It's a good RPG, but is has some major flaws. The most obvious one is the inventory management. "Important items" are stored in the same inventory as normal items and equipable gear, so you will constantly run out of inventory space. Secondly, some items can't be used by certain characters, so those items have to be given first to the character who can use the item (IF that character has enough inventory space!), and THEN it can be used. It is very cumbersome, time-consuming, and dated. There is a storage option, but that one will also fill up quickly and getting items into storage and taking them out is also cumbersome, pricey and time-consuming. Like many old RPG's, grinding can be excessive. It was already excessive in the first game, and while I'd say that it's a little less grindy than the first game, it can still be tiring sometimes. I absolutely do not recommend playing this game without any speed-up option. I kinda feel that everything - every action, every command - takes very long in this game. Like, saving the game. You save the game by talking to your father over the phone, and he keeps saying the same stuff over and over again... man, I just wanna save my game, not reading the same text again that I have read a thousand times before! Despite all these criticisms, I really enjoyed the character design the most. Every NPC oozes personality, and most of them have some witty things to say! The writing is really top-notch! The story can get a bit nonsensical and random at times, but it fits within the general mood of the game well. The final boss was a little disappointing, but... ah well. I'm not gonna spoil anything. The soundtrack is amazing and I really like the flashy special effects in battle (note: this game is not recommended for people who suffer from epilepsy). All in all, it's an 8 / 10. A weak 8, but still an 8. It needs a couple "quality of life" improvements for the gameplay to be more enjoyable, but it's still a big recommendation. Play this game on your favorite emulator with save-states and speed-up mapped to some of your controller's buttons and you will have a blast!

I guess if I have a New 2DS, I can play this game. I mean, I have no clue why it couldn't get ported on the "old" 3DS, but whatever, man.

Bought this on 3DS because fuck me I need something to cheer me up a bit.

This game synthesizes all the reasons I don't like JRPGs. The characters have no character, the story is lame, the combat sucks and most of the game is a grindfest. Reading about the game in some forums, some fans say "gameplay is not the reason this game is loved", but what's there if you remove the combat? 90% of the game is combat. The game barely has any puzzle and the dialog is not that smart as I've read about so many times. Not even the 10 year-old me would find the humor of this game good. After about 5 hours playing this game I'm done, I can't go any further, I'm tired of pressing A hoping the combat goes faster, it's just not fun. In any other time I would finish it, but I'm too old to waste my time playing a less than good game. I like the graphics, the music is ok (not my favorite, but it's good) and I liked the Beatles references, but as a game, it falls flat. It's just a glorified Dragon Quest. South Park: Stick of the Truth is the way to go if you want a modern day JRPG.

When does this game become good? I'm still in the second town, but so far I can't play it without falling asleep. Should I keep trying or should I give up?

Words cannot come close to describing Earthbound.
A witty script, unique gameplay and an astounding soundtrack make this game an utter masterpiece.
((also the ending totally didn't make me cry, what?))

EarthBound really is a one-of-a-kind experience. It just oozes a sense of child-like wonder that immediately pulls you into its bizarre, quirky world. EarthBound is also one of the few games that superbly nails an incredible feeling of adventure. By the end, I all could think was "So much has happened since the beginning". I could talk about gameplay, but honestly that isn't why people (myself included) adore this game. It's the journey that's important; not the destination.

EarthBound is very much a love-it-or-hate-it game: you either love or hate the game for its surreal sense of humor and aged-at-release mechanics. For my money, the thing EarthBound succeeds most at is creating a sense of nostalgia, even if approached as an adult.

Further reading: https://last-life.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=273905#p273905 (as "Game #9")

Orcs and dragons are lame. Give me New Age Retro Hippies and Molecule Men anyday.

I'm nothing but a worthless protoplasm...