Ness is an average boy living in the average town of Onett. He lives a happy, average life with his family. But this all changes one day, when a meteorite lands on the ground near his house. Soon, Ness finds out that he and 3 others are destined to save the world! This is what starts  Earthbound, a game praised for it’s originality and wackiness. Here I will critique this amazing game for all of its aspects, good and bad. Although I enjoyed the game immensely, this is an unbiased review.
   The music and sound effects in this game are amazing and captivating. You’ll find yourself humming along to tunes such as Onett’s theme and the “New Age Retro Hippie” ‘s theme. Most of Earthbound’s overworld songs feature brass and horn instruments. The different music in this game truly fits the atmosphere and area that the character is in. Warm music with laughing and ocean sounds is found in the resort city. Merry, Christmas-y music is found in the snowy city. The caves play mysterious, quiet songs, without making it too scary or not scary enough. Then, there’s the battle music. The battle music is catchy, but it tends to get repetitive after a while. This is the reason I gave the sound a 9 rather than a 10. Altogether, though, the music in Earthbound is one of the factors that really makes the game great. It was one of the most enjoyable parts of the game. I commend the composers for doing such a great job with the music and sound effects.
   The graphics in Earthbound are charming. The overworld graphics add spice and flavor to the game as a whole. Many games’ overworlds are plain and boring, but Earthbound just isn’t the case. There are cheery, colorful themes when appropriate and dark, gloomy themes when appropriate. The overworlds truly fit the feeling of their specific area. Then, there’s the battle graphics. These are a huge improvement compared to the ones in Mother 1 (AKA Earthbound Zero), which were just plain black backgrounds. Colorful, kaleidoscope-esque backgrounds are made in Earthbound, making the battles just that much more interesting. Admittedly, though, I believe the backgrounds could have been better. I would have found it more interesting if the creators made the background akin to the where the battles are taking place. The enemy sprites in the overworld could also use some work. This is why I rated the graphics as an 8. But, the combination of the graphics and music in this game create a wonderful experience. It’s one of the reasons the game is so amazing.
   Earthbound is a pretty addicting game. A single session could range anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours. It definitely makes you want to keep playing, but it’s not exactly a game you are going to replay many times. Another thing is, when you want to complete a certain thing, you get so addicted you keep playing until you complete it. One example is getting the Sword of Kings. People can spend 6+ hours in one sitting just to get this weapon (I got this weapon after approximately 3 hours of farming). You’ll have to play it to understand, but this game really is addicting.
   Earthbound has a surprisingly good story. As I said in my introduction, you start out as a boy living a normal life. Then, you find out you must save the world with 3 others. Did I mention that you have psychic powers? You must then go to 8 of the “Your Sanctuary” locations to record the Sound Stone melodies. From then, you go on to defeat Giygas, the evil mastermind! The story of the game is amazing due to the foreboding darkness seen in it. For a good amount of the game, it’s just silly battles and funny themes. Then, it very suddenly takes a turn for the worse. I won’t reveal any spoilers, but the story gets better. The writing of the game is done greatly, and the writers seem to have put a lot of thought into what was said in the game. There are also a couple of silly lines for everyone; adults and kids. But, while Earthbound has a great story, there are many games with better stories. That’s why I give the story an 8. It really is tough to explain why the story is so great. It’s one of those things you just have to experience it yourself.
   There are tons of things to do in Earthbound. And I mean tons. It would take a while to mention all of the things to do, so I’ll go over a couple of highlights. First of all, there’s the main story and quests. These take a long time. There’s also other things you can do. Literally every single NPC has something different to say, and it makes for funny and interesting moments. Sometimes they just say wacky things, sometimes they give you advice, sometimes they reference pop culture, and more. Sometimes they will even give you free items! This is why it’s worth talking to all the NPCs. Then, there’s the challenges. On starman.net, there are many challenges people have come up with for Earthbound. Try the 1/128 item challenge, or the T-rex bat challenge as Jeff in Winters. There’s a good chance you have no idea what I’m talking about here, but once you get into the game you will. Finally, there are tons of things to do after the game. A lot of things have changed, and you can go exploring places without worrying about monsters! It’s definitely worth trying out. This is why I give the depth of Earthbound a 10.
   This game is a lot harder than it may seem. In fact, I’ve admittedly used a walkthrough a few times to help me get past certain parts *coughcoughMASTERBELCHcoughcough*. Sometimes, although rarely, it also leaves you all alone to find out what to do with little to no hints *coughcoughMASTERBELCHcoughcough*. There are also plenty of bosses that are so hard you will have to grind enemies to beat them. The game isn’t always hard, though. Some bosses are a piece of cake, but most aren’t. Then there’s the game mechanics, which have to do with the difficulty. The mechanics don’t make the game much harder. They are akin to a typical RPG, except for two things. First of all, when you encounter an enemy, you get either a green, red, or grey swirl. This has to do with what way you are facing the enemy. If you attack the enemy from behind, you get a green swirl and you get the first move. If you both attack head on, it is a grey swirl, and whoever has more speed attacks first. If the enemy attacks you from behind, you get a red swirl, and they attack first. This is a useful and realistic mechanic, and it adds a bit more strategy to the game. Then, there’s the battle scrolling. Earthbound is different from other RPGs in that when you are hit, your health doesn’t go down immediately. It scrolls down quickly. This is useful so that if you are hit with mortal damage, you can heal yourself the next turn and not die. It’s a really awesome and unique mechanic and it changes up battling a lot. These combined reasons are why I give the difficulty a 7
   Altogether, Earthbound is an awesome game. From the silly lines to the wacky characters, to the rpg gameplay and sometimes dark themes, it truly is a game for everybody. The ingredients of the sound and graphics mix together to create a delectable experience. The huge depth of the game creates addicting gameplay. Then, the story is so great that you will power through the difficulty to complete the game. The replay value will have you coming back for more. I highly recommend playing this game online. It’s worth it. In case you don’t believe me yet, the price for a cartridge of Earthbound goes for $900. That’s how great the game is (And why you should play it online using an emulator instead). This is why Earthbound, all together, is a 9.1/10.

You did a good job with this review. You did great with explaining why you feel the way you do about each category and you added plenty of detail. Also this review does not stink, it smells like roses lol!

gamerforlifeforever2 : Thanks a bunch! And the title is a reference to Earthbound, where one of the main marketing campaigns was "This game stinks!". Again, thanks!

Ah yes, the Sword of Kings. I could never get that stupid weapon!

For the rest, although I disagree with your ratings - I though the game was a little childish and lacked depth - you gave an excellent review and easily deserve a 5. It's well-written and detailed, and you even made me want to rethink my 'disappreciation" of the game.