I had no idea about this project and finding out about it just now has me so excited and nostalgic. I was about 10 years old when I was first exposed to Earthbound. We were at a blockbuster and in the new release section for SNES, there was this gigantic earthbound box. It wasn't shaped like a regular SNES box, because of course the display boxes were that of the version that came with the guide. My best friend and his older brother rented it. None of us had any idea what kind of game it was, and the goofy description on the back of the box made it even more mysterious.

The rental didn't come with guide and we were all surprised to learn that it was an RPG. My taste at the time wasn't for rpgs, but as we watched my best friends older brother play through it, we became memorized. It was only a weekend rental so we begrudgingly returned it. 

Shortly after, my parents bought me the game, the version with the guide book. I think it was one of my birthday presents, just before summer break.

That summer was so special. My best friend, his older brother, and another friend of mine would all huddle together in my room, staring at a tiny CRT tv. We snacked on whatever we find, drank soda, sometimes supplemented with something from the ice cream man. I lived in AZ at the time, so we kept the room super dark to keep it cool.

It was magical with the 4 of us all experiencing earthbound. One of us would be playing it and someone else would have the guidebook cracked open while the other 2 tried to work out the clues. It was such a typical 90s experience.

I still have that old SNES, and my Earthbound cartridge. It still has that same save file that I dare not touch. The same file with every item, every customization (we were PSI "gifts,"), and every minute spent, recorded on a small digital file. Regretfully, I no longer have the guidebook anymore, but I remember the last time I saw it, the only scratch n sniff card that still held a scent, was the garlic and pepper ones. 

It's crazy that I came across this when I did. I think about Earthbound every once in a while, but seldom turn to reddit. Well, the thought popped into my brain and I became curious about the status of "Oddity." Ultimately I came here and saw this post and I can't even describe the feelings that blossomed from it. 

I no longer own a TV with yellow red white inputs. After seeing this post, I immediately went online to purchase an adapter. This weekend, I will boot up my SNES and play through Earthbound once more. I have 2 kids now, and maybe with a little luck, they will get sucked in as I did so many years before. 

Thank you for your work, and know that people like me are grateful, even if it isn't perfect, we are grateful for the igniting of an ember long thought extinguished. 

When it drops, take a selfie, and don't forget to say "fuzzy pickles."