TheBeastHimself
No time for tea, uncle, gotta capture the Avatar!
There's a series that I don't hear much talk about in the Smash community. Ness and Lucas are brought up, but never really their actual home series: EarthBound, or Mother in Japan.
Credit to artist
"When I made (Mother) 3, I thought I could do it, so I did it, (but 4 is) totally impossible. Among big-time popstars, if they, you know, put out ten albums, around the fourth album, they can't make very good songs. The albums sell, but everyone at the concerts wants to hear songs from those first three albums. Everyone. I'm glad that video games are not my profession... if it was my job, I would've already made 4 and 5." - Shigesato Itoi, creator of EarthBound/Mother
Credit to artist
"When I made (Mother) 3, I thought I could do it, so I did it, (but 4 is) totally impossible. Among big-time popstars, if they, you know, put out ten albums, around the fourth album, they can't make very good songs. The albums sell, but everyone at the concerts wants to hear songs from those first three albums. Everyone. I'm glad that video games are not my profession... if it was my job, I would've already made 4 and 5." - Shigesato Itoi, creator of EarthBound/Mother
What I find amazing is that Sakurai pumped so much life into a finished series. The EarthBound series only has 3 games, 2 released outside of Japan, and does not have any foreseeable future whatsoever. The creator is not on board with a Mother 4, and Nintendo doesn't seem to have any interest either since there hasn't been a new game in the series since 2006. But what makes EarthBound live on are its dedicated fans and Smash Bros. Thank you, Sakurai, for representing a dead series so much and giving it a lot of love!
What the Hell Even is this Series?
For those unaware, EarthBound is a trilogy of turn-based RPGs starring boys in striped shirts. The games are EarthBound Beginnings (Mother), EarthBound (Mother 2, starring Ness) and Mother 3 (starring Lucas). Each game is vastly different from each other, and even the RPG formula that this series uses is completely different from other RPGs. Everything about EarthBound is just plain ol' unique. Even the series' humor is unique. While it does have its darker moments, mostly in Mother 3 (R.I.P Hinawa, Lucas' mother), the series doesn't tend to take itself too seriously and offers many funny lines from NPCs and a colorful cast of super weird, odd, quirky characters.
Let me give some examples of how this franchise is different from others. When you think RPG, what comes to your mind? A fantasy world? How about contemporary America:
The Stars of the Show
Three games, three boys in striped shirts. We got Ninten, Ness, and Lucas. But they're not alone. They are each accompanied by a small party, and most of them (including each of the main boys) use a type of magic called PSI/PK. So whenever you hear "PK Fire!" in Smash and get caught in Ness' annoying trap, that's a move from this series.
Super Smash Bros. (N64)
EarthBound has been represented in Smash Bros since the very beginning, with Ness appearing on N64's title as one of the original 12. Ninten was the first EarthBound protagonist, but EarthBound Beginnings was not an international release at the time and EarthBound was, so it makes sense as to why Ness was chosen. His victory theme consists of the last notes of the Eight Melodies from EarthBound. Many of Ness' move reference EarthBound such as his PSI abilities (which are actually stolen from his party members), his baseball bat, and his yo-yo.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
During the development of Melee, Mother 3 was on the rise as a developing title. Sakurai was ready to cut Ness and replace him with Lucas, but due to Mother 3's multiple delays, Ness stayed and Lucas never showed up. Melee introduced a lot of new EarthBound content, such as two new stages (Onett & Fourside from EarthBound) and multiple music tracks. Thanks to Melee's introduction of neutral specials, Ness also received his move PK Flash.
- Paula Polestar (EarthBound) - "Paula is a PSI master who used her incredible psychic abilities to call Ness from afar. Ness rescued Paula from the blue-stained clutches of the Happy Happyist cult, and she became integral to his EarthBound adventure. Originally, Ness didn't know either PK Thunder or PK Fire, so Paula probably taught him these techniques."
- Jeff Andonuts (EarthBound) - "Another of Ness's close friends in EarthBound, Jeff is the only son of the famous scientist, Dr. Andonuts. Jeff is a mechanical genius, able to turn common, broken tools into complex weapons like the Hungry HP-sucker and the Slime Generator. He's a bit on the shy side but incredibly intelligent and brave in the heat of battle."
- Poo (EarthBound) - "Poo, the crown prince of the mysterious eastern country of Dalaam, joined Ness after completing rigorous training in his home country. While he doesn't stand out among Ness's friends, his vast experience and strong willpower make him a key to their success. Poo can assume the form of an enemy to gain its powers."
- Starman (EarthBound) - "Just one kooky subset of the diverse cast of enemies in EarthBound, these strange creatures are aliens in the employ of Giygas. Variations of the Starman race include Starman, Starman Jr., Starman Deluxe, and Starman Super. They all use PSI powers, but their strength differs depending on the level on which they're found."
- Mr. Saturn (EarthBound) - "The origins of the Mr. Saturn race are unknown, but many believe they came from outer space. They reside in Saturn Valley and speak their own unique language. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Mr. Saturn is just another item with which to pelt foes. These guys are laid back and not into fighting, so you can rest easy... or can you?"
- UFO (EarthBound) - "At the beginning of EarthBound, this flying saucer appears along with the ominous message, 'The War Against Giygas!' Adding to the mystery are three more UFOs while fly amok in the skies over Onett; how all of these alien craft are connected is anyone's guess. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, this slippery UFO appears on the Fourside level.
With Mother 3 releasing for the GBA in 2006 and Smash Bros. Brawl releasing in 2008, Lucas was able to sneak in an appearance as a playable character without Ness being cut! While the Fourside stage was cut, a new stage (New Pork City) from Mother 3 was put in its place, along with a bunch of stickers, trophies, and new music tracks. Even the King Porky Statue, and Porky himself (Ness' old neighbor turned evil) makes an appearance in the Subspace Emissary as bosses. Ness and Lucas' victory themes are now a sped up version of the final notes of the Eight Melodies from EarthBound Beginnings. Ness and Lucas also use PK Starstorm as their Final Smash, deadly attacks from EarthBound and Mother 3. One final thing, the Franklin Badge that appears across all 3 EarthBound games makes its debut in Brawl as an item, reflecting projectiles just like in its original appearances.
Assist Trophies:
Stickers:
- Ana (EarthBound Beginnings)
- Boney (Mother 3)
- Claus (Mother 3)
- Devil Car (EarthBound Beginnings)
- Duster (Mother 3)
- Flint (Mother 3)
- Hinawa (Mother 3)
- Jeff (EarthBound)
- Kumatora (Mother 3)
- Little Saucer (EarthBound Beginnings)
- Lloyd (EarthBound Beginnings)
- Lucas (Mother 3)
- Mad Truck (EarthBound Beginnings)
- Master Belch (EarthBound)
- Mr. Saturn (EarthBound)
- Mr. Saturn (Mother 3)
- Ness (EarthBound)
- New Age Retro Hippie (EarthBound Beginnings)
- Ninten (EarthBound Beginnings)
- Paula (EarthBound)
- Pigmask (Mother 3)
- Poo (EarthBound)
- Porky (EarthBound)
- Salsa (Mother 3)
- Starman (EarthBound)
- Teddy (EarthBound Beginnings)
- Franklin Badge (all 3 games): "A badge you can put on to gain the ability to reflect all projectiles. It has exactly the same affect as other reflectors in the game, like the one Fox uses. In EarthBound, it was used to counter Thunder attacks. The lightning bolt on the badge is proof of its capacity. Its importance and usefulness made a deep impression on players."
- Porky (EarthBound/Mother 3): "A self-centered, rotten brat who lives next door to Ness. As the events of the game progress, he's rapidly led astray and becomes Giygas's right-hand man. Afterward, he goes missing in time and then reappears in the Nowhere Islands of Mother 3. He leads the Pig Mask Army invasion but is eventually defeated by Lucas and friends."
- Porky Statue (Mother 3): "A guardian statue standing inside New Pork City that's clearly based on Porky himself. Investigate it, and the statue will turn hostile and start a battle. And it has 100,000,000 HP! It has very high stats, so you'll never win if you attack it straight-on. Thankfully, there's an item called 'New Year's Eve' that can reduce its HP to 1—then you can defeat it with ease."
Once again, this game expands upon EarthBound content in Smash Bros. More music tracks, another new stage (Magicant from EarthBound Beginnings) replacing New Pork City, new enemies in Smash Run, and alternate costumes that contain multiple references.
The Flying Man from EarthBound even makes an appearance as a stage hazard on the Magicant stage, along with Dungeon Man, Pencil Octopus, and more!
New Assist Trophies:
New Trophies (besides ones for Ness & Lucas):
- Flying Man (EarthBound): "The Flying Men are a team of five birdmen. Each time a Flying Man appears, he'll help the first person to reach him with Flying Cross Chops and Somersault Kicks. A small memorial stone will be erected for each one defeated. Once all five are gone, they're done fighting forever until the next battle."
- Magicant (EarthBound Beginnings): "A magical world in Mother and EarthBound, brought to life by the memories of certain characters. In this game, Magicant is a cloud stage where giant tomatoes, metal octopuses and the Sky Runner can appear at any moment. Dungeon Man might even show his face too, which, all in all, makes for a very unusual battlefield environment."
- Sky Runner (EarthBound): "A flying machine designed by Dr. Andonuts, it is given to Jeff to travel to Threed. It promptly crash-lands, rendering it temporarily out of service. On the Magicant stage, it can sometimes be seen floating above the clouds before it suddenly zooms back into the sky."
- Dungeon Man (EarthBound): "Thanks to Dr. Andonuts's genius, the dungeon creator Brickroad was able to become the first man-dungeon hybrid in history, complete with an ATM, pay phone, and hospital. He walks back and forth slowly in the Magicant stage, and his head can serve as a platform to ride on as you fight."
This game is the pinnacle of EarthBound content in Smash. All previous stages returning, Mr. Saturn and Franklin Badge as items, etc. This game has it all. Ness and Lucas' PSI attacks now properly match how they look from their perspective games, and their final smashes new include Paula and Poo, and Kumatora and Boney respectively. They also share a new victory theme whose origins are currently be debated. And, there's a new item: Ramblin' Evil Mushroom from EarthBound. Like in EarthBound, players hit with the Ramblin' Evil Mushroom's spores has their controls inverted and a mushroom place on their head.
- Ana (EarthBound Beginnings)
- Dungeon Man (EarthBound)
- Duster (Mother 3)
- Eve (EarthBound Beginnings)
- Hinawa (Mother 3)
- Jeff (EarthBound)
- Kumatora (Mother 3)
- Lloyd (EarthBound Beginnings)
- Ramblin' Evil Mushroom (EarthBound)
- Salsa (Mother 3)
- Teddy (EarthBound Beginnings)
- Ultimate Chimera (Mother 3)
For a series that is barely known, finished, and only has 3 games, EarthBound receives a lot of representation in Smash Bros. Even among Smash Bros franchises, EarthBound is still barely talked about. I wanted to create this thread as a place to discuss the series as well as its content in Smash. There's so much little references that Sakurai and his team sneak in, such as the constantly updated design of Ness' yo-yo, and did you know that Lucas' Smash 4 DLC trailer "Comes out of Nowhere" is actually a reference to his home the Nowhere Islands? I am hoping that this is the right place to make this thread, as I believe it is appropriate considering Ultimate is almost here! Time to show this series the love it deserves! Fuzzy Pickles!
Attachments
-
27 KB Views: 157
-
265.2 KB Views: 593
Last edited: