EarthBound opens in the 1990s within the fictional Eagleland, a playful mirror of the United States. A curious young boy named Ness is awakened by a nearby meteor crash and teams up with his neighbor Pokey Minch to search for Pokey’s missing brother, Picky. What begins as a small-town mystery quickly hints at a far larger destiny that stretches far beyond Ness’s hometown.
From the meteor’s crater emerges Buzz-Buzz, a tiny beetle-like visitor from the future who explains a looming nightmare: Giygas, an alien force that has seeped into the world and spread hatred, turning animals, people, and objects into hostile versions of themselves. Buzz-Buzz tasks Ness with collecting melodies from eight Sanctuaries scattered across the world, using a Sound Stone to preemptively counter the menace. His mission ends abruptly when Pokey and Picky’s mother mistakes him for a dung beetle, and Buzz-Buzz is killed.
On the journey to the sanctuaries, Ness encounters Happy Happy Village, a community ruled by hooded blue-robed zealots who worship the color blue. A young girl named Paula has been taken hostage by the cult, who seek to exploit her psychic abilities. Ness defeats the cult’s leader, Mr. Carpainter, who has fallen under the Mani Mani statue’s evil influence. The party then travels to Threed, a town overrun by zombies, where danger and traps lurk around every corner.
Paula’s telepathic guidance helps the group reach Jeff, a precocious child scientist at a boarding school in a country named Winters, nestled in a region parodying parts of Northern Europe. With Paula’s urging, Jeff escapes with his friend Tony and reunites with his father, Doctor Andonuts. The elder scientist uses a flying-saucer-like device called the Sky Runner to reach Ness and Paula, freeing them from danger and reuniting the party.
The newly expanded team makes its way to Saturn Valley, home to the quirky Mr. Saturns who are enslaved by a group led by Master Belch, who wants to manufacture “Fly Honey.” The party distracts Belch with a jar of the strange substance, allowing the Mr. Saturns to gain freedom and offer their aid as the group continues toward the city of Fourside.
In Fourside, Paula is abducted again by alien-like beings known as Spooks. Ness and Jeff venture into Moonside, a surreal, neon-lit, alternate version of the city, to rescue her. The journey through this dreamlike landscape tests their courage and resolve as they press toward the deeper challenges ahead.
After a seaside stop in Summers and a magical cake that unlocks new visions, Ness watches a vision of Poo, the prince of a distant land called Dalaam, who is drawn into the quest after undergoing a brutal training known as Mu. The vision foreshadows Poo’s eventual joining and his role in countering the growing threat.
The party traverses the Scaraba desert, the Deep Darkness swamp, and the Tenda village, and even ventures into a forgotten underworld where dinosaurs still roam. When the Sound Stone is finally filled, Ness confronts the inner fears of Magicant, a surreal realm that reflects his own mind and resolves.
Returning to Eagleland, the heroes use the Phase Distorter to travel back in time to confront Giygas head-on. To survive the temporal voyage, they swap their bodies for robot shells, preserving their physical forms during the journey. They locate a device that holds Giygas, but Pokey—who has been aiding the alien power from behind the scenes—guards it and then turns the device off, releasing Giygas and forcing the group to face the ultimate horror.
In the climactic battle, Paula reaches out to all the inhabitants of Earth, and the world’s prayers lend strength to Ness and his friends. The combined power of human emotion and love begins to exploit Giygas’s fatal weaknesses, allowing the heroes to defeat the alien and erase him from existence. In a quiet post-credits moment, Ness, life returning to normal after Giygas’s defeat, receives a note from Pokey challenging him to come and find him.
