Why I Love This, is a series where I talk about the reasons I love certain books, movies, video games and songs.

For those in the know, the Super Nintendo was a golden age for the JRPG. Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy IV-VI, Secret of Mana, Breath of Fire I and 2, Terranigma and so many others. They all had a kind of medieval swords and sorcery vibe to them but then there was one that was so different, so weird and it was known as Earthbound.

Just look at that. You have no idea what’s going on if you didn’t already play it. While most games start you in villages or towns and you already have a sword on you, Earthbound starts with the young man in the striped shirt and hat in a bed at his house. He’s a kid and his next door neighbor is telling him that meteorite landed nearby. That they need to go check it out.

And that starts an adventure that has the following in it: a cult devoted to the color blue, a blues band that plays so loud that they can chase ghosts away, a town beset by zombies led by their leader Master Belch(pictured below), cosmic horrors beyond space time, helping a tribe of cave people with a book called overcoming shyness and so much more.

The game is vibrant and fun and beautiful. The whole thing feels like a little kid drew it and is writing the story, taking it wherever their imagination leads him. You don’t drink potions to heal instead whorffing down hamburgers and fries and things like that. Your enemies include living traffic lights, fire hydrants, hippies, businessmen and alien horrors. It’s so unique and wonderful and easy to pick up.

This game has influenced my writing since I played it. While there’s a part of me that will always love settings like those from Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones but I have a soft spot for urban fantasy like the Dresden Files. I think there’s something about living in a modern area with magic or powers makes everything so much more interesting because how would someone drive away from a dragon in their Kia Sorrento? Earthbound scratches that itch.

You’re just a kid trying to save the world with a baseball bat and your friends and psychic powers. It also fills the wanderlust in me by having you travel across the world. Heading to cities, deserts, pyramids and swamps.

There’s also a darker story underneath all the bright colors and pastels if you’re willing to look into it. I won’t spoil it here but I think that you should check out both the game and lore.

The game is silly and joyful and I think you should play it.