...I'm...h...a...p...p...y...

While playing Earthbound over the last couple weeks I have asked myself multiple times: Just what is it about this game that drives most players to such obsession over it? I understand liking games, and as far as I could tell Earthbound was a rather good game, if a little frustrating and at times nearly impossible. The art style is cute, the music is amazing, and many of the themes are clever and funny. But none of these things added up enough for me to call it a great game, just a good one. Then I beat the game, and I realized:

Everything about this game has been worth the final fight. 

Everything. All the frustration. All the annoyance. All of it. 

The ending of this game. Where do I even start. Oh, I know, robots. When in doubt, always start with robots...

See, after conquering your nightmares and your own insecurities (literally!), You are now ready to face your foe-o-destiny: Giygas. But you can't just walk up to his lair, knock on the door, and say howdy (with your baseball bat). No, you have to go back in time, to when Giygas was weak and vulnerable. Guess what doesn't handle time travel very well? Soft, squishy huuuuman bodies. So Jeff's father stuffs everyone's spirits into robots, with a hitch: We probably won't be able to switch back. Have fun running to your inevitable deaths kids!

The battle with Giygas takes place in several parts, but they all flow together beautifully. You start off facing Pokey, who now stands not as your annoying jackass neighbor, but as a true evil of the universe. Fittingly, you don't actually beat Pokey. I'm pretty sure I never actually came close to even hurting him. Coward that he is, he simply ends the fight, makes fun of you for a bit, then leaves you to his increasingly volatile master. 

Giygas, you creepy thing you. I just kind of wailed on him for a while. Pokey, being the absolute pain in the ass bastard that he is, interrupts my slugfest to run his mouth a little more. 

"Why not call your mommy, Ness! Say, 'Mommy! Daddy! I'm so frightened! I think I'm gonna wet my pants!' HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Blah blah blah (jerk). 

Know what? That's a great idea. Imma do that. 

Super-robot-telepathy-powers ACTIVATE!

And, frankly, that's exactly what we do. With Ness and Poo keeping the party healed and shielded, Paula prays. Every turn she prays. In the present on earth she is heard by friends, family, and Mr. Saturns alike, with all of the people we helped along the way pouring their own prayers back to us. Even the player (hey, that's me!) gets in on it, adding in their own prayers (actually I wasn't praying. I was button mashing, but, ya know, same thing) to the mix. 

Soon Giygas explodes with the power of love and friendship, and Ness n' friends make it safely back into their bodies (big mistake, always keep the robot body!), and the universe is saved! 

OR IS IT!?!?!?

Gotta love cliffhanger endings.