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Nintendo Switch Online adds 'EarthBound' and 'EarthBound Beginnings'
The classic games will be available today.
SNES Classic Edition review: Worth it for the games alone
The success of last year's NES Classic Edition clearly took Nintendo by surprise. The company was completely incapable of meeting demand, leaving many people unable to buy what became the must-have gift of the holiday season. Now Nintendo has given its SNES the Classic Edition treatment and promises it's going to build way more than it did last year. Having grown up with the SNES (OK, we had a Sega Genesis and my best friend had SNES), it's easy to assume that everyone knows what it is and why people are so excited that it's back. After dominating the 8-bit era with the NES, Nintendo came late to the party with its sequel. The SNES launched in '90 in Japan, '91 in the US and '92 in the UK. The Genesis had a two-year head start in almost every country, but Nintendo's second-generation home console was worth the wait. The SNES arrived with Super Mario World and F-Zero, among other titles. The former is regarded as one of the greatest games of all time while the latter had faux-3D graphics with fluidity and speed unseen on a console before. For the next five years or so, some special games graced the system: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario Kart, Metroid, Final Fantasy III, Chrono Trigger, Super Mario RPG, Star Fox. I could go on, but essentially, short of Sonic and a few other Sega exclusives, Nintendo destroyed the competition in terms of quality, with dozens of games that have stood the test of time. That puts the SNES Classic in different territory than its predecessor, which, nostalgia aside, featured many games that, for obvious reasons, aren't up to modern standards. While I utterly adore Metroid, trying to introduce someone to the original today is tough. But nearly all the games Nintendo has included in its latest console are as enjoyable today as they were when they were first released.
Coming to terms with my game backlog
I used to be scared of the RPG genre. Growing up, I played plenty of video games like any other kid, but I stuck to stuff I could pick up and put down. Mario, GoldenEye, Doom. I lacked the dedication, the loyalty and the skill to tackle an intimidating dozens-of-hours role-playing adventure. And yet I would ogle screenshots in GamePro or exotic box art like on the SNES game Secret of Evermore or even just mysterious, enticing names like Chrono Trigger. The idea of these cartridges, and the fantastical little universes they contained, had a pull over me: They promised a story-based experience that's unique to the medium of the video game. Sure, I made some stabs at playing the games, but even the high-school-freshman version of me was too busy for the commitment. I had just gotten a car and a part-time job. I played sports, there were girls to date. You know, non-nerd stuff. But oh, how I longed for the nerd stuff.
This year's Club Nintendo elite rewards are all downloadable games
Marking a change from the calendars, posters and other Nintendoodads, the 2014 Club Nintendo elite rewards for North America are all downloadable games. While that'll disappoint some of you, as a European I have to note on our side of the ocean it's all physical - and personally, not the most appealing selection either. So if you want to swap places... well, we can't, but you get the drift. As before, qualifying Platinum members can have their pick of one Gold or one Platinum gift, while Gold members have to make do with the golden selection. If I were so lucky, I'd pick one of Game & Wario, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Dr. Luigi and Earthbound from the Platinum games. On the Gold side, I'm totally in the mood for some Zelda 2. Sigh.
Joystiq Weekly: 'Transistor' review, 'Metro' director's cut and a book about 'Earthbound'
Welcome to the Joystiq Weekly wrap-up where we present some of the best stories and biggest gaming news from our sister-publication.
Joystiq Weekly: Amplitude is funded, Wolfenstein review, video previews and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Amplitude fans just discovered a new favorite month of the year, as Harmonix's Kickstarter for a Sony-exclusive continuation of the lane-changing rhythm game cleared its goal within the final day of its funding campaign. Regardless of the original Amplitude's quality, the button-tapper's fan base is pretty niche - if games catering to slivers of the broader gaming population can find the funding they need via Kickstarter, it makes us wonder what other dream sequels we could get away with. There are always the down-and-out series begging for continuations like Shenmue 3, but that almost feels too obvious. What if we launched a Kickstarter for a team to continue an established property? We could start a campaign to glue the pieces of Wipeout developer SCE Studio Liverpool back together, then launch another to cover the resurrected studio's costs to make a new F-Zero! What's that you say? F-Zero is owned by Nintendo and is definitely not a property we can just give out to whoever we wish? Well, we can launch another Kickstarter to fund a protective shield until SCE finishes the game, and then Captain Falcon can finally get back on track with his career! On second thought, maybe we shouldn't take swings at the legal beehive. We'll have to think our F-Zero revival strategy over, but until then, we've got the cliff notes from this week's news and content ready for you. Details about the Xbox One's June update, reviews for Transistor and Wolfenstein: The New Order and video previews for Driveclub and Middle-Earth: Shadow of Morder - it's all ready for you after the break!
Why a TV star gave up acting and wrote a book about Earthbound
From 2008 to 2013, Ken Baumann played the role of Ben Boykewich on ABC Family's drama series, The Secret Life of the American Teenager. The Texas native also guest-starred on shows like Castle and Eli Stone, and appeared in several feature and TV films. At 24 years of age, Baumann recounts his upbringing and familial relationships – along with tidbits about acting, struggles with illness, and more – in his new book, Earthbound. Yes, that Earthbound – Nintendo's Earthbound (known in its native Japan as Mother 2), released for Super Nintendo in 1995. Baumann's book Earthbound is the first entry in the Boss Fight Books series, which profiles games of personal significance to each author, with Galaga, Jagged Alliance 2, and others on the way. Baumann's Earthbound is as much an exploration of the creation, content, and legacy of the role-playing classic as it is a self-reflective deep dive into the author's own psyche and past – so much so that it's difficult at times to tell where one half of the narrative ends and the other picks back up. That's because, as Baumann explains, he can't separate his own story and that of the game.
Earthbound, USA to explore the cult classic's origin story
Earthbound might have just missed a critical reception during its North American debut in 1995, but the quirky RPG has accumulated a smaaashing fanbase since then. Between a fan-translated adaptation of Mother 3, the series' most recent game that never made it to the States, and Nintendo's halting of previous attempts to detail Earthbound's development, there are plenty of questions left to answer about the SNES' cult classic. We imagine some of those will be answered in Earthbound, USA, an upcoming documentary about the Earthbound fanbase's push to find recognition for their beloved tale of children saving the world. Jeff Benson, director of the gaming merchandise site Fangamer, is leading the production, which explores the origins of his initial Internet stomping ground, Earthbound fan site Starmen.net. The documentary crew also recently traveled overseas to meet with series designer Shigesato Itoi. The Benson Bros plans to launch a Kickstarter for Earthbound USA later this year, with a general release aiming for 2015. [Image: Fangamer]
Atlus elects to publish non-Kickstarted Citizens of Earth
Atlus announced plans to publish Citizens of Earth, a quirky RPG that follows the Vice President of the World on his quest to investigate the bizarre happenings in the town. Developed by Eden Industries, Citizens of Earth fell short of its $100,000 CAD ($91,600 USD) goal on Kickstarter in October 2013, raising just $36,875 CAD ($33,778 USD). The modern RPG takes after popular SNES classic Earthbound, with its humorous approach to world-saving adventures and includes recruiting mechanics in line with the Pokemon and Suikoden series. The Vice President brings "regular characters into the spotlight as heroes" for them to do his dirty work in battle, continuing their day jobs when not engaged in combat. The game includes 40 citizens, though ambitious fans are encouraged to enter a contest by Friday, April 18 on Atlus' site to create the 41st one for the game. Citizens of Earth is in development for PS4, Vita, 3DS, Wii U and PC and is expected to arrive on each platform's digital channels in North America and Europe in September 2014. [Image: Atlus]
Earthbound translator's book stopped by Nintendo, no ill will held
Marcus Lindblom, the man responsible for translating most of SNES cult classic Earthbound's script to English, has natural insight on why some elements of the North American release are the way they are. After Nintendo rereleased the RPG on the Wii U Virtual Console last year, Lindblom told Polygon he was asked by fans whether he would ever consider putting his knowledge in writing. Lindblom planned to do just that once he gathered production costs for the book on Kickstarter, but when he tried to clear the project with Nintendo, the developer was not in favor of the idea. While Lindblom was not told exactly why Nintendo did not want the book published, he was reminded that he had signed a non-disclosure agreement during his work on Earthbound. "I wanted to just write about the fun bits in the game that I think the fans would enjoy," Lindblom told Polygon, stressing there are no hard feelings. "But I have no desire to rock the boat with Nintendo at all ... They gave me my start in the game business." As interesting as it would be to read the full story of Earthbound's localization, it's tough to feign surprise toward Nintendo being uninterested in the project. The series' SNES debut did bomb on a commercial level, and its GBA follow-up, Mother 3, is only playable in English thanks to a fan effort. Nintendo doesn't exactly have a reputation for being open about its internal operations, either. Still, with Ness swinging for kneecaps for the entirety of the Super Smash Bros. series and Lucas joining the roster in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, we can't blame Earthbound fans for wanting to learn more about the series.
Earthbound and children at play
This is Making Time, a column about the games we've always wanted to play, and the games we've always wanted to play again. Earlier this month, a friend on Twitter asked his followers to name a "perfect game." The resulting conversation was fascinating, as hordes of players listed games while also admitting that each had "flaws," or that the plot wasn't strong enough to be considered perfect. Some refused the notion that a perfect game could ever exist, or argued that it shouldn't exist, because perfection is unattainable. After spending time with Earthbound's recent Wii U Virtual Console, I've come to think otherwise. Earthbound is perfect. To be clear, it's not perfect because it's a flawless product, but because it expresses a coming-of-age adventure in every ounce of its code. At its roots, Earthbound (Mother 2 in Japan) is like a group of children at play, in a world much larger and darker than themselves.%Gallery-195204%
Earthbound launches on Wii U eShop
Earthbound has launched on the North American Wii U Virtual Console, Nintendo announced via a Nintendo Direct Mini video today. The port for the SNES game was first announced in April for North America and Europe. The game costs $9.99 on the Wii U eShop. Nintendo also announced that the original Earthbound strategy guide has been optimized for the Wii U GamePad and will be freely available for viewing on Nintendo's Earthbound site. "Unfortunately, we haven't figured out how to make scratch-and-sniff technology work on the Internet just yet, though," Nintendo's Bill Trinen said in the video, alluding to the smelly cards that came with the strategy guide.
Buy us this Earthbound Zero NES reproduction cart
Rose Colored Gaming recently unveiled a beautiful Earthbound Zero reproduction NES cart, complete with a slick plastic case and custom cover art. The cart includes an English-translated ROM of Japanese Nintendo RPG and cult classic Mother. Mother never came to the United States, though Mother 2 was released as Earthbound on SNES in North America, and will see a Wii U Virtual Console port this year. The game that followed in the series, Mother 3 for Game Boy Advance, also never saw official North American localization, though fan translators of the game offered Nintendo to use their work free of charge for further Virtual Console localization purposes. As for Rose Colored Gaming's gorgeous Earthbound Zero reproduction cart, there's no price listed yet on its store as it's working to produce "as many of these as possible for as long as possible." We're just saying, this collectible item would be a great gift for a sorrowful Joystiq editor that has lost hope that any future iterations of the series will come to life in a language they understand. [Thanks, Wes!] %Gallery-192781%
Earthbound rated for Wii U in Australia
Nintendo has yet to announce a release date for Earthbound in North America or Europe, but did say the game is definitely on its way to the Wii U Virtual Console this year. That process is progressing, with a listing on the Australian Classification system direct from Nintendo. Earthbound is rated M in Australia for crude humor and sexual references. Ness, you've grown up so fast. Earthbound never made it to the Wii's Virtual Console, even though Nintendo promised an appearance. Earthbound's existence on the Wii U satisfies our nostalgia – considering it actually launches this time – though we recognize the hilarity in using an 18-year-old game as a system seller. Only Nintendo.
Earthbound is an effective band-aid for the Wii U's Virtual Console
A few months ago I opined that the Wii U's Virtual Console, with its limited launch lineup, limited platforms, and limited upgrades from the Wii Virtual Console, was less than ideal. A few things have changed since then: some of the games have launched (for 30 cents), we have a solid launch date for the service in earnest, and there's a more detailed launch list. However, none of the basic issues have been fixed; the Virtual Console carries the same inherent flaws it did in January.But for now, all is forgiven. Because Earthbound.
Mother 3 translator offers localized files to Nintendo for free
With the recent announcement that Earthbound will be making its way to Nintendo's Virtual Console service, confirming that the publisher hasn't totally forgotten about the series, Mother 3 translator Clyde Mandelin saw an opportunity to extend an offer to Nintendo. Mandelin recently took to the Mother 3 fan translation blog to express his interest in seeing the Game Boy Advance game officially localized for North American audiences."I realize that localizing a game this size can cost a lot, so if it'll help in even the slightest, I'll gladly offer to let Nintendo use my text translation files for any use at all, completely for free," Mandelin wrote. "I'll even edit the files to fit whatever new standards are necessary (content, formatting, memory size, etc.), completely for free. I'll even retranslate everything from scratch if need be. Just whatever it takes to get an official release out."Mandelin, along with a team of devout Mother 3 fans, launched a patch for the game in 2008 that translates the entire Earthbound sequel to English. Mother 3 was originally developed by Brownie Brown, a Nintendo subsidiary now known as 1-Up Studio."In the end, if localizing Mother 3 should ever come up in a Nintendo business meeting or whatever and someone brings up budget concerns or it costing too much, my hope is that someone will at least mention this offer too, even if it isn't accepted," he added.
Earthbound this year on VC in NA and EU
Earthbound (also known as Mother 2) will be available on the Wii U Virtual Console by year's end in North America and Europe."We will announce the actual release date at a later time," said Nintnedo President Satoru Iwata during today's Nintendo Direct.
Guy hacks marriage proposal into Earthbound
Video game-themed proposals certainly aren't new, but when a reaction is as genuine as Liz's -- who was just proposed to via an in-game message hacked into Earthbound by Matt -- it must be shared. Best of luck, you two!
You're bound to look sharp in these Earthbound duds
We may raise our snobby noses as we pass by cosplayers at conventions, but once a year it becomes socially acceptable for us to embrace our inner theater student and don a disguise. Being people who spend quite a bit of time writing about or playing video games, we tend to err on the side of nerdery when it comes to Halloween outfits (shocking, we know). The folks at Fangamer coax this urge all the more when they release a full outfit of Earthbound's hero, Ness, on their site. Considering the striped "Shirtness," the accompanying "Earth Bounder" (the yo-yo) and the guarantee that it'll arrive before Halloween, the $54.99 asking price seems almost acceptable. Almost.[Via Kotaku]
Mother has been earthbound for 20 years, bound for US just as long
Twenty years ago today the original Mother was released for the Nintendo Famicom in Japan. Since then, the Japanese have continued to receive more of Mother's lovely RPG gameplay and storytelling, while other lands have been Earthbound with vague rumors of official releases and fan translations.EarthBoundCentral has compiled a sweet little homage to the series -- check it out after the break. And keep wishing upon a star that Mother finds its way outside Japan ... one day. [Image]
