EarthBound review

EarthBound is the collector's grail of this list, and the price shows it. Nintendo's page tells the story: a meteorite lands near Ness's house, and he sets out with three friends to stop Giygas, the Universal Cosmic Destroyer. Nintendo highlights its humour, cultural references and music, and lists it among the SNES RPGs that can take dozens of hours. As a game it belongs near the top. As a purchase it ranks last: a used cartridge lists at $799.99 at DKOldies before sales, more than all of our top three picks combined. For almost everyone, the better route is the Nintendo Switch Online Super NES library, which includes EarthBound for a $19.99 per year individual membership. It is rated PEGI 12 on Nintendo UK, the highest age rating on this list.

Who it is for

Collectors chasing a rare cartridge, and Switch Online members

Price

Used SNES cartridge from $799.99 at DKOldies (regular price, before sales).

Original price: $799.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 12, 2026.

Key features

• Ness travels the world with three friends to stop Giygas
• Humour, cultural references and memorable music, per Nintendo
• Puzzles and enemy battles with combined party powers
• One of the 21 games on the Nintendo Classic Mini: SNES
• Included in the Super NES library for Nintendo Switch Online members

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Playable on Switch Online for $19.99 per year, far below the cart price
• Strength: A modern-day setting unlike the fantasy RPGs here
• Strength: Nintendo lists it among the SNES RPGs that take dozens of hours
• Weakness: The most expensive cart here at $799.99 used
• Weakness: Rated PEGI 12 on Nintendo UK, older than most picks
• Weakness: Collector pricing makes it a poor first purchase

Key facts

• Publisher: Nintendo
• Genre: RPG
• North American release: June 1995
• PEGI rating (Nintendo UK): PEGI 12
• Used cart (DKOldies): $799.99 regular price

Where it ranks

EarthBound is No. 10 in our Best SNES Games of All Time verdict.