Earthbound takes place in Eagleland, producer Shigesato Itoi's love-letter to America - or rather, to how America presents itself internationally. As such, stepping out of your front door and teaming up with an eclectic gang of misfits can't help but feel like a classic kid's adventure movie - The Goonies, maybe, or Ferris Bueller. The game has a breezy, lazy tone that brings back memories of school holidays - even the weapons used by the main characters are baseball bats, yo-yos and bottle rockets, the toys of summer. This optimistic attitude helped Earthbound tell a unique story; most RPGs of the time were dour swords'n'sorcery epics, where the world was in terrible danger and everyone was either a knight or a shopkeeper. While Ness does have a heroic quest he needs to complete, gathering eight melodies to unlock new abilities, these are often hidden off the beaten track and almost feel like an afterthought. The actual journey will see you helping out struggling musicians, exploring a graveyard, fending off the local bully and uncovering ancient ruins - proper Spielberg material. The following year would see the first Pokémon game released in Japan, brimming with that same sense of adventure and discovery - step out of your front door a child, and come back home a hero. It's a dream that's inspired millions of kids and built an empire for Pikachu and his pals, but it's worth remembering that Ness and his friends were saving the world before Ash had even got his cap on.
