This week I had planned to talk about a couple of games I’d played intermittently over course of seven days, but the sad passing of Satoru Iwata made me revisit my favourite game of all time, and one he’d been instrumental in the creation of. Earthbound (SNES). I picked up on an old save, just after collecting the diamond to release the Runaway Five for the second time, not really wanting to push forward in the story, I went to the bus-stop in Fourside to catch a ride back to Threed, from there I took a solum stroll back to Onett, Jeff and Paula following behind dutifully as we passed through Twooson, speaking to a few residents as we went. I went back to Ness’s house to the north of Onett, spoke to his mother, who wasn’t that sympathetic to my moping around Eagleland. I got a nights rest and beat up a couple of crows and snakes, but the XP they were handing out wasn’t really worth it. With the intent of hiring a bike (just to see the gleeful look in Ness’s face as he darts about on it) I set off for Twooson again, the owner of the bikeshop reminded me this isn’t possible with a party of three though, and being impossible to ditch my two companions I walked back through the town, fighting an old lady in the middle of the street gave me a decent chunk of XP so I roamed the town for a bit to grind out a bit more progress in the game by attacking (crazy) old women. I found myself at the once haunted tunnel, which would led me back to Threed, and once there I went to look at the now caged zombies to the south of the town, I’d forgotten that, quite understandably they don’t offer much in the way of dialogue now so I just stood and watched them for a bit. I then wandered back through to the desert, knowing this area is still full of wild dogs and sunstroke I approached it with caution, but did find $1000 in a box near the roadside. I was soon back where I started, the Fourside theatre, I bought a ticket for the show and got insulted by the headline act after. In this city most adults either find you a nuisance or are accusing you of looking at they're hips, knowing that Pokey was residing at the top of Monotoli building I visited him, but he predictably threw Ness, Paula and Jeff out. Thats where I left it, I didn’t want to take the story any further just to wander about for an hour or so.
My meander through the world so beautifully realised by Itoi and Iwata was a fine reminder of the artistry of Iwata as a programmer, the game feels like an open, living world, long before the sandboxes which are so popular now. Everything is connected, and the distances seem real, in the fallout from the news of his death I read a great quote which he said about (and I’m paraphrasing here) that a game such as Tetris wouldn’t get made now, it would need to be better graphics, more levels and tied to another property, all of this is true, but its the bit about graphics which applies to Earthbound, and his philosophy as the President of Nintendo, Earthbound is so charming and runs so smoothly as you go through its world, towns seem individual whilst connected to one another. Nintendo properties still strive to be individual, while running smoothly and looking like nothing else. Thanks Iwata, for everything.
I wish I could pound fate with this two by four - Mother 3
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