Even with its ESRB rating, we can't help but be skeptical about Earthbound descending onto the Virtual Console. While we'd like nothing more, it seems too good to be true that Starmen.net's hard-fought battle to get the game on the VC would finally end in victory. As we've also mentioned, an ESRB rating does not necessarily equate to a Virtual Console release.
Since all we can do now is wait and see, we have to find Earthbound related ways to keep ourselves busy. Aside from playing games like Smash Bros., we thought we'd try our hand at some Earthbound cubeecraft (aka papercraft). Is it just us, or does Mr. Saturn look rather swank when shaped like a cube?
Inspired by the profile of the insane EarthBound fan community Starmen.net, we thought we would ask our audience directly: Are you an EarthBound fan? If so, how did you come by your fandom? Did you get the SNES game at launch? Maybe you discovered the game later? Or did the constant Mother series evangelism on the Internet (including the work of Starmen) turn your eye toward the series?
Of course, there's also the (very likely) possibility that Ness's appearance in the Super Smash Bros. series ignited your fandom. That works too, as does love for Dragon Quest's gameplay.
Members of the Mother series fan site Starmen.net may be celebrating now, with Earthbound recently rated on the ESRB's web site, but just getting to that tenuous victory (as Ys I & II can affirm, ESRB rating is not the same as a Virtual Console release) has been the culmination of years of agonizing effort and constant campaigning that may not have actually had anything to do with the news.
Shacknews has posted a great retrospective of Starmen's 11-year campaign to get something related to Earthbound to happen outside of Japan, from a Game Boy Color release of Mother to localized versions of Mother I & II on the DS to (of course) a U.S. version of Mother 3. They've carried out insane plots like creating a beautiful book of fan works to show Nintendo how much they care about the series. Nintendo's response has ranged from politely dismissive to nonexistent, though the feature reveals that somewhere within Nintendo, Starmen's efforts were at least attracting attention.
We hope you have a fresh pair of underwear on, because you're about to suffer a heart attack: Earthbound has been rated by the ESRB for Wii. That pain in your chest? That's your heart exploding. Welcome the sensation. It's a sign of victory!
Now that the game has been rated by the ESRB, it's likely to show up on the Virtual Console sometime in the immediate future. We'll settle for no less than this Monday, but in all probability, we won't be that lucky. Stay tuned to Wii Fanboy in the coming weeks for an announcement on when you can spend your money on this Virtual Console game.
Thanks to its largely flat surface, the NES doubles up as an ideal canvas for those wishing to spruce up their consoles with a custom paint job. Of course, you also need artistic ability, which is where we fail hideously, and eBay user hellokitty11111111111 (yes) excels.
Well, "excels" most of the time, anyway. The quality of these mods does vary a little -- we're not big fans of the Kid Icarus design -- but we do absolutely love the Earthbound, Super Mario Bros. 3, and (highly topical) River City Ransom examples. Are they worth (up to) $149.99, though? At a stretch, we'd be tempted. There's more past the break, complete with auction links.
For those of you who're wondering where there usual dojo update is, know that up until release, all of the dojo updates can be considered as spoilers. So, we're tucking all of the info past the break. Head within at your own risk.
Unless you haven't really been paying attention, the inclusion of Ness in Super Smash Bros. Brawl is going to come as news to you. You might even see this as a spoiler, and if that is the case we apologize. But we're pretty sure most of you would like to know how Ness stacks up against Lucas. Well, hit up the gallery below for side-by-side comparisons of their move sets.
And, if you want to know how to unlock Ness, hit up the "Read" link below. We don't want to take the chance of spoiling anything else for you.
Courtesy of a new Japanese video for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, we get confirmation that Ness of Earthbound fame will be making his way back into Brawl. Not only that, but popular character Jigglypuff from Pokemon will be making a return to the field of combat as well. Oh, and the fun doesn't stop there as Lucario, from Pokemon Diamond & Pearl, also gets confirmed as a playable character. We just hope that the inclusion of Lucario doesn't mean that Mewtwo is getting the axe.
Head past the break for another screen cap from the video confirming Ness is in the game.
That shot of the Great Fox can mean only one thing. Well, two things, actually. Firstly, it means that the dojo is back, and that our mornings have some purpose once more. Secondly, it means that Brawl will include yet more Super Smash Bros. Melee stages, to accompany the return of Hyrule Temple.
Corneria, Yoshi's Island, Onett, Brinstar, and Rainbow Ride are the returning stages, with Corneria comfortably our favorite of the revived bunch. It's also worth nothing that Brawl's total number of confirmed stages is now 25, with (we'd estimate) another dozen or so dojo updates left to add to that total. And, in the unlikely situation you ever get bored of those, you can always make your own.
Mother 3 fans are getting everything but the actual GBA game with Super Smash Bros. Brawl -- Franklin Badges, Lucas as a playable character, and now, New Pork City, one of several memorable locations from the Earthbound sequel. The massive arena is one of the game's largest, putting to rest worries that the game wouldn't have any Hyrule-Temple-sized battlegrounds.
New Pork City boasts among its attractions a swinging boat and a stage-specific menace. Before you preview the screenshots at the Dojo, be warned that there are some Mother 3 spoilers scattered around the images. You can also watch a 2D tour of the metropolis after the post break.
Virtually Overlooked has taken over Wii Fanboy! All this week, members of the staff will be outlining their personal picks for future Virtual Console releases.
Growing up with gaming is an interesting thing these days. Many of you are part of the first generation that was quite literally born into a household with a gaming console, as I was. In my experience, if you start off in life gaming hard, you don't stop. Therefore, in the very near future, I will able to ask a random middle-aged man if he wants to go play Guitar Hero 4, and it won't be totally weird.
Who am I kidding? This isn't Japan, and that guy will probably think I am, in fact, totally weird. But man, screw those non-gamers. The hardcore, like you and I, have tons of gaming memories, and thus we frequently long for the games of yore to be released on the Virtual Console. But they have not yet appeased my feral hunger, and thus do I lay these games out in a commanding fashion for Nintendo's minions to take note.
We've got a very simple question for you today: who's your favorite existing Super Smash Bros. character? Is it Ness, or one of the many inferior filler characters they put in so everyone wouldn't just pick Ness?
Hey, everyone loves rumors. You can usually grab them by the handful at sites like, say, SPOnG, but when you cry wolf as many times as they do, well, it diminishes credibility. EGM, however, have a fairly good track record with their Rumor Mill section, and the newest issue has some delectable bits.
First off, Square-Enix is purportedly using the two upcoming incarnations of Dragon's Quest (DQ Joker for the DS and DQ Swords for the Wii) as a gauge to see if the next incarnation of the main series, Dragon's Quest IX, will be released exclusively on the Wii. Though it has a slightly diminished standing in North America, the DQ series is loved by millions upon millions worldwide, an RPG phenomenon second only to the Final Fantasy franchise. If this is true, it's one hell of a victory for Nintendo.
We're not done with Square-Enix yet. Second rumor: SE is developing an MMORPG for the Wii based on the Mana universe. While we're not sure if the Wii even has the technical capabilites to run a true MMO (they tend to be very limited without a dedicated hard drive), we still salivate at the possibility.
Finally, Nintendo is looking at releasing an Earthbound compilation for the DS. This would include Mother 1, a game never released outside of Japan, the ever-beloved Earthbound itself (a.k.a. Mother 2), and the recent Mother 3, a game well-received in the Land of the Rising Sun. Add touch-screen capabilities, and bam. Million seller. They make it look so easy...
And, there you have it. While we must once again stress these are rumors, I'd eat my nonexistent hat if at least one of these three failed to come true. Your feelings, trusty readers?
[Update 1: Square-Enix was not the publisher of Earthbound; corrected Rumor 3.]
Members of the Mother series fan site Starmen.net may be celebrating now, with Earthbound recently rated on the ESRB's web site, but just getting to that tenuous victory (as Ys I & II can affirm, ESRB rating is not the same as a Virtual Console release) has been the culmination of years of agonizing effort and constant campaigning that may not have actually had anything to do with the news. 
