All too often I had to walk in circles waiting for fights to trigger so I could claw my way up the experience chain. The paltry experience gained after each battle doesn’t begin to keep pace with the progression of the story, so I often found myself eager to move ahead to the next intriguing plot point but maddeningly unable to advance. Even with my expectations set by extensive experience with 8-bit RPGs, I was flabbergasted by how slowly and clumsily it rewarded me for victory in combat. Yet Earthbound Beginnings excellent writing is painfully tied to a frustratingly high random-encounter rate. Anachronistic translation issues do occasionally interrupt the general charm of the storytelling, such as the otherwise- tender phone conversations with my father than always ended with his slamming the receiver down, but by and large the humor is remarkably on-target. The classic RPG formula of demanding that you speak to every townsperson is harnessed to excellent effect, as conversations become a medium for delivering delightful jokes occasionally punctuated by thoughtful, philosophical musings. Puns like “Polar Bear just grins and bears it,”, snarky one- liners, and original gags are everywhere, and most are surprisingly well-localized considering Earthbound Beginnings’ 1989 Japanese vintage. Play Clever dialogue and zany story arcs tickled my funny bone dozens of times over the course of the long adventure.
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