Earthbound is the Only JRPG That Knows How to Handle Weaker Enemies

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It’s delightful to witness the growing appreciation for Earthbound, or Mother 2 if you prefer, after all these years. Those who grew up in the SNES era recall it as a JRPG with lackluster ’90s promotion, but nowadays many consider it a masterpiece. It’s surprising that Nintendo has re-released this game numerous times, and we hope they’ll do the same for other titles in the future.

This Super Nintendo JRPG has a lot to appreciate, from its urban backdrop to the quirky events that unfold later. Even dedicated fans are drawn to the unsettling body horror visuals woven into the narrative. As for this author, they admire all those aspects and one particular feature: swiftly eliminating enemies significantly weaker than you.

In Earthbound, confrontations are inevitable and can be challenging initially. However, as you progress and gain levels, you acquire additional abilities to inflict greater damage, making the hard work rewarding. Regrettably, the need for grinding remains constant, but at least the game offers uniquely designed adversaries and amusing visuals to keep things entertaining.

In the game, you won’t need to stress over squandering energy on less formidable adversaries that may appear. Once you’ve advanced a bit, the game will anticipate that you’ll easily defeat weaker enemies, thus battles won’t initiate automatically.

It’s quite astonishing that fewer games have adopted the distinctive feature seen in Earthbound, a ’90s role-playing game (JRPG) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).

In a somewhat somber manner, the game Undertale, which draws significant inspiration from the Mother series, acknowledges this specific mechanic. If you opt for the genocide path, eliminating all monsters in your journey, occasionally the battle music will play before it’s revealed that there are no more combatants in the area. Given that the game emphasizes pacifism and kindness, this is a rather grim tribute to the mechanic, yet one that many gamers find intriguing.

In some games, they’ve creatively managed to handle less powerful opponents without disrupting the game’s rhythm. Atlus’ Metaphor allows you to swiftly eliminate weaker foes during real-time combat, which adds a commendable touch to the RPG experience. Similarly, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet offer Quick Battles as an efficient method to tackle these less formidable enemies without depleting resources excessively.

Apart from the given instances, many contemporary games persistently require players to battle minor adversaries, demonstrating that we haven’t progressed significantly since Earthbound. It’s quite remarkable that this 90s RPG for SNES, despite being modernized, is still somewhat superior to current titles, showcasing its timeless quality, much like a fine wine matures over time.

Enthusiasts are likely to continue discovering aspects to admire in Earthbound, that is, unless Nintendo eventually translates Mother 3 for global audiences.

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2025-03-27 14:42