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1) EarthBound
Last Title: EarthBound (SNES, 1995)
Though years of petitioning recently yielded a re-release on Wii U’s Virtual Console, EarthBound can still firmly be considered the pinnacle of forgotten Nintendo franchises. While EarthBound can casually be categorized as an RPG, look deeper and you’ll find a game that turned the genre on its ear. Developed as a joint venture between Nintendo’s HAL Laboratory (with Satoru Iwata), Ape, and Shigesato Itoi, EarthBound refused to conform to traditional RPG conventions. Starring Smash Bros. mainstay Ness, EarthBound was about the young boy’s quest to stop the evil alien Giygas from destroying the Earth. Where the game differentiated itself from other RPGs was in its approach to common tropes and themes of the genre. Swords and lances were replaced with baseball bats and yo-yos, potions with cheeseburgers, and castles with suburbia. EarthBound‘s graphics and music have aged incredibly well, and its unique take on American culture is funny and thought provoking. With a colorful cast of characters and innumerable memorable moments, EarthBound embedded itself into the hearts and minds of Nintendo fans everywhere.
EarthBound is different from other games on this list in that it needs both a new sequel and to see its first and third installments come stateside. What many fans think of as a standalone title is actually the second of three games in Japan. Overseas, the EarthBound series is known as Mother, with its first game on NES and third game on Game Boy Advance. Part of bringing back EarthBound would require finally making all three games available to US players so that a proper foundation can be built upon. From there, Nintendo can begin thinking of ways to advance the series forward for a fourth title. While EarthBound was the work of a team, no one member was more influential to its development than Itoi. Unfortunately, the eclectic creator has stated it would be impossible to make another sequel. Still, with the intensely devout fan base behind EarthBound, Nintendo should find a way to make another game even without Itoi. EarthBound was more than just a flash in the pan, it was a landmark videogame that continues to remain relevant. This is one Nintendo franchise that deserves to never be forgotten. No one would object to a world with more scratch and sniff cards, either.
With that, another Top Ten has come to a close. Which franchise did we forget was forgotten? Should we all be hoping for the return of FlingSmash like you are? Let us know in the comments!
