I've heard EarthBound's attitude and aesthetic described as "somewhere between a dream and a nightmare" and I think that's accurate. The game itself is a personal journey from the ordinary to the extraordinary, with hectic and reflective moments alike, and ironically, in its modesty and unwillingness to incorporate RPG trends of the era, has aged beautifully from just about every angle. IMO, it's worth playing both as a part of game history and as an original work on its own terms.