20 Nintendo Games You Must Play Before You Die
13. EarthBound (SNES)
EarthBound seemed like a rare misfire for Nintendo when it was released in the US in 1995. The game was roundly ignored by the public and divided reviewers at the time, but it has since established itself as a true cult classic.
It comes as little surprise that the game was under-appreciated, since it was lightyears ahead of its time. The RPG shunned the genre's usual fantasy setting in favour of real-world backdrops. Monsters made way for stray dogs, swords were replaced by baseball bats and phonebooths served as save points.
The story followed a young boy named Nes and his friends on a journey to thwart an alien invasion in suburbia. Don't let the cute, colourful visuals fool you. There were dark, Lovecraftian themes residing at EarthBound's core.
EarthBound is one of Nintendo's most daring offerings and it's testament to the variety the firm has always offered. Quirky and original in equal measure, it flipped a genre on its head in the 1990s and still offers unique experiences by modern standards.