This week's mailbag topic:

First EB Experiences.

Thanks for sending in your letters about your first EarthBound experiences. EarthBound Funktastic Gameplay should begin no later than June 15th.

Hey, I realised that everyone's been talking about Mother 3 for Gamecube and that SSBM was maybe Nintendo's hint at it and all, but did anyone consider something better (Well, not better, but...different?) ? Like maybe a Mother/ Mother 2 compilation cart for Gameboy Advance, I mean they ARE revamping a LOT of old titles to run on it. Maybe we could get a petition started or something....



It's also possible that if Mother 3 does come it, that it'll come out for the Game Boy Advance. As for a petition, SM.net might be done with petitions for awhile. Maybe another NP Seige though. But only time will tell if any of these things will happen.

- EBounding

What a wonderful question! My first experience with EarthBound was amazing. After passing the box up a few times at Blockbuster because the graphics on the back of the box seemed to be, at the time, less than flattering, I finally gave the game a shot because it looked like an RPG (even though it doesn't say so anywhere on the box!) and I had just begun an interest in the RPG genre. The only thing I completely HATED about RPG's was that they were all medieval-type, and therefore it seemed like there was a lack of originality. This game "EarthBound" seemed to provide some hope. It was my first RPG adventure.

When I first played it, I finally understood why the graphics were the way they were. The weren't bad, they were simple, and in my opinion, mixed very well with the funk-techno style of music and created a completely immersing atmosphere that drew all your attention to the game and quirkiness of the characters. I felt like I was a resident of Onett. What I thought was a rushed product by Nintendo was suddenly a piece of art. The game amazed me. I'm not kidding. I was amazed. Seriously. Stop laughing.

There was one thing I had never previously experienced in a game which EarthBound had presented. The game left me completely CHARMED, like I wasn't rushed into having to do a series of events or tasks or obstacles, I could just walk around and do whatever I wanted. I was allowed the freedom to HAVE FUN, and at my own pace, too! What a concept! I could no longer let myself simply RENT the game, I had to own it myself. And, being the summer of 1996, that was quite a task.

It wasn't at stores anywhere. I got the idea that the game must have bombed financially, because I couldn't even find it at local used game and cd stores like the nearby "Music 'N' Games". I decided to do something that was unspeakable for a lazy person like me... I would make some calls. This shows how devoted I was to getting this game! AFter calling like four toys r us's and only coming back with "No, but we have an 'EarthWorm Jim' ". Yeah, thanks lady. I eventually resorted to calling movie rental stores and began to beg the owners if I could purchase the game. Nada. Nobody cared. After many calls, I gave up. I must have started some kind of local demand or something, because about a month after I finaly got the game, tons of copies were availibe at Camelot and Best Buy for 20 bucks. Dang.

Anyway, as a last resort, I dug out an old issue of GamePro that was in the bottom of my closet where it belonged and ordered the game from one of those companies that sell stuff in the back of the mag. I never read Gamepro again, however, because they gave EB a low score in '95 after playing the game up to Giant Step and deciding they had seen the best of the game. Actually, they probably just lookd at the pics on the back of the box. Those people don't deserve to be journalists. They don't even deserve to eat.

Anyway, after 48 bucks plus S&H from good ol' mom and dad (Hey I was 12 at the time and it was for my 13th b-day), the game came about 2 months later right after my birthday in September and I freaked out. Even though the game isn't as much fun now, I still appreciate it for its original impression it left. I'm not one of the types that love a game, play it to death and get bored with it, say it sucks and sell it... unless it's a playstation game. Heh.

I still have the cartridge to this day, the box is totally messed up as is the player's guide, but I must say that without a doubt... EarthBound is the best, most enjoyable game of all time. The ending theme got me coked up too. My adventure was over! But it's legacy shall live on. Long live Itoi and Miyamoto!

-Glenn Wickline

P.S. Sorry about this being so long, I just love this game so much... I'm almost 18 and I love EB. Is that so wrong?



I thought about cutting it short, but I'm like "Hey! I'm CrAzY!!". I personally wanted to play EB for it's graphics, but only because they looked weird (instead of "cool"). Lot's of 18+ year olds like EarthBound, but that fanbase is dwindling since they're finding stupid things like social gatherings, and girls. (j/k)

- EBounding

Aahh...the first time I played Earthbound...

I'm getting all sentimental. Anyway, Earthbound was probably the third or so RPG I had played. I'd seen a few pictures of it in some old Nintendo Powers (now decomposing in my closet) and it looked like a fairly standard RPG.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

I mean, when you first look at that monster box and players guide, you think: "Boy, this must be a big game". Later, after logging several weeks of gameplay, I beat Giygas and thought to myself: "Boy, that game was huge!". I've played some great RPGs, and while I may be addicted to Final Fantasy and Secret of Mana, Earthbound will always be one of my all time favs.

I ought to participate in EDFGP this time around...



It's EBFGP! Anyway, I read somewhere way back when, that EarthBound had the most text out of any RPG to date. There were that many corny jokes. :)

- EBounding

My first experience with Earthbound was when I rented it when I was about nine. It was the first RPG I ever played. I had no idea what was going on. I played some guy's file that was already saved. He was at the point where you have to go in the Phase Distorter to defeat Giygas, but I had no idea what to do and I found the game quite boring. I guess what atrracted me to it was the huge box that came with a plyer's guide. I finally decided to read the player's guide and started a new file.

I got up to Frank. I didnt understand about levels yet. But later I bought the game and my friend helped me along explaining about levels, HP, and PP. I got so into the game I couldn't stop playing it. One night I was playing so late I got tired and fell asleep. I woke up to find the screen black and my file erased. The game took me 2 years to beat because I played so much the game overheated 3 times. I guess leaving it on while going out to eat and going to church was a bad idea. Anyway, my first experience with EarthBound opened me up to other RPG's. Without EarthBound I probabbly wouldn't have got a PlayStation(I bought a PlayStation for FF7.)I can't wait until EBFGPS01 to have a new experience with my favorite game of all time EarthBound.



Don't get overheated during the event if you want to keep up. EB was also my first RPG, which got me into other games as well. I don't think I would be into video games period, if it wasn't for EB. Scary.

- EBounding

My first experience with Earthbound... reading the 2 page article in NP about it. All the neato graphics and the details about the storyline and stuff like that. That's what originally got me on this game.



Sorry, I'm pressed for responses tonight. Um, yeah. I cut up the NPs that had EarthBound in it. Did you?

- EBounding

Sorry I got in a bike crash a couple days ago so I haven't been on the internet, so I don't really know what the EarthBound Funktastic Gameplay is...but my first experience was incredible. I fell in love with Earthbound the moment I picked up the controller for my SNES. Unfortunetly most of my friends thinks it is the worst game ever made....



But hey, it's impossible to crash your bike in EarthBound.

- EBounding

I was realy shocked when I first played EB. I remember thinking to myself "A comedy RPG in the 90's?" Every RPG I had played before (And i'm pretty sure it was the same with others) had been in mid-evil times or the future with a serious story-line, so I didn't realy know what to think. I was the most impressed with the 90's look when I found out you had to use the ATM machines to withdraw money. And then the enemies like the octopus-like aliens, Carpainter and the cultists, and Pokey just kept me wanting to go further and further into the game. Even the items, from the bazookas and bottle rockets to the protracter and the "For Sale" sign, proved to continue my amazment. I could go on and on about it's originality, but I think i'll just stop here.



Yes...drugs....I mean, EarthBound. Oh, you didn't talk about drugs at all did you?

- EBounding

My first experience was one that I had forgotten. This was way before Earthbound was even released! Back in NES days! I read through a section about Japanese NES games. There was a game called Dragonballs (or was it Dragonballz?), one about American Politics (staring the Real GWB), and finally -- a shimer of light in the world of oddness. A strange game called Mother by a guy named Itoi. It featured a PK kid and he battled a smoking crow. I thought it sounded pretty cool. I didn't even remember that till I found out that Earthbound was Mother 2, and it all came to me in a flash! Ping! Just like that.

-Robjpub



Was there really a game that starred GWB? I cannot believe it. I'll believe that a game had Bill Lambeare combating in basketball, before I believe that.

- EBounding

My first experience with EB was brief and painful 'cause I didn't get it. Actually that fairly well describes the last time I played it too.



I didn't understand this letter. Is it a paradox? Or am I just tired?

- EBounding

I love earthbound2 very much and I always search homepages of earthbound and I think stamen.net is very great homepage of earthbound.



Um...thanks! We really appreciate it!

- EBounding