Cult classic Earthbound (or Mother 2 in Japan) can be argued to be one of the most influential JRPGs of all time. The simple yet charming story of an unassuming boy and his friends combatting an alien invasion hits hard, taking the player from friendly neo-American suburbs to some truly disturbing places, all with an off-the-wall sense of humor.
You don't have to look too deeply into other fan-favorite titles to see how beloved the series is, such as Mr. Saturn making a surprise visit in Kirby Super Star Ultra or the incredibly familiar battle screens in Undertale. We're in an age where sharing our love of these titles is easier and spreads further than ever before — and with this access comes the memes.
10 A Terrifying Concept
Fans have not-so-quietly been voicing their frustration with Nintendo as the company seems reluctant to release any Mother content, with the latest entry in the series being released in 2006, exclusively in Japan. That said, fans were treated to a wide range of spirit battles in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, bringing a welcome wave of nostalgia to long-term fans of the series.
Reddit user u/Revolutionary-Bed-18 highlights Nintendo's believed fear of the charming title using a memorable clip from Team Fortress 2's Meet The Pyro.
9 You Can't Comprehend...
It really says something about a boss fight when even a mere shape can remind you of them — and that's exactly the case with the nightmare-inducing Giygas. In Earthbound, Giygas loses control of its corporeal self as a result of the incredible guilt weighing upon its mind — consumed by this guilt, it takes the form of an incredible evil power — a twisting, distorted red and black nightmare.
Swirled and distorted, this image of Squidward Tentacles has an uncanny resemblance to the final appearance of Giygas — u/HJackKilledThatGuy's addition of the Earthbound battle UI completes the look perfectly.
8 Where You Least Expect It
One of the most appealing aspects of Earthbound and the Mother series as a whole is its range of memorable, outlandish characters — often based on harmless, real-life objects. A great deal of these will be hostile to the player, often incorporating elements from their design into their attacks, leading to some pretty amusing battles.
Reddit user u/legoking6787 uses this cursed image to give users a taste of something that wouldn't be too out of the ordinary to encounter in their Earthbound playthroughs — sometimes all something needs to fight you is a pair of angry eyes.
7 Sleeper Hit
Despite the hordes of passionate fans that this JRPG boasts now, this was not always the case, especially not upon its arrival in the West. Achieving moderate-to-low review scores, it's no surprise that the sequel didn't receive an international release. Despite this, however, its original niche popularity began to snowball, forming the giant that it is today.
Reddit user u/ZhIn4Lyfe cleverly jabs at this using this Back To The Future scene, which interestingly occurs just after a performance of Johnny B. Goode, a song referenced in the Earthbound soundtrack.
6 A Range Of Emotions
From the comfy 'Buy Somethin' Will Ya!' to the unsettling 'Battle Against A Weird Opponent', Earthbound's soundtrack is arguably one of Nintendo's best. Like any text-heavy RPG, it is imperative that the soundtrack is memorable. Earthbound achieves that and more, from offering jaunty, upbeat city themes to some tracks that are fantastically uncomfortable to listen to, Earthbound covers all bases, not to mention music's role as a major plot device.
This variety is shown by Reddit user u/SILVERSTARISGOD in the form of a smiling golden retriever and nightmare wolf, a wonderful representation of Earthbound's cozy exterior and disturbing late-game.
5 Wiped Out
Lurking exclusively in Cave Of The Past — the final area of the game — the appropriately named Final Starman is an incredibly powerful enemy that uses several devastating attacks such as PSI Starstorm Alpha and PSI Starstorm Omega (more than capable of wiping out a party).
Sometimes, when a random encounter appears that you weren't expecting, it feels as though you and your party have been hit with a sledgehammer or, in u/OG_CatCat's case, a train, completely wiping out your merry party's HP on the run that you thought was going so well.
4 The Cruel Desert
Walking through certain areas in the game such as the Dusty Dunes Desert has a chance of inflicting any of your party with the 'sunstroke' status effect, especially those with low 'Guts' stat points. When a party member has sunstroke, a small amount of their HP is lost every few steps.
This small amount of damage quickly adds up, especially when one considers how expansive and dangerous Dusty Dunes really is. It's not surprising fans on r/earthbound are getting frustrated with their party members who, as they all have lower Guts stats than Ness, become afflicted more often.
3 Oh, That Song
Earthbound's influence stretches further than into other video games, it's also lent parts of itself to meme culture more than a handful of times. One instance of this is the song 'Sanctuary Guardians' from the soundtrack, which, after 21 seconds, plays a now very recognizable tune used in a host of memes. This tune is especially popular on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram which facilitate short, clip-based memes.
As is the fate for most tracks used in memes, this popularity has led to comment sections on YouTube videos of this clip filled with users attempting to write their own variations on the meme, to varying degrees of success. Evidently, people are starting to take notice, like Reddit user u/Kronosita
2 Phone Home
Periodically throughout the game, Ness's father will be available to call. In fact, it's a necessity if the player wants to save the game and the only time you'll interact with him. During the phone call, Ness's father will often mention that he has deposited money in your account, occasionally asking you if you think you've played enough and whether or not you want to save and quit.
As u/SteelPro43 shows, absolutely nothing happens if you refuse, whether you've played for two hours in a row or twenty. Enjoy!
1 A Bad Time
It has to be mentioned. Perhaps the biggest meme spawning from Earthbound is the oft-challenged theory that the game's protagonist Ness at some point becomes Sans, the wisecracking skeleton and face of the Earthbound-inspired RPG Undertale.
The theory is a topic of hot debate — some claiming that there are too many similarities between the two characters to be coincidental, but many seeing the connection as weak or simply not present and the theory as pretty laughable — hence the sheer volume of 'Ness is Sans' memes. Using a recently popular meme format, u/caseyclosedxd shows us a prime example of one of the many, many, many ways to riff on this concept.