Did EarthBound Inspire South Park?
South Park, the popular American animated television series, was indeed inspired by EarthBound, a cult classic video game released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, with its child protagonists and ordinary American setting influencing the show’s co-creator Trey Parker. The game’s unique elements, such as its real-world setting and satirical tone, have been cited as an inspiration by Parker, who has mentioned the game’s influence on his work, particularly in the development of South Park: The Stick of Truth, a role-playing game based on the series.
EarthBound’s Influence on South Park
The influence of EarthBound on South Park can be seen in the show’s characters, storylines, and settings, with Parker drawing inspiration from the game’s mundane American setting and child heroes, which fit well with the South Park property. The game’s satirical tone and humor have also been cited as an influence on the show’s comedy style.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is South Park inspired by EarthBound?
Yes, South Park was inspired by EarthBound, with the game’s child protagonists and ordinary American setting influencing the show’s co-creator Trey Parker.
2. What is South Park based on?
South Park is based on the town of Fairplay, which is located about 85 miles south-west of Denver, and has a population of about 700.
3. What inspired EarthBound?
The first EarthBound-like game was Yume Nikki, released in 2004 by Japanese developer Kikiyama, which takes clear visual and thematic inspiration from Mother.
4. What is Stick of Truth inspired by?
The Stick of Truth was inspired by Earthbound, a role-playing game released in North America in 1995 by Nintendo, as well as Skyrim.
5. Who inspired Trey Parker?
Trey Parker idolized Monty Python, which he began watching on television in the third grade, and his later ventures into animation would bear considerable influence from Terry Gilliam.
6. Why did Europe censor Stick of Truth?
The European console releases were censored due to Ubisoft making a “market decision“, while Nazi symbols were also censored in any version released in Germany.
7. Did EarthBound inspire Undertale?
Yes, Undertale was inspired by EarthBound, with the game’s art style and gameplay directly inspired by the Mother franchise.
8. What games are inspired by EarthBound?
Games inspired by EarthBound include Eastward, Night In The Woods, South Park: The Stick Of Truth, Omori, Costume Quest, Undertale, Deltarune, and Citizens Of Earth.
9. Is EarthBound a dark game?
Yes, EarthBound deals with dark themes, such as emptiness and boredom, and makes players confront the pain of their own boredom.
10. Who is Eric Cartman inspired by?
Eric Cartman is partially named after and based on Matt Karpman, a high school classmate of Parker who remains a friend of both Parker and Stone.
11. Who are Kyle and Stan based on?
Stan is modeled after Parker, while Kyle is modeled after Stone, and their relationship is intended to reflect the real-life friendship between Parker and Stone.
12. Who was Mr. Garrison based on?
Mr. Garrison was partially inspired by Parker’s kindergarten teacher, who also used a puppet named Mr. Hat, as well as a British literature professor Parker had at the University of Colorado.
13. Why did EarthBound flop?
EarthBound sold poorly in the U.S. due to a combination of its simple graphics, satirical marketing campaign, and a lack of market interest in the genre.
14. Why is EarthBound so expensive?
EarthBound is expensive because it did not sell well when it was released, and since then, it has developed a following of gamers who want the game, causing prices to skyrocket.
15. Is Omori based on EarthBound?
Yes, OMORI is heavily inspired by the Mother series, specifically EarthBound and Mother 3, as well as Yume Nikki, another independent horror RPGMaker game.