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/vr/ - Retro Games

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2033761 No.2033761 [Reply] [Original]

When I think about it, this game actually kind of does suck. For an RPG, it has no replay value. Period.

>99% linear with no side quests to speak of
>No alternate party members
>No party organization to give certain characters priority over others
>No unique equipment builds that reward smarter thinking, not harder thinking
>No alternate endings

Yes yes yes, I know, it has a great aesthetic and soundtrack, but that doesn't change the fact that it's still a weak RPG.

>> No.2033763

>>2033761
Oh, and no New Game Plus.

>> No.2033771

Eh, its quite over hyped but it was something pretty different for the time there weren't many RPGs out there that were focused on mostly regular kids in a mostly regular setting

>> No.2033772

nice b8 thread

>> No.2033773
File: 100 KB, 280x383, Super_Mario_Bros._box.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
2033773

When I think about it, this game actually kind of does suck. For a platformer, it has no replay value. Period.

>99% linear with no side quests to speak of
>No alternate party members
>No party organization to give certain characters priority over others
>No unique equipment builds that reward smarter thinking, not harder thinking
>No alternate endings

Yes yes yes, I know, it has a great aesthetic and soundtrack, but that doesn't change the fact that it's still a weak platformer.

>> No.2033780

>>2033773
>No alternate party members
>No party organization to give certain characters priority over others
>No unique equipment builds that reward smarter thinking, not harder thinking

These don't have anything to do with a platfomer.

>> No.2033781

>>2033780
>>2033773
how about this
>no stage select even after completing
>no unlockables
>no high score board

>> No.2033783

>>2033773
>No alternate party members
Luigi
>No unique equipment builds that reward smarter thinking, not harder thinking
Skipping mushroom to get smaller hitbox.
>No alternate endings
Beating Bowser with fireflower vs axe.
>>2033763
>Oh, and no New Game Plus.
And SMB has a harder second loop with stage select.

Super Mario Bros confirmed for better RPG than Earthbound?

>> No.2033784

>>2033761
why do you need to post this on so many boards
>>>/v/269550478

the game has been out for 20 years
its not like your opinion means anything

>> No.2033785

>>2033761
Just waiting for the price crash

>> No.2033792

>>2033784
he does it because he knows people will bite and he enjoys watching them argue

>> No.2033795

>>2033761
I mostly agree with this, though I don't think it means it "sucks." Kind of depends on what you want out of it. I played it once a few years ago, and I enjoyed it well enough, but I don't really care to ever play it again. I guess some people enjoy the story, characters and setting enough to play through it more than once, even if nothing is different the second time around. I suppose it's somewhat like reading a book that you've already read.

>> No.2033802

I'm not a huge fan of Earthbound, but your points are basically just personal preferences for RPGs.

I think it was a pretty deliberate decision to make the game linear and only have one ending. Wasn't the game designer a writer or something? I don't think replay value was as important to them as having a tight narrative and definite themes.

I agree that the battle system is fundamentally weak and simplistic. Probably the most boring part of the game for me. But I never found it frustrating or convoluted, unlike how I felt when I first played some RPGs with very rich battle mechanics (i.e. FFV), so again maybe that goes back to the narrative-driven focus of the game.

>> No.2033803
File: 1.99 MB, 320x320, 879.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
2033803

>this thread again

>> No.2033806

I mean, it's not ENTIRELY linear. I remember as a kid playing the game Paula would die in the cave leading up to Lilliput Steps, so I'd decide it was an area I'd have to come back to later. So I would end up heading in there with both Paula and Jeff. There's also at least a couple sidequests in the Dusty Dunes Desert.

Honestly the way sidequests are run in a lot of games, they often just add to the playtime without adding meaningful dialogue or challenges. As long as the game is good, I don't think there's anything wrong with every player experiencing every part of the game instead of missing some things.

>> No.2033808

>>2033802
>I'm not a huge fan of Earthbound, but your points are basically just personal preferences for RPGs.

I'll grant you with the alternate endings, but a lot more of those should just be standard for some JRPGs to add any kind of depth.

>> No.2033828

>linear is now considered bad

thanks /v/

>> No.2033835

>>2033808
Like I said, I think the narrative/thematic depth of the game was its focus and it sacrificed things I would expect out of a conventional RPG for mostly legit reasons. And I think that tradeoff worked well in its favor, the final battle/ending of the game was very memorable to me, even if I didn't find it remotely challenging and there weren't any cool alternate endings.

Appreciate the game's differences over its lack of similarity.

>> No.2033843

>>2033835
I would normally if EB fans weren't autistic about their love of the game.

>> No.2033850

Also, bags of dragonite should be rare as fuck, but they give them out like candy.

>> No.2033851

>>2033843
Well at least you're okay with admitting you're just being a contrarian. Kind of a simplistic way of doing things though.

>> No.2033854

>>2033851
I'm not. I loved the game as a kid - and I play it now and I realise it's not very good outside of its aesthetics.

>> No.2033885

I don't care if you can alter the story or not - just give me some side content.

One of the only side quests in the game is buying the shitty house for $7500 that does nothing.

>> No.2033897

>>2033885
>Not being proud of being an 11 year old homeowner

>> No.2033937

Updated critique of the game:
>99% linear with no side quests to speak of
>No party organization to give certain characters priority over others
>No unique equipment builds that reward smarter thinking, not harder thinking

Would have been nice to have, but this is give or take:
>Alternate party members
>Alternate endings

>> No.2034482

>>2033761
For a first play through for new plebs its 10/10 but for someone who has expirience with these titles its just okay it almost has that mystic quest kinda feel with its simplicity but yes the sound track is great but its because it sampled alot of music the only thing truly original would be the aestetic and the story I 100% agree that its lacking as a rpg but its not shit tier.

>> No.2034506

>>2034482
>the sound track is great but its because it sampled alot of music
Absolutely not

The soundtrack is amazing, and the sampling is -part- of why it's great, but not entirely why it's great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=204BDmIg7B4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfFbgMklJGM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoCjyUMwPuM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu7kqxkqPdA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd8gwYJA6Y4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-xtCP3ehDE

It's an incredibly original soundtrack, even to this day there's not much like it as far as the eclecticism goes. Even the sampling is a pretty original concept, especially for its time. How many SNES games did stuff like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axjhInYUkrQ

That music is based off two 2 second snippets from pop songs, yet they made it into something entirely unique and atmospheric. It can't be discredited simply because it's sampled. That's part of what makes it so endearing.

>> No.2034615

>>2033761
>99% linear with no side quests to speak of
Much less filler
>No alternate party members
Don't see how this is a problem
>No party organization to give certain characters priority over others
If this means what I think it means, any time this is an option it always comes down to doing things the same way. It's just a problem to solve, and not a difficult one.
>No unique equipment builds that reward smarter thinking, not harder thinking
Minmaxer shit
>No alternate endings
Probably the only complaint that actually has some bearing on it's RPG status, and most JRPGs are just as limited.
>>2033763
>Oh, and no New Game Plus.
New Game Plus is garbage.

>> No.2034619

>>2033761

I'm the op and I judge RPGs by how good they are the 2nd time.

>> No.2034627

I honestly think EB is one of the most overrated games ever.

>> No.2034656

>>2033781
It does save the high score. It just resets when you turn the game off.

>> No.2034672

>>2033763

>wanting new game plus in a game that came out before the new game plus concept was invented by chrono trigger

Can you fuck off.

>> No.2034756

>>2034619
it's overrated in the sense that people think it's "lelsoquirky"
it's underrated in that very few people realize it's really about the loss of innocence, and looking at the world through a child's eyes with the mind of an adult

>> No.2034780

>>2034672
>the new game plus concept was invented by chrono trigger

That's arguable.

>> No.2034781

>>2034627
I don't care for EB myself, but there are several other games that are much worse in that department.

>> No.2035141

>>2033784
Just a reminder, cross-posters are usually shitposters as well.

>> No.2035239

>>2034672
>>2034780
I'm pretty sure there were games that allowed you to start over with winning characters/parties before CT.

It's kind of irrelevant anyways since it's a stupid gimmick that is very rarely utilized in any meaningful way.

>> No.2035253

>>2034780
>>2035239
What games did it?

>> No.2035259

>>2035253
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Game_Plus#Origin

>> No.2035435

>>2033761
Not a big EB fan but 0/0 troll

>> No.2035449

>>2033761
I've always felt that way about Earthbound as well as Final Fantasy IV. They're like the SNES versions of what Final Fantasy XIII turned out to be, only even more linear...

I mean, FFXIII is still worse for two reasons:

>dat fucking nonsensical plot
>dat "mash X to win" combat

But in terms of pure area layouts, it's nowhere near as bad as FFIV or Mother 2. At least FFXIII let you wanter in a huge fucking field half way through the game, and also let you eventually take on monster hunts, tuen any weapon into an ultimate form, and the team building system had a lot of variation in it (like it or not).

I don't know, maybe I just expected more of two so highly regarded games, and I KNOW I'll get shit for it, but they just kind of blow IMO.

>> No.2035512

>>2035449
>At least FFXIII let you wanter in a huge fucking field half way through the game

Sure, after 20 hours of literal hallways.

>> No.2035523

>>2033761
>great aesthetic

I disagree with some of the points you're making as to how Earthbound is bad, but aesthetics is definitely not its strong suit - it's bland as hell most of the time and I really dislike the minimalist nature of the locations.

The entire setting is just really dull most of the time, but I would personally play an RPG with interesting, escapist-style characters in fantasy locales, not as children meandering through backyards and forests.

I'm also not a fan of the soundtrack either but musical appreciation is terribly, terribly subjective and not worth arguing over.

>> No.2035531

>>2035449
>FFXIII
>mash x to win

How the hell did you get past the first eidolon fight by mashing x. Combat was XIII's strongest suit, but I say this as someone who has enjoyed every main entry.

>> No.2035543

>>2033781
>no stage select even after completing

But it does have this feature, my dear child.

>> No.2035554

>>2035531
>Combat was XIII's strongest suit,

XIII is the only game where I can say the battles were just as linear as the outside world. If you didn't choose that -one- specific paradigm the game wanted you to pick you'd just end up getting OHKO'd. It was fucking stupid.

>> No.2035629

>>2035523
>but aesthetics is definitely not its strong suit - it's bland as hell most of the time and I really dislike the minimalist nature of the locations.

The "minimalist nature" IS it's aesthetic. Of course it's not going to appeal to everybody, but I personally love Earthbound's aesthetics.

Some areas were downright breathtaking - the last few maps, for example.

Also, the actual mapping is extremely good. Everything is varied - caves are never just straight lines or composed of squares, etc. Outdoor areas look natural and cities look like cities

>> No.2035725

>>2033761
>No replay value

Bullshit. I've played adored and loved this game over eleven playthroughs.

>> No.2035728

>>2035554

People that say XIII was mash X to win probably didn't win.

The whole point to XIII was to let auto battle handle the minute inputs while you managed the paradigm shifting, which is important, and if you knew how to manage them, you wouldn't be frustrated by its battle system.

So how is it mash X to win and you are complaining about getting OHKOd?