EARTHBOUND / REFERENCE

Getting started

Saving, money, exploration and the first steps out of Onett.

Edition covered

The original SNES adventure: Mother 2 in Japan (1994), released as EarthBound in North America in 1995. This guide uses English-version names.

Talk and check

Speak to townspeople and inspect unusual objects. Conversations often point toward the next destination.

EarthBound command window with Talk to and Check — The command window: Talk to and Check sit beside Goods, PSI, Equip and Status. Here Ness uses the Key to the shack in Onett.

Save by phone

Call Dad to save your progress. Call Mom when Ness becomes homesick.

Ness talking to his Mom at home in EarthBound — Ness’s Mom at home in Onett. Call or visit her when Ness gets homesick; call Dad to save.

Banking

Money earned from battles is deposited into your bank account. Use the ATM card at an ATM to withdraw spending money.

EarthBound ATM menu — The ATM menu: withdraw spending money or deposit cash. (Official EarthBound guide)

Pack lightly

Inventory space is limited. Use Escargo Express to store items you do not currently need.

Escargo Express answering a phone call in EarthBound — Escargo Express, where Ness’s sister Tracy works, stores items and delivers them back when you call.

The Escargo Express delivery man brings stored items back to you.

A steady start

Our suggestion: upgrade your equipment, carry healing supplies and rest before exploring a new dungeon.

Onett town in EarthBound — Onett, Ness’s hometown, where the adventure starts.

Use town services before the next expedition

Check equipment, inventory space and recovery while you are near shops and other services. Calling home keeps saving connected to the journey, while conversations can reveal what a town needs from you. If you are unsure where to go, talk to people and reconsider the current local problem before walking into every dangerous area. Preparation makes the next story encounter easier to read.

EarthBound drugstore interior — A drugstore counter: equipment, recovery items and other supplies.

EarthBound burger shop interior — A burger shop. Food restores HP, so stock up before a long route.

Avoid unnecessary inventory pressure

Early in the adventure, each held item competes with useful supplies and new discoveries. Read the item help before deciding what to keep, equip or store. Do not carry an obsolete piece of equipment simply because it was valuable earlier. A tidy inventory makes it easier to pick up the next important object and reduces the chance that a return trip becomes necessary only because every slot was occupied.

EarthBound Goods menu — A Goods menu holding food alongside the ATM card and Sound Stone. Every slot counts. (Official EarthBound guide)

FIELD NOTE

Talk to people, check your supplies and call Dad to save before heading into unfamiliar territory.

References

Nintendo: official EarthBound guide