EarthBound/Heartwarming

EarthBound. To defeat the very final boss, a Cosmic Horror, you can't just smash him with your attacks. You eventually have to use the oft-useless pray command to cause people you've helped over the game stop for just a second, wherever they are, and hope you are OK and that you are well wherever you are. Heartwarming. After a few attempts the game runs out of these people so The Chick uses the turn to just cry out into the darkness of time for someone, anyone to help them fight this horrible being. The very last person to wish them will and give them the power to defeat the horror, you. The game actually asks you to pray for them to be able to defeat the final boss and if you were under a certain age, or a certain level of naivety, or simply surprised at the No Fourth Wall moment of it all, you prayed for them.
- This could also be a Crowning Moment of Awesome, since nothing compares to how it reveals the final prayer. "T..S T....R began to pray, despite having never met Ness or his friends...TH.S TR..ER kept praying. THIS T..PER prayed harder. THIS TROPER prayed with all of their might."
- That's when you realize why the game asked you for your name, which was a good ten to twenty gameplay hours ago if you're speedy. If you don't remember the game asking you for your name, it's even more awesome.
- And in case that isn't enough to tug your heartstrings, the ending - both when Ness walks Paula home and the ending credit roll - have two of the saddest musical pieces in video game history. This troper was so stunned by the ending that he went straight to bed after seeing it - at about 9:30 at night.
What about the memories that flash in your mind as you visit the My Sanctuaries? The image of being held by your mother as a baby, hearing her prayers that you grow to be a strong young man left an impact on this troper.
In Earthbound, when you return from the final battle. This troper especially teared up when Poo told the gang that their adventure was over and performed "PSI Farewell". Also to be included that they all have to part and go back to being "regular kids".
If Ness escorting Paula home at the end doesn't count, then I don't know what does. Especially since it's implied that Paula was trying to confess her love for Ness. Just listen to the background music.
- This moment can be even better. When Paula asks Ness to escort her home, you can say No. If you do, Paula decides to escort him home. When you arrive, Ness' mom teases him about his girlfriend, and Paula joins Ness' family for the final in game shot.
What's sweeter then a marriage proposal? Using Earthbound to do the proposal of course!
This kind of counts for Fridge Brilliance as well: if Giygas rules in the the future that means that the Chosen Four failed some time during their adventure, probably Giygas. Why? Because they didn't have YOU to pray for them. Meaning YOU saved the Earth, and possibly the whole universe.
In Dusty Dunes Desert, you can find two very small, almost completely unnoticeable sesame seeds. Both of them will mention the other and refer to him or her as a long lost love. It's easy to dismiss this as just another weird thing the game throws at you, Until...
Ness getting homesick if he doesn't phone his mom in a while. It's a very small detail that makes this game even more lovable.
The second row of credits where the game's main theme (and the sound stone's music) Smiles and Tears plays while all the photos the photo man took that you bothered to look for are shown while the developer's names scroll, its just such a nice way to look at those pictures and be reminded of all the things you did in the game after beating it and of course Smiles and Tears just makes it a really long sweet moment (especially the part where it says I miss you) and the credits end by thanking you the player acknowledging you one last time before the credits end.