Finding the Plot: EarthBound

The plot starts out pretty ordinary, then takes a weird turn around the middle to final 2/3 of the game. And the final battle is simply wtf. Kinda like that kung fu movie with vampires that seemed pretty ordinary until that woman’s hair turned into needles and then her head flew off her body.

His take on Poo being a figment of Ness’s imagination is interesting. Quite the thought-nugget!

I never saw Earthbound like that. It was pretty amazing

I like the friendship speech. No matter where you are your friends are there with you!

If Poo is a figment, he’s one very powerful one. I guess that still makes sense since Ness is a psychic and could probably manifest awesome imaginary kung fu friends like that. I prefer to see him as real though.

I like a lot of that analysis. I still see Pokey as the original Cartman actually.

That guy sure likes his wine… LOL

I’m gonna call him out on saying that nobody noticed many of the things he points out, such as the police brutality and religious cult. Because it sure seems to me that everyone knew about that stuff.

Hi there everyone, I’m Matt, and I play the character of Barry in Finding the Plot (I wasn’t in this episode, but have been in our take on the Super Mario Bros. Movie- so please check it out!)

Thanks alot for linking us on your website, we’ve only been going a few months and it’s great to see the likes of you guys spreading word of our work- loving your comments btw!

We should have a new one up in a month’s time (we’re doing the Digimon Movie), so would be great if you could check us out!

I think the plot as a whole isn’t all that crazy; standard save-the-world sorta thing. The events that take place on the way, however, is what’s crazy and unique.

Anyone know what that song used at the beginning, and later as his ringtone, is called? (Sorry for being a little off topic)

@mightyYT

It’s Johann Sebastian Bach – Suite for solo cello No. 1 in G major 🙂

This Is just as bad as Navgatar, er somthing. He doesn’t know what he is talking about and repeats stuff.
(FYI a bee doesn’t appear an alien does. And in the text it literally says he’s not a bee)

Well, he keeps pronouncing Dr. Andonuts name wrong, for one thing.

Also, it is impossible for Poo to be imaginary. Buzz Buzz said that Ness would save the world with the help of TWO boys and a girl. Furthermore, Poo’s jewel is needed to buy your way into the Scaraba museum. Ness actually travels to Dalaam in the course of his adventure, and if Ness visits Dalaam after Poo disappears in the ending, he will see Poo in the Dalaamese throne room.

And, let’s be honest, Mr. Saturn does not look like…that thing.

I’m reading some harsh criticisms here, and I think it’s important to understand that this is meant to be humorous. It’s not a thesis or documentary, and this guy may not be a diehard EB fan like this blog’s regular visitors. Cut him some slack and enjoy it for what it is.

I didn’t see the video but I can say this will truly be interesting!

surprised he didn’t talk about the Mu training. or Orange Kid, even. very entertaining, though.

@James what’s done is done you know.

Hmmm Poo is imaginary? I never entertained that thought before now… I wonder if it could be true?

I think the story to Earthbound is really unique, it was all really unpredictable to me the first time I played it.

As memorable as Earthbound is, I didn’t think it’s plot was too out of the oridnariy. You find eight McGuffins and defeat the final boss. But I think this made the experince better, it leaves a lot more to the imagination and alows you to more closely identify with the main character.

It makes you feel like you’re the one going on an adventure, seeing all the good and bad of the world, untill you work up the courage to relive Itoi’s trauma in the finale. By the time it’s done, it feels like you grew up a little.

Earthbound makes the player go through a kind of character development. It’s a kind of experince that proabably wouldn’t work in another medium.

The plot doesn’t seem too out of the ordinary, but it’s all about subversion. I didn’t think it was anything too original when I first played it, and though I loved it, I didn’t understand why its fanbase gives it a “Greatest Game of All Time EVER” reputation until I got towards the end of the game. Finding eight McGuffins with your friends and saving the world isn’t anything very original, but Giygas himself……

the plot itself, no, but all the subtle whatevers. police brutality, yeah. cults, yeah. drugs, yeah… a lot of this should be commonplace to anyone who frequents this site, no? interesting take on the whole “nothing matter through a child’s eyes” thing, though.

I did check out Follow-the-Plot’s other things, and frankly no these aren’t meant to be taken seriously. Consider that his review of Sonic ’06’s plot was Sega telling fans to let go of their old childhood views of Sonic. I mean yes he does have a point (much like this game being told through childhood eyes and growing up, and Bayonetta being about overzealous religion being a bad thing and should instead be moderated), but that doesn’t mean the whole review should be taken seriously. I mean he does end by reminding you he could well be talking [naughty parts] this whole time.

The Mr.Saturn part, for what it’s worth, truly had me laughing.

And FtP: Hahahaha I’ll definitely have to catch that one. Considering it was 3 movies thrown together I’d love to see what you got out of it. 😉

Yeah, that Mr. Saturn part was priceless. It may have been a lame pun, and dirty jokes and I have a sort of love-hate relationship, but it had me in stitches.

Earthbound’s plot isn’t out of the ordinary. Heck, there’s this one game where a guy who eats mushrooms, beats up turtles and bad mushrooms, saves a princess while dunking another bigger turtle in lava. Lol… ^_^

I skimmed through most of the comments. I really enjoyed this interpretation and analysis of Earthbound. I think more videogame analysis’ like this need to be made, they are truely fascinating. Naturally I’d love to see a Mother 1 and 3 analysis.

I can’t believe I never realized that’s what the experience of Earthbound was like. Me and my old friends could never understand how they got away with most of the stuff in the game! I think it’s even more heartbreaking, I mean the act of growing up, in Mother 3.

And the whole Poo is imaginary thing… My take on it is that its an interpretation. Itoi created the game so you could take that literally, or metaphorically. He actually said someplace that the player can decide if Ness, Paula, and Jeff were their Mother 1 counterparts. It’s just interpretation. It’s not meant to be taken literally, or metaphorically. It’s dependent on the person playing. No scenario is impossible.

I personally agree. I do think people overlook the more spiritual aspects of drug trips and the Mother games. The whole Magic Cake, and imagining Poo was pretty enlightening. Like I said, Ic an’t believe I never thought of some of this stuff before.

Keep it up

And yeah, I believe that Poo could be imaginary, or another aspect of Ness. It’s unfair for other people to say it’s impossible when it’s up to the player to decide. You can’t really be wrong in what you think.

A better example, is that for adults the Magic Cake scene is an obvious a psychedelic drug trip. It’s a game that has homages to the 60’s in general, and the Beatles. Who did psychedelic drugs for very positive reasons, like George Harrison. And they famously went to India. George even learned Transcendental meditation there, not unlike Poo’s meditation.

However, in the eyes of a child this is just a crazy thing that happens in the game. Like being warped to another level. Not just children, some people just don’t see obvious things like that. And it is because the game is presented in such a child like nature. This example goes the same for the mushrooms in game, the mushroom scene in Mother 3. And a lot more of the darker things that video already pointed out, like the freaking KKK!!

I just never understood how they got away with all that stuff, but it was so obvious! 🙂

@Anonymous You have a unique way of thinking. But do you really think if poo Was imaginary than. How did he destroy Master Barf with PK Starstorn

Nobody5000: the same reason you can pull bats from Magicant in Mother 1, and Mother 2. A physical manifestation of the imagination in these games is possible, no matter how reality tries to sell it to you.

Just because he’s imaginary doesn’t make him any less real. Look at Calvin and Hobbs!

@Anonymous I love those cartoons. But we all have to face it. We don’t know. Only Itoi does. We can guess and make rumors therioes but they are just spam in reality. It is proven true when Itoi says it is. So Poo can be real or imaginary. Heck he can probably be a magic elf in disguise to end world hunger. We can guess and agree but that doesn’t mean it’s correct. That’s why I hate these reviews. Soon there will be videos on YouTube based on this theory. It’ll be Giygas. Itoi is the creator, it’s bs I can only wish to have contact with Itoi so I can ask him some questions. But I don’t. So people go ahead and creat theories if you have back up, proof, and others. But that still doesn’t make it true. RadicOmega out

Simply because Itoi created the game dosen’t mean he knows what it’s about more than anyone else!

@Dr.Starky actually yes it does. He knows whether or not these rumors
Are true.

What I mean is that Earthbound is game meant to be interpeted. The author’s interpetation is as valid as everyone elses. You shouldn’t wait for the creator to tell you how you should feel or interpet a work for you.

Yeah, Itoi proabably didn’t intend something as crazy as described in the video, but that sorta was the joke.

@Dr.Starky. Oh I know what you mean know and you are right. What I mean to say is that ou shouldn’t throw random spam about the series that isn’t true Sorry, I misunderstood Anonymous.

And just for the record, if Poo is imaginary then perhaps someone can explain to me how Buzz Buzz said there would be THREE boys and 1 girl. Ness wasn’t high on Magic Cake at the time so then Poo can’t imaginary. Also Talah Rumah Mentiond Poo. Also in the video he says that Poo disappears when he uses Psi farewell. Well then YOU use Psi Teleport to Daalam and go into the royal palace and you’ll see Poo.

I’ve heard bits and pieces of the “the world as seen through the eyes of a child” theory, but it’s really cool to think that the darker moments of the game coincide with Ness’s maturity, that now he’s just old enough to see it.

It’s also a testament to the game’s ability to be silly without being irreverent, and serious without being melodramatic. God damn :F

I feel like drinking a good ol’ glass of Giovanni right now. Man, instead of wasting your time with this you should just make an anthology of all his posts.
Sincerely.
-Wow this sucked so much.

Man this is hilarious. I was laughing quite a few times at his comments. Also, did anyone notice at one point Ness’ mom said “Eat some wine and scoot up to bed.” I think Ness’ mom might’ve had some of that magic cake.