldn't put down the controller.

But EarthBound isn't afraid to push artistic boundaries; like in real life, everything doesn't always work out hunky-dory. Nevertheless, you owe it to yourself to play this game-- you will remember it forever.

EARTHBOUND RESOURCES

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Starmen.net - A amazing fansite for all things Mother/EarthBound related.

Fantasy Anime EB Series Page - All 3 roms and the English patch for M3.

EarthBound Central - PDFs of the Strategy guide, and another EB fansite.

Where is Mega Man 11?

2008 saw the release of Mega Man 9, possibly the greatest installment in the entire classic Mega Man saga. Shortly after, Capcom followed up with Mega Man 10, which smoothed the formula even more.

Endless Attack modes in each provided an awesome new mode of platforming that has significant potential. You can already find about a dozen "endless attack" romhacks online. Proto Man and Bass provided the variety and challenge necessary for keeping the interest of the hardcore players. I still rank beating Mega Man 9 and 10 on hard with Protoman as some of my greatest gaming achievements.

Years later, however, I'm left wondering: where is Mega Man 11? Maybe the Wii is just coming to a close, or maybe Capcom is hesitant to continue the classic series without Inafune. Maybe that's it for Mega Man.

I recently purchased Mega Man X7 on a whim, but I've never really considered the MMX series all that great when compared with the classic NES and Wii 8-Bit adventures. 

I'm sure Starship Mega Man 55 or whatever else Capcom is putting out is equally good, but I just can't get motivated to play the other games in the series. The platforming always felt sloppy and the game always felt like it was marketed to younger kids or people seriously into techno and mohawks. Only with classic Mega Man does one need to be badass mother fucker to achieve victory, without the artificial dark and gritty "edge."

The edge comes from the game itself, and if you don't have serious nuts you might as well go cry at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

VG Music: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Soundtrack

One of my recent project has been to beat TMNT for NES. For years, well, for decades, this game has haunted me. I suspect it haunts some of my readers as well.

TMNT is known as being one of the hardest--yet enjoyable and well-made--games on the NES, and no one's 8-Bit conquest is complete without the Shredder's head sitting on a metaphorical shelf.

Despite the catchy nature of the songs, Konami manages to include a noticeable tone of anxiety which permeates every track. I'm not sure how they did it, but the music in this game has always stressed me out.

Am I the only one?

Top 10 Budget DS Games to Buy Other People or Yourself, or, a Cyber-Monday Video Game Guide to the DS

You've got friends, children, people, and they need video games. They've probably got a DS, but you honestly don't know what they hell to buy them. Maybe your on a budget and don't want to waste a chunk of change for a crap game. This list is in no particular order, because I've tried to offer a variety of genres for everyone.

These are the games that define the DS.



#10 Final Fantasy III

You really can't go wrong with Final Fantasy III. The commercials for this game really showed off the power of the DS, and made this Famicom classic come to life. Everyone was waiting for Final Fantasy III to come out, and about 5 of my friends bought it on launch day. I was the first one to complete the game--3 months later. This adventure will always be remembered by anyone who conquers the crystal tower, and is a must-have for the DS. It's been out for years, so you can find it cheap.





#9 Contra 4

I remember the E3 announcement for Contra 4: gamers were stunned. A new golden age in retro releases and rehashes was beginning, and Contra 4 helped get us there! Contra 4 is sidescrolling action perfected, and if your buddy has the cart multiplayer mode can be a blast.

#8 Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow (and, sure, the others)

My personal favorite Castlevania, and one of the games that convinced me to buy a DS. Metroidvania gameplay is perfected, and a few stylus gimmicks keep things fresh. This of this game as Symphony of the Night on crack, and you're approaching Dawn of Sorrow. You can summon Death's Scythes, swarms of demonic locusts, and fire a 9mm handgun and rocket launch ALL AT THE SAME TIME. Need I say more? It's got more modes and difficulties than you'll know what to do with; well over 50 hours to complete everything.




#7 Sonic Rush

Another early DS game, and not a bad entry in the Sonic series. Unlike some of the more recent flops, Sonic Rush holds up as a Sonic game, and manages to be worthy of Genesis comparison. For those who are tired of Sonic 1, 2, and 3, Sonic Rush would be a much better option than Sonic 4 of Sonic Unleashed or Sonic Colors.





#6 Dragon Quest 9

Not a port; this is a full-fledged original entry in the Dragon Quest series. RPG fans will appreciate the standard JRPG grind fest and explorative adventure. Some people hate it, others love. Personally, I lament the loss of what this game could have been: an online action RPG--until fans backlashed and the game was redesigned. They listened to the fans, but I wish they hadn't. DQXI is a solid entry, and great fun on the DS.





#5 Chrono Trigger

A timeless classic. Considered by many to be the greatest game of all time. Either you've already got an opinion on Chrono Trigger, or you need to play this game. The DS version is far superior to the Playstation port; this game is recommended to all! I've seen this game for 5 bucks at stores, so you've got to be able to find it.




#4 Kirby Canvas Curse

A game that uses the stylus with style. Either all gimmick or no gimmick, Kirby Canvas Curse is still the best Kirby game on the Nintendo DS, and, in my opinion, the best Kirby game of all time if we don't count Super Smash Brothers Brawl. This one might be a little more rare, but if you see this game this holiday season, you might want to grab it for a gamer.








#3 Retro Game Challenge

If 8-Bit City were a video game, it would be something like Retro Game Challenge. Actually, if 8-Bit City were a game, it would be Star Quest. Expectantly, Star Quest and Retro Game Challenge feature a similar mechanic: games within the games; except in Retro Game Challenge you get magazines and new cart as you grow up as a young kid playing the Famicom. It's stranger than that, but this game is without a doubt one of the best on the DS, and reason enough to buy a used DS Lite or something.






#2 Meteos

The best puzzler around, and it's for the Nintendo DS. Meteos is half space shooter, half puzzle game, and all action. You need twitch reflexes and pattern recognition skills for this one. Improve your mind, play Meteos!






#1 Contact

The most underrated game for the DS, Contact went barely noticed. It still enjoys a cult following, and you can probably find it haunting a Gamestop this year. Contact breaks the forth wall, and recognizes that the player is playing the game and communicating with space aliens via a device called the Nintendo DS. It gets weirder from that, as you possess a boy from another dimension and turn him into a killing machine, all to help a dubious 8-Bit scientist. Contact engages the player directly, you can't help but love this game. If you're buying someone a gift for the DS, make it Contact--this might be the last year you'll be able to find this rare gem. It's sure to be worth quite a bit in the future, and will likely be sought after by collectors as an essential piece of the DS library.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Screenshot Gallery

Here is a collection of some of the more artistic Skyward Sword screenshots from around the web. Special thanks and credit goes to www.videogamer.com for these screenshots. You can click on this link to see their gallery as well.

These represent the best screenshots, in an easy-to-navigate format.

It's about time the Wii got it's Zelda update. I have to admit, after looking at the screenshots I have some high hopes for the game. The Wii party might be coming to an end, and it won't be long before all the Wii releases will be fair game for sites like 8-Bit City.

The systems, they come and go so quickly.