User:Crossovers with EarthBound
| EarthBound | |
|---|---|
 Logo used for EarthBound for the SNES | |
| First installment | EarthBound Beginnings (1989) |
| Latest installment | Mother 3 (2006) |
| Number of installments | 3 |
| Series | EarthBound |
EarthBound, known as MOTHER in Japan, is a series of RPG games created by Shigesato Itoi. The player takes control of a psychic boy who must use their powers to save the world. Along the way, the player teams up with other characters, some of which also have psychic powers. While the series has been sucessful in Japan, it has seen significantly less success outside of the country. The English localization for the first entry, EarthBound Beginnings, was shelved and was not officially released worldwide until 2015. Its successor, EarthBound, was poorly recieved upon its release in North America in 1995. Since then, the series has garnered a cult following.
Because the EarthBound series shared developers with the first Super Smash Bros. game, HAL Laboratory and Creatures Inc. (the successor to Ape Inc.), it has received consistent representation throughout the Super Smash Bros. series.
Overview
Atypical of RPGs at the time, the EarthBound series takes place in a contemporary setting. As such, it frequently makes reference to popular culture of the 20th century, especially from the United States. The series also contains mechanics rarely seen in RPGs at the time, such as the rolling HP counter and visible enemies in the overworld starting with EarthBound and the combo system in Mother 3 where the player can deal additional damage to enemies by tapping 
to the background music's beat. The series is also known for its quirky humor and jokes about tropes in RPG games.
The first two games in the series, EarthBound Beginnings and EarthBound, are structurally similar to each other. The player takes the role of a psychic boy who must travel to various locations to complete the Eight Melodies. Along the way, the player teams up with a psychic girl and a boy capable of using mechanical weapons. Mother 3 is a departure from the the first two games. With a larger emphasis on a narrative, the game is split up into explicit chapters. Up until the timeskip in Chapter 4, the player's character changes with each chapter. After this point, the structure better resembles the previous entries, with the player instead searching for the Seven Needles.
Prominent crossover elements
Characters
Ness
- WikiBound article: Ness
Ness is the protagonist of EarthBound. He lives in a town in Eagleland called Onett. After approaching the meteor that struck close to his home, he is informed by Buzz Buzz that three boys and one girl are destined to defeat Giygas as he believes Ness is one of the boys from the prophecy. During his journey, he travels the world to find the eight Your Sanctuary locations and meets the other children from the prophecy: Paula, Jeff, and Poo. He also deepens his psychic abilities, learning various techniques.
Ness has been a fighter in the Super Smash Bros. series since the first installment. He is also one of the characters that appears as a Costume Mario form in Super Mario Maker and has a Yarn Yoshi design in Yoshi's Woolly World.
Lucas
- WikiBound article: Lucas
Lucas is the protagonist of Mother 3. He lives with his family in Tazmilly Village on the Nowhere Islands. His life is peaceful until his mother Hinawa is killed by a Mecha-Drago and his brother Claus goes missing after attempting to kill the Mecha-Dragon to avenge their mother. Years later, he teams up with Kumatora, Duster, and his dog Boney to fight the Pigmask Army and prevent them from pulling the majority of the Seven Needles.
Lucas has appeared as a fighter in the Super Smash Bros. series starting with Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Like Ness, Costume Mario can take the form of Lucas in Super Mario Maker and a Yarn Yoshi design based on him appears in Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World.
Mr. Saturn
- WikiBound article: Mr. Saturn
The Mr. Saturns are a species in the EarthBound series, first appearing in EarthBound. They have a child-like demeanor, as shown by the stag beetles they sell in EarthBound for instance; bug catching is a popular children's pastime in Japan. They also speak in a quirky manner and even use a typeface evocative of a child's handwriting when speaking. Despite this, they are technologically adept, helping Dr. Andonuts build the Phase Distorters.
Starting with Super Smash Bros. Melee, Mr. Saturns appear as items that easily break opponents' shields. They also appear in Super Mario Maker as one of Costume Mario's forms.
History in the Super Mario franchise
Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land 3
In the manga Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land 3, Ness, Paula, Jeff, Poo, and a Mr. Saturn appear in the fourth chapter as cameos. They are shown walking along as Debidebi Daiō's ship spreads a toxic gas from above. They are subsequently engulfed and knocked out by the gas.
Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World
In Yoshi's Woolly World, scanning a Ness amiibo unlocks the "Ness Yoshi" design in the amiibo Hut. The Yarn Yoshi take on the appearance of Ness, with its body taking on the appearance of Ness' clothes and its shell taking the appearance of his backpack. In Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, a Yarn Yoshi design for Lucas appears in addition to the one for Ness. Scanning a Lucas amiibo unlocks the "Lucas Yoshi" design. Like the "Ness Yoshi" design, the Yarn Yoshi's body takes the appearance of Lucas' clothes.
Super Mario Maker
Super Mario Maker introduces the Mystery Mushroom for Super Mario Bros.-themed courses. This power-up transforms Mario into Costume Mario, a form that disguises Mario as one of many other characters, the majority of which do not originate from the Super Mario franchise. Four of the 136 costumes come from the EarthBound series.
In addition, two Event Courses are based off of EarthBound to coincide with the game's 20th anniversary in North America: they are Belch Base and Welcome to Saturn Valley. They are each based on Belch's Base and Saturn Valley. Beating Belch Base awards the player with the Master Belch costume and beating Welcome to Saturn Valley awards the Mr. Saturn costume.
| # | Image | Costume | Origin | Unlock method | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 
|
Ness | EarthBound | Clear 100 Mario Challenge on Normal setting or harder or Use any Ness amiibo |
When acquired, the PSI Healing sound effect from EarthBound plays. Clearing a course plays the boss battle victory theme, also from EarthBound. When falling in a pit, the sound effect of Ness's party being defeated from that game will play. When  is pressed, the jingle for learning a new technique will play.
|
| 61 | 
|
Lucas | MOTHER3 | Clear 100 Mario Challenge on Expert setting or harder or Use any Lucas amiibo |
The sound effect used when acquired is when an important item is gotten in Mother 3. Pressing plays the jingle when a new PSI ability is learned. The course clear music that plays is when a boss is defeated. The party defeat jingle plays when the player falls into a pit.
|
| 114 | 
|
Master Belch | EarthBound | Clear the Belch Base Event Course | Based on Master Belch's overworld sprite from EarthBound. Pressing will make him belch and a stench to appear. Collecting the Mystery Mushroom plays the boss encounter jingle from EarthBound. Losing a life plays the EarthBound game over jingle and clearing the course plays the EarthBound boss clear jingle.
|
| 115 | 
|
Mr. Saturn | EarthBound | Clear the Welcome to Saturn Valley Event Course | Based on the Mr. Saturn sprite from EarthBound. The transformation sound is the healing sound from EarthBound Pressing will make Mr. Saturn raise his eyebrows. Losing a life plays the game over jingle and completing the course plays the boss clear jingle.
|
History in the EarthBound series
EarthBound Beginnings
A child in Twinkle Elementary in Merrysville asks Ninten if he has played Super Mario Bros. 7, remarking that he cannot get past Super Mario Bros. 3.
EarthBound
In the Japanese version of the game, Mother 2, the sixth set of default names references the Super Mario franchise, giving Ness the name "Mario", Paula the name "Peach", Jeff the name "Luigi", Poo the name "Kinopio", and King the name "Yoshi". The protagonist's favorite food becomes "mushroom meal" and his favorite thing becomes "Goal". This naming set was replaced in the North American release.[1]
In Onett's arcade, one type of cabinet has a screen that resembles 25m. In the battle theme that plays when fighting against Master Belch and other related enemies, it uses the first six notes of "Ground BGM" from Super Mario Bros.
The arrangement from EarthBound Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros.
In Super Smash Bros., Ness is one of the twelve playable characters. He is unlocked by beating the 1P game on Normal difficulty or higher with only three stocks. For his smash attacks, he uses a baseball bat and yo-yo, weapons he is able to equip in EarthBound. He is able to perform PK Fire as his neutral special, PK Thunder as his up special, and PSI Magnet as his down special. Of note, Ness is unable to learn these moves in EarthBound.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Select material is described below. For EarthBound trophies, List of SSBM trophies (EarthBound series).
Ness returns as a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Melee. He has gained the ability to perform PK Flash as his neutral special, with PK Fire being changed to be his side special. Unlike his other special moves, Ness knows how to perform PK Flash in EarthBound.
A stage based on Onett from EarthBound appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee. It takes place in front of the town's drugstore, with houses on either side of it. Occasionally, vehicles drive through the stage and damage any fighters that come into contact. One of the vehicles that can pass by is the Runaway Five tour bus. Two music tracks can play on this stage: "Mother" and "Mother 2". "Mother" is a medley of "Bein' Friends" and EarthBound Beginning's Eight Melodies. "Mother 2" is an arrangement of "Pollyanna".
There is also a stage based on Fourside from EarthBound. It is comprised of three skyscrapers, with the top of the one on the left resembling the Dinosaur Museum and the one in the middle being the Monotoli Building. A UFO occasionally flies into view and serves as a platform. When it appears, it plays the sound that precedes the "War Against Giygas!" screen in EarthBound. Monotoli's helicopter also appears and lands on the helipad, but this is purely visual. The stage also take cues from Fourside's counterpart, Moonside. The stage takes place at night and features a giant moon in the sky. The vibrant lights of the buildings in the background are also reminiscent of building outlines in Moonside. The music that plays on this stage is titled "EarthBound". It is an arranged medley of Fourside's music, "Because I Love You", and EarthBound's Eight Melodies.
Mr. Saturns appear as items. They are able to walk around and push other items. Mr. Saturns deal a small amount of damage when thrown, but they are also able to deal massive amounts of shield damage.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Select material is described below. For EarthBound trophies, List of SSBB trophies (EarthBound series). For the equipable stickers, see List of stickers (EarthBound series). For music, see List of SSBB Music (EarthBound series).
In addition to Ness, Lucas appears as a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For his side smash attack, Lucas uses a stick, his weapon in Mother 3. He is able to perform PK Freeze as his neutral special, PK Fire as his side special, PK Thunder as his up special, and PSI Magnet as his down special. For his grab and tether recovery, he uses Rope Snake. For their Final Smashes, both fighters use PK Starstorm.
Alongside the returning Onett stage from Super Smash Bros. Melee, there is also a stage based on New Pork City from Mother 3. The stage consists of various platforms. In the background is the city itself, primarily using graphics from the original game. Occasionally, the Ultimate Chimera appears, dealing a massive amount of damage and knockback to fighters who come into contact with it.
The Franklin Badge appears as an item along with the returning Mr Saturn item. When the Franklin Badge is equipped, any projectiles directed at the wearer are reflected. Jeff also appears as one of the Assist Trophy characters. When summoned, he launches a volley of bottle rockets.
In the Subspace Emissary, Lucas first appears at The Ruined Zoo. He is suddenly confronted by the Porky Statue, leading to a chase throughout the zoo. Lucas trips on a branch, but Ness appears to use PK Thunder to knock over the statue and PK Flash to destroy it. Porky Minch in his spider mech appears from the dust cloud and attacks the two. When the mech is defeated, Wario attempts to shoot his Dark Cannon at Ness. When he aims at Lucas, Ness pushes Lucas out of the way and gets turned into a trophy. Lucas runs away and eventually encounters the Pokémon Trainer. The two make their way out of the Ruined Zoo.
Ness' trophy eventually makes its way to King Dedede's Castle, where King Dedede places a Dedede Brooch on him. His trophy is taken to Subspace when a Subspace Bomb is detonated there.
Lucas and the Pokémon Trainer travel on The Path to the Ruins and encounter Wario at the entrance. When Wario is defeated, Lucas looks for any signs of Ness. They go through The Ruins and face Galleom at The Ruined Hall. Upon its defeat, Galleom starts its Subspace Bomb, grabs Lucas and the Pokémon Trainer, and flies into the air. Lucas uses PK Thunder to free themselves as Meta Knight catches them before they hit the ground.
Alongside many other fighters, Lucas is turned into a trophy from Tabuu's Off Waves. Soon after, the Dedede Brooches activate and revive Ness and Luigi, who then revive King Dedede.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
Select material is described below. For EarthBound trophies, List of SSB4 trophies (EarthBound series). For music, see List of SSB4 Music (EarthBound series).
Initially, Ness was the only fighter from the EarthBound series to return in these installments. However, Lucas was later added in the games as DLC.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS features a stage based on EarthBound Beginning's iteration of Magicant. Various object from the EarthBound series appears in this stage, including the Dungeon Man, the Sky Runner, a Mobile Sprout, an Octopus Statue from Mother 2, and a tomato from EarthBound's iteration of Magicant. Flying Men can be recruited by the first fighter who touches them. Like the original games, up to five Flying Men can appear in a match. When one is defeated, a tombstone appears beside their house. During a match, a tear in space appears in the background and shows various scenes from the EarthBound series. The Onett stage returns in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
The Franklin Badge and Mr. Saturn return as items. In addition to Jeff, a Starman appears as an Assist Trophy character. When summoned, it teleports around and uses PK Beam. If it is hit by a smash attack, the "SMAAAASH!" graphic from EarthBound appears.
In Smash Run, two enemies from the EarthBound series can appear: Starmen, who share their behavior with their Assist Trophy counterpart, and Devil Cars, which attack by performing doughnuts.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Select material new to the Super Smash Bros. series is described below. For EarthBound spirits, see List of spirits in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (501–1000). For music, see List of SSBU Music (EarthBound series).
Both Ness and Lucas, the Jeff and Starman Assist Trophies, the Franklin Badge and Mr. Saturn, and all three EarthBound series stages return in this game. When Ness performs PK Starstorm, Paula and Poo now appear alongside him. Likewise, Kumatora and Boney appear when Lucas performs PK Starstorm. Due to the increase in graphical fidelity, more details can be seen in the stages. On Fourside, the interior of the Monotoli Building can be seen and it reflects how it looks in EarthBound. On Magicant, Brick Road can be seen inside the Dungeon Man.
- Classic Mode routes
| Round | Opponent(s) | Stage | Song | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ness: Home to Onett! | ||||
| 1 | Ness | Magicant | Magicant (for 3DS / Wii U) | |
| 2 | Lucas | New Pork City | You Call This a Utopia?! | |
| 3 | R.O.B. (purple costume) ×3 | Fourside | Fourside | |
| 4 | Sheik | Gerudo Valley | Bein' Friends | |
| 5 | Toon Link (dark costume) ×2 | Luigi's Mansion | Unfounded Revenge / Smashing Song of Praise | |
| 6 | Villager, Isabelle | Onett | Onett Theme / Winters Theme | |
| Final | Master Hand, Crazy Hand (intensity 7.0 or higher) | Final Destination | Master Hand Master Hand / Crazy Hand (intensity 7.0 or higher) | |
| Lucas: Magic, Sacred Powers, and PSI! | ||||
| 1 | Ness | Magicant | Magicant | |
| 2 | Robin (male), Robin (female) | Arena Ferox | Conquest (Ablaze) | |
| 3 | Rosalina | Mario Galaxy | Gusty Garden Galaxy | |
| 4 | Giant Palutena | Palutena's Temple (Ω) | Underworld | |
| 5 | Bayonetta | Umbra Clock Tower | Tomorrow Is Mine (Bayonetta 2 Theme) (Instrumental) | |
| 6 | Mewtwo | Kalos Pokémon League | Battle! (Team Galactic) | |
| Final | Master Hand, Crazy Hand (intensity 7.0 or higher) | Final Destination | Master Hand Master Hand / Crazy Hand (intensity 7.0 or higher) | |
Gallery
Sprites and models
Super Mario Maker (Ness)
Super Mario Maker (Lucas)
Super Mario Maker (Master Belch)
Super Mario Maker (Mr. Saturn)
Screenshots
Yoshi's Woolly World (Ness Yoshi)
Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World (Lucas Yoshi)
References
- ^ EarthBound. The Mushroom Kingdom. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
