earthbound: the game, the myth, the legend!

[master of read]

it is considered by many to be one of the most criminally unappreciated games in gaming history. it has a fan follow that is both huge and loyal. in terms of game play, story, art, dialogue, battle systems, and uniqueness, it is not only one of the greatest RPGs ever but the one of the greatest games EVER!


in japan, its known as mother 2.


in america, it is known as earthbound.


so share your thoughts on the game. or if you have yet experienced this masterpiece of gaming, feel free to ask questions.

[Alex]

I don't think it's underappreciated, it gets talked about tons, it just didn't sell amazing when it came out.

Very good game that had a lot of heart, and that's what set it apart from a lot of games that came before it and have come since.
It's worth mentioning that Mother 3, having been translated and thrown all over the internet,probably has the best, most moving story of any rpg of the time. (even though it was on the GBA, which wasn't technically 16 bit, it was in the style)

[master of read]

I don't think it's underappreciated, it gets talked about tons, it just didn't sell amazing when it came out.

Very good game that had a lot of heart, and that's what set it apart from a lot of games that came before it and have come since.
It's worth mentioning that Mother 3, having been translated and thrown all over the internet,probably has the best, most moving story of any rpg of the time. (even though it was on the GBA, which wasn't technically 16 bit, it was in the style)

a lot of that i can blame on nintendo of america not promoting it proper. i remember the ads for earthbound and they made no sense.

not to mention, nintendo doesn't seem to care about earthbound.

[Alex]

a lot of that i can blame on nintendo of america not promoting it proper. i remember the ads for earthbound and they made no sense.

not to mention, nintendo doesn't seem to care about earthbound.

That's not all it was.
That was the Play it Loud era, i was the kid they were marketing at. I can't find the ad, but this was the era where Super Metroid was advertised with a giant picture of a sheep, and then a giant picture of lamb chops, and about 4 TINY screen shots of the game.
It sold millions.
They did try, they gave it a deluxe box, they advertised the crap out of it, they included a strategy guide with it. That was a big marketing push. The problem was, it looked childish, it was marketed in a childish way, but little kids didn't play rpgs. This was pre FF7 remeber, Rpgs were still niche, and an rpg that focused so much on story would have been even more niche.
And thats what killed the series in america. They put so much money into that game, and it didn't do well. Another problem was that it looked the way it did in response to Mother, a game we never got.
So it left people wondering "Why the hell does it look like an nes game?"

As to why it's not on virtual console, i haven't any idea. Mother 3 sold better in japan then any of the previous games, so the series had interest, and i think it's unofficial translation made a lot of people aware of the series in america. I've heard it's because of music issues, but have no idea if that's true.

[JCAll]

I never did care for it personally. But then, I have horrible taste in SNES RPGs. I mean, I still say Lufia 1 is better than Lufia 2.

[master of read]

That's not all it was.
That was the Play it Loud era, i was the kid they were marketing at. I can't find the ad, but this was the era where Super Metroid was advertised with a giant picture of a sheep, and then a giant picture of lamb chops, and about 4 TINY screen shots of the game.
It sold millions.
They did try, they gave it a deluxe box, they advertised the crap out of it, they included a strategy guide with it. That was a big marketing push. The problem was, it looked childish, it was marketed in a childish way, but little kids didn't play rpgs. This was pre FF7 remeber, Rpgs were still niche, and an rpg that focused so much on story would have been even more niche.
And thats what killed the series in america. They put so much money into that game, and it didn't do well. Another problem was that it looked the way it did in response to Mother, a game we never got.
So it left people wondering "Why the hell does it look like an nes game?"

As to why it's not on virtual console, i haven't any idea. Mother 3 sold better in japan then any of the previous games, so the series had interest, and i think it's unofficial translation made a lot of people aware of the series in america. I've heard it's because of music issues, but have no idea if that's true.



i still own some old game mags with the ads for EB and they really had nothing to do with the game. i still dont get the whole scratch and sniff thing they were going for.

like i said, it just seems like nintendo doesnt care about the mother series as a whole. the guys who did the patch for mother 3 did write nintendo about their intention to translate the game for free. nintendo didnt reply in any sort of way. that's pretty much been their stance about the series in all.

[Alex]

i still own some old game mags with the ads for EB and they really had nothing to do with the game. i still dont get the whole scratch and sniff thing they were going for.

like i said, it just seems like nintendo doesnt care about the mother series as a whole. the guys who did the patch for mother 3 did write nintendo about their intention to translate the game for free. nintendo didnt reply in any sort of way. that's pretty much been their stance about the series in all.

You kinda have to understand, from nintendo's perspective, they can't actually recognize an unnofficial fan translation of a game, it's never been before by a company as big as them and it never will be done.
And again, Nintendo lost a lot of money on Earthbound in the states, they probably don't see any reason to do anything with it.
But it's not like they have totaly ignored the series. Ness was in smash brothers, and Lucas was in the last smash brothers. They did a Mother 1+2 rerelease for GBA, and they let Itoi take a N64 game that never got completed and turn it into Mother 3.

One of the larger problems with the series people forget is that it's not something Nintendo came up with, it's a series Shigesato Itoi conceived, and he is not a Nintendo employee. Without him, the series loses pretty much everything that makes it loved, and if he hasn't asked to make another game, they probably don't see any reason to do it. It would be like making Metal Gear Solid 5 without Kojima.

[Wjowski]

Very original, very innovative storyline. I love it alot for that.

The controls can be a bit frustrating though.

And yeah, it also had the unfortunate circumstance of being released when non-Square rpgs were still a niche market.

[Alex]

Very original, very innovative storyline. I love it alot for that.

The controls can be a bit frustrating though.

And yeah, it also had the unfortunate circumstance of being released when non-Square rpgs were still a niche market.

Remember back when square didn't own a million studios and wasn't in the business of milking one franchise to death, and their name actually ment something?
Those were the days.

[TanGent]

The Mother games are one of those series of games you just have to play to understand.

They are simplistic Dragon Quest parodies on the surface, but the deeper into the games you actually play, they somehow build up an emotional feeling that really sticks with you when it's all over.

I don't know if it's the self aware atmosphere, the quirky art design, or the absolutely fantastic soundtracks, but something in those games manages to become more than 16 bits has any right to be.

It is unfortunate that NOA and NOE feel the way they do about localization. I get wanting to be able to say that all of your releases broke a couple million in such-and-such time frame, and that's easy to do when they are all Mario, Poke'mon, or Wii-Something, but there are too many unique games getting lost in the shuffle IMO.

But we did get a Sin & Punishment sequel, a new Golden Sun, and a new Punch Out!, so sometimes the impossible does happen.

[Alex]

The Mother games are one of those series of games you just have to play to understand.

They are simplistic Dragon Quest parodies on the surface, but the deeper into the games you actually play, they somehow build up an emotional feeling that really sticks with you when it's all over.

I don't know if it's the self aware atmosphere, the quirky art design, or the absolutely fantastic soundtracks, but something in those games manages to become more than 16 bits has any right to be.

It is unfortunate that NOA and NOE feel the way they do about localization. I get wanting to be able to say that all of your releases broke a couple million in such-and-such time frame, and that's easy to do when they are all Mario, Poke'mon, or Wii-Something, but there are too many unique games getting lost in the shuffle IMO.

But we did get a Sin & Punishment sequel, a new Golden Sun, and a new Punch Out!, so sometimes the impossible does happen.

I looked it up since this thread popped up.
In 2005, from Famitsu, Itoi said he had no interest in making Mother 4, because of the difficulty they had in making Mother 3, so, 6 years and that was the last year.
Sin and Punishment was apprently cheap to develop, Punch Out was a much more successful series with a lot of nostalgia tied to it, and i know jack about Golden Sun.
Developing and RPG for the Wii would be much more expensive. And let's be honest,Wii isn't really a system known for appealing to your hardcore gamer.
If a sequel was going to be made, it would have been on DS.

[Samorai_black]

I wish I knew about this game when I was younger. After playing the first Smash Bros and unlocking Ness I wanted to know more about it. Iv read the plot and know of other characters.

Is it in the Wii Shop?

[Hawkman]

I wish I knew about this game when I was younger. After playing the first Smash Bros and unlocking Ness I wanted to know more about it. Iv read the plot and know of other characters.

Is it in the Wii Shop?

I don't have a Wii, but I don't believe so. I think it has something to do with the music in the game, Nintendo of America worried about lawsuits over it, and Nintendo of Japan not willing to allow them to alter it in order to get a release. Don't quote me on that, though.

Anyway, this was the first RPG I played through from start to finish, and I still adore it to this day. Still have the over-sized box and strategy guide even, complete with the scratch and sniff cards. It was a fun little experience, and on the above note, I really loved the soundtrack. In fact, many years ago, I played through the original Mother on my PC, and I would say that its soundtrack is even better. I now own both, but I would say the latter edges out EarthBound's, simply because it actually features fully orchestrated pieces with vocals, and in English, no less!

Anyway, great game. One of these days, I'm going to get around to playing Mother 3, too. I've had it sitting on my PSP for ages now, just waiting to be completed (hey, I'd buy it if Nintendo of America would only let me).

[master of read]

I wish I knew about this game when I was younger. After playing the first Smash Bros and unlocking Ness I wanted to know more about it. Iv read the plot and know of other characters.

Is it in the Wii Shop?


sadly, none of the mother games, most of all earthbound, are on VC.

[master of read]

and just because its epic.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQUN7QAnMp0


the japanese commerical for the first mother.

[Wjowski]

Remember back when square didn't own a million studios and wasn't in the business of milking one franchise to death, and their name actually ment something?
Those were the days.

To be honest I'm not really on the Square hate-wagon all that much. I actually liked Final Fantasy 12, or at least I liked the story and most of the characters.

[TanGent]

I looked it up since this thread popped up.
In 2005, from Famitsu, Itoi said he had no interest in making Mother 4, because of the difficulty they had in making Mother 3, so, 6 years and that was the last year.
Sin and Punishment was apprently cheap to develop, Punch Out was a much more successful series with a lot of nostalgia tied to it, and i know jack about Golden Sun.
Developing and RPG for the Wii would be much more expensive. And let's be honest,Wii isn't really a system known for appealing to your hardcore gamer.
If a sequel was going to be made, it would have been on DS.

Well, I didn't mean to imply any differently.:biggrin:

I was simply referring to how many titles that are already completed, like Mother 3, the Chibi-Robo series, Xenoblade, The Last Story, the Tingle RPGs and many others never get localized, even when there are barren spots in the DS and Wii release schedules.

Sure, none of those titles are likely to light the sales charts on fire, but most all have received a ton of praise from those who have played them. And let's be honest, Nintendo isn't hurtin' for money, they could have afforded a limited release for some of these games.

I dare not suggest they should release any new or obscure series now on the DS or Wii, if they want anything like that to find an audience, they will put it on the 3DS. That's where all the cool kids will be.:wink:

[TanGent]

and just because its epic.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQUN7QAnMp0


the japanese commerical for the first mother.

Beyond epic.

And at least thanks to Starmen.net and Super Smash Bros. this series will never be forgotten.

[Chou Blaster]

THat ad was EPIC! No Crying until the End. So true.

And I love Earthbound. Love it to death. Everything was great, and it was the first RPG I beaten as a kid.

I would love to get Mother 3 for the sake of playing as Lucas.

[master of read]

THat ad was EPIC! No Crying until the End. So true.

And I love Earthbound. Love it to death. Everything was great, and it was the first RPG I beaten as a kid.

I would love to get Mother 3 for the sake of playing as Lucas.

well the only ways you can play it are:

1) learn japanese and buy a copy from japan.

2) the big E

[cbrer]

I remember I was pretty confused the first time I played it (having never played Mother 1) about who or what Giygas was... and how to properly pronounce his name. Do you say it as "Gee-gus" or "Jeee-gus" or "Guh-yee-gus" or "Juh-yee-gas" or "Jaiyee-gus"? Or something totally different?

[Alex]

Well, I didn't mean to imply any differently.:biggrin:

I was simply referring to how many titles that are already completed, like Mother 3, the Chibi-Robo series, Xenoblade, The Last Story, the Tingle RPGs and many others never get localized, even when there are barren spots in the DS and Wii release schedules.

Sure, none of those titles are likely to light the sales charts on fire, but most all have received a ton of praise from those who have played them. And let's be honest, Nintendo isn't hurtin' for money, they could have afforded a limited release for some of these games.

I dare not suggest they should release any new or obscure series now on the DS or Wii, if they want anything like that to find an audience, they will put it on the 3DS. That's where all the cool kids will be.:wink:

Nah, Nintendo isn't having money problems, but they have literaly no reason to spend money on things they know won't sell.
If the fanbase isn't big enough to bother with Nintendo, especialy Nintendo, usualy doesn't bother.
I don't know if we can totaly give up on another Mother game though, as someone pointed out earlier, look how long it took to make a Punch Out or Kid Icarus sequel.

[jesse_custer]

I have played Earthbound multiple times. Fun, humorous, and original. Hell, I should play it again.

[Alex]

I have played Earthbound multiple times. Fun, humorous, and original. Hell, I should play it again.

You can play it using your flashcart on your DS and then play Mother 3 as well.
...
:-(

[Serik]

Anyone remember the scratch and sniff cards from the players guide? Sometimes I can still "remember" the smells.

I think I bought a beat up players guide off of eBay back in 2006 when I was on an old RPG nostalgia binge (probably dropped $200 on old games and guides that year).

Fantastic game with a ton of personality. It was the little things like never seeing your dad in-game, or traveling around to a bunch of kinda normal cities doing stuff usually reserved for fantasy RPGs.

[Alex]

Fantastic game with a ton of personality. It was the little things like never seeing your dad in-game, or traveling around to a bunch of kinda normal cities doing stuff usually reserved for fantasy RPGs.
That was the games biggest strength. It was going for this nostalgic, american feeling, but it wasn't made by american's so it was like that filtered through someone who only knew the states through tv.

But yes, an RPG that didn't take place in fantasy kingdom fighting evil empire was awesome. I don't recall it happening again until Persona on PS1, which suffered from a much worse translation (oddly enough), and a painful desire to convince you it took place in america even though every single thing in the game pointed to that not being true.

[Michael P]

That was the games biggest strength. It was going for this nostalgic, american feeling, but it wasn't made by american's so it was like that filtered through someone who only knew the states through tv.

When I'm talking about the game to people (which, to be fair, doesn't happen that often), I always describe the setting as "Japan's idea of what America is like."

[Alex]

When I'm talking about the game to people (which, to be fair, doesn't happen that often), I always describe the setting as "Japan's idea of what America is like."

It's a very charming view.