Earthbound has been one of the most beloved franchises among the Nintendo faithful. Although nowhere near as successful in terms of sales as series like The Legend of Zelda or Super Mario, Earthbound has somewhat of a cult following. Many would love to see the series return, whether that be a Mother 3 localization, a remake of the original Earthbound, or a brand new game in the series. One fan has taken it upon themselves to recreate Earthbound in 3D, and the results are quite remarkable.
Recently a Twitter user posted a video of a reimagining of Earthbound in 3D, specifically the opening area of the game. Almost immediately the video received internet love, which should not come as a surprise because Earthbound often finds itself trending on Twitter for various reasons. In this case, the video wowed users for its eerie and ominous atmosphere, very much capturing the heart of the original SNES game.
Twitter user earthbound3d has been hard at work on a project named Earthbound Dimensions. What started out as an experiment with Godot Engine 3D has turned into a total reimagination of Earthbound in 3D. The user, who also goes by antourenein, is attempting to adapt Earthbound into the third dimension as best as possible, but also is adding new elements into the mix. That means that the game has a rearranged soundtrack, modernized text and scenes, new secrets to discover, and more. This is why the work is being coined an Earthbound reimagination in 3D, not a remake.
The video itself shows Ness next to a parked and lit-up police car during a dark and grim night. Ness, whose character model looks very similar to that from the Super Smash Bros. series, then runs down the street and towards his house, which antourenei says was fun to reimagine. Earthbound veterans will certainly remember this scene, but seeing it in a brand new three-dimensional light is eye-opening.
This is not the first time someone has reimagined Earthbound in 3D, but this example is certainly one of the most expansive and detailed. A full-fledged experience like this Earthbound Dimensions idea is something that many fans would love. Nintendo remade The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening on the Nintendo Switch two years ago in a completely new art style, so it is entirely possible for the Big N to rework classics with a modern take.
At one point, many Nintendo fans had little idea what Earthbound even was. There are those whose first introduction to the series was Ness and his surprise addition to Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64. He is now a mainstay in those games, and now fans have been trolled by Nintendo with Earthbound ever since. The result is that fans have had to create their own Earthbound titles, and projects like Earthbound Dimensions look quite impressive. But perhaps one day Nintendo will step up to the plate and fill the void.