Ness and Lucas have become beloved Nintendo characters, not because of the Earthbound series in which they originally debuted, but because of the Super Smash Bros. games. They both star in some of gaming's most well-written JRPGs, yet they're sadly remembered by most gamers as the two obnoxious, spammy kids that launch fire and thunder all over the place. However, Nintendo and Earthbound could greatly benefit from replicating Square Enix's Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which took a classic JRPG and modernized its gameplay for the current generation.
Earthbound, or Mother 2 in Japan, was a commercial failure when it released in the U.S. in 1995. It was more expensive than other SNES titles, since all copies came bundled with a strategy guide, and it was graphically inferior to other games on the market, like Donkey Kong Country, with its pseudo-3D visuals. If it weren't for Ness' recurring inclusion in the Super Smash Bros. roster, the Earthbound franchise would have likely been lost to obscurity.
Final Fantasy's story was the exact opposite. Once Final Fantasy 7 hit store shelves in 1997, the series and the JRPG genre both exploded into mainstream Western gaming. Final Fantasy 7 was beloved by many, and it's why fans reacted so strongly when it was announced that the game would be receiving a full-fledged remake on modern hardware. Since the remake offered dramatically improved visuals, heavily altered story details, and a brand new combat system, Final Fantasy 7 Remake appealed to fans of the original and newcomers alike.
What An Earthbound Remake Could Learn From Final Fantasy 7
Earthbound is in a tight situation because the creator, Shigesato Itoi, has already made multiple statements claiming he has no interest in continuing the series. However, a full-blown remake in the vein of Final Fantasy 7 would likely get a lot of attention. Many Nintendo fans would be interested in finally experiencing an iconic character's story with modern gaming conventions in place, and the Earthbound series could benefit from a rework of some of its flaws.
Earthbound's story is a beautiful allegory for maturing into adulthood, but the characters themselves have little development between each other. Once characters enter Ness' party, they rarely speak. A full remake would give the writers opportunities to develop these characters and provide some insight into their thoughts of the game's twisted, psychedelic representation of America. Final Fantasy 7 Remake did this by developing characters like Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge, who all got significantly less screen time in the original. The new scenes could even have voice acting, as Final Fantasy 7 Remake did.
The combat system could also use an update, but it's less important that it plays like Final Fantasy 7 Remake, specifically, than that it offers something new to Earthbound fans. An excellent way to update Earthbound's combat would be to take influence from games like Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and its action commands. Many Nintendo fans are craving an old-school Paper Mario experience, and if Nintendo wants to focus on making Paper Mario an adventure series with RPG mechanics, it could make Earthbound the flagship JRPG series for the Switch. Final Fantasy 7 Remake brought new life into a classic, beloved title, adding fresh ideas to its formula to create something new, and Nintendo could finally create success for the Earthbound series if it simply followed Square Enix's footsteps.