One Of The Best EarthBound-Inspired Indie RPGs Is Finally Confirmed For Switch

We all know just how influential EarthBound is at this point. Despite initially underselling and putting people off with weird marketing campaigns, the game (and, in turn, series) is one of the most beloved games on the SNES. So it’s no wonder that EarthBound-inspired games are a dime a dozen.

Here’s one that may have flown under the radar for many, however — Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass from solo developer Kasey Ozymy, a “guy from Texas” who loves Japanese and Japanese-style RPGs. His debut game, made entirely in RPG Maker, launched on Steam and itch.io in August 2018. And now, Ozymy’s studio, Starseed Games, is partnering with publisher Electric Airship to bring the turn-based RPG to all consoles, including Switch.

We don’t have a date yet, or anything else besides a post on Bluesky from Electric Airship stating “we are working with Starseed Games”. But it’s something.

With fewer than 500 Steam reviews, and only a handful of mostly-glowing reviews from smaller outlets such as Gaming Trend, Cubed3, and RPGFan (where, full disclosure, the author of this news article is a former writer at RPGFan), not many people are talking about it. YouTuber Nitro Rad also produced a video on the game prior to release. And, from what we’ve heard, this sounds like a must-play for fans of EarthBound.

Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass isn’t just inspired by Nintendo’s subversive American-set RPG; it also takes cues from the Breath of Fire series, Final Fantasy V, and horror indie hit Yume Nikke. Boasting over 40 hours of content, the entire game takes place inside the dream of an eight-year-old boy called Jimmy.

It’s got first-person turn-based combat just like Dragon Quest, but you have the ability to actually transform into some foes — as long as they’re not controlled by the game’s big bad, the titular Pulsating Mass. There are horrifying nightmarish dungeons, tons of sidequests, and a beautiful story at the centre of it all.

So, we’ll be keeping an eye out for this one, then. In the meantime, you can sign up to the publisher’s website to get more details on Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass’ console release and other indie RPGs.

Have you played Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass before? Let us know what you think of it in the comments.

[source bsky.app]