I’m a BIG Earthbound fan. I don’t know if I have the bandwidth to replay it this month, but for those that are, here are my “notes”:
The pacing leaves something to be desired until you hit the third town. It feels a little bit of a slog, but it’s great once you’re past it
Talk to people! Knock on doors! Read signs! It’s such a ridiculous game, don’t miss the ridiculousness
For what it’s worth, try remembering the context the game came out in. While there’s a decent amount of games out now that have taken inspiration, this really was one of a kind for a long time
Check out the amazing strategy guide. I don’t know if it’s vital per se, but it’s such a fun document that to this day I still enjoy referencing it. Related, what happened to all the fun manuals/strategy guides with custom art and everything? Such a loss.