That's right, only 14 years after being released on the Super NES, I have began, played through, and finished Earthbound. IT WAS AMAZING! I finally get what everyone was talking about and now Earthbound sits on my list of greatest games I have ever played (not to mention one of the, if not THE greatest final battle of all time in gaming).
Well what does this have to do with anything really? Well I wanted to quickly highlight some of the amazing music related tributes to Earthbound and more from over the years.
First up is the amazing Earthbound tribute album Bound Together from many of the amazing musicians from The Shizz Minibosses Boards, VGMix, and OCReMix. The album includes greats like Shael Riley, Temp Sound Solutions, Mustin, and so many more incredible artists all remixing nearly the entire Earthbound soundtrack in as just a whimsical, amazing, and sometimes very strange way as the original music to the game. Bound Together is an amazing aural achievement in it's ability to balance the catchiness of the Earthbound music right alongside the jarring and disturbing tones the game also provided. Those who played the game will surely have a nostalgic trip down the lane of those 16 bit memories, while those who have not had a chance to play through Earthbound (what the hell, get on that!) will be able to listen to a breathtaking and diverse arrangement of tunes, and get a small glimpse of just one of the many brilliant aspects that is Earthbound.
Another thing I would like to mention, which makes an incredible supplement to both the game, as well as the aforementioned remix compilation is Kenley and his incredible Into the Score podcast 24 - Live at the Chaos Theatre… The Runaway Five! which takes an academic look at the games soundtrack, the two amazing composers, as well as the history of the game and even jazz bands. This is all wrapped up as well with an interview with the amazing Canada based VG jazz ensemble The Runaway Five. A listen to this podcast can not be recommended enough to anyone who is a fan of Earthbound and the music within. Listening to this adds an interesting inside look at the game, which in turn makes you feel as if you got even more out of it.
Finally, not music related, but still Earthbound related, if you have, or when you finish the game, be sure to read this article, "The Literature of the Moment" A Critique of Mother 2 by Tim Rogers. A lengthy but very very interesting and well written look back on Earthbound for one gamer.
For those who have not played Earthbound yet, I now join the many many gamers who once harangued me about not playing it, and implore you to do so as soon as possible. It is an experience that is more than worth the time invested. The game is an experience unmatched even by fifteen years of games and several consoles hence. I would like to personally thank my best friend, who herself forced me to finally sit down and play through the entire game. From the first town to the final battle it is a game that will proudly stand among my list of the most incredible games of my life.
