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EarthBound (Japanese: MOTHER 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushū), co-developed by Ape Inc. and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994, is the second entry in the Mother series, retaining the franchise’s signature quirky style and humor. Set in a modern world, it follows psychic teen Ness and his friends Paula, Jeff, and Poo on a quest to gather melodies from eight Sanctuaries to defeat the cosmic destroyer Giygas. Featuring a top-down perspective, players explore towns, caves, and dungeons and engage in turn-based battles with a unique rolling HP bar that depletes gradually after hits, letting players act before health reaches zero. Its diverse soundtrack blends salsa, reggae, and dub for a rich audio experience. Though initial North American sales were slow, its distinct story, humor, and innovative mechanics later earned it widespread acclaim as a beloved classic RPG.

Game Overview

EarthBound, released in Japan as Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushu, was developed by Ape Inc. and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo on August 27, 1994 in Japan and June 5, 1995 in North America. Shigesato Itoi wrote and directed it, with Satoru Iwata among the programmers. The psychic boy Ness travels with Paula, Jeff and Poo to record the melodies of eight Sanctuaries and stop Giygas, the universal cosmic destroyer. Western sales were weak at the time, hurt by deliberately plain graphics and a self-deprecating campaign that told players the game stinks.

Core Gameplay

Enemies stand in the open on the map, so you can see them, dodge them or hit them from behind to seize the advantage, and there are no random encounters. Battles are turn-based, but hit points roll down like an odometer, which means a fatal hit still leaves you a few seconds to heal, swap the party order or run. Ness and Paula spend PP on PSI abilities, Jeff relies on gadgets he can repair or break open, and Poo mirrors enemy attacks back at them. There is no separate overworld screen, towns and countryside are one continuous map.

Setting and Humour

The setting is a fictional version of modern America where the enemies are taxi cabs, piles of vomit, walking nooses and eccentric aliens, and your healing items are hamburgers, pizza and magic truffles. Pocket money is deposited by Ness's father into an account you draw from at ATMs, unconscious party members can be revived for a fee at a hospital, and a delivery service stores items you cannot carry. The soundtrack mixes salsa, reggae and dub, nothing like the orchestral scores other Japanese RPGs of the era were using.

• Rolling HP meter: damage ticks down like an odometer, leaving a few seconds to heal or run after a lethal hit
• No random encounters: enemies are visible on the map, and touching one from behind hands you the first strike
• Four distinct party roles: Ness and Paula cast PSI, Jeff uses machines and gadgets, Poo mirrors enemy attacks
• Eight Sanctuary melodies scattered across the continent, all of which have to be recorded before the final confrontation
• A modern setting where taxi cabs, piles of vomit and walking nooses are the monsters and hamburgers are healing items
• Allowance is paid into a bank account and withdrawn at ATMs, hospitals revive fallen party members for a fee, and a courier service holds spare items
• A soundtrack of salsa, reggae and dub by Keiichi Suzuki and Hirokazu Tanaka