Oddity is an Earthbound spiritual successor that used to be a fan sequel

The Mother series, known as EarthBound outside of Japan, stopped with Mother 3 in 2006, and only the second game was released internationally. That hasn't stopped fans from carrying a torch for it over the years, with one group deciding to stop waiting for Nintendo and create their own sequel, which has now transformed into a separate game with a new name, Oddity.

While the overt connections have been dropped, the trailer still gives out plenty of EarthBound vibes. There's a fate of the world quest, fancy powers and demons to kill, but like EarthBound it's still an urban RPG, this time set in the '70s.

The baseball bat-wielding Travis Fields has developed weird abilities thanks to a mysterious exploding gate and must use them to save the world from an assortment of monsters and a secret society. The moon, not wanting to be left out, is also in peril.

The art, cast and combat are definitely meant to evoke EarthBound, but the style remains just as appealing now as it always has.

There's no release date yet, sadly, but EarthBound fans should be used to waiting. It's been 25 years since the last game to leave Japan launched in the US, and it didn't get an official worldwide release until a few years ago. Thank god for emulation.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.