Earthboundis regarded by many in the gaming community as one of the most influential JRPGs ever created. Possessing numerous eccentricities, a bizarre, yet memorable narrative, and heartwarming characters,Earthboundis one game that many players may have heard about, but likely haven’t actually played. Though, today provided a unique opportunity for Nintendo to allow many players to experienceEarthboundfor the first time, but Nintendo ultimately passed on it.
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The newest batch of games being made available onNintendo Switch Online, although considered good games by many in the community, did not includeEarthbound, which many fans see as a major missed opportunity by Nintendo. With more and more people utilizing the online service, having something comparatively underground likeEarthboundto play, would provide users a chance to experience something different. It reached the point where fans gotEarthboundtrending on Twitter with a large variety of different reactions.
In all fairness, the JRPG genre, especially as it applies to older JRPGs, is not nearly as popular or recognizable as some of the other games available on Nintendo Switch Online. In fact, one of the primary reasons whyEarthboundhas maintained its longevity for so long is due to characters from theMotherseries like Ness and Lucas making appearances inSuper Smash Bros.
However, on the flipside, if these Tweets are any indication, there is clearly a demand for not justEarthbound, but theMotherseries in general to be promoted more in the West. After all, when there are celebrities likeTerry Crews calling to haveMother 3localizedin North America, then its obvious that many people want to play these games.
In recent years, a lot of unexpected games have seen localizations in North America, most of which being JRPGs. The fact that Atlus is releasing an HD remake ofShin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturnein less than a week proves that new players want to experience these older games on newer consoles. With any luck, Nintendo will recognize the demand and potential theMotherseries has in the West.
