EarthBound's Paradox
One of Earthbound's most wonderful elements is its rich plot. The story evolves well, and there is plenty of background for each character. However, it is this plot that also brings us to a very difficult paradox: the issue of whether or not Earthbound could have existed. As you will see, it seems that Buzz Buzz is the central figure in a puzzle as to whether or not the War Againgst Giygas could have even taken place.
Let us first examine the facts we know. The year is 199X. Ten years from now, all of the universe (or at least all of Earth) will have been devastated and controlled by Giygas. One of the surviving civillians, known only as Buzz Buzz, decides to travel back in time. He knows of a legend that tells of three boys and a girl that defeat Giygas. Fast foward through the story to the Summers museum. Here, we get another important fact. Giygas attacks Earth every one thousand years, and last time, it appears, the Scarabans built the pyramids to protect them. The attempt was unsuccesful, but the Hieroglyphs tell of their attempt. Obviously, Giygas has attacked before, and therefore is a very long-lived creature. Jump to the final battle. Pokey informs us that Giygas has become the embodiment of evil itself. When Giygas is defeated, we don't know what happens, he simply winks out. It appears though, that since he was pure evil and it was prayer that defeated him, one would assume that goodness destroyed the evil and thus obliterated Giygas.
Thus we come to the paradox. A timeline built from above would read like this:
Distant Past--Giygas Invades, Giygas Defeated by Ness and Co.
199X--Buzz Buzz arrives, Ness defeats 8 guardians, Phase Distorter constructed
199X+10 years--World in total devestation, Giygas is Supreme Power, Buzz Buzz prepares to go travel through time
The above timeline (Timeline A) is how events actually occured in history. The next timeline shows the order we discover events (not the order they actually happen).
Buzz Buzz tells of legend, gives Sound Stone
Ness conquers Guardians
Ness travels back in time, defeats Giygas
Now, let's examine things. Buzz Buzz comes back and warns Ness in 199X. Ness goes about and defeats the Guardians and travels to the past. He then destroys Giygas before he can devestate the world. Remember this. Ness then returns to present day. Giygas never invades, and the years go by. Life is peaceful in the future, and thus there is no reason to worry about contacting some 13 year old boy in the past. STOP! Now then, if Giygas wasn't around in the future to cause Buzz Buzz to want to go to the past in the first place, then Buzz Buzz wouldn't go back. But if Buzz Buzz didn't go back, then Ness never started his quest, and never defeated Giygas. If Ness didn't defeat Giygas, then Giygas devestated the Earth in the future because there was no oppostion. Therefore, Buzz Buzz goes into the past to find Ness. There is the paradox. The paragraph above forms a complete loop of peaceful future, bad future, peaceful future, bad future, etc. The problem is, there is nothing that starts the loop, it simply goes on forever.
If this seems hard to understand, I understand. It comes easily to me, because I have studied this thing (though I am only 13). Read over it several more times and it may be easier to understand. If people kept emailing me asking me to try to explain this or more about the paradox, I might write a follow-up article.
One of Earthbound's most wonderful elements is its rich plot. The story evolves well, and there is plenty of background for each character. However, it is this plot that also brings us to a very difficult paradox: the issue of whether or not Earthbound could have existed. As you will see, it seems that Buzz Buzz is the central figure in a puzzle as to whether or not the War Againgst Giygas could have even taken place.
Let us first examine the facts we know. The year is 199X. Ten years from now, all of the universe (or at least all of Earth) will have been devastated and controlled by Giygas. One of the surviving civillians, known only as Buzz Buzz, decides to travel back in time. He knows of a legend that tells of three boys and a girl that defeat Giygas. Fast foward through the story to the Summers museum. Here, we get another important fact. Giygas attacks Earth every one thousand years, and last time, it appears, the Scarabans built the pyramids to protect them. The attempt was unsuccesful, but the Hieroglyphs tell of their attempt. Obviously, Giygas has attacked before, and therefore is a very long-lived creature. Jump to the final battle. Pokey informs us that Giygas has become the embodiment of evil itself. When Giygas is defeated, we don't know what happens, he simply winks out. It appears though, that since he was pure evil and it was prayer that defeated him, one would assume that goodness destroyed the evil and thus obliterated Giygas.
Thus we come to the paradox. A timeline built from above would read like this:
Distant Past--Giygas Invades, Giygas Defeated by Ness and Co.
199X--Buzz Buzz arrives, Ness defeats 8 guardians, Phase Distorter constructed
199X+10 years--World in total devestation, Giygas is Supreme Power, Buzz Buzz prepares to go travel through time
The above timeline (Timeline A) is how events actually occured in history. The next timeline shows the order we discover events (not the order they actually happen).
Buzz Buzz tells of legend, gives Sound Stone
Ness conquers Guardians
Ness travels back in time, defeats Giygas
Now, let's examine things. Buzz Buzz comes back and warns Ness in 199X. Ness goes about and defeats the Guardians and travels to the past. He then destroys Giygas before he can devestate the world. Remember this. Ness then returns to present day. Giygas never invades, and the years go by. Life is peaceful in the future, and thus there is no reason to worry about contacting some 13 year old boy in the past. STOP! Now then, if Giygas wasn't around in the future to cause Buzz Buzz to want to go to the past in the first place, then Buzz Buzz wouldn't go back. But if Buzz Buzz didn't go back, then Ness never started his quest, and never defeated Giygas. If Ness didn't defeat Giygas, then Giygas devestated the Earth in the future because there was no oppostion. Therefore, Buzz Buzz goes into the past to find Ness. There is the paradox. The paragraph above forms a complete loop of peaceful future, bad future, peaceful future, bad future, etc. The problem is, there is nothing that starts the loop, it simply goes on forever.
If this seems hard to understand, I understand. It comes easily to me, because I have studied this thing (though I am only 13). Read over it several more times and it may be easier to understand. If people kept emailing me asking me to try to explain this or more about the paradox, I might write a follow-up article.
