Earthbound is live on Wii U eShop for $ 9.99 (UPDATE!)

It's a happy day for many a Nintendo fan today as Earthbound has finally appeared in the Nintendo WiiU eShop for $ 9.99.

Nintendo's site says Earthbound releasing on Wii U eShop in North America today for $10: http://t.co/gY58sTulLl

— Emily Rogers (@Emi1yRogers) July 18, 2013

Originally released in Japan as Mother 2:Giygas Strikes Back, Earthbound is acclaimed as a cult classic in the RPG genre, flouting and parodying conventions. The game was designed by famed Japanese copywriter Shigesato Itoi, and codeveloped by Itoi's company APE and then-HAL Laboratory head Satoru Iwata. In it, a group of kids band together to face an extraterrestrial threat. The game was unique for its time for its funny writing, its outstanding soundtrack, and down-to-earth, if ocassionally dadaist, storyline.

Nintendo's ambitious Western localization of the game bundled it with its own game guide and other pricey additions, effectively killing its chances in the market when it released June 5, 1995. However, the game built up a cult following through the years that collected in the double 00s in sites like Earthbound Central and Starmen.net. The fans banded together in a massive campaign to petition Nintendo to rerelease Earthbound to the US, but were repeteadly and consistently shot down.

Nintendo first dropped hints that they were considering rereleasing Earthbound to the US in an interview last year, when Iwata mentioned its massive following in the West. Jump to four months ago, and Iwata personally confirms in a Direct that they are rereleasing Earthbound in the US, and to the first time in Europe, via Wii U Virtual Console.

Earthbound cartridges remained highly sought after collector's items after the announcement due to their rarity and popularity, so don't expect that to change anytime soon. If you dont know why people are raving about this game, jump on to the eShop and get it now.

UPDATE: On a Nintendo Direct Mini today, Bill Trinen announced that they are making the original Earthbound Player's Guide that was bundled with the game freely available online on the Earthbound website. The guide will be optimized for viewing on the Wii U GamePad. Check it out here.

Source: Nintendo.com