Earthbound is coming to Virtual Console on the WiiU

[Cshad]

yeah, proper leveling in earthbound is pretty important. Avoiding fights, even early on can be hazardous.

No offense, but don't you need to grind a little to become strong enough to take out the bosses? If I was playing that game, I would take out enemies until my health gets low and head over to the cheapest place to lick my wounds.

Well... duh.

That's one of the elements that are needed in an RPG. If that didn't exist then the whole purpose of strategy ruined to an extent.

If it didn't exist then RPGs would but nothing more but a visual novel.

That's not strategy though.

That's literally just level up until you can curbstomp the boss.

Every Earthbound boss fight is spam PK Rockin'/Freeze/Bottle Rockets/Star Storm until you need to heal.

Strategy should involve actual thinking and non-linear attack patterns. Earthbound is a good game, it's battle system is a little cliched, and RPGS most certainly do not need a level up system and linear battle mechanics to be interactive.

It's battle system isn't what makes you play it anyways, though - you pretty much are playing it for the story/world and not because the fights are innovative or exciting.