Deep Darkness: The Horror of EarthBound

Duality is at the essence of all great stories. Comedy and tragedy. Sense and nonsense. Light and a dark. Dreams and nightmares. Smiles and tears.

Though outwardly bright and silly, the Nintendo game series EarthBound, called Mother in Japan, thrives on this duality; contrasting its cheerful exterior with themes of horror and hopelessness. The remarkable degree to which series’ creator Shigesato Itoi and his team pulled this off, not once, but three times, is made manifest in how beloved these games are. Mother plays host to beautiful musings on life and love, but those messages would be meaningless without evil lurking underneath: from the lowliest Stinky Ghost, to the cruelty of mankind.