http://hyperbound.net/hyperboundhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfUHdKv5DYUunlike most ROM hacks, Hyperbound isn't filled with swear words and crudely-drawn penises. It strips most of the RPG elements out of Earthbound and focuses entirely on dialogue; you play as a character who wakes up in a hospital with no recollection of who he is or why he's there. Your task is to talk to as many people as possible in order to learn more about yourself, and then undergo an experimental medical treatment which either will 'cure' you or leave you with permanent mental damage (which shows up as data corruption in-game). The latter only happens if you've missed talking to certain key people ... I believe you can go back and seek treatment as many times as you like, but the game world can decay to a point where it's entirely scrambled and unusable.
I thought the greatest thing about Earthbound is that it's the kind of game you *wanted* to explore because the world felt so inviting and 'complete'. So taking the exploration aspect and making it the focus of the game (ie: you have the easiest time 'winning' if you've explored every nook and cranny) works brilliantly here, in spite of a few rough edges.
