I agree. It's actually my second favorite game of all time, though I do think the gameplay could have been better in some aspects (character balance is an issue, in my opinion. Paula gets really weak in comparison to the rest by the later parts of the game). It's all about feeling, actually. It's a very emotional game, in several different ways.
"You cannot judge a system if your judgement is determined by the system."
Yes. Yes yes yes.
I experienced my share of frustration from that game, mostly because it's really difficult to replenish PP. The characters are unbalanced, but if anything it's Poo who gets hit with the short end of several sticks (the low stats, poor equipment, hates food, and underleveled sticks). The ATM system is terrible (especially when service fees appear) and is a good example of how this game hasn't aged well.
Despite all that, I actually managed to enjoy this game when I first played through it a couple of months ago.
"What's out there? What's waiting for me?"
I must say, this is certainly true. An inpatient player may abandon EB because it does start off slow. But, me, being the raving EB fan I am, will always give it at least a 9/10. The replay factor's there too... you can replay it and guaranteed find something new and funny, like the sock sidequest or the house you can buy...
Your omnipotence, have X! (declared when delivering meals to my brother while he plays Minecraft.)
the shortage of PP replenishes and 14 items per character limit is what makes the game challenging, it makes the player use PSI and items carefully and not just PK fire, PK special and bottle rocket everything on your path.
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Oh, yes, Earth Bound!
Where to start? Earth Bound is an amazing game, through and through. In danger of angering its cult following, however, I believe the start of Earth Bound is.. slow, to say the least. The battles and interface are simple, but they don't really take shape until later in the game. This game is about single-player strategy and teamwork, not just bashing through enemies left and right. In my opinion, the game does not truly begin until you get your first partner, Paula, and level her up a bit. Then the fun starts. By then, you have a good set of PSI (basically magic spells) abilities and plenty of options.
While its a great game after you get your partner, Earth Bound REALLY hits its stride after you have all four heroes. In my playthrough, in a battle against a gigantic rat in a sewer, I had Paula freeze the rat while Ness went to work on raising everyones shields and defenses. Jeff hit the rat with a bottle rocket, and after some more of this amazing show of strategy and teamwork, we defeated it. Simply amazing.
Did I mention this game is hilarious? To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, there are many running gags and jokes in the game. For example, I didn't catch this at first, but most managers of buildings have food related names (Mr Poochyfud, Mr Fork, Mr Spoon..). Characters are incredibly quirky while still developing as people (If you're anything like me, you'll enjoy watching the complication of Ness and Paulas relationship through the game).
The storytelling is great, too, but a thorough understanding of the canon isn't really needed. You can just have a blast fighting and battling through the game without knowing why you're doing it. If you do pay attention, though, you'll be amazed. Tons of blood, sweat, tears, love, and detailing was put into this game, and oh boy does it show.
Earth Bound has a notorious ending, for good and for bad. I'm not going to ruin it for any to-be players, but let me just say that the final fight is surprising and actually kind of creepy for an old school nintendo game. The music is great, too - I found myself humming battle themes well after completing the game.
In a nutshell, Earth Bound may start slow, but quirky characters, hilarious moments, an awesome soundtrack and a thrilling ending make it worth it. Don't pass this game up no matter what you do!
9.5/10