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EarthBound: Difference between revisions
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''MOTHER 1'' [[What Could Have Been|was originally planned for North American release]] and was originally titled ''Earth Bound'', but Nintendo of America scrapped release plans after work on its translation was completed since the [[Super Nintendo]] had already launched (making it Nintendo's major focus). A prototype of the translation game surfaced years later in the hands of a collector; this ROM was dumped and eventually released as ''[[MOTHER 1|Earthbound Zero]]''.
''EarthBound'' is best known for its unusual gameplay: fantasy monster-slaying gives way to a modern-day urban setting, with slingshots, frying pans, and baseball bats taking the place of swords, axes, and magic staffs. Rather than goblins and orcs and other fantasy creatures, Ness and his friends battle drunks, hippies, angry taxicabs, a cult dedicated to worshipping the color blue, and ''a giant circus tent''. Most of ''EarthBound's'' humor focuses on how the West is viewed by other countries (Asia/Japan in particular), with references to [[The Beatles (band)|The Beatles]] and The [[Blues Brothers]] scattered throughout the game. ''EarthBound's'' level of [[Nightmare Fuel]] is perhaps more famous than its quirky humor; amongst the major sources of terror are a ''profoundly'' disturbing final dungeon and a final boss whose [[Nightmare Fuel|genuinely chilling]] [[Mind Screw]] horror has led to tons and tons of [[Memetic Mutation]].
The North American release of ''EarthBound'' is notable for including an official [[Strategy Guide]] with every copy despite costing as much as other games of its day (a sign of how much faith Nintendo had in the game's ability to sell). Due to an odd -- and failed -- [http://earthboundcentral.com/2009/01/earthbounds-marketing-campaign/ advertising campaign], a simplistic visual style (considering this is when everyone was fawning over ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'s'' advanced graphics), and a general lack of interest in RPGs (at the time), ''EarthBound'' didn't sell anywhere near enough copies to pay back Nintendo's significant advertising investment. In the intervening years, however, ''EarthBound'' has become a [[Cult Classic]] (to say the least) which is fondly remembered (and recommended) for its diverse soundtrack, unique gameplay, and undeniable charm -- aspects covered by [[The Happy Video Game Nerd]]'s half-hour ''EarthBound'' review (which can be watched at [http://retrowaretv.com/happy-video-game-nerd-earthbound-reedit/ Retroware TV] or [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ4AictvRdU YouTube]).
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* [[Multinational Team]]: Four kids from three continents.
* [[Musical Pastiche]] and [[Sampling]]: It's used so frequently that the resulting legal muck is the most common theory behind why this game is not going to see an international re-release. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n4cs7Z7mDY This video] shows the nearly insane amount of sampling that's gone into the soundtrack. It's amazing how being a small unheard-of RPG that's a commercial disaster in the USA allows this sort of [[Getting Crap Past the Radar|Getting Unlicensed Sampling Past The Radar]]. Most notably:
** The almost surely lawsuit-inducing [[The Beatles (band)|Beatles]] [[Suspiciously Similar Song]] version (the Saturn Valley music is supposedly inspired by "Wild Honey Pie", the "waking up in a hotel theme" starts with a short quote from "Good Morning, Good Morning", and the shop theme resembles "When I'm Sixty-Four") and samples (the Dungeon Man theme samples the beats from "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)", entering Giygas' lair gives a short sample from the opening ''Marseillaise'' bit of "All You Need Is Love").
** The "Sky Runner" theme uncomfortably resembling the opening synth from [[The Who]]'s "Won't Get Fooled Again", one of the battle themes being an outright rip from The Champs' 1956 hit "Tequila", the naming screen theme using a short sample from the ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' theme, "Moonside Swing" sampling from [[The Cars|Ric Ocasek's]] song "Keep On Laughing".
** The Jackie's Cafe song sampling the ''[[Our Gang]]'' theme and interpolating "The Star-Spangled Banner".
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* [[See You in Hell]]: Amusingly subverted where a villain ''starts'' to say this trope, then admits that the heroes will probably go to Heaven after he kills them.
* [[Shave and a Haircut]]: When banging incessantly on Ness' door doesn't work, Porky tries this.
* [[Shout-Out]]: Many, a good majority of them to [[The Beatles (band)|The Beatles]].
* [[Single Palette Town]]: The Happy Happy Village.
* [[Skippable Boss]]: Many players don't even realize they can just not fight Everdred.
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