EarthBound

EarthBound features many traditional role-playing game elements: the player controls a party of characters who travel through the game's two-dimensional world composed of villages, cities, caves, and dungeons. Along the way, the player fights battles against enemies and the party receives experience points for victories. If enough experience points are acquired, a character's level will increase. This pseudo-randomly increases the character's attributes, such as offense, defense, and the maximum hit points (HP) and psychic points (PP) of each character.

Rather than using an overworld map screen like most console RPGs of its era, the world is entirely seamless, with no differentiation between towns and the outside world. Another non-traditional element is the perspective used for the world. The game uses oblique projection , while most 2D RPGs use a "top-down" view on a grid or an isometric perspective. Unlike its predecessor, EarthBound Beginnings , EarthBound does not use random encounters.

In EarthBound , enemies are presented similar to other non-player characters scattered around the game's overworld. While the player can see enemy parties on-screen, the composition of the parties are randomly generated. If the party contacts an enemy from behind (indicated by a translucent green swirl that fills the screen), the player is given a first-strike priority when battle mode begins. If the party contacts an enemy with their backs, the swirl is red, and the enemy is given first-strike priority, though the player can dodge.

Battles with weaker enemies are won automatically, forgoing the battle sequence, and weaker monsters will flee from Ness and his friends rather than chase them. In combat, once an enemy or character's HP reaches zero, that enemy or character is rendered unconscious. There is a chance that the party will receive an item after the battle. Battle commands include attacking, spying (reveals enemy weakness), mirroring (emulates an enemy), and running away.

Characters can also use PSI actions that require PP. Once each character is assigned a command, the characters and enemies perform their actions in an order determined by character speed and a random number generator. Whenever a character receives damage, the HP box gradually "rolls" down, similar to a mechanical counter . This allows players an opportunity to heal the character or win the battle before the counter hits zero, saving the character from being rendered unconscious.

This mechanic does not apply to enemies, for whom unconsciousness is instantaneous and can be reversed only with healing PSI. If all characters are rendered unconscious, the game transitions to an endgame screen, asking if the player wants to continue. An affirmative response brings Ness , conscious, back to the last save point , with half the money on his person at the time of his defeat, and with other party members still unconscious. Currency is indirectly received from battles.

Each time the party wins a battle, Ness's father, who can also save the game's progress, deposits money in an account that can be withdrawn at ATMs . In towns, players can buy weapons, armor, and items from stores. Weapons and armor can be equipped to increase character strength and defense, respectively. Items can be used for a number of purposes, such as healing.

Towns also contain useful facilities such as hospitals where players can be healed for a fee.