Difference between revisions of "EarthBound"

From Conservapedia
Jump to: navigation, search
(expanding several topics, mentioning the reasons behind the game's lack of a re-release, some typo fixes)
m (Reverted edits by RonaldB (talk) to last revision by Pokeria1)
(12 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''EarthBound''' is a 1994 [[role playing game]] for the [[Super Nintendo]]. It is known for its incredibly quirky, nonsensical humor and extensive fanbase.  It has not been re-released in the US, allegedly due to its controversial depictions of [[drug abuse]], [[homosexuality]], [[multiculturalism]], juvenile delinquency, and [[New Age]] topics such as psychic powers and [[Buddhism]], as well as the [[anti-American]] opinions expressed in the game's sequel, [[Mother 3]].
+
'''EarthBound''' ''(known as Mother 2 in Japan)'' is a 1994 [[role playing game]] for the [[Super Nintendo]]. It was created by copywriter Shigesato Itoi and is known for its quirky humor and extensive fan base.
  
== Plot ==
+
== Plot Synopsis ==
The story begins when a meteor falls in Onett, a small American town. Ness, the main character, heads outside with his dog to investigate.  At the crash site, he learns from Buzz Buzz, a bee-like creature from the future, that he must collect eight melodies to defeat Giygas, an evil overlord who wages war against the earth.
+
The story begins when a meteorite falls on a hillside in Onett, a small town in Eagleland. The main character, a boy named Ness goes to investigate the crash. There, he meets Buzz Buzz, an insectlike alien from the future, and learns that a cosmic destroyer named Giygas has set his sights on Earth and that according to an old prophecy, only Ness and three other chosen children can stop him.
  
The game then follows Ness and his friends as he travels from location to location, battling mushrooms, taxis, UFOs, and hippies. He rescues Paula, a magically-adept girl held captive by the KKK<ref>''Nintendo Power,'' Jan. 2003, 22.</ref> outside Tucson, and meets up with Jeff, a boy from an English boarding school, whose homosexual relationship with his roommate Tony was attacked by American conservative groups on the game's release.  The group's fourth member is Poo, prince of the Asian country of Dalaam, who is continually preoccupied with Brainfood Lunches.
+
The game then follows Ness as he travels from location to location, battling an unusual array of foes by traditional role-playing standards. Such foes include aliens, robots, walking mushrooms, personified objects like guitars and coffee cups, and hippies.  
 
+
Along the way, Ness meets friends like Paula, a girl with psychic powers, Jeff, a young scientist, and Poo, a mysterious Asian prince.
The game's principle antagonists are the Starmen, Giygas' warriors, also sent back from the future, who make continual mischief by stealing important items, including Poo's Sword of Kings, the Suporma (a device created by the child genius Orange Kid), and the Shyness Book from the Onett library (needed to communicate with the Tenda village).  Allied with the Starmen is Pokey Minch, Ness' overweight neighbor, who goes from playing tricks on Ness to becoming Giygas' right-hand man.  He continually attempts to thwart the party by drugging them with spiked coffee in the city of Fourside, and magic cake in the Summers resort.
+
  
 
== Characters ==
 
== Characters ==
* Ness: The silent protagonist who wields a baseball bat.
+
* Ness: A seemingly average boy from the town of Onett and the game's protagonist. Ness's primary weapon is a baseball bat but he can also use PSI for healing and attacking.  
* Paula: A psychically-adept girl who wields frying pans.
+
 
* Jeff: An inventor from Winters who creates useful machines from junk.
+
* Paula: A girl from Twoson, who has a variety of PSI powers used for battle.
* Poo: Prince of the eastern kingdom of Dalaam who can only wield of the Sword of Kings.
+
 
* Pokey: Ness' next door neighbor and the game's primary antagonist.
+
* Jeff: A boy genius from Winters who can make useful machines from junk. He is the son of Dr. Andonuts.
 +
 
 +
* Poo: Prince of the eastern kingdom of Dalaam, who has trained in PSI and martial arts for the battle against Giygas.  
 +
 
 +
* Porky Minch'' (Pokey in the English localization)'': Ness's self-centered next-door neighbor and recurring antagonist of the game.
 +
 
 +
* Dr. Andonuts- A scientific genius and Jeff's father. His invention, the Sky Runner proves useful to Ness and co.
 +
 
 +
* Mr. Saturn- A friendly race of strange creatures residing in Saturn Valley. Mr. Saturns have a small body with two eyes, a large nose, two tiny feet, catlike whiskers, and a single hair on which is tied a red ribbon. They help Ness and co. on multiple occasions.
 +
 
 +
* Apple Kid and Orange Kid- Two rival inventors living in Twoson.
 +
 
 +
* Buzz Buzz- An insectlike alien who comes to Earth to warn Ness about Giygas's invasion.
 +
 
 +
* Giygas- The principal antagonist of EarthBound, Giygas seeks to destroy Ness so he can spread his terror throughout the universe.
 +
 
 +
==Political, religious and other topical elements==
 +
The game's main fictional national setting, "Eagleland", is a generally affectionate parody of the [[United States]] and its popularly-perceived stereotypical characteristics and customs.
 +
 
 +
A [[cult]] known as "Happy Happyism", whose members resemble the [[Ku Klux Klan]], appear as antagonists in the game.
 +
 
 +
The battle against the final boss, Giygas, which takes place in the past where he must be killed before becoming too powerful as he is in the present, is often theorized as a metaphor for [[abortion]]. Per this interpretation, the onscreen patterns of his distorted face supposedly form the outline of a fetus.
 +
 
 +
During the final battle, Giygas makes several off-color statements when damaged that sound similar to a person being raped. This had been deliberate as game creator Shigesato Itoi was basing it on dialogue from the Japanese film ''The Military Policeman and the Dismembered Beauty'', which traumatized him when he stumbled into it when he was young.
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==

Revision as of 19:02, July 16, 2017

EarthBound (known as Mother 2 in Japan) is a 1994 role playing game for the Super Nintendo. It was created by copywriter Shigesato Itoi and is known for its quirky humor and extensive fan base.

Plot Synopsis

The story begins when a meteorite falls on a hillside in Onett, a small town in Eagleland. The main character, a boy named Ness goes to investigate the crash. There, he meets Buzz Buzz, an insectlike alien from the future, and learns that a cosmic destroyer named Giygas has set his sights on Earth and that according to an old prophecy, only Ness and three other chosen children can stop him.

The game then follows Ness as he travels from location to location, battling an unusual array of foes by traditional role-playing standards. Such foes include aliens, robots, walking mushrooms, personified objects like guitars and coffee cups, and hippies. Along the way, Ness meets friends like Paula, a girl with psychic powers, Jeff, a young scientist, and Poo, a mysterious Asian prince.

Characters

  • Ness: A seemingly average boy from the town of Onett and the game's protagonist. Ness's primary weapon is a baseball bat but he can also use PSI for healing and attacking.
  • Paula: A girl from Twoson, who has a variety of PSI powers used for battle.
  • Jeff: A boy genius from Winters who can make useful machines from junk. He is the son of Dr. Andonuts.
  • Poo: Prince of the eastern kingdom of Dalaam, who has trained in PSI and martial arts for the battle against Giygas.
  • Porky Minch (Pokey in the English localization): Ness's self-centered next-door neighbor and recurring antagonist of the game.
  • Dr. Andonuts- A scientific genius and Jeff's father. His invention, the Sky Runner proves useful to Ness and co.
  • Mr. Saturn- A friendly race of strange creatures residing in Saturn Valley. Mr. Saturns have a small body with two eyes, a large nose, two tiny feet, catlike whiskers, and a single hair on which is tied a red ribbon. They help Ness and co. on multiple occasions.
  • Apple Kid and Orange Kid- Two rival inventors living in Twoson.
  • Buzz Buzz- An insectlike alien who comes to Earth to warn Ness about Giygas's invasion.
  • Giygas- The principal antagonist of EarthBound, Giygas seeks to destroy Ness so he can spread his terror throughout the universe.

Political, religious and other topical elements

The game's main fictional national setting, "Eagleland", is a generally affectionate parody of the United States and its popularly-perceived stereotypical characteristics and customs.

A cult known as "Happy Happyism", whose members resemble the Ku Klux Klan, appear as antagonists in the game.

The battle against the final boss, Giygas, which takes place in the past where he must be killed before becoming too powerful as he is in the present, is often theorized as a metaphor for abortion. Per this interpretation, the onscreen patterns of his distorted face supposedly form the outline of a fetus.

During the final battle, Giygas makes several off-color statements when damaged that sound similar to a person being raped. This had been deliberate as game creator Shigesato Itoi was basing it on dialogue from the Japanese film The Military Policeman and the Dismembered Beauty, which traumatized him when he stumbled into it when he was young.

References