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I taken more stabs at this Earthbound/Mother 2 than I care to admit and each time I ended up the one murdered. Heaven knows it isn’t the weirdness. I’ve spent the better part of my life in weirdness, much of which happens to be Japanese. FLCL and The Tatami Galaxy, both coming-of-age, fourth-wall breaking, culturally referential, magically real anime. These series are best watched rather than explained since they are arguably highest form of the modern Japanese narrative aesthetic and EarthBound, though made earlier, certainly plays in the same sandbox.

Example: In the first hour I encounter a dog who becomes possessed by a game designer in order to give me a mini-tutorial on the game’s item menu system and, upon completion, the dog returns to its normal barking.

{instert Simone squee here}

So, if the game world is delightful that really only leaves the design. Early game is brutal. You can only save at telephones, black phones are free, green are pay. In the first the area is a black telephone at your parents which is very far from all the action in town or you can pay in town. Now, that’s not so bad, but healing items, like burgers and fries, are expensive and most of the enemies whollop you hard, so money is horded simply to afford better armor and items. This makes using pay phones ineffient unless you are VERY far away. Enemies, however, also respawn every time you leave an area, so you often also need to fight your way back to phone, pay or not.

And THAT, my friends, is a recipe for lost progress.

Now, don’t hear what I am not saying. I am a fellow who loves a challenge, but I play games to enjoy myself not experience nerd rage.

So, in conclusion, emulator save states for the win.

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Read Gavin Craig’s week 1 post
Read Daniel J. Hogan’s week 1 post

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Andrew Simone is writer, veloist, and video game enthusiast who spends too much time at a social network that isn’t one.