NOTE: This does NOT happen with emulators/ROMs! This only happens with bootleg cartridges!
More info here: http://earthboundcentral.com/2011/05/earthbounds-copy-protection/
EarthBound's programming was full of anti-piracy stuff. It would often check to see if the game was on a cartridge copier or on a pirate cartridge and then it'd do all kinds of stuff. This video is an example of one of the last checks it does in the game... and it's also one of the most evil things a designer could do. It's so bad it's genius. Anyway, check it out.
