EarthBound is a classic role-playing game from Nintendo but how long does it take to beat? EarthBound is the second game in the Mother series, which began back in 1989. The series was created by Shigesato Itoi - whose wide-ranging career includes voicing Tatsuo in My Neighbor Totoro - and produced by the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto. Unlike most RPG's of its era like Final Fantasy, Mother was set in the modern-day and follows a young boy called Ninten on a quest in his hometown. Itoi drew inspiration from Stephen King's IT for the game's characters and setting.
Mother was noted for its quirky sense of humor and distinctive style and sold well enough for a sequel to be greenlit. Development on Mother 2 - AKA EarthBound overseas - was far from smooth and took five years to complete, with Nintendo threatening to pull the plug multiple times. The game refined and improved upon just about every element of the first title, and followed a boy named Ness and his group of friends as they fight an alien force dubbed Giygas - though exactly what this entity is supposed to be is never fully explained. EarthBound is considered alongside the likes of The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past to be one of the best SNES titles of all time for its colorful characters, story, and addictive gameplay.
Sadly, EarthBound was a commercial flop in America, which is largely attributed to a bizarre, self-defeating ad campaign that included headlines like "This game stinks!" Opinions have certainly turned around on EarthBound, which is now a beloved title and would influential future games like Undertale. EarthBound gives gamers plenty to see and do on their first playthrough which according to How Long To Beat should take players around 28 hours to beat.
Any EarthBound players who want to kick over every rock or explore every nook should tally that up to around 37 hours or so. While Mother 2 did well in its native Japan, the series didn't prosper following its release. Mother 3 was originally slated to be a Nintendo 64 title but development switched focus to failed add-on the 64DD, which was better suited to the project's ambition. Mother 3 was eventually cancelled but later revived as a GBA title that was only released in Japan. Despite fan campaigns requesting an English localization, Nintendo saw little value in releasing it outside of Japan - likely due to EarthBound's failure - though the third game later received a fan translation.
EarthBound and the Mother series still has a healthy cult following, with Ness later making an appearance in the Super Smash Bros. series. It looks doubtful Mother 4 will ever happen as Shigesato Itoi has moved on from the series, while Nintendo itself has shown little interest in reviving it since Mother 3's 2006 release. Fans developed a very unofficial Mother 4, which due to legal pressure from Nintendo became an upcoming game dubbed Oddity, which has no ties to the series.