History Videogame / EarthBound

''[=EarthBound=]'' is the second of a trilogy of Japanese role playing games known as ''VideoGame/{{Mother}}'', an experiment in storytelling in a different medium by Japanese celebrity essayist and copywriter Creator/ShigesatoItoi. ''Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushū'' (translated: ''Mother 2: [[RevengeOfTheSequel Gyiyg Strikes Back]]'') serves as a loose sequel to ''[[VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings Mother]]'', since the two games share the same essential setting ([[{{Eagleland}} an affectionate homage]] to idealized America), as well as the same base mechanics.

''[=EarthBound=]'' is the second of a trilogy of Japanese role playing games known as ''VideoGame/{{Mother}}'', an experiment in storytelling in a different medium by Japanese celebrity essayist and copywriter Creator/ShigesatoItoi. ''Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushū'' (translated: ''Mother 2: [[RevengeOfTheSequel Gyiyg Strikes Back]]'') serves as a loose sequel to ''[[VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings Mother]]'', since the two games share the same essential setting ([[{{Eagleland}} an affectionate homage]] to idealized America), as well as the same base mechanics.

After nearly 20 years of unavailability outside secondhand markets, on July 19, 2013, Nintendo finally re-released the game via the UsefulNotes/WiiU Virtual Console, initially relegated only to Japan but later released overseas due to high fan demand (and at the far-lower-than-[=eBay=]-auctions price point of $9.99); the game's international Virtual Console release not only covered North America, but also Europe, marking the first time the latter region officially got their hands on ''[=EarthBound=]''. To round out the package, it also [[http://earthbound.nintendo.com/playersguide/ digitized the original Player's Guide]] that it bundled with the SNES release and offered it up for free (so that players could read the guide in a browser, including using the Wii U's browser on the [=GamePad=]). Nintendo also re-released the game on the New Nintendo 3DS and the New Nintendo 3DS XL handheld systems as a part of their Super Nintendo Virtual Console in early March 2016 [[note]]this excludes the original Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL and Nintendo 2DS[[/note]]. It was also included on the Super NES Classic Edition in 2017.

%% Note: the game's name is "EarthBound", because WeWillUseWikiWordsInTheFuture. NOT "Earth Bound" or "Earthbound". Please keep this in mind when editing.

''[=EarthBound=]'' is the second of a trilogy of Japanese role playing games known as ''VideoGame/{{Mother}}'', an experiment in storytelling in a different medium by Japanese celebrity essayist and copywriter Creator/ShigesatoItoi. ''Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushū'' (translated: ''Mother 2: [[RevengeOfTheSequel Gyiyg Strikes Back]]'') serves as a loose sequel to ''[[VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings Mother]]'', since the two games share the same essential setting ([[{{Eagleland}} an affectionate homage]] to idealized America), as well as the same base mechanics [[spoiler:and the same main villain]].

''[=EarthBound=]'' is the second of a trilogy of Japanese role playing games known as ''VideoGame/{{Mother}}'', an experiment in storytelling in a different medium by Japanese celebrity essayist and copywriter Creator/ShigesatoItoi. ''Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushū'' (translated: ''Mother 2:[[RevengeOfTheSequel Gyiyg Strikes Back]]'') serves as a loose sequel to ''[[VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings Mother]]'', since the two games share the same essential setting ([[{{Eagleland}} an affectionate homage]] to idealized America), as well as the same base mechanics [[spoiler:and the same main villain]].

''[=EarthBound=]'' is a twist on the standard RPG setting for the {{UsefulNotes/SNES}} that follows the story of Ness, a seemingly normal boy who lives in {{Eagleland}}. Late one night, a meteorite landing outside town awakens Ness. The meteorite brings with it a bee ([[IAmNotWeasel or not]]) from the future, who tells Ness of [[ApocalypseHow its devastation]] at the hands of an indestructible being called [[EldritchAbomination Giygas]]-- a being Ness is destined to defeat. Ness's journey to stop Giygas will take him through time and space to meet the remainder of the [[TheChosenMany Chosen Four]] (Paula, Jeff, and Poo) and collect the Eight Melodies for his SoundStone to unite the power of Earth as his own.

''[=EarthBound=]'' is the second of a trilogy of Japanese role playing games known as ''VideoGame/{{Mother}}'', an experiment in storytelling in a different medium by Japanese essayist and celebrity Creator/ShigesatoItoi. ''Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushū'' (translated: ''Mother 2:[[RevengeOfTheSequel Gyiyg Strikes Back]]'') serves as a loose sequel to ''[[VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings Mother]]'', since the two games share the same essential setting ([[{{Eagleland}} an affectionate homage]] to idealized America), as well as the same base mechanics[[spoiler:, and the same main villain]].

Of the three games in the ''Mother'' series, only ''[=EarthBound=]'' ever received a physical release in North America. Nintendo eventually digitally released the unproduced localization of the first game, ''Mother'' for the Virtual Console, under the title ''[=EarthBound Beginnings=]''. To date, ''Videogame/Mother3,'' originally released in Japan for the Game Boy Advance (after a planned N64 release was scrapped due to requiring a N64 add-on drive that too was never released) - is [[NoExportForYou not currently planned for an official North American localization,]] although in certain places on the Internet, you can find a fan-translated version.

After nearly 20 years of unavailability outside secondhand markets, on July 19, 2013, Nintendo finally re-released the game via Virtual Console (in both Europe and the US) at the far-lower-than-[=eBay=]-auctions price point of $9.99; to round out the package, it also [[http://earthbound.nintendo.com/playersguide/ digitized the original Player's Guide]] that it bundled with the SNES release and offered it up for free (so that players could read the guide in a browser, including using the Wii U's browser on the [=GamePad=]). Nintendo also re-released the game on the New Nintendo 3DS and the New Nintendo 3DS XL handheld systems as a part of their Super Nintendo Virtual Console in early March 2016 [[note]]this excludes the original Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL and Nintendo 2DS[[/note]]. It was also included on the Super NES Classic Edition in 2017.

Of the three games in the ''Mother'' series, only ''[=EarthBound=]'' ever received a physical release in North America. Nintendo eventually digitally released the unproduced localization of the first game, ''Mother'' for the Virtual Console, under the title ''[=EarthBound Beginnings=]''. To date, ''Videogame/Mother3,'' originally released in Japan for the GameBoyAdvance (after a planned N64 release was scrapped due to requiring a N64 add-on drive that too was never released) - is [[NoExportForYou not currently planned for an official North American localization,]] although in certain places on the Internet, you can find a fan-translated version.

''[=EarthBound=]'' is the second of a series of Japanese role playing games known as ''VideoGame/{{Mother}}'', an experiment in storytelling in a different medium by Japanese essayist and celebrity Creator/ShigesatoItoi. ''Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushū'' (or ''[[RevengeOfTheSequel Gyiyg Strikes Back]]'', as it's called in Japanese) serves as a loose sequel to ''[[VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings Mother]]'', since the two games share the same essential setting ([[{{Eagleland}} an affectionate homage]] to idealized America), as well as the same base mechanics[[spoiler:, and the same main villain]]. Of the three games in the ''Mother'' series, only ''[=EarthBound=]'' ever received a physical release in North America (as Nintendo has eventually digitally released the unproduced localization of the first game and has [[NoExportForYou not currently released an official English translation]] of ''VideoGame/Mother3'').

''[=EarthBound=]'' is the second of a series of Japanese role playing games known as ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER}}'', an experiment in storytelling in a different medium by Japanese essayist and celebrity Creator/ShigesatoItoi. ''MOTHER 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushū'' (or ''[[RevengeOfTheSequel Gyiyg Strikes Back]]'', as it's called in Japanese) serves as a loose sequel to ''[[VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings MOTHER]]'', since the two games share the same essential setting ([[{{Eagleland}} an affectionate homage]] to idealized America), as well as the same base mechanics[[spoiler:, and the same main villain]]. Of the three games in the ''MOTHER'' series, only ''[=EarthBound=]'' ever received a physical release in North America (as Nintendo has eventually digitally released the unproduced localization of the first game and has [[NoExportForYou not currently released an official English translation]] of ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 3}}'').

As a side note: Ness and Lucas (the protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 3}}'') are probably best known to Western audiences via their appearances in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' games.[[note]]Until this game's release on the Virtual Console, Ness was only known this way outside Japan and North America.[[/note]]

''[=EarthBound=]'' is the second of a series of Japanese role playing games known as ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER}}'', an experiment in storytelling in a different medium by Japanese essayist and celebrity Creator/ShigesatoItoi. ''MOTHER 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushū'' (or ''[[RevengeOfTheSequel Gyiyg Strikes Back]]'', as it's called in Japanese) serves as a loose sequel to ''[[VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings MOTHER]]'', since the two games share the same essential setting ([[{{Eagleland}} an affectionate homage]] to idealized America), the same base mechanics, and [[spoiler:the same main villain]]. Of the three games in the ''MOTHER'' series, only ''[=EarthBound=]'' ever received a physical release in North America (as Nintendo has eventually digitally released the unproduced localization of the first game and has [[NoExportForYou not currently released an official English translation]] of ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 3}}'').

''[=EarthBound=]'' is a twist on the standard RPG setting for the {{UsefulNotes/SNES}} that follows the story of Ness, a seemingly normal boy who lives in {{Eagleland}}. Late one night, a meteorite landing outside town awakens Ness. The meteorite brings with it a bee ([[IAmNotWeasel or not]]) from the future, who tells Ness of [[ApocalypseHow its devastation]] at the hands of an indestructible being called [[EldritchAbomination Giygas]] -- a being Ness is destined to defeat. Ness's journey to stop Giygas will take him through time and space to meet the remainder of the [[TheChosenMany Chosen Four]] (Paula, Jeff, and Poo) and collect the Eight Melodies for his SoundStone to unite the power of Earth as his own.

''[=EarthBound=]'' is the second of a series of Japanese role playing games known as ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER}}'', an experiment in storytelling in a different medium by Japanese essayist Creator/ShigesatoItoi. ''MOTHER 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushū'' (or ''[[RevengeOfTheSequel Gyiyg Strikes Back]]'', as it's called in Japanese) serves as a loose sequel to ''[[VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings MOTHER]]'', since the two games share the same essential setting ([[{{Eagleland}} an affectionate homage]] to idealized America). Of the three games in the ''MOTHER'' series, only ''[=EarthBound=]'' ever received a physical release in North America (as Nintendo has eventually digitally released the unproduced localization of the first game and has [[NoExportForYou not currently released an official English translation]] of ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 3}}'').

Gameplay has changed somewhat from the first game. For starters, party count has been upped from three to four characters, and the ability to pick and choose who joins you has been cut, with each party member joining in a linear order. That being said, all four characters have their own strengths and weaknesses: Ness is a tank that uses support spells to help his friends, Paula is a devastating BlackMage and GlassCannon, Jeff is a MechanicallyUnusualFighter who lacks PSI but can help out by making extremely strong mechanical inventions using {{Joke Item}}s, and Poo is a well-rounded MagicKnight with [[TheRedMage a varied, but largely redundant, array of PSI moves]] and a couple other tricks up his sleeve, too. This game also introduces the "rolling counter" system for battles, wherein using a PSI move or being hit causes your PP and HP meters respectively to begin rolling down rather than dropping immediately. This allows characters to survive fatal hits if they can be healed before hitting zero, turning the game into a pseudo-real-time RPG.

On the 19th of July 2013, Nintendo finally re-released the game via Virtual Console (in both Europe and the US) at the far-lower-than-[=eBay=]-auctions price point of $9.99; to round out the package, it also [[http://earthbound.nintendo.com/playersguide/ digitized the original Player's Guide]] that it bundled with the SNES release and offered it up for free (so that gamers could read the guide in a browser, including using the Wii U's browser on the [=GamePad=]). Nintendo also re-released the game on the New Nintendo 3DS and the New Nintendo 3DS XL handheld systems as a part of their Super Nintendo Virtual Console in early March 2016 [[note]]this excludes the original Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL and Nintendo 2DS[[/note]]. It was also included on the Super NES Classic Edition in 2017.

Gameplay has changed somewhat from the first game. For starters, party count has been upped from three to four characters, and the ability to pick and choose who joins you has been cut, with each party member joining in a linear order. That being said, all four characters have their own strengths and weaknesses: Ness is a tank that uses support spells to help his friends, Paula is a devastating BlackMage and GlassCannon, Jeff is a MechanicallyUnusualFighter who lacks PSI but can help out by making extremely strong mechanical inventions using {{Joke Item}}s, and Poo is a well-rounded [[MagicKnight]] with [[TheRedMage a varied, but largely redundant, array of PSI moves]] and a couple other tricks up his sleeve, too. This game also introduces the "rolling counter" system for battles, wherein using a PSI move or being hit causes your PP and HP meters respectively to begin rolling down rather than dropping immediately. This allows characters to survive fatal hits if they can be healed before hitting zero, turning the game into a pseudo-real-time RPG.

Gameplay has changed somewhat from the first game. For starters, party count has been upped from three to four characters, and the ability to pick and choose who joins you has been cut, with each party member joining in a linear order. That being said, all four characters have their own strengths and weaknesses: Ness is a tank that uses support spells to help his friends, Paula is a devastating BlackMage and GlassCannon, Jeff is a MechanicallyUnusualFighter who lacks PSI but can help out by making extremely strong mechanical inventions using {{Joke Item}}s, and Poo uses both PSI and physical attacks to do a variety of different things. This game also introduces the "rolling counter" system for battles, wherein using a PSI move or being hit causes your PP and HP meters respectively to begin rolling down rather than dropping immediately. This allows characters to survive fatal hits if they can be healed before hitting zero, turning the game into a pseudo-real-time RPG.

[[quoteright:334:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/earthbound_box_8175.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:332:[[{{Tagline}} This game stinks!]]]]

Gameplay has changed somewhat from the first game. For starters, party count has been upped from three to four characters, and the ability to pick and choose who joins you has been cut, with each party member joining in a linear order. That being said, all four characters have their own strengths and weaknesses: Ness is a tank that uses support spells to help his friends, Paula is a devastating BlackMage and GlassCannon, Jeff is a MechanicallyUnusualFighter who lacks PSI but can help out by making extremely strong mechanical inventions using JokeItems, and Poo uses both PSI and physical attacks to do a variety of different things. This game also introduces the "rolling counter" system for battles, wherein using a PSI move or being hit causes your PP and HP meters respectively to begin rolling down rather than dropping immediately. This allows characters to survive fatal hits if they can be healed before hitting zero, turning the game into a pseudo-real-time RPG.

As a side note: Ness and Lucas (the protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 3}}'') [[MarthDebutedInSmashBros are probably best known to Western audiences via their appearances]] in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' games.[[note]]Until this game's release on the Virtual Console, Ness was only known this way outside Japan and North America.[[/note]]

''[=EarthBound=]'' is a twist on the standard RPG setting for the {{SNES}} that follows the story of Ness, a seemingly normal boy who lives in {{Eagleland}}. Late one night, a meteorite landing outside town awakens Ness. The meteorite brings with it a bee ([[IAmNotWeasel or not]]) from the future, who tells Ness of [[ApocalypseHow its devastation]] at the hands of an indestructible being called [[EldritchAbomination Giygas]] -- a being Ness is destined to defeat. Ness's journey to stop Giygas will take him through time and space to meet the remainder of the [[TheChosenMany Chosen Four]] (Paula, Jeff, and Poo) and collect the Eight Melodies for his SoundStone to unite the power of Earth as his own.

On the 19th of July 2013, Nintendo finally re-released the game via Virtual Console (in both Europe and the US) at the far-lower-than-[=eBay=]-auctions price point of $9.99; to round out the package, it also [[http://earthbound.nintendo.com/playersguide/ digitized the original Player's Guide]] that it bundled with the SNES release and offered it up for free (so that gamers could read the guide in a browser, including using the Wii U's browser on the [=GamePad=]). Nintendo also re-released the game on the New Nintendo 3DS and the New Nintendo 3DS XL handheld systems as a part of their Super Nintendo Virtual Console in early March 2016 [[note]]this excludes the original Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL and Nintendo 2DS[[/note]].

On the 17th of April 2013, Nintendo confirmed that it would release ''[=EarthBound=]'' for the UsefulNotes/WiiU Virtual Console in North America. It also announced a similar release for the game in Europe, marking the first release of ''[=EarthBound=]'' in that region. While fans waited for the Virtual Console release, they had to content themselves with a [=ROM=] of the game '''or''' track down an original cartridge -- which, due to intense demand and limited supply, usually didn't (and still don't) go for less than $200 outside of garage sales and such. (That price usually means '''the cartridge itself''', too.) On the 19th of July 2013, Nintendo finally re-released the game via Virtual Console (in both Europe and the US) at the far-lower-than-[=eBay=]-auctions price point of $9.99; to round out the package, it also [[http://earthbound.nintendo.com/playersguide/ digitized the original Player's Guide]] that it bundled with the SNES release and offered it up for free (so that gamers could read the guide in a browser, including using the Wii U's browser on the [=GamePad=]). Nintendo also re-released the game on the New Nintendo 3DS and the New Nintendo 3DS XL handheld systems as a part of their Super Nintendo Virtual Console in early March 2016 [[note]]this excludes the original Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL and Nintendo 2DS[[/note]].

On the 17th of April 2013, Nintendo confirmed that it would release ''[=EarthBound=]'' for the WiiU Virtual Console in North America. It also announced a similar release for the game in Europe, marking the first release of ''[=EarthBound=]'' in that region. While fans waited for the Virtual Console release, they had to content themselves with a [=ROM=] of the game '''or''' track down an original cartridge -- which, due to intense demand and limited supply, usually didn't (and still don't) go for less than $200 outside of garage sales and such. (That price usually means '''the cartridge itself''', too.) On the 19th of July 2013, Nintendo finally re-released the game via Virtual Console (in both Europe and the US) at the far-lower-than-[=eBay=]-auctions price point of $9.99; to round out the package, it also [[http://earthbound.nintendo.com/playersguide/ digitized the original Player's Guide]] that it bundled with the SNES release and offered it up for free (so that gamers could read the guide in a browser, including using the Wii U's browser on the [=GamePad=]). Nintendo also re-released the game on the New Nintendo 3DS and the New Nintendo 3DS XL handheld systems as a part of their Super Nintendo Virtual Console in early March 2016 [[note]]this excludes the original Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL and Nintendo 2DS[[/note]].

Among the most beloved RPGs of all time, ''[=EarthBound=]'' is a twist on the standard RPG setting for the {{SNES}} that follows the story of Ness, a seemingly normal boy who lives in {{Eagleland}}. Late one night, a meteorite landing outside town awakens Ness. The meteorite brings with it a bee ([[IAmNotWeasel or not]]) from the future, who tells Ness of [[ApocalypseHow its devastation]] at the hands of an indestructible being called [[EldritchAbomination Giygas]] -- a being Ness is destined to defeat. Ness's journey to stop Giygas will take him through time and space to meet the remainder of the [[TheChosenMany Chosen Four]] (Paula, Jeff, and Poo) and collect the Eight Melodies for his SoundStone to unite the power of Earth as his own.

''[=EarthBound=]'' is a {{SNES}} RPG that follows the story of Ness, a seemingly normal boy who lives in {{Eagleland}}. Late one night, a meteorite landing outside town awakens Ness. The meteorite brings with it a bee ([[IAmNotWeasel or not]]) from the future, who tells Ness of [[ApocalypseHow its devastation]] at the hands of an indestructible being called [[EldritchAbomination Giygas]] -- a being Ness is destined to defeat. Ness's journey to stop Giygas will take him through time and space to meet the remainder of the [[TheChosenMany Chosen Four]] (Paula, Jeff, and Poo) and collect the Eight Melodies for his SoundStone to unite the power of the Earth as his own.

''[=EarthBound: The War Against Giygas!=]'' is a {{SNES}} RPG that follows the story of Ness, a seemingly normal boy who lives in {{Eagleland}}. Late one night, a meteorite landing outside town awakens Ness. The meteorite brings with it a bee ([[IAmNotWeasel or not]]) from the future, who tells Ness of [[ApocalypseHow its devastation]] at the hands of an indestructible being called [[EldritchAbomination Giygas]] -- a being Ness is destined to defeat. Ness's journey to stop Giygas will take him through time and space to meet the remainder of the [[TheChosenMany Chosen Four]] (Paula, Jeff, and Poo) and collect the Eight Melodies for his SoundStone to unite the power of the Earth as his own.

''[=EarthBound=]'' is the second of a series of Japanese role playing games known as ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER}}'', an experiment in storytelling in a different medium by Japanese essayist Creator/ShigesatoItoi. ''MOTHER 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushū'' (or ''[[RevengeOfTheSequel Gyiyg Strikes Back]]'', as it's called in Japanese) serves as a loose sequel to ''[[VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings MOTHER]]'', since the two games share the same essential setting ([[{{Eagleland}} an affectionate homage]] to idealized America). Of the three games in the ''MOTHER'' series, only ''[=EarthBound=]'' ever received a physical release in North America (as Nintendo has only released the first game digitally and has [[NoExportForYou no plans for an official English release]] of ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 3}}'').

On the 17th of April 2013, Nintendo confirmed that it would release ''[=EarthBound=]'' for the WiiU Virtual Console in North America. It also announced a similar release for the game in Europe, marking the first release of ''[=EarthBound=]'' in that region. While fans waited for the Virtual Console release, they had to content themselves with a [=ROM=] of the game '''or''' track down an original cartridge -- which, due to intense demand and limited supply, usually didn't (and still don't) go for less than $200 outside of garage sales and such. (That price usually means '''the cartridge itself''', too.) On the 19th of July 2013, Nintendo finally re-released the game via Virtual Console (in both Europe and the US) at the far-lower-than-[=eBay=]-auctions price point of $9.99; to round out the package, it also [[http://earthbound.nintendo.com/playersguide/ digitized the original Player's Guide]] that it bundled with the SNES release and offered it up for free (so that gamers could read the guide in a browser, including using the Wii U's browser on the [=GamePad=]). Nintendo also re-released the game on the NEW Nintendo 3DS and the NEW Nintendo 3DS XL handheld systems [[note]]Not on the original Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL though[[/note]] as a part of their Super Nintendo Virtual Console in early March 2016.

On the 17th of April 2013, Nintendo confirmed that it would release ''[=EarthBound=]'' for the WiiU Virtual Console in North America. It also announced a similar release for the game in Europe, marking the first release of ''[=EarthBound=]'' in that region. While fans waited for the Virtual Console release, they had to content themselves with a [=ROM=] of the game '''or''' track down an original cartridge -- which, due to intense demand and limited supply, usually didn't (and still don't) go for less than $200 outside of garage sales and such. (That price usually means '''the cartridge itself''', too.) On the 19th of July 2013, Nintendo finally re-released the game via Virtual Console (in both Europe and the US) at the far-lower-than-[=eBay=]-auctions price point of $9.99; to round out the package, it also [[http://earthbound.nintendo.com/playersguide/ digitized the original Player's Guide]] that it bundled with the SNES release and offered it up for free (so that gamers could read the guide in a browser, including using the Wii U's browser on the [=GamePad=]). Nintendo also re-released the game on the NEW Nintendo 3DS and the NEW Nintendo 3DS XL systems [[note]]Not on the original Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL though[[/note]] as a part of their Super Nintendo Virtual Console in early March 2016.

On the 17th of April 2013, Nintendo confirmed that it would release ''[=EarthBound=]'' for the WiiU Virtual Console in North America. It also announced a similar release for the game in Europe, marking the first release of ''[=EarthBound=]'' in that region. While fans waited for the Virtual Console release, they had to content themselves with a [=ROM=] of the game '''or''' track down an original cartridge -- which, due to intense demand and limited supply, usually didn't (and still don't) go for less than $200 outside of garage sales and such. (That price usually means '''the cartridge itself''', too.) On the 19th of July 2013, Nintendo finally re-released the game via Virtual Console (in both Europe and the US) at the far-lower-than-[=eBay=]-auctions price point of $9.99; to round out the package, it also [[http://earthbound.nintendo.com/playersguide/ digitized the original Player's Guide]] that it bundled with the SNES release and offered it up for free (so that gamers could read the guide in a browser, including using the Wii U's browser on the [=GamePad=]). Nintendo also re-released the game exclusively on the NEW Nintendo 3DS and the NEW Nintendo 3DS XL systems [[note]]Not on the original Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL though[[/note]] as a part of their Super Nintendo Virtual Console in early March 2016.

On the 17th of April 2013, Nintendo confirmed that it would release ''[=EarthBound=]'' for the WiiU Virtual Console in North America. It also announced a similar release for the game in Europe, marking the first release of ''[=EarthBound=]'' in that region. While fans waited for the Virtual Console release, they had to content themselves with a [=ROM=] of the game '''or''' track down an original cartridge -- which, due to intense demand and limited supply, usually didn't (and still don't) go for less than $200 outside of garage sales and such. (That price usually means '''the cartridge itself''', too.) On the 19th of July 2013, Nintendo finally re-released the game via Virtual Console (in both Europe and the US) at the far-lower-than-[=eBay=]-auctions price point of $9.99; to round out the package, it also [[http://earthbound.nintendo.com/playersguide/ digitized the original Player's Guide]] that it bundled with the SNES release and offered it up for free (so that gamers could read the guide in a browser, including using the Wii U's browser on the [=GamePad=]).

-> ''"Listen Ness. I'm going to tell you something very important. You may want to take notes. Ready? ......You're the chosen one."''
->--'''Talking Rock'''

On the 17th of April 2013, Nintendo confirmed that it would release ''[=EarthBound=]'' for the WiiU Virtual Console in North America. It also announced a similar release for the game in Europe, marking the first release of ''[=EarthBound=]'' in that region. While fans waited for the Virtual Console release, they had to content themselves with a [=ROM=] of the game '''or''' track down an original cartridge -- which, due to intense demand and limited supply, usually didn't (and still don't) go for less than $200 outside of garage sales and such. (That price usually means '''the cartridge itself''', too.) On the 18th of July 2013, Nintendo finally re-released the game via Virtual Console (in both Europe and the US) at the far-lower-than-[=eBay=]-auctions price point of $9.99; to round out the package, it also [[http://earthbound.nintendo.com/playersguide/ digitized the original Player's Guide]] that it bundled with the SNES release and offered it up for free (so that gamers could read the guide in a browser, including using the Wii U's browser on the [=GamePad=]).