- For Fourside's appearance in the Super Smash Bros. series, see Fourside (stage).
Fourside (pronounced /fɔːsaɪd/[key]; Japanese: フォーサイド Fourside) is a city in EarthBound. This is also home to the fifth Your Sanctuary Location, Magnet Hill, and many plot-based events occur here. The Topolla Theater, Monotoli Building, Jackie's Café, the Fourside Dinosaur Museum, and the Fourside Department Store are important locations in the city.
When Ness arrives in Fourside, the city has been taken over by Geldegarde Monotoli. By this time, many of Fourside's citizens support him and his actions. A few do not, such as one who suspects Monotoli's great power and another who got his home taken away from him because of said name. Pokey Minch and his father became Monotoli's right-hand men. If Ness attempts to talk to them, their guards will escort Ness and co. out of their rooms.
Instead of trying to find out where Monotoli is, Ness heads for the Topolla Theater to see the Runaway Five. However, the manager, Miss Fake, cheated the band into debt and now the Runaway Five must pay it off. After Ness and co. defeat the Guardian Diggers in the Dusty Dunes Desert Gold Mine, Gerardo Montague finds a diamond. However, since he was not looking for that in the Gold Mine, he tells his brother, George Montague, to deliver it to Ness in thanks for saving his mine. Ness can then use it to pay off the Runaway Five's debt a second time. The band promises to pay off his kindness somehow, but not with money.
The Fourside Dept. Store is now open, but upon trying to leave the store, the Dept. Store Spook kidnaps Paula. When Ness and Jeff arrive at the mall's top floor office and fight the Dept. Store Spook, it informs them that Paula is with Monotoli and that there is a connection between him and Giygas.
In Jackie's Café, one of the people inside starts to hear strange noises from directly outside the building. The noise is coming from a concerned group of people surrounding an injured Mr. Everdred. He reveals that he stole the Mani Mani statue from Mr. Carpainter, then he was tricked while selling the statue to Monotoli and the mayor stole it from him instead. He also tells them about a secret area behind the counter in Jackie's Café.
Ness outside the Monotoli Building
When Ness does what Everdred says, he and Jeff appear to be transported to Moonside, an illusion and mirror image of Fourside. The Evil Mani Mani Statue can be found here, and, upon its defeat, reveals that Moonside was all just an illusion. After exiting the café, Apple Kid calls him about the Yogurt Dispenser, and that it is being sent to him via Escargot Express's "neglected class". True to its name, the service has lost it in the Monkey Cave in the Dusty Dunes Desert. Electra, the maid for Monotoli and Pokey, also approaches Ness for the Gourmet Yogurt Dispenser. If it is brought to her, she will allow himself and Jeff access to the top of the Monotoli Building.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Fourside is a parody of New York City, as stated in the EarthBound Player's Guide, mentioning the skyscrapers, bustling streets, and shady politicians. Fourside's nickname, the "Big Banana" (also mentioned in the Player's Guide) is also a parody of New York's nickname, the "Big Apple".
- The "Big Banana" nickname would later be used in Super Mario Odyssey to reference the location New Donk City.
- The bridge that crosses to Fourside could be a reference to the Brooklyn Bridge.
- The famous theme for Fourside is a subtle remix of Because I Love You, which is heard near the very end of the game.
- A small sign, in front of a building southwest of the cafe, notes that "EarthBound 2" ("MOTHER 3" in the Japanese version) is in progress.
- Fourside's name may come from the fact that it is the fourth city that Ness visits.
- The Monotoli Building is an obvious parody of The Empire State Building in New York City. The building in Japan, however, is called the Monotoly Building. This is a reference to Monotoli's name being based on the word "monopoly".
- The Department Store is another obvious parody, this time of New York's Chrysler Building.
- The Topolla Theater just in the front of Fourside is known as the "Topollo Theater" in MOTHER 2, which is loosely named after the Apollo Theater in New York. The change was made due to obvious legal reasons.
Music[]
