Anytime anyone claims a niche game a "best game ever" I have to give a second to pause on that and remind myself what the definition of "niche" is, and why something is considered "niche" to begin with.
Earthbound is a great game, but I again think people shouldn't take their 15 years of hype, compress it down to 2 sentences, then toss that at someone who's never played said game before. You're only setting them up for an experience they won't ever have.
It's a niche game because it was clearly made for the japanese audience in particular. But it is not "a niche game" in Japan at all, so I don't see anything wrong.
If you're willing to understand (and contestualize) the game 15 years later, chances are you'll love it very very much. I played it for the first time 5 years ago, so I'm also speaking from my experience
