EarthBound (universe): Difference between revisions

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|firstinstallment= ''{{s|wikibound|EarthBound Beginnings}}'' (1989)

The '''''EarthBound'' universe''', also known by its Japanese name the '''''Mother'' universe''' ({{ja|マザー|Mazā}}, ''MOTHER'') refers to the [[Super Smash Bros. (series)|''Super Smash Bros.'' series']] collection of characters, stages, and properties that hail from [[Nintendo]]'s cult-classic trilogy of Japanese role-playing games.  The series was created by [[Shigesato Itoi]], and the franchise's symbol is the Earth, which itself is a recurring motif in the ''EarthBound'' series (being represented in both ''EarthBound'' and ''Super Smash Bros.'' by {{iw|wikipedia|the Blue Marble}}). Despite receiving poor sales in its initial release, the ''EarthBound'' series has become massively successful retrospectively due to its dedicated fanbase and representation in the ''Smash Bros.'' series. The games' re-releases have been constantly topping the charts as best sellers on the Nintendo eShop, most notably ''{{b|EarthBound|game}}'' is currently the fourth best selling [[Virtual Console]] game on the Wii U's eShop (surpassed only by ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario World}}'', ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario 64}}'' and ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Bros. 3}}'')  and the sixth best selling eShop game of all time.  The ''Smash Bros.'' games represent the franchise with [[Ness]] and [[Lucas]] as playable characters, along with various other characters appearing as items and enemies.

== Franchise description ==

An influential Japanese copywriter, actor, and television personality named Shigesato Itoi took a foray into the Nintendo-dominated video game market of the late 1980s despite some initial skepticism from Nintendo's higher-ups about working with celebrities. He and then-Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi formed a new subsidiary called Ape Inc. (later rebranded as Creatures) and Itoi designed and directed the Japan-exclusive RPG ''{{iw|wikibound|Mother|video game}}''. Released for the Famicom in July 1989, it was an unconventional take on the primarily sword-and-sorcery themed RPG genre. The game was set in a humorous rendition of contemporary America and had the player assuming the role of Ninten, a neighborhood boy with psychic powers. It featured conventional objects such as baseball bats and yo-yos as stand-ins for weapons that could be equipped and a variety of bizarre and comical enemies such as possessed automobiles, crazed animals, and hippies and gang members. It also featured a very odd blend of simplistic character designs and dark themes and undertones. The game sold very well in Japan, and an English localization immediately began, with a planned fall 1991 release date with ''Earth Bound'' as the intended Western title. However, marketing executives anticipating the mid-1991 release of the Super NES decided that the prototype NES game would be too costly to produce and market, and the localized product was shelved with no foreseeable plans for a future release.

Itoi returned to design a sequel for the Super Famicom, ''Mother 2'', though the title's development was troubled by a new inexperienced development staff and was stretched across five years, nearly facing cancellation. The project was only saved when late veteran programmer [[Satoru Iwata]] joined the development team, now making the ''Mother 2'' project a joint effort by Ape and [[HAL Laboratory]] (HALKEN at the time), separate studios based at separate locations (employees would regularly have to travel between studios to work). It was released in August 1994 in Japan and, unlike its predecessor, actually saw a Western localization the following June, under the first public occurrence of the name ''{{b|EarthBound|game}}''. However, while the game's Japanese sales figures were relatively close to the original's, it sold poorly in the West because of an unusual and ineffective marketing campaign and the fact that American audiences were largely indifferent to JRPGs at the time (this would only end with the 1997 release of ''[[Final Fantasy|Final Fantasy VII]]'', which brought the genre to the mainstream). These poor sales even prevented the game from being released in the PAL regions. Critical retrospectives, however, portray it as not only one of the best RPGs in the 1990s, but also one of the most original, both in its approach to established JRPG mechanics and in its uniquely quirky humor, storyline (which is comparatively more light-hearted than its forerunner), character, and bizarre psychedelic aesthetic, as well as its many parodies of American culture and JRPG - and science fiction - storytelling conventions. Some publications have named it the defining example of a cult classic, with substantial fanbases in both Japan and North America.

More development and release date woes awaited the ''Mother'' franchise following ''EarthBound''. Itoi immediately began development of the series's second sequel for the Super Famicom in 1994, which was then moved to the Nintendo 64DD add-on for the [[Nintendo 64]], popularized by the media as the then-upcoming ''EarthBound 64''. When the ill-fated disk drive peripheral was met with commercial failure, the game was cancelled and restarted its development cycle on the Nintendo 64 itself, where it was initially expected to be a launch title for the console's Western release. But Itoi's development team was inexperienced with developing three-dimensional titles and the Nintendo 64 hardware itself, and the project remained unreleased even as ''EarthBound'' was included by [[Masahiro Sakurai]] as an unlockable franchise in the original ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' in 1998. Itoi eventually announced the official cancellation of ''EarthBound 64'' in August 2000, citing that he did not want to make anything other than "something truly special" in addition to the project becoming too complex with its interest in three-dimensional graphics. [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] subsequently became interested in finding ways to salvage some of the work, though this had to be put on hold because the ''Mother 3'' development team was put on Nintendo GameCube projects. Meanwhile, the translated prototype of the Western version of the NES game was discovered and purchased by a fan translation group, which was modified, retitled "''EarthBound Zero''", and distributed through the Internet as a ROM image.

Itoi and Nintendo eventually decided to rerelease both ''Mother'' titles in Japan as ports compiled on one Game Boy Advance cartridge, ''Mother 1 + 2'', which was released in June 2003 in Japan and included all of the enhancements the English prototype had made to the original ''Mother''; to the dismay of fans, this was never released in the West either. However, Itoi realized he would once again be pressured into reviving ''Mother 3'', an idea he was initially opposed to, but encouragement from fans led to his decision to restart development for the game for Game Boy Advance, which he approached as though he were developing his magnum opus. After three years of development, ''{{iw|wikibound|Mother 3}}'' (essentially now a Game Boy Advance recreation of ''EarthBound 64'') was finally released in Japan in April 2006, twelve years after development began and over a year after the launch of the handheld's successor, the Nintendo DS. This Game Boy Advance title returned the series to a two-dimensional aesthetic but placed more emphasis on a serious plot and character interaction and tweaked gameplay elements of its predecessors. It was released to critical acclaim that praised its new rhythm-based but otherwise simple approach to turn-based combat and, most significantly, tragic storytelling and characterization that achieved a rarely seen degree of depth in titles in the genre.  

Unfortunately, Nintendo of America would once more decline to localize the game for Western audiences, once again apparently because of fears that its inconvenient timing at the end of the commercial lifespan of the platform it was based on would negatively affect its sales. The fansite Starmen.net made headlines in October 2008 when it released its own English translation patch that could be applied to a copy of the ROM image of ''Mother 3''. This monumental translation effort was spearheaded by professional translator Clyde "Tomato" Mandelin and the patch received over 100,000 downloads from the website in the first week of its release. Despite the project not being completely legal, it became one of a handful of unofficial video game localization projects that officials in the video game industry did not formally object to, but instead expressed admiration for. In the meantime, the ''Mother'' series has regularly appeared in every subsequent ''Super Smash Bros.'' game to date, including ''Mother 3'' being focused on in 2008's ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', though Itoi has announced that he has no plans to direct a fourth ''Mother'' game and reaffirmed this statement several times. In the years to come, developers large and small would create role-playing games that would draw heavy inspiration from the world, humor, and battle system of the ''Mother'' series, including the critically-acclaimed {{uvm|Undertale}} in 2015. Although the series is seldom referenced directly by Nintendo, the rights held to it by Itoi have enabled the continued development of merchandise and other projects honoring its legacy, such as a collaborative tribute book and a rearranged version of the first game's studio album.

*In a Nintendo Direct on April 2013, Nintendo announced that ''EarthBound'' will be rereleased for the first time in North America and Europe on July 20th of the same year. The game was made available on the Wii U’s Virtual Console service in all Western regions, nearly two decades after its initial releases in Japan and North America. This release is notable as it was the first time the game was officially launched in PAL regions. Within a few years, ''EarthBound'' would also be rereleased on the New Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console and the SNES Classic microconsole.

*Over two years later on June 14th, 2015, moments before the premiere of the Nintendo World Championships, Nintendo hosted a video message from Shigesato Itoi announcing the first ever English-language release of the original ''Mother'' to commemorate its sequel's 20th anniversary overseas, now under the title ''EarthBound Beginnings''. Coincidentally, this announcement came at the same time as the release of Lucas as a DLC fighter for ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''.

*Finally, ''Mother 3'' was announced in a Japanese Nintendo Direct in November 2015 to be rereleased on the Wii U Virtual Console by the end of the year in conjunction with the Japanese release of the Lucas amiibo, though this release is exclusively in Japan. This makes ''Mother 3'' the only game in the series to not have an official international release during its initial launch as well as on the Virtual Console, even as the Lucas amiibo was made commercially available worldwide.

 

Each of the ''Mother'' / ''EarthBound'' games are relatively loosely connected stories set on a fictional rendition of Earth, with the setting and scenario being different each game:

 

:[[wikibound:EarthBound Beginnings|'''''Mother''''' / '''''EarthBound Beginnings''''']]: The first game in the series starring a young boy with psychic powers named {{iw|wikibound|Ninten}}. In 1988, a 12-year-old American boy named Ninten, living in a town named {{iw|wikibound|Podunk}}, discovers that an alien race is invading the world, and is then warped to the surreal world of [[Magicant]], where its amnesiac queen tasks him to go on a quest to collect pieces of her favorite lullaby, the Eight Melodies, and play them for her. Ninten's quest eventually leads him to a confrontation with the original incarnation of {{iw|wikibound|Giygas}} (whose appearance closely resembles the design of [[Mewtwo]] from the {{uv|Pokémon}} franchise; this may be due to one of the developers of ''Mother'', Ape Inc., becoming permanently involved in the ''Pokémon'' franchise as Creatures, Inc.).

 

:[[wikibound:EarthBound|'''''Mother 2''''' / '''''EarthBound''''']]: The second game in the series stars [[Ness]], a young boy who was similarly granted with special psychic powers. In the 1990s, a resident of the fictional country Eagleland, Ness, is told by a tiny bee-like alien from the future, Buzz Buzz, that a hostile alien named Giygas is fated to dominate the universe in the future, and Ness must go on a quest to visit eight sanctuaries to unite his own powers with the Earth and gain the strength required to confront Giygas in the past. But along the way, Ness is repeatedly harassed by his obnoxious next-door neighbor, [[Porky Minch]] (rendered as "Pokey Minch" in ''EarthBound''), who is eventually revealed to have become Giygas' right-hand man and a willing believer that the universe should be destroyed. Ness and his friends' infamously disturbing final battle against Giygas - who has long since been driven incoherent and physically rendered into a visually frightening, gaseous form by his own boundless power - comes to demonstrate that Ness' quest to hone his power is insufficient to win (referencing a theme of the previous game that "brute force is not enough"), and so the heroes can only fall back on praying for help to come out alive.

 

:'''''{{iw|wikibound|Mother 3}}''''': The final game in the series, starring [[Lucas]]. In an unknown time period long after the events of ''EarthBound'', a resident of a rural egalitarian village known as Tazmily in the {{iw|wikibound|Nowhere Islands}}, Lucas, and his father {{iw|wikibound|Flint}}, tragically lose his mother, {{iw|wikibound|Hinawa}}, and his brother, {{iw|wikibound|Claus}}, goes missing - both as a result of the arrival of an army of mysterious pig-masked soldiers. In a story told from multiple perspectives, Lucas is eventually thrust into a quest to pull out seven special needles spread out across the island before the Pigmasks and their [[wikibound:Masked Man|mysterious masked field commander]] can do the same, for the world would be destroyed if the needles are pulled by those of evil intentions. It is eventually revealed that the "King" of the Pigmasks and author of the plot to have the masked man destroy the world is Porky Minch, having traveled across time and space to the present and being rendered immortal by the effects of time travel. Lucas's quest ends at the capital of Porky's invasive, hedonistic, and industrious society on the Nowhere Islands, [[New Pork City]], where he fights both Porky in his last stand and the Masked Man himself, who turns out to be none other than a brainwashed Claus, in front of the final needle.

*[[File:NessIcon(SSB).png|50px|right]]'''{{SSB|Ness}}''' ([[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]): A boy living in the town of [[Onett]], Ness is gifted with psychic powers. He is chosen by a little alien named Buzz Buzz to save the world from Giygas, a malevolent entity which is causing the citizens and animals of his town and others to become hostile. To do this, he must first travel to eight sanctuaries and record the Eight Melodies in his Sound Stone, given to him by Buzz Buzz. Ness then must combine those melodies and make the "Sound Stone Melody", which will give him the power of the Earth necessary to defeat Giygas at the end of the game. (The second half of the melody comprises Ness' victory theme in the first two games of the ''Smash'' series.) All of Ness's special moves (PSI Magnet, PK Fire, and PK Thunder) were incidentally used by Paula, not Ness, in ''EarthBound''.  Ness is currently in low tier, sitting at 10th out of 12 on the [[tier list]], mainly due to his easily exploitable [[recovery]].

''EarthBound'''s representation in the ''Smash'' series was expanded significantly upon in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', with a returning character, two new stages, a new item, and many new trophies.

*[[File:NessIcon(SSBM).png|50px|right]]'''{{SSBM|Ness}}''' ([[Starter character|Starter]]): Ness is still the only playable ''EarthBound'' character in the game, but he now has [[PK Flash]] for his neutral special. As a result, his previous neutral special, PK Fire, has been moved to his side special. Despite his flaws in ''Super Smash Bros.'' like his recovery, Ness has suffered an overall nerf, countering most of his buffs. As a result, Ness is currently ranked 23rd out of 26 in the tier list, similar to his ''Smash 64'' tier placement.

Sound effects from ''EarthBound'' can be heard in the beginning of the [[Special Movie]].{{clr}}

The content from the ''EarthBound'' franchise have been given a boost  

*[[File:NessIcon(SSBB).png|50px|right]]'''{{SSBB|Ness}}''' ([[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]): The protagonist of ''{{b|EarthBound|game}}'' was confirmed to be returning in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' by the opening sequence of the game and by the official Dojo on February 1st, 2008. He has been slightly buffed from ''Melee'' while still retaining his old moveset and voice clips. He gained an additional 10 frames of lag when grab released, making him extremely vulnerable to infinite grab-release follow-ups. Thus, his tier placing is currently 26th, being a mid tier character rather than a low tier character in ''Melee''.{{clr}}

*[[File:LucasIcon(SSBB).png|50px|right]]'''{{SSBB|Lucas}}''' ([[Starter character|Starter]]): The protagonist of ''{{iw|wikibound|Mother 3}}'' and the most recent hero in the series is a [[newcomer]] in ''Brawl''. Although his special moves are similar to Ness's, Lucas's standard moveset is largely different. Some similar moves between the characters differ in function, i.e. whereas Ness would have an attack that deals one solid hit, Lucas has one that deals multiple small ones and vice-versa. One of Lucas's alternate costumes makes him look like his twin brother from ''Mother 3'', Claus. He is currently ranked 30th on the tier list, being lower than Ness, the lowest of the newcomers in ''Brawl'', and at the very bottom of the lower-mid-tier. He shares the same problem with Ness, having an additional 10 frames of his grab-release animation that leaves him prone to grab-release follow-ups.{{clr}}

*[[File:Porky.jpg|right|120px]]'''[[Porky Minch]]''': Porky appears as a boss in ''Brawl''{{'}}s [[Subspace Emissary]] mode. Porky's supposedly robotic [[Porky Statue|statue form]] chases [[Lucas]] around [[The Ruined Zoo]]. Ness retaliates against the giant statue and uses a PK Flash to destroy it. When the statue crumbles, a mechanized spider-looking machine appears with Porky in the center.

*[[File:Icon-newporkcity.gif|right]]'''[[New Pork City]]''' ([[Starter stage|Starter]]): An enormous stage akin to ''Melee''’s [[Temple]] stage. Based on the locale from the Japan-only ''Mother 3'', a beast known as the [[Ultimate Chimera]] makes an appearance here and can [[one-hit KO]] players with its bite.{{clr}}

 

*[[File:Icon-onettmelee.gif|right]]'''[[Past Stages and Melee Stages|Melee Stages]]: [[Onett]]''' ([[Starter stage|Starter]]): One of the stages that returns from the previous game, it only has a few minor changes such as the addition of [[My Music]] and the knockback from the cars having been significantly lowered. {{clr}}

*[[File:NessIcon(SSB4-U).png|50px|right]]'''{{SSB4|Ness}}''' (3DS: [[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]; Wii U: [[Starter character|Starter]]): a small-town boy from ''{{s|wikibound|EarthBound}}'' who saves his world from an alien invasion. He returns as an unlockable character in the 3DS version, but is once again a starter in the Wii U version. His appearance and proportions are closer to his original game; he has a thinner body and his clothing has much brighter colors. Some of his new alternate costumes also hold references to key characters from ''EarthBound''. His extra 10 grab-release frames were removed, making him no longer subject to grab-release follow-ups. Overall, most of his moves are buffed, whether they are faster or stronger, making him more viable than in the past three games. Interestingly, some of his custom moves are taken from Lucas's special moveset. Ness is one of the few veterans to be given new voice clips.{{clr}}

*[[File:LucasIcon(SSB4-U).png|50px|right]]'''{{SSB4|Lucas}}''' ([[DLC]]): the timid protagonist of ''{{s|wikibound|Mother 3}}'' who fends off [[Porky]]'s {{s|wikibound|Pigmask Army}}. He returns as a [[Downloadable content|downloadable character]] that was made available for purchase on June 14th, 2015, the same day {{s|wikibound|EarthBound Beginnings}} was released on the Wii U Virtual Console. Like Ness, he now has brighter-colored clothing,  body proportions that match his debut title, and a constant smile. Also like Ness, some of his new alternate costumes make references to other important characters from ''Mother 3''. Similar to Ness, his extra 10 grab-release frames were removed, and despite being slightly nerfed in the transition from ''Brawl'' to ''SSB4'', he has indirect buffs from the nerfs of other characters that countered him before, which makes him play relatively better against the rest of the cast than in ''Brawl''.{{clr}}

=====Assist Trophies=====

*'''[[Porky Minch]]''' ({{color|#0F0|Green}}): Ness's neighbor and a major antagonist from ''EarthBound'' and ''Mother 3''. The user steals an opponent's Tour Items.

*{{Head|Mii Brawler|g=SSB4|s=24x24px}} '''[[Flying Man|Flying Man Outfit]]''' ([[DLC]]): this outfit is based on a [[Flying Man]], a yellow-and-red birdman from the first two ''EarthBound'' games who resides in Magicant. Pixelated, two-dimensional Flying Men appear on the Magicant stage in the 3DS version as hazards, but they were originally going to be three-dimensional models. This was ultimately scrapped, but the assets used to make the 3D Flying Man were repurposed for this outfit. The outfit was released with a corresponding hat in the Flying Man's likeness on July 31, 2015 as [[downloadable content]].

*{{GameIcon|SSBM}}'''{{SSB4MusicLink|EarthBound|Pollyanna (I Believe in You)}}''': an arrangement of "Pollyanna (I Believe in You)}}" from ''Mother'' similar to a vocalized arrangement of the same piece from the 1989 ''Mother'' album. This piece was abridged in ''Smash for Wii U''. It plays on Onett.

*''{{b|EarthBound|game}}''  

The ''EarthBound'' / ''MOTHER'' universe returns in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', with its content from across the ''Smash'' series being curated for this installment. All past fighters, music tracks, stages, items, and Assist Trophies return, with new elements such as a new item and music remixes being added. In English, the original ''Mother'' is now consistently referred to as ''EarthBound Beginnings''. This is the first time since ''SSB'' where all of the ''EarthBound'' series fighters must be unlocked.

*10. [[File:NessIcon(SSBU).png|50px|right]]'''{{SSBU|Ness}}''' ([[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]): The small town boy from Onett returns as an unlockable fighter after being a starter in ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U''. He is significantly angrier and more expressive than his past appearances, even having his pupils grow when he gets hit. Many of his attacks and animations, such as neutral air, up air, pummel, and PK Fire, have been reworked to distinguish himself further from Lucas and now even feature new PSI-inspired visual effects. For his Final Smash, {{s|wikibound|Paula}} and {{s|wikibound|Poo}} now join him to perform [[PK Starstorm]]. Although Ness was previously strongly buffed in his transition to ''Super Smash Bros. 4'', Ness once again received improvements between games, and additionally, the new gameplay mechanics of ''Ultimate'' have indirectly buffed him in other ways, such as the return of directional [[air dodging]] greatly improving his recovery. Overall, Ness has achieved great tournament results in ''Ultimate's'' early metagame.{{clr}}

*37. [[File:LucasIcon(SSBU).png|50px|right]]'''{{SSBU|Lucas}}''' ([[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]): The timid boy from Tazmily Village returns as an unlockable fighter after being DLC in ''Smash 4''. Like Ness, he is significantly more expressive than his past appearances, even having his pupils enlarge when he gets hit. Several of his attacks and animations have been reworked, such as his pummel and throws, and some now feature PSI-inspired visuals. For his Final Smash, {{s|wikibound|Kumatora}} and {{s|wikibound|Boney}} now join him to perform PK Starstorm. Lucas has received a mix of nerfs and buffs in his transition to ''Ultimate''. While his combo game was toned down, his overall mobility has been increased, and his aerials and specials were improved. ''Ultimate's'' engine has also indirectly buffed him in similar ways to Ness, such as the aforementioned changes to air dodging. Lucas has since achieved favorable tournament results in the early metagame, though not to the same degree as Ness.{{clr}}

*{{gameIcon|SSBM}}[[File:FoursideIconSSBU.png|75px|right|link=Fourside]]'''[[Fourside]]''' ([[Starter stage|Starter]]): A metropolitan city that Ness and company visit in ''EarthBound''. Its nightly appearance is based off of Moonside, an illusion created by the Mani Mani Statue. The Monotoli helicopter and the slippery-surfaced UFO make occasional appearances. The stage is darker than its ''Melee'' counterpart, and the colors stand out more; overall, the jump to HD required a graphical overhaul for the stage. {{clr}}

*{{gameIcon|SSBB}}[[File:NewPorkCityIconSSBU.png|75px|right|link=New Pork City]]'''[[New Pork City]]''' ([[Starter stage|Starter]]): The last city Lucas and company visit in ''Mother 3'', being the headquarters of Master Porky and the location of the final needle. The flying limo makes occasional appearances and the Ultimate Chimera also roams around the city, and fighters who hit it get instantly KO'd, though no longer via the blast lines. The colors and streetlights now stand out more, and the city walls are now shaded purple. {{clr}}

*'''[[Mr. Saturn]]''' - A peculiar entity that first appeared in ''EarthBound''. They do minimal damage when thrown, but can instantly break a full shield on contact.

*'''[[Franklin Badge]]''' - A badge of great importance that has appeared in all three ''Mother'' games. When equipped, it will instantly reflect projectiles.

*'''''[[Ramblin' Evil Mushroom]]''''' - A minor enemy that first appeared in ''EarthBound''; it acts as a spraying weapon that reverses the opponent's left and right controls.

*'''{{b|Starman|EarthBound}}''' - Extraterrestrial entities that first appeared in ''EarthBound Beginnings''. They teleport around the stage and shoot PK Beams at opponents. The Starman can be KO'd.

*{{gameIcon|SSBM}}'''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Pollyanna (I Believe In You)}}''': A soft rock remix of "[[wikibound:Pollyanna|Pollyanna (I Believe in You)]]" from ''Earthbound Beginnings''. Returns from ''Melee''.

*{{gameIcon|SSBB}}'''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Humoresque Of A Little Dog}}''': The theme that plays in {{iw|wikibound|Drugstore}}s and {{iw|wikibound|Department store}}s, from ''Earthbound Beginnings''. Returns from ''Brawl''.

*{{gameIcon|SSBB}}'''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Mother 3 Love Theme}}''': A remix of "Mom's Hometown", the theme that plays during the prologue, in ''{{iw|wikibound|Mother 3}}''. Returns from ''Brawl''.  

*{{gameIcon|SSBB}}'''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|You Call This A Utopia?!}}''': A remix of the theme "Isn't This Place Such a Utopia?" played in [[New Pork City]], which itself is an arrangement of "His Highness's Theme", "The Pig King's Playroom", and "Theme of King P", from ''Mother 3''. Returns from ''Brawl''.  

*Items

 

*Stages

**{{gameIcon|SSB4-3DS}} The background and other aesthetics of [[Magicant]] takes inspiration from the titular place in this game.

 

**{{gameIcon|SSBM}} "'''{{SSBMMusicLink|Mother 2}}'''": Later known as '''Pollyanna (I Believe In You)''', it is one of the overworld themes, sourced from this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBM}} "'''{{SSBMMusicLink|Mother}}'''": Later known as '''Bein' Friends''', it is one of the overworld themes, sourced from this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBB}} "'''{{SSBBMusicLink|EarthBound|Snowman}}'''": The theme that plays in the titular town, also originated from this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBB}} "'''{{SSBBMusicLink|EarthBound|Humouresque of a Little Dog}}'''": The recurring shop theme in the series, originated form this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSB4}} "'''{{SSB4MusicLink|EarthBound|Magicant / Eight Melodies}}'''" Both the ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'' versions of the track also originated from this game; both are themes that are played in the titular area.

 

*Assist Trophies

**{{gameIcon|SSBB}} The {{b|Starman|EarthBound}}, a recurring enemy in the series, first appeared in this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBB}} While [[Jeff]] does not debut in this game, his {{s|wikibound|Bottle Rockets}} do. He uses them frequently in ''Mother 2 / Earthbound''.

 

*Stickers

**{{gameIcon|SSBB}} {{s|wikibound|Ana}}, {{s|wikibound|Devil Car}}, {{s|wikibound|Little Saucer}}, {{s|wikibound|Lloyd}}, {{s|wikibound|Mad Truck}}, {{s|wikibound|New Age Retro Hippie}}, {{s|wikibound|Ninten}}, and {{s|wikibound|Teddy}} appear as stickers.

 

*Spirits

 

*Other

**{{gameIcon|SSB64}}The special moves [[PK Fire]], [[PK Freeze]], [[PK Thunder]], and [[PSI Magnet]], first appeared in this game. Neither Ness or Lucas were able to learn these moves in their respective games however. PK Beam, used by the Starmen Assist Trophies and [[Smash Run]] enemies, also appears in this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSB4-3DS}} [[Flying Men]] originate in this game, meant to represent the courage of the protagonist. They appear on Magicant as a stage hazard, and serve as a DLC alternate costume for the Mii Brawler.

:''Main article: [[EarthBound (game)]]''

*Playable Characters

**{{gameIcon|SSB64}} [[Ness]], the main protagonist of the game, is a playable character in all of the ''Smash Bros'' games to date. Several of Ness's costumes also originate from this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBM}} [[PK Flash]] and [[PK Starstorm]] originate from this game. Ness can learn PK Flash, but neither him nor Lucas can learn PK Starstorm.

 

**{{gameIcon|SSBM}} [[Mr. Saturn]]s, docile creatures who reside in their namesake valley, make their first appearance in ''EarthBound''.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} [[Ramblin' Evil Mushroom]] is a common overworld enemy in this game. It has a chance to mushroomize Ness and his party members.

 

*Stages

**{{gameIcon|SSBM}} [[Onett]]: Ness's hometown, has appeared in every ''Smash'' game since ''Melee''.

**{{gameIcon|SSBM}} [[Fourside]]: The largest city in Eagleland, appears in ''Melee'' and ''Ultimate''.

**{{gameIcon|SSB4-3DS}} Some elements of ''EarthBound''{{'}}s Magicant appears in Magicant, such as the Sky Runner and the Octopus statue.

 

*Music

**{{gameIcon|SSBM}} "'''{{SSBMMusicLink|EarthBound}}'''": Later known as '''Fourside''', Both the ''Melee'' and ''Ultimate'' versions of the track originate from the titular city in this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSB4-U}} "'''{{SSB4MusicLink|EarthBound|Onett Theme / Winters Theme}}'''": Has themes from both Onett and Winters (which is based off of the Snowman theme from ''EarthBound Beginnings'').

**{{gameIcon|SSB4}} "'''{{SSB4MusicLink|EarthBound|Smiles and Tears}}'''": Is the theme that plays during the end credits of this game.

 

*Assist Trophies

**{{gameIcon|SSBB}} [[Jeff]], one of Ness's party members, is an assist trophy in ''Smash''.

 

*Bosses

**{{gameIcon|SSBB}} [[Porky|Porky Minch]] was Ness's obnoxious neighbor and secondary antagonist in this game.

 

*Stickers

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} {{s|wikibound|Buzz Buzz}}, {{s|wikibound|Dungeon Man}}, Jeff, Master Belch, Mr. Saturn, Ness, {{s|wikibound|Ness's Father}}, Paula, Poo, and Ramblin' Evil Mushroom appear as spirits.

 

*Other

**{{gameIcon|SSB64}} Ness himself, his party members, two of the {{s|wikibound|Runaway Five}} members, {{s|wikibound|Frankystein Mark II}} (a mini-boss in the game), a Mr. Saturn, and three UFOs can be seen in Ness's congratulations screen from ''Super Smash Bros.''

**{{gameIcon|SSBB}} ''EarthBound'' itself is one of the playable Masterpieces in ''Brawl'' (Japan and PAL regions only) and ''Smash 4''.

*Playable Characters

**{{gameIcon|SSBB}} [[Lucas]], the main protagonist of the game, has been a playable character since ''Brawl'', but was planned in ''Melee'' to replace Ness. Some of his costumes originate from this game, too.

**{{gameIcon|SSBB}} [[Ness]]'s white costume is based off of Fuel, a character from this game.

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} When Lucas uses PK Starstorm in ''Ultimate'', [[Kumatora]] and [[Boney]], two of his party members, appear alongside him.

 

*Stages

**{{gameIcon|SSBB}} [[New Pork City]]: The final area of the game and the biggest city on the Nowhere Islands, is a playable stage in ''Brawl'' and ''Ultimate''. The [[Ultimate Chimera]], a hazard on this stage, is an invincible enemy that originates from this game, too.

 

*Music

**{{gameIcon|SSBB}} "'''{{SSBBMusicLink|EarthBound|You Call This A Utopia?!}}'''": Is the theme that plays in New Pork City.

 

**{{gameIcon|SSBB}} The [[Porky Statue]] also originates from this game. It's a statue that can only be destroyed by either the {{s|wikibound|New Year Eve's Bomb}} or, in rare cases, PK Flash.

 

*Stickers

**{{gameIcon|SSBB}} Boney, {{s|wikibound|Claus}}, {{s|wikibound|Duster}}, {{s|wikibound|Flint}}, {{s|wikibound|Hinawa}}, Kumatora, Lucas, {{s|wikibound|Pigmask}}, and {{s|wikibound|Salsa}} appear as stickers.

 

*Spirits

**{{gameIcon|SSBU}} {{s|wikibound|Absolutely Safe Capsule}}, Boney, Claus, Duster, Flint, Hinawa, Kumatora, Lucas, {{s|wikibound|Masked Man}}, Salsa, and {{s|wikibound|Ultimate Chimera}} appear as spirits.

*Music

**{{gameIcon|SSBB}} ''Snowman''{{'}}s remix uses its version in this album as a basis.

*Music

**{{gameIcon|SSBB}} The ''LOG-O- TYPE'' Portion of ''Tazmily in the Stage'' from this album is used in ''Porky{{'}}s Theme''.

*The copyright for Shigesato Itoi / Ape Inc. is not listed in the title screen of ''Super Smash Bros.'' and the back boxart for ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS'', possibly due to Ness being an unlockable fighter in both games. Additionally, the copyright is not listed in the ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'' eShop copyright listings without including the DLC page.  

**Subsequently, ''EarthBound'' is the only Nintendo series with this distinction.

*The ''EarthBound'' series has never had a song in a ''Super Smash Bros.'' title that wasn't a remix. It is currently the only universe with this distinction, excluding universes such as {{uv|Pac-Man}} and {{uv|Game & Watch}}, which in the former's case includes various medleys of Namco arcade music, and as for the latter, its songs are original compositions that include Game & Watch sounds.