EarthBound Legacy

EarthBound Legacy (also known as Mother Forever) is the fourth installment in the EarthBound series released for the Nintendo 3DS. It's the first game in the series to be developed by not just Ape Inc. and HAL Laboratory, but also GalaxySoft Inc. (which recently came back from its near bankruptcy). The game was published by Nintendo and is set to hit store shelves on February 10th, 2015. A sequel to the game, EarthBound Legion, is in development for the Wii U and is expected for release in 2016, and it will be the final game in the series. This game is also the first game by GalaxySoft to use the 3DS Achievement System
==Gameplay==
EarthBound Legacy has gameplay similar to that of the previous titles in the series. Players control a group of party members through a series of chapters with interesting events in each. Its gameplay is similar to EarthBound 2 (Mother 3 in Japan) because the game switches points of view every few chapters. 
==Plot==
===Synposis===
It's been 13 years since Mother 3 (EarthBound 2) and the defeat of the Pigmask Army. Ness and Paula have since married, had a son named Barry, and moved to the town of New Glickdale. Barry is now in middle school, approaching his final year of it, when a group called the Retro Rogues attacks. Now Barry must recruit his friends (and cat) to save the world from becoming something of the past-literally!
===Chapter 1 "The Night of Invasion"===
A cutscene before Chapter 1 shows a pixelated spaceship hovering over a small town, presumably Tazmily Village from Mother 3, and fires a beam that causes houses, people, and many other things to vanish, being replaced with sand and dinosaurs. Several people can be seen fleeing as the ship flies off.
Barry, the son of Ness and Paula, awakens suddenly in his bed after seeing the cutscene as a dream. He jumps out of bed and gets dressed. Barry then heads downstairs and grabs some breakfast while his parents start preparing something. When he asks what it is, Barry's father says that something's going to happen tonight and that he needs to stay home from the last day of school. His mother then wants him to take care of Mayli, his younger sister, during his errand run. A reluctant Barry then heads out, following his errand list whilst.
The first thing on the list is to pick up some groceries from the local grocery store. On his way there, he and his sister are attacked by a Retro Runt and his Tinymon. After defeating it, the two continue and find that the grocery store has put everything for every family outside. Confused, Barry picks up the bag for his family and walks off. The two then complete the rest of their errands and head home. At home, the family then boards up their house so no one can get in or out.
Night falls and nothing happens...yet. Mayli gets out of bed to get some water, only to be kidnapped by a mysterious man. Barry then awakens and sees his sister getting taken. He fights a few Retro Runts and some Retro Rockstars before seeing Mayli and her kidnapper vanish into the night sky. Several of the minions are still near him, ready to attack, so Barry runs toward the town of Wastos.
===Chapter 2 "Early Sorrow"===
Barry arrives in Wastos at about 3:00 AM and heads to Jess' house. He knocks on the door loudly, begging for the assistance of Jess. Jess answers the door and sees a tired Barry on her porch. She asks him what the heck he was doing on her porch at 3:00 in the morning, and Barry explains his situation.
Jess reluctantly agrees to teach Barry some PSI/PK attacks so he can defeat the Retro Rogues. The two hide in the basement after seeing one of the RR's spaceships attack the town. Several townspeople, including Jess' friend Sammy, are taken captive during this attack. Some of the Division X Rockstars capture several other people on the ground, and their leader, Miss Classix (an evil Mayli) discovers Jess and Barry in the basement.
The two good guys and Miss Classix engage in battle while the Division X Runts steal a prized Diamond Hook from Jess' house. Once the battle is over, Jess not only joins Barry's party but also notices the Diamond Hook missing. Division X then flies off with the hook in tow. The Rogues then send out Division Q to attack the town of Poriu, where Lewis and his father live. Barry and Jess then head northwest towards Poriu as Wastos is converted into a 50's style city called "Rocca".
===Chapter 3 "A Trip to a Ghost Town"===
After fighting off some outrageous wildlife in Rushriver Forest, Barry and Jess make it to the (mostly) abandoned town of Hanpuk. There they find a Spicy Tacos restaurant and a general store. The two split up to get supplies and food, with Jess going for the supplies and Barry getting some food. The player first controls Barry, who has homesickness after the beginning of his journey. He goes into the Spicy Tacos place and calls his parents. His parents pick up and say that they were worried about him and that one of the Spicy Tacos employees had a gift for him. Barry cries a bit before hanging up and giving his parents goodbye. He asks one of the employees for the gift, which turns out to be some cash and a battery charger for his phone. Barry orders several tacos and burritos (along with getting the ST phone number) before leaving.
Jess is now in control of the player inside the general store. She looks around for some weaponry but only finds baseball bats and a PK Cannon. Wait...a PK Cannon? Jess then asks the manager of the store (who looks similar to Jeff from EarthBound) how much 3 baseball bats, a PK Cannon, and a dozen eggs cost. When the price is too high for Jess, the shopkeeper then argues with her and fights her for a bit. Jess then leaves and sees some Retro Rogue ships overhead, headed west. That gives her a clue to keep going to Poriu. 
The two teammates reunite and head towards Poriu, passing through both Lake Saturn and Foggy Gorge while on their way. In Foggy Gorge, the two find a giant ship that is stuck in the gorge. Barry uses his Analyzer 2000.5 to analyze what the ship's purpose is and who made it. He finds that it belongs to the thought-dead Porky Minch and was used for a lab after his one in New Pork City was destroyed. They go inside, only to find a broken Spider Mech and a note. What that note says is below;
Day 56 - January 7th, 20X1
I finally finished it. This machine will bring Giygas back from the dead and restore New Pork City to its former beauty. However, it's possibly my last day here on Earth....my time has come. I will leave this note for anyone who finds this ship.
- Porky Minch
Surprised about Porky's death, the two salvage some parts to use to create new gadgets. They hear a noise from the upper levels and go to investigate. Once upstairs, they find a Giygas Prototype and face off against it as the second boss in the game. Once defeated, the Prototype drops a map of where the Retro Rogues will attack. Poriu is marked Number 3 so the two continue onward to the city. 
===Chapter 4 "Load of Trouble in Big Poriu!"===
In Poriu, Lewis is playing a video game called DualFight with his friend Johnny when thunder strikes, taking the power out with it. The two then head out to get to the generator but are interrupted by Running Men, Stormchasers, and Retro Rivals. Lewis and Johnny keep running and find the generator which has been blown to smithereens. Johnny has the bright (pun not intended) idea to go to the power plant and start up the central generator. The screen cuts to black as the gameplay switches back to Barry and Jess.
The two are closing in on Poriu as they travel through Digital Ruins fighting Gigapsychics, Salad Oilers, and more Retro Rogue enemies. Jess wanders into a cave and discovers a strange device called the Reversificator. Barry looks at it and analyzes it, finding that it can lock on to any city affected by the Retro Rogues. The two decide to revert the town of Wastos back to its former self after Jess' sorrow. The blast is fired and Rocca is slowly turned into Wastos again. From here, the chapter focuses on Lewis and Johnny.
The two other friends have arrived at the Power Plant, which is literally a plant that produces electricity through photosynthesis. Lewis goes into the building surrounding the plant while Johnny fights off some enemies. Lewis arrives at the central generator just as Johnny is kidnapped and becomes obese and brainwashed. He now goes by the name Sir Lay-Z. Lewis can't believe he just lost his best friend, but at least he got the power on. He heads back home to find his dad kidnapped and part of his house destroyed. Swearing to his father's oath, Lewis heads to the town center to ask for help.
===Chapter 5: "A New Hero"===
Having arrived in Poriu, Barry, and Jess meet Lewis, still weeping at the town center. He's still sad about losing his friend and family, so Jess comforts him. Barry listens to Lewis' backstory and then offers him a role on the team. Lewis accepts and joins the team, making them a trio. The Analyzer 2000.5 suddenly notifies Barry that the Retro Rogues have landed in the city of Basron and built their new headquarters. The team explores the town for a bit, picking up some supplies and getting ripped off by a Smiling Junkman along the way. They then head to Basron where they have to find the Retro Rogue HQ. 
A Retro Recruit accidentally tells them that the HQ is located in the basement of Café De Retro, and so the team heads there. Barry and Lewis fight off the café's owner, Mister Le Rouge, so they can get access to the basement. Once down there, they find that the door is locked and Jess uses the PK Cannon to smash the door to smithereens. She then heads off to find Miss Classix while the player is in control of Barry and Lewis. The two grab some of their stuff back before Sir Lay-Z and the LazyDayz gang attack the third boss in the game. Upon winning, Lewis finds a Small Reversificator which he uses on Sir Lay-Z, turning him back into Johnny. Lewis tells Johnny to run back home and keep everyone safe. 
Johnny does so and the heroes continue their journey after Jess returns, with a note from Miss Classix. This is what that note says;
My hated enemies,
Do you really think you have a chance against the Retro Rogues? May I inform you that you have not yet met our true leader? He'll destroy all of you one by one, and then the world will be as it once was. You'll never find him! Otherwise, it's game over for you!
Signed, Miss Classix
(P.S. I have your Diamond Hook, Jess. Barry, I've got your Analyzer 2000, and Lewis? I've got your father! Find my new HQ if you want all of them back!)
Now that each of the team members is ticked off, they feel the need to continue onward.
===Chapter 6: "Escape Plans"===
The scene then changes to an older Poo sitting in a cell. Poo's been beaten up and kidnapped by the Retro Rogues, and he needs an escape plan. He looks over at his fellow inmate - Duster - and has an idea. Since Duster is a former thief, the two plan an escape similar to a typical prison escape. The two use their skills to take out a Retro Jailer and swipe his keys. From there, they break out and escape into the air vents. While in the air vents, they encounter Dust Bunnies, Retro Rats, and Dust Clusters. 
Duster and Poo eventually escape the vents, only to find themselves in a room similar to a laboratory. Inside several tubes, characters from EarthBound, Mother, and Mother 3 are seen having their energies drained into a machine. Among those people are Jeff and Kumatora, former teammates of Poo and Duster respectively. Duster uses a Rope Snake to break the two of them out, and they escape through a nearby window. 
Once they land on the ground, they are immediately surrounded by Retro Rapscallians, Retro Runts, and Division DX's leader Mistress QWERTY. Poo, Duster, Jeff, and Kumatora fight their way through the waves of villains until they make it out of the compound. They make a quick getaway on a Saturn Bike in the parking lot, and Jeff takes an exit towards Old Saturn Valley.
===Chapter 7: "Meows and Pows"===
This chapter goes back to the action with the main heroes. The team arrives in the metropolis of Terrani, where they decide to stay at a hotel before they find out where the new lair is. In the lobby, Barry encounters a Spicy Tacos delivery boy who says he has a package for him. Barry accepts the package and goes up to the room where the team is staying. Once up there, Lewis carefully opens the package and an orange burst leaps out and scratches his face. Jess uses PSI Grapple in order to get the fuzzball off of Lewis, which is revealed to be Mr. Meowington, Barry's pet cat. Barry notices that a headset on Mr. Meowington's head is damaged, and he repairs it. Mr. Meowington speaks, surprising everyone in the room minus Barry. The cat explains that Barry (at only 7) built a translator so he could understand him better. 
The next morning, Barry and Jess wake up to find Mr. Meowington and Lewis gone. A note on the room's desk reads;
November 19th, 20X9
Dearest friends,
Me and Mr. Meowington (your cat, Barry) have decided to go out and do some investigating on where the Retro Rogues might be hiding. We'll be back before sunset if everything goes swell. See you later, chums!
- Lewis Ramin
==Characters==
===Playable Characters===
====Permanent Party Members====
*Barry - Barry is the calm but often frightened nerd of New Glickdale Middle. He inherited his PSI/PK powers from his father, who was very good at PSI/PK, but Barry's abilities are very basic until he meets Jess. When the Retro Rogues invaded, he escaped his peaceful town of New Glickdale and headed towards his friend's (Jess) hometown of Wastos. His favorite thing is technology, which is appropriate for a teen.
*Jess - Jess is the smart PSI/PK girl of Wastos. She's best friend of Barry and has to attend NGM (New Glickdale Middle) because of some trouble back home. Jess was surprised to find Barry on her doorstep the night the Retro Rogues arrived; she wasn't expecting anyone at 3:00 AM. She joins Barry's party in Chapter 2, where she teaches him some better PSI/PK techniques. Her favorite thing is using PK techniques. 
*Lewis - Lewis is one of the coolest kids in Poriu; his dad's a secret agent. Lewis hears about the Retro Rogues after they kidnap his dad in Chapter 4 and joins the team in Chapter 5 when they reach Poriu. He and Mr. Meowington are the only members of the team that can't use PK/PSI techniques, similar to Jeff and Flint from previous games in the series. His favorite thing is exercise.
*Mr. Meowington - Mr. Meowington is Barry's pet cat who gets sent to him by mail in Chapter 7 while staying at a hotel. He's a very interesting cat, having been built a translator by Barry at only the age of 7. Mr. Meowington's attack mainly involves him scratching and pouncing on opponents, but he is able to use baseball bats and other weapons like his owner. His favorite thing is a long nap.
*Sammy - The secondary best friend of Jess lives in Wastos, but was kidnapped by General Pixel during the invasion of Wastos in Chapter 2. Sammy was later rescued by Lewis and Mr. Meowington in Chapter 8 during a mission inside the Retro Lair. She can use PSI/PK techniques, but they're weaker than her friends'. Sammy's favorite thing is action, which she gets a lot of during her travels with the team.
====Temporary Party Members====
*Mayli - The younger sister of Barry joins him while he's training in New Glickdale. Mayli was later turned into the evil Miss Classix, who leads Retro Rogue Division X into battle against her brother and his party. Throughout the story, Barry tries to convert her back to good using one of his inventions but always fails at doing so.
*Ness - During a dream sequence, players control Ness from EarthBound. He is apparently the father of Barry, according to the game's instruction manual. Barry meets the younger version of his dad who gives him the Onett Bat item (really Ness' baseball bat) before Barry awakens. 
*Johnny - Lewis' childhood rival is playable for a short time in the story. He's playable in Chapter 4 with Lewis as the main party member. Johnny's attacks are similar to Lewis' but are much stronger and faster. Johnny gets kidnapped by the Retro Rogues at the end of Chapter 4, being turned into Sir Lay-Z, a fat and lazy knight who is the complete opposite of Johnny's appearance. He eventually turned back and leads the Poriuan Alliance in the final battle. 
*Poo - Poo is playable during Chapter 6 and is the father of Lewis. His escape attempts often lead him back to where he started. It's unknown how Poo landed the secret agent job, but he likes it anyways. 
*Duster - Duster is a former thief who first appeared in Mother 3, aiding Lucas on his journey. Now retired from the thieving business, Duster became a family man before being kidnapped by the Retro Rogues. He helps Poo escape in Chapter 6 and is not seen again until the final battle. In it, Duster is reunited with his former teammates and they lead the Six Needled Heroes into battle. 
===Non-playable characters===
====Residents of New Glickdale====
*Ness - See above for information.
*Paula - Paula is one of the people that traveled with Ness during their adventures as children. She eventually married him, and they gave birth to Barry, who inherited their PK/PSI powers. Paula now works as a waitress at the town's Spicy Tacos restaurant but comes home to contact her "little boy" Barry. 
*More characters will be revealed.
====Residents of other cities/towns====
===Enemies===
====Bosses====
#Miss Classix (1st Time) - Miss Classix is fought in Chapter 2 for the first time. While not the strongest boss in the game, she does pack a punch. Miss Classix's moves include Pixel Slam, Triple Fist, PK Classix, Jinx, and Helmet Blast, which all do about the same amount of damage. She's weak to Jess' powerful PK and PSI moves, but Barry's aren't as effective. Upon defeating her, you gain $16.00 and an expanded Map Happ. 
#Giygas Prototype - Looks like Porky's work wasn't done after all. The Giygas Prototype is fought during the first half of Chapter 4 and is one of the inventions of Porky Minch. Giygas Prototype can use most of the attacks Giygas used in EarthBound, but they are much weaker because of the low power supply it has left. Once you defeat it, you get $32.50 and a Rogue Strike Map. 
#Sir Lay-Z and the Lazy Dayz Crew - Johnny (Lewis' best friend) has been turned into Sir Lay-Z, and now leads the Lazy Dayz Crew. These guys are fierce and know PSI and PK techniques like the back of their hands. Use the PK Cannon found in Hanpuk in order to take them down. After winning, you'll get $38.75, a small Reversificator, and a Rogue Helmet.
##Mister Le Rouge - The owner of Café De Retro is fought in Chapter 5 as a side boss before/after Sir Lay-Z is defeated. He is one of the highest-ranking Retro Rogues, and packs a punch with his attacks. Once he's defeated, he'll drop the Basement Key and a Paycheck.
#Mistress QWERTY -
#Miss Classix (2nd Time) -
#Enchanted Animatronic Leader Fredbear - 
#
==References to pop culture/other games==
===Previous games in the series===
*Mother - At the Retro Rogue HQ, one of the members is an older Ninten, who claims he was defeated by the Rogues and forced to join them. If you give him the Couple's Photo, Ninten will say that he remembers the day he and Ana were married. By going into the basement of the RRHQ, you can also find prototype versions of Bombers, Energy Robots, and Fireballs that will give you items including the Bit Bomb, a N'ergy Orb, and a Fire Seed, respectively.
*EarthBound - Ness and his teammates all appear in the game as older people; Ness and Paula have married and given birth to Barry and Mayli. Annoying Old Party Men, all variants (including the original) of Starmen, and New Age Retro Hippies appear as enemies. Also, by going into several general stores (including the one Jeff works in) , you can hear a remixed version of the Onett music. 
*Mother 3 - Lucas is mentioned by Ness in a phone conversation, suggesting the two know each other. Claus works at one of the Speedy Tacos in the game, and he'll give you his Old Helmet and a Rotted Jar of Not-So Yummy Pickles if you speak to him. A statue of the Ultimate Chimera can be found while traveling along Route EB-2. Duster is also playable during Chapter 6, and all the teammates appear in the Final Battle.
===Other game series===
*Super Smash Bros. - During that same conversation where Ness mentions Lucas, Ness also mentions that he met Lucas in a fighting tournament. This is a reference to Super Smash Bros. Brawl, where both Ness and Lucas were playable characters.
*Super Mario - The music used for the Poriu Power Plant is a rock version of the Airship theme from Super Mario Bros. 3. A customer at the Speedy Tacos restaurant in Basron tells Barry that he's got the complete series DVD of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, which was an actual TV show that ran 52 episodes in 1989. Also, a wanted poster in Wastos describes four Koopa Troopas with different colored masks (a clever nod to both Paper Mario and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) who have robbed a bank of all its coins.
*Pokémon - The Retro Rogues' Tinymon is a clear reference to this series. An NPC on Route EB-1 mentions a tiny yellow rat he found in the animal shelter; this refers to Pikachu, the 'mascot' of Pokémon. 
*The Legend of Zelda - A building called the Four Swords Casino can be found in Basron, but the player cannot enter it because they're too young to see what goes on in there. Sometimes when you pass by the casino, you can find broken pots scattered along the front of the casino. By talking to the guard working the door after looking at those pots he'll say "Kid, look, those idiots don't know slot machines from valuable pots. It's not really a secret to anyone at this point." The casino's name is a reference to The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, and the security guard's words reference the line "It's a secret to everyone".
*Balloon Fight - The Flying Fiend and the Balloon Girl (encountered in Poriu) are references to games in this series.
*Five Nights at Freddy's - The game's sixth boss, Enchanted Animatronic Leader Fredbear, is named after Freddy Fazbear. Its design is similar to that of the Mangle and Old Freddy animatronics from the 2nd game, and the location he's fought in - Fredbear's Pizzeria Show Palace - is similar to Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria.
===Television shows/Cartoons===
*South Park - Cheesy Poofs (called Cheddar Poofs) can be bought in Poriu and Hanpuk.
*Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Besides the wanted poster mentioned above, Shredder's mask can also be found by searching through the Lost and Found in front of the Police Station in Basron.
==Updates==
===Version 1.1===
Release Date: 
*Fixed a glitch that denied players access to all three EB routes and the Poriu Power Plant.
*Added amiibo compatibility (new Nintendo 3DS copies only)
*Added the downloadable chapters A-C. 
*Removed a bug that forbids players from receiving the Reversificator after defeating the Giygas Prototype.
==Achievements==
Since this game uses the 3DS Achievement System, achievements can be obtained by meeting certain conditions. Mr. Achiev on Route EB-3 can check your achievements so you can earn prizes for getting a certain amount of achievements.
==Trivia==
*This is the fourth game in the EarthBound franchise, and the first to be on the 3DS. 
*EarthBound Legacy is the great connecter between all three preceding games in the series. This is because it includes elements from Mother, EarthBound, and Mother 3.
*Originally, the plot involved Giygas coming back to life thanks to the Retro Rogues. This plot, along with several others, was scrapped. See EarthBound Legacy/Beta Elements for more information.
*Several characters' full names are revealed throughout the story;
**Ness' full name is Nester Jon Lane, but it was changed to Nester Jon Polestar after he married Paula. This can be found by using a computer in-game and typing in "Ness" in the search bar on SpaceNook.
**Paula's full name is Pauline Holly Polestar. This can be found in Magicant in Chapter 8 if you ask the Magic Guru about your friends' names.
**Poo's full name is Pooka Oman Ramin. It can also be found in Magicant.
**Jeff's full name is Jeffrey Ivan Andonuts. This name can be found by calling Ness while in Hanpuk and choosing the conversation topic "Can I hear some of your adventurous stories?".
**Apple Kid's real name is Andrew Pop Kid, and can only be found by playing Chapter A (once downloaded).
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