History EarthBound / TropesNToS

** The aforementioned track also samples Creator/VinceEdwards as Ben Casey saying "infinity", sampled from [[https://youtu.be/Xjq1P5p3fso the opening of]] [[Series/BenCasey the eponymous TV series.]]

** "Say Your Name, Please," the character naming screen, includes a distorted sample of the theme song to ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' (which itself is John Philip Sousa's "The Liberty Bell.")

** When bosses use a thunder spell, it says they use a "crash boom bang attack", which seems to be a reference to the lyrics of "[[Creator/JohnMellencamp Rocking in the USA]]".

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: When Ness has to fight five police officers before he can get pass a blockade, the fifth decides to flee after the fourth is beaten.

** {{Clairvoyance}}: Occasionally invoked, again most often by Paula, to justify knowing what to do next.
** {{Psychokinesis}}: Several subtypes show up in combat, including pyrokinesis (PSI Fire), cryokinesis (PSI Freeze), astrakinesis (PSI Thunder), and psychic healing, as well as less easily defined attacks such as Ness's signature attack or PSI Starstorm.

* ShipTease: Numerous [=NPCs=] [[ShipperOnDeck ship]] Ness and Paula. Also, what was Paula going to say to Ness that she "forgot"?

** One NPC wonders if the new video game ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}'' has been released yet.

** [[AvertedTrope Averted]] when Ness's sister Tracy says that she got his homework covered.
** Also one conversation with Ness's Mom on the phone she says "Your teacher came by looking for you, I covered for you"

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You can view the main page [[VideoGame/Earthbound1994 HERE!]]

EarthBound/TropesAToG | EarthBound/TropesHToM | '''Tropes N To S''' | Earthbound/TropesTToZ

* NonLinearSequel: Despite the first ''MOTHER'' game ending on a painful ToBeContinued (less painful if the player played the [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes unreleased English prototype]] and the much-later ''[[UpdatedRerelease MOTHER 1+2]]'', the only direct connection with prequel is Giygas. This game takes place in the vague year 199X rather than the specific one of 1988, but unless America exists separately on the other side of the globe in this version of Earth, there is no sign of the original setting (although it's generally assumed it's the same world since Giygas "strikes back"). Ness is sort of Ninten's LegacyCharacter, but beyond that only the general themes really remain.

* {{The Numbered Things}}: The Eight Melodies (not the same as the ones in the first game).

* OutOfClothesExperience: In ''MOTHER 2'', Ness is naked in Magicant[[note]]Ness still has his hat on, but he has no clothes, so he's still naked[[/note]]. This was given a nice {{Woolseyism}} in ''Earthbound'' so that Ness is in his [=PJs=] instead.

* ThePowerOfFriendship: [[spoiler:How Giygas is defeated.]] In some way or another, isn't this trope the lesson learned in every ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER}}'' game?

* {{Retraux}}: Giygas and [[spoiler:Heavily Armed Porky]]'s battle theme starts out with some UsefulNotes/{{N|intendoEntertainmentSystem}}ES {{chiptune}}-sounding music (ironically, nothing from ''MOTHER'', though, where Giygas actually just had an incessant screech as his "battle theme") before spontaneously jumping into [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic a progressive metal version of the same tune]].

* SurpriseCreepy: Most of the game is a gloriously strange and funny romp through childhood, and then [[spoiler:you enter Giygas's lair.]]

* PointOfNoReturn: A polite example. Upon finishing the Phase Distorter II, Dr. Andonuts tells Ness and his friends that they may not have a chance to return once they attempt to teleport to Giygas' suspected location, and stresses that you should make sure you have everything prepared and you have any and all items you may need. Once you use the Phase Distorter II, you can't go back and get anything you may have missed, so be sure you don't go without making sure you are, in Dr. Andonuts' words, "optimally outfitted". If you don't take this warning and don't prepare properly for TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, you'll put yourself in a really bad position.

** Funny enough, using the Phase Distorter ''III'' is a more hyped Point of No Return, given how Ness, Paula, Jeff and Poo must transfer their conscience into robot bodies to survive their travel back in time. There's even a save point accessible after you cross this point, and it is probably best used if you are sure you prepared properly for the Cave of the Past.

** Funny enough, using the Phase Distorter III is a more hyped Point of No Return, given how Ness, Paula, Jeff and Poo must transfer their conscience into robot bodies to survive their travel back in time. There's even a save point accessible after you cross the Point Of No Return.

* OnlyIdiotsMayPass: Uses and abuses so many {{event flag}}s that it's hard to tell if it is lampshading the practice or if it is one of the most notable victims.
** The most blatant example occurs early in Threed, home of the game's designated ZombieApocalypse. Exploring the town, you may find that zombies are guarding part of the cemetery after fighting your way through it. Scratch that. You ''have'' to find them, and allow them to notice your presence, in order to advance the plot. (Said plot advancement consists of [[spoiler:a suspicious girl who leads you into a trap. Naturally, [[StupidityIsTheOnlyOption you have to fall for it]]. And to make the situation more annoying, there is no reason why your capture and assisted escape should cause the plot to advance, either.]])
** Apple Kid's very existence is built on these. In his first appearance, he will not build the device necessary to bypass an early barrier until you have already traversed a cave and reached the area where you cannot proceed any further. Later examples are just as arbitrary, but not as pointless.
** After successfully completing a sidequest involving the Runaway Five, you are informed that a department store has opened in Fourside. To advance the plot, you must enter and leave the establishment, at which point [[spoiler:your female party member is kidnapped. To get the plot to advance any further from there, you have to kill the monster responsible, even though he does not have her anymore and there is no reward for defeating him.]] At that point, you will be able to visit a café that you may have visited earlier. But now, talking to people inside triggers a sequence where [[spoiler:a friend of yours winds up half-dead in a nearby alley.]] ''Then'' you can go back inside and look at a seemingly blank wall you couldn't reach before to... you know what? Let's just call the game an EventFlag Plot and be done with it.

** After successfully completing a sidequest involving the Runaway Five, you are informed that a department store has opened in Fourside. To advance the plot, you must enter and leave the establishment, at which point [[spoiler:your female party member is kidnapped. To get the plot to advance any further from there, you have to kill the monster responsible, even though he does not have her anymore and there is no reward for defeating him.]] At that point, you will be able to visit a café that you may have visited earlier. But now, talking to people inside triggers a sequence where [[spoiler:a friend of yours winds up half-dead in a nearby alley.]] ''Then'' you can go back inside and look at a seemingly blank wall you couldn't reach before to... you know what? Let's just call the game an EventFlag [[IdiotPlot Plot]] and be done with it.

* {{Nerd}}: Jeff, with his suit and bowtie, his glasses, and penchant for [[GadgeteerGenius making advanced gadgetry]].

** The two lead members of the Runaway Five are basically Jake & Elwood Blues - they actually wear black suits in Japan, it's suspected the American colored suits were to make them different enough to avoid legal hassles.