What game was inspired by earthbound?

What Game Was Inspired by Earthbound?

Earthbound, a iconic role-playing game developed by Ape Inc. and HAL Laboratory, has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the gaming world. Its quirky characters, engaging story, and peculiar gameplay mechanics have made it a beloved classic among gaming enthusiasts. Over the years, numerous games have attempted to capture the essence and charm of Earthbound. In this article, we’ll delve into the significance of Earthbound and uncover the game that was influenced by its creative genius: Undertale, a critically acclaimed indie adventure game developed by Toby Fox.

Undertale: The Earthbound Descendant

Undertale, released in 2015, has been compared to Earthbound in both gameplay and themes. Director Toby Fox has openly admited the influence of Mother 3, the sequal to Earthbound in Japan, on his development of Undertale. Fox acknowledged that Earthbound’s cult following inspired him to embark on creating his own engaging and narrative-driven game experience. This shared influence further solidified the bond between the two games, ensuring that Undertale inherited and built upon the essence that made Earthbound so fascinating.

Influenced by the Best

Other games, such as Omni, YIIK, and even the popular PC game South Park: Stick of Truth, have mentioned Earthbound as a fundamental inspiration for their own journeys. In an interview with IGN, the creators behind South Park: Stick of Truth explicitly cited Earthbound as one of the biggest influences on their game:

In-Game Companions: EarthBound’s Enduring Legacy Game Inspiration/Factor Shared Elements/Mechanics
Undertale Mother 3, EarthBound Interactive storytelling, RPG elements
Omni EarthBound Mystery-solving, unique combat styles
YIIK EarthBound Turn-based combat, quirky characters
South Park: Stick of Truth EarthBound Fantasy world setting, episodic gameplay

As outlined in the table above, each game shares unique and distinct elements from EarthBound, ultimately resulting in rich and captivating experiences. Fans of Earthbound can observe the striking parallels between elements such as combat systems (Undertale’s pixel art-style combat and Omaha’s "magic" approach), unique settings (The Stick of Truth’s turn-based RPG battle system).

What Game Was Inspired by Earthbound? – Analysis

Toby Fox is not alone in acknowledging Earthbound’s profound influence. Various games, like the highly acclaimed Omori and Omnia, also share creative DNA with the 90s RPG sensation. Omni’s lead developer, Travis, highlighted Earthbound in an interview, emphasizing: "Omni was inspired directly by the magic of EarthBound, that 90s game with a real sense of discovery."

Beyond the mechanics, themes that resonate through Earthbound influence the developers. South Park: Stick of Truth (2014) draws motivation from both the absurd elements of EarthBound and popular culture.

The Cycle of Influence

As each game’s design draws creative inspiration from Earthbound and its sequel, a distinctive pattern of influence becomes prominent. We observe how modern games echo and reimplement elements that fans adoring EarthBound find compelling:
• Interactions between gameplay and story.
• Offbeat settings, like mysterious towns with strange occurrences or fantasy realms with mythical events.
Earth-Bound-Inspired (EBI) – As a concept, it manifests in numerous titles. Toby Fox (Undertale) or developers (Omega) will adapt unique creative elements or ideas to give their projects that unmistakably Earthbound "tension" that leaves fans begging for more.
Chasing Earthbound’s Genius

Developers who continue to honor the essence and spirit of Earthbound strive to infuse their gaming experiences with its magic realism. When the right set of inspirations are skillfully intertwined with an unparalleled narrative voice, an art style and tone reminiscent, the Earthbound experience gets redefined and passed across generations, enriching those who once savored or still hold onto that first taste.

By understanding its influence and evolution, aspiring game creators, designers or developers learn the significance to respect their forerunning games as Earthbound served as inspiration, paving for the birth of more cult classics in the making process. The question which game was inspired by earthbound remains simple due to this continuous loop wherein the creativity inspired by others becomes part of their personal journey towards building the memorable experiences the next generation fans will admire and respect. We can anticipate further examples across the indie game community reflecting the transformative force that began with the pioneering Mother sequence.

Your friends have asked us these questions - Check out the answers!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top