Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Changing all references to \"Porky\" that does not explicitly refer to the Japanese version of the game to \"Pokey\".
Changed line(s) 32 (click to see context) from:
* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Porky (target: Ness)
to:
* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Porky Pokey (target: Ness)
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 117 (click to see context) from:
* SquishyWizard: Paula. Her PSI Freeze spells rip enemies into shreds, but her HP is so low that even two hits of PSI Thunder obliterate her.
to:
* SpoiledSweet: Paula.
* SquishyWizard: Again, Paula. Her PSI Freeze spells rip enemies into shreds, but her HP is so low that even two hits of PSI Thunder obliterate her.
* SquishyWizard: Again, Paula. Her PSI Freeze spells rip enemies into shreds, but her HP is so low that even two hits of PSI Thunder obliterate her.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 13 (click to see context) from:
* NakedPeopleAreFunny[=/=]OutOfClothesExperience: In ''MOTHER 2'', Ness is naked in Magicant[[hottip:*:Ness still has his hat on, but he has no clothes, so he's still naked]]. This was changed in [=EarthBound=] so that Ness is in his [=PJs=] instead.
to:
* NakedPeopleAreFunny[=/=]OutOfClothesExperience: In ''MOTHER 2'', Ness is naked in Magicant[[hottip:*:Ness Magicant[[note]]Ness still has his hat on, but he has no clothes, so he's still naked]].naked[[/note]]. This was changed in [=EarthBound=] so that Ness is in his [=PJs=] instead.
Changed line(s) 18 (click to see context) from:
* NeverTrustATrailer: Probably one of the most severe cases; the ads tried to make it look like a [[GrossoutShow Grossout Game]] from beginning to end....[[hottip:*:The slogan for the game is "This Game Stinks", for an example.]] There's maybe ''two'' parts of the game with any kind of ToiletHumor, and even then it's never too over-the-top.
to:
* NeverTrustATrailer: Probably one of the most severe cases; the ads tried to make it look like a [[GrossoutShow Grossout Game]] from beginning to end....[[hottip:*:The [[note]]The slogan for the game is "This Game Stinks", for an example.]] [[/note]] There's maybe ''two'' parts of the game with any kind of ToiletHumor, and even then it's never too over-the-top.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* SpidersAreScary: Lampshaded. The Arachnid! and Arachnid!!! are the only enemies to have exclamation marks in their names.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** Also one conversation with Ness's Mom on the phone she says "Your teacher came by looking for you, I covered for you"
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** Actually, if you ignore the Shattered Men in the Summers Museum, they'll still be fightable in the epilogue, which if you purposely die crashes the game. And may trigger other glitches.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 32 (click to see context) from:
* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Pokey (target: Ness)
to:
* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Pokey Porky (target: Ness)
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** Giygas' stronghold, the Cave of the Past, is a chrome wasteland of of geometric cliffs.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 100 (click to see context) from:
* ShouldntWeBeInSchool: [[AvertedTrope Averted]] when Ness' sister Tracy says that she got his homework covered.
to:
* ShouldntWeBeInSchool: ShouldntWeBeInSchoolRightNow: [[AvertedTrope Averted]] when Ness' sister Tracy says that she got his homework covered.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* PlaceOfPower: "Your Sanctuary" locations.
Added DiffLines:
* ShouldntWeBeInSchool: [[AvertedTrope Averted]] when Ness' sister Tracy says that she got his homework covered.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 102 (click to see context) from:
* SongStyleShift: [[spoiler: http://starmen.net/mother2/music/142-%20Earthbound%20-%20Pokey%20Means%20Business!.mp3 The first form of the final battle's theme between Giygas and Pokey]] starts out as an 8 bit tune and then shifts into [[AutobotsRockOut hard rock/metal one minute in.]]
to:
* SongStyleShift: [[spoiler: http://starmen.[[spoiler:[[http://starmen.net/mother2/music/142-%20Earthbound%20-%20Pokey%20Means%20Business!.mp3 The first form of the final battle's theme between Giygas and Pokey]] Pokey]]]] starts out as an 8 bit tune and then shifts into [[AutobotsRockOut hard rock/metal one minute in.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 102 (click to see context) from:
* SongStyleShift: Pokey's battle theme, ''Cease to Exist'', starts out as an 8 bit tune and then shifts into hard rock/metal one minute in.
to:
* SongStyleShift: Pokey's battle theme, ''Cease to Exist'', [[spoiler: http://starmen.net/mother2/music/142-%20Earthbound%20-%20Pokey%20Means%20Business!.mp3 The first form of the final battle's theme between Giygas and Pokey]] starts out as an 8 bit tune and then shifts into [[AutobotsRockOut hard rock/metal one minute in.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 101 (click to see context) from:
* SnowyScreenOfDeath: Right when you start up the game, a bloody red static screen is shown, displaying "The War Against Giygas!".[[spoiler: As soon as you defeat Giygas, the same effect is displayed, ending the battle.]]
to:
* SnowyScreenOfDeath: Right when you start up the game, a bloody red static screen is shown, displaying "The War Against Giygas!".[[spoiler: Giygas!"[[spoiler: As soon as you defeat Giygas, the same effect is displayed, ending the battle.]]
Changed line(s) 106 (click to see context) from:
* SpikesOfVillainy: The Starman Deluxe and the Final Starman are respectively stronger versions of the Starman and the Starman Super [[RecycledINSPACE WITH SPIKES!]].
to:
* SpikesOfVillainy: The Starman Deluxe and the Final Starman are respectively stronger versions of the Starman and the Starman Super [[RecycledINSPACE WITH SPIKES!]].SPIKES!]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* SnowyScreenOfDeath: Right when you start up the game, a bloody red static screen is shown, displaying "The War Against Giygas!".[[spoiler: As soon as you defeat Giygas, the same effect is displayed, ending the battle.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 10 (click to see context) from:
to:
[[folder:N]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:O]]
[[folder:O]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:P]]
[[folder:P]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Q]]
[[folder:Q]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:R]]
[[folder:R]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:S]]
[[folder:S]]
Changed line(s) 105 (click to see context) from:
to:
[[/folder]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 1,2 (click to see context) from:
-->''You finally got here. This is the third "Your Tropes Page". But it's mine now. Take it from me, if you dare...''
to:
-->''You finally got here. This is the third "Your Tropes Page".Tropes" page. But it's mine now. Take it from me, if you dare...''
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 1,2 (click to see context) from:
--> You can view the main page [[VideoGame/EarthBound HERE!]]
to:
You can view the main page [[VideoGame/EarthBound HERE!]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* TheOverworld: The {{Eagleland}} overworld, which actually has roads, just like in RealLife! You sometimes get to ride in the tour bus with a local band down them, but otherwise you walk like in other RPGs.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Pokey (target: Ness)
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* [[QuirkyTown Quirky Towns]]: Let's see here... how about '''all''' of them?
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 47 (click to see context) from:
* Premiseville: '''One'''tt, '''Two'''son, '''Three'''d, and '''Four'''side.
to:
* Premiseville: {{Premiseville}}: '''One'''tt, '''Two'''son, '''Three'''d, and '''Four'''side.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 41 (click to see context) from:
** Yes, you will. No, you will...not. Yesno, you will won't.
to:
Changed line(s) 45 (click to see context) from:
* ThePowerOfFriendship: [[spoiler:How Giygas is defeated.]] In some way or another, isn't this trope the lesson learned in every Mother game?
to:
* ThePowerOfFriendship: [[spoiler:How Giygas is defeated.]] In some way or another, isn't this trope the lesson learned in every Mother ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER}}'' game?
* Premiseville: '''One'''tt, '''Two'''son, '''Three'''d, and '''Four'''side.
Changed line(s) 90 (click to see context) from:
* StandardStatusEffects: as well as many non-standard ones. Characters can be affected by sickness, heat stroke, ghostly possession, homesickness (in Ness' case -- this happens at random, and it's cured by calling Mom), mushroom growth, the common cold, uncontrollable crying...
to:
* StandardStatusEffects: as As well as many non-standard ones. Characters can be affected by sickness, heat stroke, ghostly possession, homesickness (in Ness' case -- this happens at random, and it's cured by calling Mom), mushroom growth, the common cold, uncontrollable crying...
Changed line(s) 93 (click to see context) from:
--> [[spoiler:''"The war against Giygas'' is over."'']]
to:
--> [[spoiler:''"The war against Giygas'' Giygas' is over."'']]"'']]
* Suburbia: Onett can be classified as one.
* Suburbia: Onett can be classified as one.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 7 (click to see context) from:
* NakedPeopleAreFunny[=/=]OutOfClothesExperience: In MOTHER 2, Ness is naked in Magicant[[hottip:*:Ness still has his hat on, but he has no clothes, so he's still naked]]. This was changed in [=EarthBound=] so that Ness is in his [=PJs=] instead.
to:
* NakedPeopleAreFunny[=/=]OutOfClothesExperience: In MOTHER 2, ''MOTHER 2'', Ness is naked in Magicant[[hottip:*:Ness still has his hat on, but he has no clothes, so he's still naked]]. This was changed in [=EarthBound=] so that Ness is in his [=PJs=] instead.
Added DiffLines:
* SkyscraperCity: Fourside.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 72 (click to see context) from:
* SeeYouInHell: Amusingly subverted where a villain ''starts'' to say this trope, then admits that the heroes will probably go to Heaven after he kills them.
to:
* SeeYouInHell: Amusingly subverted [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] where a villain ''starts'' to say this trope, then admits that the heroes will probably go to Heaven after he kills them.them:
--> '''Department Store Spook:''' ''"This department store is going to be your grave! Gwaaagh. You will be gone, and you'll be burning in...well, you'll go to heaven!"''
--> '''Department Store Spook:''' ''"This department store is going to be your grave! Gwaaagh. You will be gone, and you'll be burning in...well, you'll go to heaven!"''
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 2,4 (click to see context) from:
---> TropesAToG [[EarthBound/TropesAToG HERE!]]
---> TropesHToM [[EarthBound/TropesHToM HERE!]]
---> TropesTToZ [[EarthBound/TropesTToZ HERE!]]
---> TropesHToM [[EarthBound/TropesHToM HERE!]]
---> TropesTToZ [[EarthBound/TropesTToZ HERE!]]
to:
---> TropesHToM [[EarthBound/TropesHToM HERE!]]
---> TropesTToZ [[EarthBound/TropesTToZ HERE!]]
EarthBound/TropesAToG | EarthBound/TropesHToM | '''Tropes N To S''' | Earthbound/TropesTToZ
Added DiffLines:
Added DiffLines:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
--> You can view the main page [[VideoGame/EarthBound HERE!]]
---> TropesAToG [[EarthBound/TropesAToG HERE!]]
---> TropesHToM [[EarthBound/TropesHToM HERE!]]
---> TropesTToZ [[EarthBound/TropesTToZ HERE!]]
----
* NakedPeopleAreFunny[=/=]OutOfClothesExperience: In MOTHER 2, Ness is naked in Magicant[[hottip:*:Ness still has his hat on, but he has no clothes, so he's still naked]]. This was changed in [=EarthBound=] so that Ness is in his [=PJs=] instead.
* NerfArm
* NeverSayDie: No enemies in Earthbound 'die.' See NonLethalKO below.
** The Dept. Store Spook in Fourside goes out of his way to avoid pronouncing "hell":
--> You will be gone, and you'll be burning in... Well, you'll go to heaven!
* NeverTrustATrailer: Probably one of the most severe cases; the ads tried to make it look like a [[GrossoutShow Grossout Game]] from beginning to end....[[hottip:*:The slogan for the game is "This Game Stinks", for an example.]] There's maybe ''two'' parts of the game with any kind of ToiletHumor, and even then it's never too over-the-top.
* NiceJobBreakingItHerod: Giygas receives a prediction of his defeat and begins his invasion early in an attempt to reverse this. This likely would've worked, except that Ness is visited by an alien bee from the future and the two events end up canceling out.
* NintendoHard: Especially early game and during the Zombie part of Threed.
* NobleShoplifter: In [[CrapsaccharineWorld Happy Happy Village]], there's a food stand with a sign saying they trust you to take what you need, as long as you leave the money. However, in this case, the player ''does'' have the option to [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential leave without paying]], so this trope depends on the player.
* NoMeansYes: Moonside.
* NonLethalKO: No enemies "die" in Earthbound. Instead, they:
** "become tame" (animals)
** "stop moving" or "are broken into pieces" (AnimateInanimateObject)
** "went back to normal" (angry/brainwashed people)
** "return to the dust of the earth" (zombies, mummies, etc)
** "melt into thin air" (gases/ghosts)
** "are defeated" (everything else)
* NonLinearSequel
* NonStandardSkillLearning: Spells are acquired by leveling up, except for the two tiers of Teleport for Ness. The first Teleport must be learned [[ItMakesSenseInContext from a talking monkey]], and the second one is automatically acquired after completing the Magicant level.
* NostalgicMusicbox: The final rendition of the Eight Melodies, just before entering Magicant.
* NPCRoadblock: The Happy Happyists' hideout contains a maze made of cultists; you have to talk to them or battle them to get them to move.
* OfficialCouple: Ness and Paula. They're [[PuppyLove so cute together]]!
* OlderThanTheyLook: Most of the main cast, thanks to the graphics style. WordOfGod says that Ness is 13 years old, but based on his appearance in the VideoGame/SuperSmashBros series, you'd think he was between eight and ten.
** Only the American guide says he's 13. Although that is a reasonable age (since he is supposed to be the same age as Jeff, who is in boarding school and has been separated from his father for around ten years), it's not actually his official one.
* OminousMessageFromTheFuture: The events of the game are set in motion when Buzz Buzz comes from the future to warn Ness that Giygas has destroyed the world in the future and that a boy named Ness would defeat him.
* OnlyIdiotsMayPass: Advanced to an art form!
* OutsideTheBoxTactic: Continuing the series-wide trend, the FinalBoss, [[spoiler:Master Giygas]] cannot be defeated via normal tactics. You must [[spoiler:use Paula's ''Pray'' command ten times before you, the player, defeat him.]]
* PaletteSwap: Several enemies are like this, including a stronger version of the Territorial Oak, Foppies and Fobbies, and the Mani Mani Statue/Ness's Nightmare.
* ParentalAbandonment: Ness' father communicates over the phone often enough, but is never home. Jeff's father hasn't seen him in ten years despite living fairly near his boarding school (and this is a twelve to fourteen year old boy) and seems to think nothing of it; his mother is [[MissingMom never mentioned]]. Poo's parents are nowhere in sight--affairs of state, perhaps? Paula is the only one of the four protagonists to have parents that are both alive and present.
* ParentalBonus: Oh God. Too many to list. A yellow submarine, the Runaway Five, the New Age Retro Hippie's battle music...
* ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish: The one password was not of the "easily guessed" type, but was ridiculous nonetheless: It consisted of ''waiting three minutes''. Who would guess that?
** This is later subverted by another character asking for the password. As the PlayerCharacter does not answer, he (or it) attacks ("someone so quiet is either extremely shy, or extremely dangerous").
* PhotoMontage: The ending credits.
* PlaceWorseThanDeath: If you remain in Moonside for too long, you'll "end up frying your brain."
** Yes, you will. No, you will...not. Yesno, you will won't.
* PlayableEpilogue: After the final battle, you are free to roam the entire world as you please, with no enemies in your way, until you decide to visit Ness's mother.
* ThePlayerIsTheMostImportantResource: In the final battle, [[spoiler: your faith in the characters is what defeats Giygas.]]
* PoliceBrutality: When Onett's police force is asked by a little boy to remove a roadblock and help him get to the next town, they decide it'd be fun to take him to the back room of the station and beat him up. They quickly learn challenging Ness to a fight is a bad idea if you don't want your butt kicked.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: [[spoiler:How Giygas is defeated.]] In some way or another, isn't this trope the lesson learned in every Mother game?
* PowerUpFood: Ramen noodles ''bring back the dead''.
* PsychicPowers
* PunnyName: By the bushelful.
** The first four towns are called '''One'''tt, '''Two'''son, '''Three'''d, and '''Four'''side.
*** And what are those numbers added up? Nin'''Ten'''do! Although that might not have been intentional.
** And then there's '''Sum'''mers and '''Ten'''da (possibly also a pun on "tender"). Think about that for a while.
** The main character, named after the NES. Alternately, the main character's name is an anagram of the system he first appeared on (SNES).
** The bicycle shop in Twoson is called "Punk-Sure".
** One removed from the American version: the third town was originally named Threek, combining both the numerical theme along with a scream of surprise and alarm. Perfect for a haunted town. Nintendo had it changed to "Threed" out of fears that it could be read as a reference to the KKK.
* PuppyLove: Ness and Paula.
* RandomDrop: The infamous 1/128 items are this. The list of enemies that dropped items at a 1/128 rate in this game is '''huge''', and most of those enemies dropped arguably worthless items. Some enemies that dropped valuable equipment at this rate had methods of expending your time...
* RandomEffectSpell: Pray, on the occassions when it's ''not'' used outside of the final battle.
* RaygunGothic: The style of the Starman and the robots seems to be based around this.
* RecurringTraveler: the photographer who descends from the sky in certain places.
** "Say 'Fuzzy Pickles'!"
* RecursiveCanon: One NPC wonders if the new video game ''VideoGame/EarthBound'' has been released yet.
** In addition, the newspaper headline in Onett after beating the FinalBoss is "Chief Strong finishes [=EarthBound=], asks 'Where is the sequel?'"
* RecursiveTranslation: The script for ''MOTHER 2'' in the ''MOTHER 1+2'' UpdatedRerelease shows signs of being a Japanese retranslation of the English ''[=EarthBound=]'' script, at least according to [[BigNameFan Clyde Mandelin]].
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: The bizarre void known as Giygas. The Ghost of Starman and Pokey's business attire also suit this trope.
* {{Retraux}}: Giygas and [[spoiler:Heavily Armed Pokey]]'s battle theme starts out with some {{N|intendoEntertainmentSystem}}ES {{chiptune}}-sounding music (ironically, nothing from Earthbound Zero, though, where Giygas actually just had an incessant screech as his "battle theme") before spontaneously jumping into [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic a rock version of the same tune]].
** The song that plays inside the Minch household would also count.
* RisingCostOfHealthInsurance: Practically the TropeNamer (though not [[AdamSmithHatesYourGuts its supertrope]]).
* RoadBlock: The game uses road blocks in the prologue to [[BrokenBridge keep Ness from going downtown, and later from going into Twoson]], under pretense that [[PoliceAreUseless the police]] are going for [[GuinnessEpisode the world record for how many roads they can close at once]].
* RodentsOfUnusualSize: The Plague Rat of Doom.
* RuleOfThree: Inside the mines, you'll fight [[EliteMook the third-strongest mole]], followed by [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment the third-strongest mole]], and then [[RunningGag the third-strongest mole]], and [[SelfDemonstratingArticle then...]]
* SayMyName: One of Giygas's attacks has him saying the hero's name over and over. Which can lead to a hilarious or disturbing results if one abused the HelloInsertNameHere feature.
* SeeYouInHell: Amusingly subverted where a villain ''starts'' to say this trope, then admits that the heroes will probably go to Heaven after he kills them.
* ShallIRepeatThat: ''{{B|lackComedy}}rutally'' {{parodied}} with Buzz Buzz, who does this with his ''[[AlmostDeadGuy last words]]'', [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential and will not die until you tell him to]].
* ShaveAndAHairCut: When banging incessantly on Ness' door doesn't work, Pokey tries this.
** [[spoiler:Picky also does this in the PlayableEpilogue after the end credits.]]
* ShopliftAndDie: In Happy Happy Village. Though you can attack the storekeeper as a BallisticDiscount.
* ShoutOut: Many, a good majority of them to Music/TheBeatles.
* SinglePaletteTown: The Happy Happy Village.
* SinisterGeometry: Giygas's robots appear in the overworld as blue octahedrons (presumably they're inside; there's an unused capsule sprite that might have been originally used, same as the Starman capsules from ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 1}}'').
* SkippableBoss: Many players don't even realize they can just not fight Everdred.
* SongStyleShift: Pokey's battle theme, ''Cease to Exist'', starts out as an 8 bit tune and then shifts into hard rock/metal one minute in.
* SortingAlgorithmOfEvil: Mostly played straight, but for a moment at the beginning when Giygas, in a moment of being DangerouslyGenreSavvy, decides to [[NoNonsenseNemesis just kill Ness]] before he becomes a nuisance by sending a [[WarmupBoss Starman Jr.]] at them at the start of the game. Thankfully, the good guys were equally smart and sent in [[CrutchCharacter Buzz Buzz]] too, thus canceling each other out.
* SoundtrackDissonance: Some of the (great) music in this game is so out there, it is hard to tell what kind of mood the composer is trying to evoke.
* SpellLevels: The tiers for PSI powers are given by the Greek letters alpha, beta, gamma, and omega.
* SpikesOfVillainy: The Starman Deluxe and the Final Starman are respectively stronger versions of the Starman and the Starman Super [[RecycledINSPACE WITH SPIKES!]].
* SpinningOutOfHere: Like in ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER|1}}'', teleporting requires rapid, uninterrupted acceleration before zooming off to the destination, so areas with limited space to build speed require moving in circles to avoid crashing. One teleport ability requires the player to turn manually, the other one automatically makes the party move in a tight spiral.
* SquishyWizard: Paula. Her PSI Freeze spells rip enemies into shreds, but her HP is so low that even two hits of PSI Thunder obliterate her.
* StandardStatusEffects: as well as many non-standard ones. Characters can be affected by sickness, heat stroke, ghostly possession, homesickness (in Ness' case -- this happens at random, and it's cured by calling Mom), mushroom growth, the common cold, uncontrollable crying...
* StockNessMonster: Tessie, a friendly monster who resides within Lake Tess in Winters.
* [[TitleDrop Subtitle Drop]]:
--> [[spoiler:''"The war against Giygas'' is over."'']]
* SuddenDownerEnding: Its horrifying final level is probably what it's best known for. The actual ending once Giygas is out of the way definitely doesn't fall into this, though.
* SurpriseCreepy: Most of the game is a gloriously strange and funny romp through childhood, and then [[spoiler:you enter Giygas' Lair.]]
----
---> TropesAToG [[EarthBound/TropesAToG HERE!]]
---> TropesHToM [[EarthBound/TropesHToM HERE!]]
---> TropesTToZ [[EarthBound/TropesTToZ HERE!]]
----
* NakedPeopleAreFunny[=/=]OutOfClothesExperience: In MOTHER 2, Ness is naked in Magicant[[hottip:*:Ness still has his hat on, but he has no clothes, so he's still naked]]. This was changed in [=EarthBound=] so that Ness is in his [=PJs=] instead.
* NerfArm
* NeverSayDie: No enemies in Earthbound 'die.' See NonLethalKO below.
** The Dept. Store Spook in Fourside goes out of his way to avoid pronouncing "hell":
--> You will be gone, and you'll be burning in... Well, you'll go to heaven!
* NeverTrustATrailer: Probably one of the most severe cases; the ads tried to make it look like a [[GrossoutShow Grossout Game]] from beginning to end....[[hottip:*:The slogan for the game is "This Game Stinks", for an example.]] There's maybe ''two'' parts of the game with any kind of ToiletHumor, and even then it's never too over-the-top.
* NiceJobBreakingItHerod: Giygas receives a prediction of his defeat and begins his invasion early in an attempt to reverse this. This likely would've worked, except that Ness is visited by an alien bee from the future and the two events end up canceling out.
* NintendoHard: Especially early game and during the Zombie part of Threed.
* NobleShoplifter: In [[CrapsaccharineWorld Happy Happy Village]], there's a food stand with a sign saying they trust you to take what you need, as long as you leave the money. However, in this case, the player ''does'' have the option to [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential leave without paying]], so this trope depends on the player.
* NoMeansYes: Moonside.
* NonLethalKO: No enemies "die" in Earthbound. Instead, they:
** "become tame" (animals)
** "stop moving" or "are broken into pieces" (AnimateInanimateObject)
** "went back to normal" (angry/brainwashed people)
** "return to the dust of the earth" (zombies, mummies, etc)
** "melt into thin air" (gases/ghosts)
** "are defeated" (everything else)
* NonLinearSequel
* NonStandardSkillLearning: Spells are acquired by leveling up, except for the two tiers of Teleport for Ness. The first Teleport must be learned [[ItMakesSenseInContext from a talking monkey]], and the second one is automatically acquired after completing the Magicant level.
* NostalgicMusicbox: The final rendition of the Eight Melodies, just before entering Magicant.
* NPCRoadblock: The Happy Happyists' hideout contains a maze made of cultists; you have to talk to them or battle them to get them to move.
* OfficialCouple: Ness and Paula. They're [[PuppyLove so cute together]]!
* OlderThanTheyLook: Most of the main cast, thanks to the graphics style. WordOfGod says that Ness is 13 years old, but based on his appearance in the VideoGame/SuperSmashBros series, you'd think he was between eight and ten.
** Only the American guide says he's 13. Although that is a reasonable age (since he is supposed to be the same age as Jeff, who is in boarding school and has been separated from his father for around ten years), it's not actually his official one.
* OminousMessageFromTheFuture: The events of the game are set in motion when Buzz Buzz comes from the future to warn Ness that Giygas has destroyed the world in the future and that a boy named Ness would defeat him.
* OnlyIdiotsMayPass: Advanced to an art form!
* OutsideTheBoxTactic: Continuing the series-wide trend, the FinalBoss, [[spoiler:Master Giygas]] cannot be defeated via normal tactics. You must [[spoiler:use Paula's ''Pray'' command ten times before you, the player, defeat him.]]
* PaletteSwap: Several enemies are like this, including a stronger version of the Territorial Oak, Foppies and Fobbies, and the Mani Mani Statue/Ness's Nightmare.
* ParentalAbandonment: Ness' father communicates over the phone often enough, but is never home. Jeff's father hasn't seen him in ten years despite living fairly near his boarding school (and this is a twelve to fourteen year old boy) and seems to think nothing of it; his mother is [[MissingMom never mentioned]]. Poo's parents are nowhere in sight--affairs of state, perhaps? Paula is the only one of the four protagonists to have parents that are both alive and present.
* ParentalBonus: Oh God. Too many to list. A yellow submarine, the Runaway Five, the New Age Retro Hippie's battle music...
* ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish: The one password was not of the "easily guessed" type, but was ridiculous nonetheless: It consisted of ''waiting three minutes''. Who would guess that?
** This is later subverted by another character asking for the password. As the PlayerCharacter does not answer, he (or it) attacks ("someone so quiet is either extremely shy, or extremely dangerous").
* PhotoMontage: The ending credits.
* PlaceWorseThanDeath: If you remain in Moonside for too long, you'll "end up frying your brain."
** Yes, you will. No, you will...not. Yesno, you will won't.
* PlayableEpilogue: After the final battle, you are free to roam the entire world as you please, with no enemies in your way, until you decide to visit Ness's mother.
* ThePlayerIsTheMostImportantResource: In the final battle, [[spoiler: your faith in the characters is what defeats Giygas.]]
* PoliceBrutality: When Onett's police force is asked by a little boy to remove a roadblock and help him get to the next town, they decide it'd be fun to take him to the back room of the station and beat him up. They quickly learn challenging Ness to a fight is a bad idea if you don't want your butt kicked.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: [[spoiler:How Giygas is defeated.]] In some way or another, isn't this trope the lesson learned in every Mother game?
* PowerUpFood: Ramen noodles ''bring back the dead''.
* PsychicPowers
* PunnyName: By the bushelful.
** The first four towns are called '''One'''tt, '''Two'''son, '''Three'''d, and '''Four'''side.
*** And what are those numbers added up? Nin'''Ten'''do! Although that might not have been intentional.
** And then there's '''Sum'''mers and '''Ten'''da (possibly also a pun on "tender"). Think about that for a while.
** The main character, named after the NES. Alternately, the main character's name is an anagram of the system he first appeared on (SNES).
** The bicycle shop in Twoson is called "Punk-Sure".
** One removed from the American version: the third town was originally named Threek, combining both the numerical theme along with a scream of surprise and alarm. Perfect for a haunted town. Nintendo had it changed to "Threed" out of fears that it could be read as a reference to the KKK.
* PuppyLove: Ness and Paula.
* RandomDrop: The infamous 1/128 items are this. The list of enemies that dropped items at a 1/128 rate in this game is '''huge''', and most of those enemies dropped arguably worthless items. Some enemies that dropped valuable equipment at this rate had methods of expending your time...
* RandomEffectSpell: Pray, on the occassions when it's ''not'' used outside of the final battle.
* RaygunGothic: The style of the Starman and the robots seems to be based around this.
* RecurringTraveler: the photographer who descends from the sky in certain places.
** "Say 'Fuzzy Pickles'!"
* RecursiveCanon: One NPC wonders if the new video game ''VideoGame/EarthBound'' has been released yet.
** In addition, the newspaper headline in Onett after beating the FinalBoss is "Chief Strong finishes [=EarthBound=], asks 'Where is the sequel?'"
* RecursiveTranslation: The script for ''MOTHER 2'' in the ''MOTHER 1+2'' UpdatedRerelease shows signs of being a Japanese retranslation of the English ''[=EarthBound=]'' script, at least according to [[BigNameFan Clyde Mandelin]].
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: The bizarre void known as Giygas. The Ghost of Starman and Pokey's business attire also suit this trope.
* {{Retraux}}: Giygas and [[spoiler:Heavily Armed Pokey]]'s battle theme starts out with some {{N|intendoEntertainmentSystem}}ES {{chiptune}}-sounding music (ironically, nothing from Earthbound Zero, though, where Giygas actually just had an incessant screech as his "battle theme") before spontaneously jumping into [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic a rock version of the same tune]].
** The song that plays inside the Minch household would also count.
* RisingCostOfHealthInsurance: Practically the TropeNamer (though not [[AdamSmithHatesYourGuts its supertrope]]).
* RoadBlock: The game uses road blocks in the prologue to [[BrokenBridge keep Ness from going downtown, and later from going into Twoson]], under pretense that [[PoliceAreUseless the police]] are going for [[GuinnessEpisode the world record for how many roads they can close at once]].
* RodentsOfUnusualSize: The Plague Rat of Doom.
* RuleOfThree: Inside the mines, you'll fight [[EliteMook the third-strongest mole]], followed by [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment the third-strongest mole]], and then [[RunningGag the third-strongest mole]], and [[SelfDemonstratingArticle then...]]
* SayMyName: One of Giygas's attacks has him saying the hero's name over and over. Which can lead to a hilarious or disturbing results if one abused the HelloInsertNameHere feature.
* SeeYouInHell: Amusingly subverted where a villain ''starts'' to say this trope, then admits that the heroes will probably go to Heaven after he kills them.
* ShallIRepeatThat: ''{{B|lackComedy}}rutally'' {{parodied}} with Buzz Buzz, who does this with his ''[[AlmostDeadGuy last words]]'', [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential and will not die until you tell him to]].
* ShaveAndAHairCut: When banging incessantly on Ness' door doesn't work, Pokey tries this.
** [[spoiler:Picky also does this in the PlayableEpilogue after the end credits.]]
* ShopliftAndDie: In Happy Happy Village. Though you can attack the storekeeper as a BallisticDiscount.
* ShoutOut: Many, a good majority of them to Music/TheBeatles.
* SinglePaletteTown: The Happy Happy Village.
* SinisterGeometry: Giygas's robots appear in the overworld as blue octahedrons (presumably they're inside; there's an unused capsule sprite that might have been originally used, same as the Starman capsules from ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 1}}'').
* SkippableBoss: Many players don't even realize they can just not fight Everdred.
* SongStyleShift: Pokey's battle theme, ''Cease to Exist'', starts out as an 8 bit tune and then shifts into hard rock/metal one minute in.
* SortingAlgorithmOfEvil: Mostly played straight, but for a moment at the beginning when Giygas, in a moment of being DangerouslyGenreSavvy, decides to [[NoNonsenseNemesis just kill Ness]] before he becomes a nuisance by sending a [[WarmupBoss Starman Jr.]] at them at the start of the game. Thankfully, the good guys were equally smart and sent in [[CrutchCharacter Buzz Buzz]] too, thus canceling each other out.
* SoundtrackDissonance: Some of the (great) music in this game is so out there, it is hard to tell what kind of mood the composer is trying to evoke.
* SpellLevels: The tiers for PSI powers are given by the Greek letters alpha, beta, gamma, and omega.
* SpikesOfVillainy: The Starman Deluxe and the Final Starman are respectively stronger versions of the Starman and the Starman Super [[RecycledINSPACE WITH SPIKES!]].
* SpinningOutOfHere: Like in ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER|1}}'', teleporting requires rapid, uninterrupted acceleration before zooming off to the destination, so areas with limited space to build speed require moving in circles to avoid crashing. One teleport ability requires the player to turn manually, the other one automatically makes the party move in a tight spiral.
* SquishyWizard: Paula. Her PSI Freeze spells rip enemies into shreds, but her HP is so low that even two hits of PSI Thunder obliterate her.
* StandardStatusEffects: as well as many non-standard ones. Characters can be affected by sickness, heat stroke, ghostly possession, homesickness (in Ness' case -- this happens at random, and it's cured by calling Mom), mushroom growth, the common cold, uncontrollable crying...
* StockNessMonster: Tessie, a friendly monster who resides within Lake Tess in Winters.
* [[TitleDrop Subtitle Drop]]:
--> [[spoiler:''"The war against Giygas'' is over."'']]
* SuddenDownerEnding: Its horrifying final level is probably what it's best known for. The actual ending once Giygas is out of the way definitely doesn't fall into this, though.
* SurpriseCreepy: Most of the game is a gloriously strange and funny romp through childhood, and then [[spoiler:you enter Giygas' Lair.]]
----
