>The game was expansive because it came with the strategy guide!

Please stop with this nonsense. The vast majority of NES and SNES RPGs in the US as well as A-RPGs in the Europe came with fuck huge manuals that acted as strategy guides and ofentimes with maps too

>final fantasy manual
80 pages

>dragon warrior III manual
83 pages

>secret of mana manual
around 50 pages

>ff3 manual
around 50 pages

>Terranigma and all the A-RPGs released in Europe
Pic related, fuck huge plastic because it came with the strategy guide

etc etc etc

>earthbound manual
67 pages

Of course not all manuals were of the same size but some of the ones I listed are the same as Earthbound or bigger.

Earthbound's manual/strategy guides was nothing special by western RPG standards, most of them were more or less like this. Yes Earthbound was more expensive than the average, so werze all western RPG releases.
Stop parroting bullshit without context.