[quote name='kainzero']i think earthbound's writing is really good and conversely i think that's why it holds up well today. perhaps it's even better today than it was back then. i do remember that back then, earthbound was criticized for its terrible graphics as people thought of it as a step back compared to other rpgs at the time like chrono trigger and ff6.[/QUOTE]
I kind of liked the graphical approach, though it bugged me somewhat in that it wasn't true isometry, and I especially the diagonal movement options for the characters.
Why I don't like Earthbound has mainly to do with game mechanics and core plotting. The "condiment" system was a tremendously flawed idea when coupled with the inventory limits, and to beat the final boss, you're forced to use the most useless ability in the whole game-- an ability which behaves completely different from how it normally does for that one battle,
and pretty much ensures that you'll need a guide to even figure out that you need to use it (good thing Nintendo included one as a pack-in!). As for the plot, it lays it on pretty thick that Ness is the chosen one or whatever, which is hardly a motivation when there's nothing to strongly contradict it. I'm not a big fan of that sort of player flattery. There are some scenes of the game I thought were charming, though, like the lake monster bit and Dungeon Man sections.
[quote name='ihadFG']Even for it's time, Earthbound is somewhat niche in it's appeal. I don't think the game is any worse for it's age, but it's definitely the kind of game that isn't for everyone. Some of the aspects that certain people love about it are things that others might see as flaws, or signs of age. For me personally, the game is nearly perfect aside from a weird difficulty curve, which is something that would have existed just as much when it first came out as it does now.[/QUOTE]
I agree that it's not for everyone-- same with Secret of Mana, SMT Nocturne, and other JRPGS that I didn't like-- not to mention FFV, the entire Front Mission series, and many others that I do.
As for Earthbound's difficulty curve, that didn't really bug me *shrug*
[quote name='Kazaganthi']Hope I didn't come off as mad, I'm just trying to warn you. If you knock FF6, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Harvest Moon, Super Mario RPG, Super Mario World/Yoshi Island, and Earthbound this thread will turn bad fast.

[/QUOTE]
Not knocking Earthbound, but it just wasn't for me *points up* Neither was Secret of Mana.
As for Harvest Moon, I love it to death and it's one of my personal favorite SNES games, but it's flawed and not for everyone.