How free time was spent before porn and WoW volume #1: Earthbound

Do you miss the old school RPG games, with turn based battle systems, where story and plot were more important than graphics? Do you miss a time when hitting a wall meant you had to go and buy the walkthrough from Wal-Mart because Google didn’t exist? Or are you part of the newer generation of gamer that never had the opportunity to experience RPGs the way us old folks have? 

If you could answer “Yes” to any of these questions than this post chain is for you.  

Background 

I have been a gamer for as long as I can remember. I enjoy the newer age gaming styles with MOBAs, FPS, MMORPG, and everything tied to massive online multiplayer. I, however, will always miss the simpler times of playing RPGs on my SNES. Sitting in my bedroom taking turns playing games like Breath of Fire 2, Earthbound, Secret of Mana, with my brother ( @bmjman2410 ) and friends ( @onlyoneman )( @spbesner ). The stories and plot would suck you in so everyone in the room was transported to a new realm, working together to solve the newest puzzles and advance in the story.  

For a 9 year old kid these games offered a way to read that was infinitely more entertaining. In addition to this I believe kids in this generation were given a platform to advance and work on problem solving skills, reaction time, and making split second decisions. Skills needed later in life when you hit “the real world”. There was no Google at the time, and spending money on a guide was looked down upon. You had to work to solve the problems. Network to friends that have played the game and might offer the solution or at least a different perspective. If you couldn’t tell, I am a firm believer that these early age gaming systems were more an advancement than a hindrance for this age of gamer.  

Every few years I hit a phase where I go through and play all these SNES RPGs from my child hood. This phase coincidentally happened shortly after I found Steemit. Figured this time I could put the two together and share my experience with all of you.  

Earthbound 

Earthbound (Mother 2 in Japan) was released for the SNES in 1994. The story takes place around the main character Ness and his three adolescent teammates. Ness is proclaimed by Buzz Buzz, a pesky fly from the future, to be the hero chosen to save the future. He must travel the world with his trusty baseball bat collecting melodies with the Sound Stone to build his connection to the earth. Throughout this process he meets and joins with Paula (the strong female character all these RPGs seem to have),  Jeff (the nerdy scientist which again seems to be common) , and Poo (the bad ass martial artist). Once completing the team, and filling the Sound Stone with melodies, Ness must travel within himself to defeat his inner darkness. Returning whole and purged, the team then travels back in time to confront Giygas (The evil entity that has corrupted the world driving all living beings to insanity). But before the battle can commence, Ness must face a betrayal that hits a little too close to home.  

The following is a video I recorded of what I believe the intro for the game to be. I hope you enjoy it. 

For those that have never heard of Earthbound, you can find the main character and other elements of the game in the popular gamming franchise Super Smash Bros.

I hope you all enjoyed this post. I am hoping to do future installments with the next volume showcasing either Breath of Fire 1 or 2, thoughts welcome. Also, any insight into any SNES RPGs will be welcome, I'm always looking for something new.

All art work in this post was done by myself using both screen shots and paint.