Since I can't read Japanese (yet) I had to play the English translated ROM of EBZ. While you can clearly see the roots of the game that proceeded Earthbound, the sense of humor is a little less evident. EBZ is also harder than EB, which decreases the fun of playing it somewhat. It's irritating to keep getting into a battle when you take a step.
The story and acute sense of adventure are what really make this game work. It's fun to travel to new towns and meet all the weird people there (like the kid who says "Have you played Super Mario Bros. 7? I'm still playing part 3"). Along the way you get to fight flying saucers, hippies, Starmen and a large amount of other enemies. The music doesn't have anything on EB, but it's catchy enough.
If you have NESticle, I'd urge you to get the ROM of this game (unless you have a Famicom and can read Japanese) and give this unfairly neglected game a go.
The story and acute sense of adventure are what really make this game work. It's fun to travel to new towns and meet all the weird people there (like the kid who says "Have you played Super Mario Bros. 7? I'm still playing part 3"). Along the way you get to fight flying saucers, hippies, Starmen and a large amount of other enemies. The music doesn't have anything on EB, but it's catchy enough.
If you have NESticle, I'd urge you to get the ROM of this game (unless you have a Famicom and can read Japanese) and give this unfairly neglected game a go.