/vr/ - Retro Games

>>1226998
>Is Mother 3 as good as EarthBound?
It's better.

>>1226998
>Is Mother 3 as good as EarthBound?

Better.

>>1227006
>>1227007
How so? Everything in EarthBound is top notch, the story, the battle system, the humor... Seems like a tough act to follow.

>>1227016

Easiest way to answer this is just to say, "Trust me." and "Play the game."

Just let it be known that everything was improved upon.

>>1227016
>the story
Mother 3's more cinematic and darker, but it is very well written.
>the battle system
Everything you think it great about the battle system, Mother 3 improves on it.
>the humor
EB might have this over Mother 3, but it has more than a few weird and silly moments.
Like this guy said, >>1227024, just play it after you finish EB.
Did you play Mother 1 already, OP?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzlhLX-4AW4

Don't mind me, best track in the game coming through

>>1227026
Nah, never played Mother. When I decided to get into it, I wanted to do it the way most non-japanese people did it, with EarthBound first. I already have Mother 3 translated on stand-by. I was planning on playing Mother last.

Finished this game last week. I have no idea what people see in it. Seems like an average rpg, with a couple of neat ideas, and a very strange story.

>>1227035
When I first started playing, I wasn't very impressed. Took me a month to really start playing it seriously, but once I got Paula the unique feel of the game got to me. It just seemed like a really unique game, with great music and quirky humor. It helps that I tend to avoid Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games.

>>1227042
>It helps that I tend to avoid Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games.

how does that help you enjoy Earthbound more?

>>1227035
I think the strange story is why most people like it.

>>1227038
Well, I can't really say you're saving the best for last, but Mother is good too.

>>1227042
I never quiet got the uniqueness. When I got Paula, she seemed a lot like Nina in the Breath of Fire games, in the way that she's all but guaranteed to go down if an enemy targets her.

I adore EarthBound, but it's my least favorite game in the series. Both MOTHER 1 and 3 have tighter stories with more emotional impact, imo. The mechanics were definitely improved upon with each installment too.
>>1227050
I'm not that guy, but I'm assuming he's alluding to the people who don't like EB much because to them it just feels like a cheap Dragon Quest clone. A little like >>1227054 I guess.

>>1227050
The fact that I don't play a lot of RPGs.

>>1227054
I like the strange story, the general weirdness in the setting (japan's take on an idealized USA), the beautiful music and the solid battle system. As for Paula, I just give her the best equipment and vital pills.

>>1227052
Okay, I'll make sure to playthrough that as well.

Mother 2 > Mother > Mother 3

Mother 3 is a great game, but it doesn't really feel like it belongs in the same series. It's very story focused, and often quite dark. The entire atmosphere of the game isn't nearly as charming as the first two games are.

>Mother 3
I'm still terrified with what happened to Pokey/Porky, even though he was pretty much unaware of it

>>1227078
>Both MOTHER 1 and 3 have tighter stories with more emotional impact, imo.
Agreed. I wasn't as immersed in the story as the other 2 games.

>>1227091
So far, EarthBound has had a very strage, charming plot. I've heard that Mother 3 is very sad, and more about growing up than Mother and Mother 2, which seem to glorify childhood. Does that sound legit?

>>1227115
>Does that sound legit?
That sums it up well.

>>1227115
Yes, Mother 3 is very sad. It's very clear from the start that M3 is going to get very dark and depressing at points, which is a pretty big leap from the other two games. Really, I don't mind it, the story in Mother 3 is very well done, but it just feels kinda out of place.

Mother and Mother 2 still manage to be very emotional games, which is really something given how weird and quirky they are. The games presented themselves in such a way that certain moments would have impact despite most of the dialogue being totally off the walls. Mother 3 just straight up goes full on depressing mode, which is kinda odd. It still has the typical weird dialogue from random townsfolk and junk, but you can tell they were going for a very heavy story focus with the game.

I just can't get into Earthbound. I played up until shortly after you get Poo. As far as I could tell, there was no story at all, and the characters had no personality to speak of. The only thing that connected one part of the game to the next was the fortune teller that told you what to do. The whole game just felt lifeless. And the battle system is really nothing to write home about.

Meanwhile, I've replayed Mother 3 several times. It feels like the total opposite of Earthbound. Characters have tons of personality, and the world feels much more alive.

>>1227131
>Mother 3 just straight up goes full on depressing mode
Just imagine if Mother 3 for N64 came to be instead, it would have been even more depressing.

>>1227137
I played up to whenever you got Jeff and just never picked it back up after I was done with a playing session. Too boring.

>>1227139
Did you read that recently translated article from right after the Mother 3 N64 cancellation? The one with Iwata, Miyamoto, and Itoi? The N64 version of Mother 3 sounded so rad. It's such a shame that it had to get cancelled.

Mother 2 is definitely the best, it had a better atmosphere than Mother 3, and much better gameplay than Mother. They're all great games, though. Definitely play all of them.

How can you think the battle system is perfect? The generic-ass battle system is one of the great flaws of the series to me. Mother 3 just barely improves it enough to make it tolerable.

I've never really tried playing it, but it must be a fantastic/out-of-this-world game for the prices it fetches, which literally woe me and make me want to throw a chair at my computer whilst breaking down my SNES with a hammer and throwing it out of the window from the anger of knowing I'll never own its cartridge as I look at the artwork posted here. It resembles nothing special, however, I reiterate I never tried it but I'll in the summer vacations. Nonetheless, it SEEMS childish and silly.

>>1227151
Well it would have been the same basic story but with Itoi at a different point in his life influencing his mindset. So you could make that kind of speculation about any game/movie/book really. The difference is just that there's public information about the N64 version of M3

>>1227172
>How can you think the battle system is perfect?

who are you talking to? no one ITT said that.

>>1227173
I think you would be better of buying though VC, the super famicom cart, or emulation. It's a good game but it really isn't worth the insane price.

>>1227173
It's a great game and very artistic but it's also probably one of the most overpriced video games of all time. The game is not rare at all, it just got a reputation as being a "cult classic" which started a chain of price-gouging that got so bad people now think that's really what it's worth.

There is no shame in emulating.

>>1227172
I love the simplicity of the battle system, but you really need to know what you're doing and team up with your party memembers if you want to succeed. I just think it's really fun.
>>1227173
I guess you could call it childish, but it's also strange and unique. Given that I never have a problem with anything being childish as long as it's deep, fun, and provides some sort of challenge, it's not a problem for me.

>>1227192
>but you really need to know what you're doing and team up with your party memembers if you want to succeed.

really? it's been over a decade since I've played it, but I remember putting the game on auto-battle for almost the entire game.

I personally prefer EarthBound over Mother 3, mostly because I think Mother 3 feels less adventurous and has more flaws, such as poor pacing and a tendency to dump plot towards the end. Haven't finished Mother 1 yet, mostly because I suck at NES RPGs, but I have enjoyed what I've played. Excellent game series, though.

>>1227029
Nah, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_WurTZJrpE

>>1226998
personally I didn't like Earthbound, but I loved Mother 3. Definitely give it a try.

>>1227203
You were probably over leveled. I tend to keep myself at just the right place, to where there's a challenge, but I'm not getting bent over.

http://youtu.be/zwHZwvTdnPI

>>1227208
>poor pacing
Not really.

>>1227230
At the beginning, switching between characters is jarring and most of the early chapters don't flow well between each other, but within themselves are fairly well paced. Then around chapter 4 or 5 when you start playing as Lucas the chapters themselves become weirdly paced. It's worst is in 7, which takes up a good portion of the game and contains almost no major story progressions or character development. Finally, in 8 they just dump everything on your lap.
The game just feels unnaturally segmented to me.

That whole ending section where you walk Paula home. Gets me teary eyed every time, man.

>>1227208
Love that song, but I think these two trump it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJsrbZKBeMQ
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIZVQxcFW7A
>>1227227
What a beautiful song, it's like all the ups and downs of childhood played by an snes

>>1227247
>not taking her back to your house

EarthBound and Mother 3 are very good games, but very different games that convey very different messages. I think that's what sequels should strive to be, and I love both equally.

>>1227252
>Not fucking her at her house

Right now there are people experiencing Mother 3 for the first time.

It makes me feel really good to know that.

(also glad we're allowed to talk about it, I know it's not retro)

>>1227283
>first played it in 2007
Has it really been 6 years already?

Mother 3 spoilers:

You must be so exhausted...

>>1227106

I, too, have made this comparison.

Could be worse. Could be ITAOTS.

I like Earthbound

I wish you could talk about liking Earthbound to anybody without being accused of being a bullshit hipster.

>>1227291
>this comparison

the comparison of each's significance on its respective board, OR

an actual comparison between that album and the game? Because that would be interesting. Themes of childhood could be explored, obviously, also religious parallels might be made..

I would love to see the first game get remade. It has such a nice atmosphere, and has some of the best parts of the series. Only thing keeping the game from being the best of the series is the really outdated gameplay.

Wandering around that submarine and finding the robot that your grandfather built to protect you, goddamn.

The memories I have of playing Earthbound and Mother 3 are some of the best memories of my life. That being said, I've been playing Mother for about three years and it's painstakingly frustrating.

>>1227310
Just wait for trilogy remake that will finally see all three games localized.

I can dream

>>1227302

Both the album and game in question are exalted on their respective boards.

No way would I compare the quality of EB to NMH. That album was some whiny bitch shit.

So, this is coming out next year. Fan-made, but looks terrific.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fNbJIl_Mkg

A lot of people here seem to regard Mother 3 as the superior one over Earthbound, but in Japan, it seems to be the exact opposite, with most people treating Mother 3 as the Other M of the series. Does anyone know why, this honestly has confused me for some time.

>>1227329

Could be the Japanese have more of an eye for subtlety. Mother 3 is more palatable to an American sensibility in that its messages aren't as obfuscated as its predecessor's.

Again: this is sheer speculation.

>>1227329
Because Mother 3 dropped a lot of the aspects that made Mother and Mother 2 what they were.

I enjoyed Earthbound much more than Mother 3.

>>1227336

I said "American," but should have said, "western."

>>1227329

Where are you hearing this from? From what I know, Mother 3 made either 1st or 2nd best sales between the 3.

>>1227329
I haven't heard that but I'm not saying that's not true. I have no idea why that would be. I preferred Earthbound to Mother 3 as well but I'm willing to admit a large part of that is nostalgia.

Well I have no answer. Both had good battle music though. Dat bass on Earthbound.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUkXyBpD_2Q

And for Mother 3? I guess my favorite would be this:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8gzPalCyVc

>>1227328

Forgot my pic

>>1227319
Those are fightin' words

>>1227328
>>1227364
It looks...
OK

I think it should have just done its own thing instead of using the name "mother 4".

>>1227409
I agree. The game itself looks quite nice, but making an unofficial game in a series that has ended feels kinda silly.

>>1227414
>>1227409
It just feels weird because Mother is so much Ioti's baby, it's not like Zelda where whole teams are working on the story. It's like if you made "Cave Story 2"

>>1227409
>>1227414
Well, Itoi did say if there's going to be a Mother 4, he wants to be the one playing it...

I'm not too sure about this project though, it LOOKS good but I don't think the story will be good.

>>1227476

OP of the trailer here. That was my only selling point. It looks terrific, but only time will tell if the story and gameplay are worth a damn.

>>1227476

Itoi also said Mother 4 is 'the lives of all the people who played the Mother games together, happening right now', or that Animal Crossing could be considered Mother 4. Itoi says many things, you don't need to take him literally.

>>1227131
>>1227091

thanks for that awesome M1 art.

>>1227507
>Itoi says many things, you don't need to take him literally.
Well you got me there.
Does he know about this project? I wonder what he thinks about it.

>>1227310
What kind of art direction could a remake have? I think cel-shaded fits, but only really fancy, ni no kuni-esque stuff. I feel like a little something would be lost from the atmosphere in M1, could be from its limited palette.

>>1227348
Tomato posted stuff recently, saying he never talked about it before because of the negativity.

It seems to me like immature, contrarian backlash, just like /v/ would do. Although, M1 and M2 WOULD probably be more appealing to Japanese people. M3 is really in your face.

>>1227091
Mother 2 especially had a lonely atmosphere to me. No wonder you had to keep calling your mom.

Sorry to fag up the thread a little but around how long is Earthbound? From what I've heard it sounds like a game you would want to play in long sessions over a short period of time.
Also, is it grind heavy? How much so would using an exp+ cheat mess up my enjoyment?

>>1227620
It is, it take me like a week or so. But enjoyed every moment (except moonside. I hate moonside).

>>1227620
>Also, is it grind heavy? How much so would using an exp+ cheat mess up my enjoyment?
The only time you need to grind is when you get a new party member. An exp+ cheat will ruin it for you. Trust me, I did the same with the first game and it killed the enjoyment for years until I beat it recently without the cheat.

>>1227620
Sorry to fag up the thread a little but around how long is Earthbound?
30-40 depending on how quickly you are at RPGs. There's really no side quests and very linear. But it was made with that in mind so I feel it's a positive then negative.
From what I've heard it sounds like a game you would want to play in long sessions over a short period of time.
Actually the creator felt you should play it slowly. Make it like a book where you read a chapter or two a day instead of reading nearly the whole thing at once.
Also, is it grind heavy? How much so would using an exp+ cheat mess up my enjoyment?
When you get a new character you might want to spend a few minutes leveling but you never should feel under level. Actually the game has one of my favorite mechanics in any RPG. Once you gain a few levels in a area the enemies run away and if you do chase them down they only give 1 exp since you are too powerful for it.

>>1227624
Moonside was kind of fun. Just kind of daunting not having a full party with the enemies being so tough.

Why was Nintendo so stingy with this IP, Its widely regarded as one of the best games of all time; It amazes me NoA try to act as though it doesn't exist.

>>1227804
They have had a hard time porting around due to music copyrights. The release on Wii U VC and the Earthbound Miiverse should mark the start of a new era though.

IMO Mother 3 is infinitely better than Earthbound in everyway, except for the music. The way the games link together is also genius, but obviously you just need to play them.

>>1227276
>>1227252
>>1227247
>not getting your bike delivered and going cycling around the world

>>1227831
It's like the bike was made for that one purpose. Once you fill your party, you can't use it and forget about it.

>>1227626

>The only time you need to grind is when you get a new party member.

Are we playing the same game?

>>1227624
Moonside is legitimately my favorite part of EB.
It's got amazing atmosphere.

I could never totally get into it either. I played up to where Jeff joined my party and got kind of bored. It was kinda cool, playing as Jeff in that winter place, but the game just felt a bit stale to me. It has a really cool atmosphere and stuff but even the story isn't cool enough for me to press on.

>>1228214
I didn't need to grind much in Earthbound...

>>1227131
Mother 1 and 2's worlds felt bigger to me. 3 had better mechanics. 2 had the best music. 2 and 3 tie for best story. They're both great for completely different reasons

Did anyone else find it weird that your party members would never talk unless it was for a very specific situation?

Mother 3 is better than Earthbound in some ways, but worse in others. My biggest problem is that Duster becomes useless towards the end of the game. Boney loses a lot of his worth, too, but he's a good item slave because he's faster than everyone else.

A lot of people will contest that it's better. It's more fleshed out, but a little bit of the whimsical feel is lost (indirectly) because of that.

Hey alright, EarthBound thread. I actually just finished the game for the first time last night. I enjoyed the game while it lasted, but it's only after finishing it and looking back that I realize just how much I liked it.

>>1228721

I assume games couldn't be much text heavy back then. And also it's also part of the game's essence, I think. Nothing it ever too detailed or over the top, I think it'd be weird if Ness and Paula start casually chatting middle-game, talking about trivial stuff. I mean nothing wrong with that, but Mother fans already complained about Mother 3 being more story driven (you do have more character dialogues here), so I guess it wouldn't have been a good idea to implement that, again just my opinion.

>>1228732
I haven't played Mother 3 in a while, but yes Boney is supposed to be helpful because he's the fastest. Ever know of the St. bernard dog? He's kind of like that, not just biting enemies, but helping the other guys healing them.
Duster I think has the strongest physical attacks, right? and also all his status aliments using his chief tools. I like him, it's a unique kind of thief character in an RPG.

>>1228780
> I think it'd be weird if Ness and Paula start casually chatting middle-game, talking about trivial stuff.
I do too, but I mean more like during later scenes that are important to the plot, no one says anything. I can understand why Ness doesn't talk since he is a silent protagonist. The other three I found it weird because they talked previously. It seems like when you join Ness's party, you aren't allowed to speak.

>>1228806
I see where you're coming from. To me, the fact that the party almost never spoke made the game feel more surreal. There's just something weird about falling hundreds (if not thousands) of feet into a land full of dinosaurs and not making a single comment about it.

>>1228806
Well, after Duster and Kumatora join the party in Mother 3 they also become basically silent bar a few minor scenes.

I'd say Mother 3 is better, albeit marginally. (I personally prefer the story in the game, along with the characters. - the humour is about the same, though.) I do know a lot of people who think EB is better, so it's not unanimous among the community.

>>1228885
They speak during important scenes though.

>>1227808
The music copyright problem is a myth.

>>1228920
It just seems unnatural. They definitely don't get any major development after chapter 5.

>>1228780
Lucas outtanks him as far as brute strength is concerned.

>>1227364
The fuck happened to the logo? I remember seeing threads about it on the Starmen forums a few years ago, and the logo was so much cooler. Pic related

>>1228975

I think that logo looks like crap. Reminds me of a generic CGI desktop, or a picture accompanying one of the thousands of generic "techno" videos on YouTube.

>>1228931
Eh, that's true.
Speaking of which, it feels like something was missing after that chapter. I don't want to say the needles thing was forced, but it felt like that part of the story happened too soon.

I did not understand why people liked Earthbound in the 90s. I did not understand in the 00s. I still do not understand. The game is not that great. I would not say it's on the level of Chrono Trigger. Mother 3 is a great game. Earthbound is average. Also I have a hard time stomaching it when someone praises the story of Earthbound. It just feels so false.

>>1229354
They're both mediocre gameplay RPGs with charming writing. I don't understand how you can understand the appeal of M3 but not Earthbound, since in my mind they both have the same strengths and flaws.

>>1229354
I agree, the story is barebones as heck, so much so that it's not even really there. There's no real characterization of anyone in your party and the only thing it has going on is the crazy ending sequence. Most of the game your only real motivation is "find the sound stone spot", which requires you moving in extremely roundabout and weird ways .

Combat's really bad too, bottle rockets are way too powerful as is Ness post Magicant. Also parts of your team tend to go missing for long periods of time further limiting your options.

>>1229354
It's the atmosphere, humor, and general sense of adventure in EarthBound that draws people. It also manages to convey a rather heartfelt story without much direct exposition.

>>1227006

I don't know. There's a completely different tone to M3 than M2. M3 drops quite a bit whackiness for darker/sadder themes.

m3 fan translation is still a GREAT game though. love the midis

great review of 3 here: http://www.actionbutton.net/?p=422

Tim Rogers also did the best review of 1 and 2 which is a really well written piece too.

>>1229362

The gameplay is average in both games and pretty much is the same as Dragon Quest in terms of actual battle design, so I can understand your position. I thought Mother 3 was a great game because of it's story, and how it at least has a unique gameplay mechanic with the combo/music system. Also, Negative Man and the Barrier Trio were just swell. Perhaps you are right though. I recant my statement of Mother 3 being great, but I must say it is better than Earthbound and at least an enjoyable game.

>>1229420

link to his reviews of 1 and 2? cant find them

>>1229431

i can't seem to find it again. it was a site called "Large Prime Numbers" but i can't seem to locate it for some reason.

wait: here's some sort of archived version of it:

http://archive.is/fMD7F

>>1229448

thanks, thats awesome

OP here, I honestly didn't think this thread would last through the night. Really glad to see you guys value EarthBound and Mother 3 so much. I just made it to Deep Darkness, I can feel I don't have much time left until the end. It's sad that it has to end, but I'm happy games like this exist.

>>1229689
Threads on /vr/ last for days usually.
Just wondering, OP. Have you been spoiled about the game past where you are?

>>1229697
All I know is Gigyas is going to be a swirly red thing of evil, Porky's gonna survive, and Ness is going to get some major stat increases. Looking forward to how it's all gonna go down.

>>1227106
/vr/'s ITAOTS would be DooM

>>1227276
>doing the herocock at your fucking house
not today, lonk

Poo is the most aptly named RPG character ever

BECAUSE HOW CAN ONE CHARACTER BE THIS SHITTY

>>1227315
>>1227542

you guys know there's a Mother remake hack for EarthBound being made, right? they're making slow but steady progress, check Starmen

>>1230607

He's actually the strongest with his king armor set and rounded PSI spells. quite being a retard

>>1227035
its one of those games that people like because of "charm", also known as the game is shit but its a little different. in reality its a mediocre rpg with shitty writing, awful, out dated combat, and music that consists of shitty renditions of overrated songs in real life.

>>1230703
>actually grinding for his best items

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who likes Earthbound's game play. It might have to do with DQ being one of my first JRPGs and I enjoyed it a lot.

>>1230692
>they're making slow but steady progress

That thing has been in development for almost 7 years.

>>1228670

What about for Frank at the beginning?

>>1231118
Guts helped me out there. I got hit like I was about to die but then my HP rolled down to 1 and I beat Frank on the next turn.

>>1230703
Yeah, he's the strongest if you want to waste your time getting the sword of kings off of super starmen (1/128 drop chance)

I'm on Mother 3 and EarthBound for the second time.
Not very far in EarthBound, though. Even though I love EarthBound, Mother 3 is more appealing.

>>1231103

People just say the gameplay is bad because it's probably the only thing you could actually say it's bad about the games... which isn't even bad, I also like the DQ-type stuff, plus the rolling HP bar and the rhythm combos in M3, and approacing enemies from behind and stuff makes it even more fun than DQ sometimes.

Mother 3 is _better_ than Earthbound.

Mother 3 has more in common with Earthbound Zero even though it's a sequel.

>>1233491
It's got its own thing going on, which I appreciate more than anything. It doesn't feel tacked onto the other one.

>>1227186
Hasn't the price gone down after the Virtual Console release?

>>1227542
I'm a 3d artist and this is one of the projects I'm working on now. (No, not an /actual/ remake, just a mock-up of how the style would look in WiiU limitations. Kind of like those 3D Mother 3 shots)

Anyway, the style is kind of cel-shaded, but not simple like The Wind Waker. It's going for more of a Ghibli feel right now, with really detailed backgrounds and simple characters.

It's most similar to Kiki's Delivery service. However, characters still have dotted eyes--It just wouldn't feel like Mother without them. I plan on releasing these images on Mother's anniversary next year.

>>1226998
>I've just made it to Scaraba, how much of the game do I have left?
If you are playing as Poo, then you are halfway done.
If you arrived with Ness and company, you have 20% left.

>>1230705
>and music that consists of shitty renditions of overrated songs in real life.
All your points are valid opinions to have, but that last part about the music isn't even factually true. Are you talking about the sampling? I don't think you know what you're talking about.

>>1233631
MOONSIDEMON SIDE

>>1228224
The dialogue there is so trippy and hilarious, I love Moonside.

>>1233613

you're mixing up Dalaam with Scaraba, bro-mide.

>>1233636
Ouch.
I have no excuse.

earthbound noobie here

what the fuck is a ruler useful for? I smurked when i gained the ability to measure things easily but, is that all?

>>1234126
That's all. It's a joke item.

>>1234126
it's almost as significant as the Insingnificant Item you find in a drawer in threed hospital.

>>1231103
I think it was alright too, I grew up with Pokemon and honestly it's not much different. It's a basic turn-based RPG engine.

EB's was memorable for me because of the cool PSI effects and backgrounds

How does everyone feel about the Mother 4 fangame coming out next winter?

They're actually really far along with it, and it looks killer.

http://www.mother4game.com/

>>1230607
Anon, you do realize he learns two of the most powerful psi moves in the game, right?

>>1230607

Fucking teleporting
>Shitty

I just beat the game today.
As cool as Gigyas was concept wise that was possibly the biggest non battle in the entire game. I was expecting a bit more of a challenge to be honest.

>>1236778

I feel awful for not knowing this existed, although I have to wonder how it'll hold up against Earthbound.

Earthbound is easily within my top 3 games, but I feel like Mother 3 just didn't do what EB did at all. I don't know what it is, but Earthbound just kind of pulled off a certain humor. And, of course, it's the feeliest game of all time. On top of that, it's obviously got very nice graphics comparitively great music, etc. etc.

When I played Mother 3, I just ended up disappointed, regardless of it being a pretty good game. I've never played all the way through Mother 1, so I can't pass judgement on it.

>>1236778
Terribly apprehensive. White nerds/fans in my history are awfully self-indulgent and egotistical. A certain smugness.

I really prefer the Japanese sense of imperfection. The face in the crowd, the "am I good enough" mentality.

>>1236778

Did you see >>1227328?

so I played the first three hours or so of Mother 3, and I was diggin' it, but I guess the main thing that determines whether I keep playing and finish it is, does it have the same themes of cosmic horror that EB had? And is my enjoyment of the story ruined by my knowledge of the familial twist towards the end?

My favorite thing about EB by far is Giygas, and just the whole creepiness of getting sent through time as disembodied minds in robot suits. It's just so out of left field and unnerving, and then you come to a final boss that's absolutely Cthulhu-esque. I especially get a kick out of the pictures that dissect the meaning of the hidden fetuses in the background, and the fan theory about going back in time to kill a great evil in innocent, infantile form. The last few hours of Earthbound alone does 90% of the work of securing it in my all-time favorites. Does M3 have any themes like this?

>>1234148
Really? All this time I thought it would get Jeff to repair items quicker.

>>1236778
For my sake, I won't have high expectations. It's graphically pleasing, for sure. We're left in the dark about the story, so I wonder what direction they'll take. I'm going to play it when it is released, but I don't think it will be as great as the other three games.

>>1237310
No, because Mother 3 is not about an alien invasion this time.

>>1237310
While there's no alien invasion in Mother3, there's still that feel of cosmic horror here and there. I don't want to spoil anything for you, but the game gets unsettling at times.
Speaking of spoilers, just because you know the fatal twist at the end won't ruin the story for you. In fact, a lot of people knew it when they first played. Plus, the game makes it kinda obvious halfway in- I get the feeling it wasn't meant to be a twist, just something they wanted you to suspect all along.

>>1237004
I'm friends with some devs on the team, and from what they're telling me I get the impression that they're trying to be humble with it. (Despite its presentation) They don't want it to be as dark as Mother 3 and they're trying not to put fanservice in it.

We'll see in the end, though.

>>1237509
>I get the feeling it wasn't meant to be a twist, just something they wanted you to suspect all along.
I got that feeling too since after three years, Flint still couldn't find the body and Chapter 5 in general.

Not to ask for specifics, but do you know anything about where the story is heading? Such as if it has more in common with Mother or something?

>>1237543

It was obvious to me when pigmasks recognized me as someone else higher than their rank.

About the fangame, not too fond of them naming it actually "Mother 4". Anyway as long as they don't profit from it and always make sure it's unofficial then it's fine. I personally don't play fangames or read fanfiction or that sort of stuff, but it'll be interesting to see how the Mother community reacts to it once it's released.

>>1237605
>that sprite
I'm so curious about all of the unused things in the final product. I wonder if the unused content was relevant in the original Mother 3 script.

The info on Porky on wikipedia.

>He joins Giygas, becoming his right-hand man because of the alien's mind controlling powers and because his father was physically and mentally abusive towards him and Picky. Another reason he joins Giygas is because many of the kids in Onett hate him and make fun of his weight a lot of the time.

I don't remember the domestic abuse or bulling being that delved into in Earthbound. Is this more delved into in Mother 3?

>>1237680
I think I remember his dad hitting him in Earthbound. I might be wrong but they might have changed subtleties of it from the Japanese to American version

Also you should prob put that in spoilers.

>>1237691
There were implications of him being beaten in Mother 2. But who knows, it could've just been spanking or something and not actual punches. It's up to player's interpretation

>>1237614
This. The weirdest thing left on the Mother 3 ROM is that final battle sequence. People say it's giygas and shit, but I don't think it is. people just attach the "giygas" term loosely.

>>1237605
>>1237543
I'll share what I know, sure. Supposedly it takes more inspiration from Mother 1, and some of 2. The only thing it takes from 3 is the sprite style.

As for the name, yeah man, I dunno. it was a placeholder name that stuck, unfortunately.

Also, from what I hear, they used to have a twat as creative director. The team was sick of his bull, so they kicked him out. The new creative director is fairly well-known around /v/'s indie dev group, so there's that.

I remember playing and beating Earthbound like 10 years ago ... I didn't like it, I don't remember why but it was pretty boring to me.
I tried to play it again a couple of years ago to see what all the fuzz was about, I still found it rather boring, then I tried to play mother 3 and the same happened.

Sooo ...the question here is;
Do I have to be in a certain mindset to enjoy these games ? Do I have to look for subtext and analyze the plot all the time to rally enjoy the game ?
Am I doing something wrong ?

>>1237887
It's probably just not for you.

>>1237887
>Do I have to be in a certain mindset to enjoy these games ? Do I have to look for subtext and analyze the plot all the time to rally enjoy the game ?
>Am I doing something wrong ?
Like >>1238013 said, it's probably just not for you. From what I've seen, most people who like it are the type of people who are really romantic or transcendental, though there are those who just like the game for what it is, and leave it at that.

>>1237680

His dad smacked him, but in the context of the game, I think it was a joke.

Earthbound's minimalist story isn't for everybody, but I do think it's well-told. It's a subtle adventure, more about eliciting emotions than telling a concrete narrative. In fact, it has more of a western approach to exposition, having the story be told through your actions instead of dialogue intensive cutscenes. For Earthbound, less is more. And despite countless other "artistic" games that have been released since then, especially from the indie scene, I don't think any have matched the level that Itoi achieved all those years ago - nothing has even come close.

>>1238557
I agree, even though I do think you're overselling the story a bit. To me, Earthbound is a down-to-Earth coming-of-age story. It's weird, to me, even though the setting was crazy, it seemed less... out there compared to other media that tried to get the same point across.

>>1238557
>having the story be told through your actions instead of dialogue intensive cutscenes
What are some other good games like this other than Links Awakening?

>>1238787
Shadow of the Colossus. It's an obvious choice, and not retro, but it's a game most definitely worth playing. Same could be said for it's predecessor, Ico.

>>1238669
Earthbound seems to be a really personal game to people, everyone gets something different out of it.

>>1227246
The reason why Mother 3 is oddly paced is because during the transition from Mother 64 to Mother 3 Itoi had to cut a few chapters out of the game. I remember when I was younger and Mother 3 first came out a lot of people on obsessive Mother sites would compare screenshots from the trailer to see what was missing specifically. And now people are hacking the game and finding a lot of random stuff to try to piece together some stuff that was missing.

>>1227267
>>1227310

Mother 1 to Mother 2 felt more like a remake than an actual sequel to me. Sort of like how LttP felt like an update/remake of the original Legend of Zelda. I really admired that it changed so much.
I wish it became popular enough for more games.


>>1227839
I love how the bicycle from Earthbound lives on in the Pokemon games.

>>1227329
Japan loves tradition. Google Super Sentai, the children's television show that has the exact same format for 40 years. (It's what power rangers is from.) And even more related look at long running RPG series like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, or even Nintendo franchises to try to get some idea. It was pretty ballsy to not pander to the fans by just making an updated Mother 2 on the N64 I think.

Although I think: >>1227336 is onto something.

>>1227507
>Itoi also said Mother 4 is 'the lives of all the people who played the Mother games together, happening right now', or that Animal Crossing could be considered Mother 4. Itoi says many things, you don't need to take him literally.


Where did he say these things?
I'm asking for no reason other than the fact I really did consider Pokemon to be a spiritual successor to Mother series, and I feel a few other games like Link's Awakening and Animal Crossing are vaguely related thematically or something. I can't really explain it. I think I read that Itoi was working on the game that became part of Animal Crossing too.

It's sort of like how all of Kubrick's movies are never sequels, but they all feel like Kubrick movies. There are certain Nintendo games and videogames that feel like they're all part of the same universe without literally being a part of the same universe.

>>1233628
>earthbound has more friends than me and it's not even a human so i'm mad

>>1233478
>>1231103
I love it too. It's supr simplistic. I didn't grow up on JRPGs. I didn't play final fantasy, dragon quest or anything like that. I played Chrono Trigger and Earthbound around the same time. I fell in love with how simple and fun it is. I actually like repetitive stuff like mild grinding.

>>1237310
>Does M3 have any themes like this?
If you're a fan of the Giygas is a fetus things then I think you should really read into what it actually represents. It's supposed to be the ending of childhood innocence. That's why it's vaguely symbolic of ladyparts. It was inspired from when Itoi walked into a theater and saw someone tied up about to be murdered or something. It scarred him for life.

Mother 3 has major themes like that too, and they are quite surreal and horrifying. Porkey basically wants to return to the womb. He goes from the child he was in Mother 2, to an all powerful God who can fuck with all space and time until he becomes perpetually bored, during that he has a mechanical baby's crib, and at the end of the game he ends up in an artificial womb rocking back and forth completely content with never being able to escape. It's fucking horrifying. And then there's the dragon who we never actually see despite the fact it destroys the world, and most of the last part of the game is spent trying to wake it up. Even weirder still ist hat there was a sleeping dragon in Mother 1 in Magicant, and a religion that worshipped the dragon.

>>1237825
>This. The weirdest thing left on the Mother 3 ROM is that final battle sequence. People say it's giygas and shit, but I don't think it is. people just attach the "giygas" term loosely.

I've heard that Itoi wanted to be more kind to the players as time went on, so I'm thinking some things were changed as to not make us an emotional wreck. After the mindfuck that is that godawful mailbox filled mushroom trip, I really can't even speculate the intended meaning of that fight. I've been meaning to play through this game with it in mind but I don't want to cry again.


Also if it wasn't apparent I'm samefagging this thread a lot only because I'm ranting about this game and it won't all fit in one post and I'm doing it as I read through the posts. Sorry if this is spammy.

>>1238384
Earthbound uses humour like that to emulate the perspective of a child. Most kids didn't give a second thought to the cults, prostitutes, and police brutality until after they grew up.

I liked M1 but I sure as hell wouldn't replay it like I do with EB

It had a great atmosphere, unique settings, but goddamn those random encounters were common and brutal as shit.

>>1241332
While M2's gameplay is much better, I find playing M1 a more enjoyable experience because of the atmosphere, settings and story.

>>1238384
It's presented like a joke but he's smacking the shit out of him.

>>1241332

the GBA version you can run and the encounter rate is dropped.

unless it was some sort of hack i played...i can't remember now but there is a improved version out there (gives double xp too).

>>1241267

Wow, I've seen a theory that the thing in magicant in 1 and the thing in 3 could be related. It's a very obscure reference if it is and I'm sure Itoi would do something like that. It's a super macguffin is what it is.

Which version of MOTHER is best? NES or GBA?

>>1242316

ok this what i was thinking of:

http://mother12.earthboundcentral.com/

The Mother 1 in this IPS has the x2 xp, the run button, and the encounter rate dropped.

>>1241267
fuck yes. I'm sold, redownloading mother 3 now.

Also yeah I read that Itoi in a theater thing too, although some sources report him as seeing a rape scene that scarred him for life (although the movie he reports he accidentally saw apparently doesn't /have/ a rape scene, so I guess it says something about how it appeared to him as a young boy)

>>1241226

He said the "Mother 4 is the lives of all Mother fans together" on an interivew a few years ago, it was published in a japanese magazine (probably Famitsu) and it was and interview with iwata and itoi.
The Animal Crossing, i can't remember, I think he said that in one of his hobonichi diary entries or something.

>>1229354
Chrono Trigger is great, but didn't you have to endure all that pointless cringeworthy dialogue?

In Earthbound every line is amazing.

>>1242835
I hate to say it, but you seem pretty edgy bro

>>1242998
>Chrono Trigger dialogue
>cringe worthy

>>1242334
Please respond.

>>1242998
What cringeworthy dialogue?

>>1242328
>Wow, I've seen a theory that the thing in magicant in 1 and the thing in 3 could be related. It's a very obscure reference if it is and I'm sure Itoi would do something like that. It's a super macguffin is what it is.

Yeah I've been meaning to replay the games now that I'm older so I can try to find some sort of meaning to the symbolism and connections I've noticed playing the games over the years. The snowmen in Mother 3 in the snow area are the same Snowmen in Mother 2, in Ness' Magicant too. The scorpion bug thing chimera's are actually from Mother 1 too. Itoi seems like the guy who wants players to find some personal meaning for themselves too, which is always very encouraging for obsessive fans like me.

>>1242835
I think Earthbound central actually found that video and linked to that scene in particular. I haven't watched it in awhile. It's kind of interesting that there are a few movie theatres in Mother 3 too, that happen to replay the events of Mother 2. There's also a theory that the vendor outside of the theatre is actually a brainwashed Ness based on his appearance.

>>1243415
There's not an english translation for the Mother1+2 for the GBA, so Mother from NES wins by default

>>1243445
Look at this goofy motherfucker.

I also have some speculation about the removed boss fight. I think maybe it was just supposed to be Claus' second and/or third form, but Itoi removed it to be more kind to his fans because it was too disturbing. An ending boss with multiple forms is a pretty common videogame trope. It was even used for Giygas. So it could just be the hidden boss was a sort of spiritual successor to Giygas, like how Lucas is a successor to Ness without actually being related to Ness.

>>1237605

This removed sprite looks like it was a scene showing Claus being augmented with cybernetic technology by Porkey.

It's interesting that Claus was a cyborg without an apparent soul, and at the end of Mother 2 you were a total robot with a human soul.

It's also sort of a Star Wars thing. it's really apparent when you have to sneak into the thunder tower (I think) in pig mask outfits that it's a vague parody of Star Wars.

>>1243463
>There's not an english translation for the Mother1+2 for the GBA

But that's wrong you retard

>>1243463
Uh, what? Yeah there is.
>>1242374

>>1243467
>>1243465

It doesn't really match with the only depiction of the dragons we see in 3D form in the game. I mean 3D to the characters. There's a painting in the churches of a black and white dragon that doesn't really match either. Not that it fucking means anything, but it's interesting. Most people miss that we see what could be the dragon, and a painting that shows the spaceship full of the last humans crashing into Nowhere Islands.

>>1243445
Another strange visual connection to Mother 1 in Mother 3 are the seashell shaped buildings that belong to the Magypsies.

I remember reading interviews from Itoi who said he was comforted by the fact that in a million years there would be no humans. We really did fuck up the earth. That's sort of what Mother 3 is about. It's fucking existential and depressing to me though.

>>1243480


Incidentally the volcano music was the best in the game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw1s0r6NUAc

>>1243471
>spoiler
Where? I completely missed that.

the tree guys are in both 1 and 3 too.

these trees are a little easier than the ones that EXPLODE if paula puts fire on them like the ones in 2.

>>1243583
The ones in two explode even if you just kill them with a stick

Why are there no other games as good as Mother 2/3? After playing them everything seems dull. :(

I did a vocal arrangement of the Onett theme for fun:

http://youtu.be/hBBOZGIV9KQ

>>1243490
It's in this room in Porkey's tower.

>>1243980
I'm going to post a few more things I've noticed. These could probably belong in the things you missed thread but oh well.

A tiny wooden sculpter of a Clayman on the desk -before- the timeskip. I forget who owns this house.

Light and Dark dragon?

>>1243989
Haniwa's graveyard says milf. I'm not kidding.

The Chimera Laboratory has a monster grafted to it. The Chimera Laboratory is literally a chimera.

Magicant snowmen.

>>1243139
what on earth makes you say that

>>1243980
>image

holy fuck. mother 3 is about scientology. think about it...

jesus, it's so obvious. holy fuck.

>>1243990
You should put this in spoilers

When I was a kid playing Earthbound I would spend a lot of time at Ness' house pretending that I was Ness, just walking around doing stuff.

>the music

>>1244048
Everyone has that one game where they do that.
Mine was animal crossing....made walking outside seem so nice as a kid.

>>1244063
Then I went to a swing and I was like "holy shit, I can do that too if I want".

>>1227091
Heh. My list is the complete opposite. I think if any game is out of place it's Mother 2. 1 and 3 have this feel to them that I love, and never got quite the same thing from 2. Maybe because the stories are more emotional and more related to the characters.

>>1244063
>Everyone has that one game where they do that.
this is true, mine's (as in still is) barbie horse adventures

>>1244094
Why does that game keep coming up from time to time?
Is it good? I hear about it a lot

>>1227825
>except for the music

Mother 3's music is my favorite part of the game.

>mfw people praise the awful rhythm shit in mother 3

>>1244162
i found it fun

>>1244162
You don't like it because you can't pull off 16 hits combos?

>>1244162
>he can't do 16 hit combos

look at him
look at him and laugh

Just started playing Mother 2 because of this thread, one of the first JRPGs I've ever played, and I can't get into it at all. I just find it so difficult, I feel like I'm doing something wrong. The enemies have so much attack power, and going through areas with enemies I am quickly overwhelmed. I'm trying to be strategic, using healing items and such, but it always feels like the enemies are way ahead. I feel like I'm missing something...

Maybe I'm just bad at JRPGs or don't really understand them. I remember trying a FF game and having a similar problem. Are you supposed to fight all the enemies, or only some of them?

>>1227329
Japan also thinks Spelunker is a good classic game.
They love familiarity and hate change.

>>1243990
pretty sure it says L is real 2014

>>1241332
>>1242316
>>1242374
I've heard that was part of the reason Japs didn't like Mother 3 as much - not "hardcore" enough.

>>1245007
Where are you and what's your equipment?

>>1245010
>Implying Spelunker isn't a great classic game.

Is there anywhere you download a straight up translated rom of mother 1? I just spent a good 3 hours trying to patch it and it wouldn't work.

>>1245073
>my face when playing this game as a kid and the fucking ghost comes about and scares the shit out of me

>>1245732
Yeah, the game was officially translated by NOA but simply wasn't released. Just search for an EarthBound Zero ROM, you'll probably find it under that name

>>1246049
All fixed.
Thanks anyway anon.

>>1244063
Mine was the Song of Storms in Oracle of Seasons. I never played OoT much as a kid.

And more related to this topic, there are huge amount of songs like this in Mother 3. I think that's why they gave you the sound test from the beginning. That bar you can't run in because it kicks up dust and mold spores with those songs in the jukebox, the beach and the area with the volcano and the magyspy shell house next to it were probably the most memorable for me. I guess the certain musical beats from those present boxes count too.

>>1244024
Sorry I can't delete it right now or I would.

>>1244162
Did you play it on an emulator? Shit don't work, but it's still neat.

>>1246338
Is there a way around it now that a few years have passed? It's so fun, but when I played after it was released it was technologically impossible to get more than 3 hits or something.

Unrelated but I remember beating earthbound for the first time and a day later the Mother 3 translation came out. It was amazing timing.

>>1227007
Because Shigesato Itoi.

Mother 3 is one of those few cases when a sequel is good.

>>1246345
>when I played after it was released it was technologically impossible to get more than 3 hits or something
What? How?

>>1246338
I played on my PSP and regularly got 16 hit combos.

>>1247013
I don't remember specifically but it had something to do with the syncing of something. I owned a cartridge versino which is how I know it's fun if that's what you're asking.

The issue of M3's rhythm battles not working is due to dropped frames or something like that, some problem with VBA which is what most people used to play it. It's extremely easy to do and makes a lot of sense on a physical copy or, as >>1247028 said, on the PSP.

>>1246331
I always find it wired when a random anon posts a polite reply for a post they didn't even make.

What is Paula's last name supposed to be? Jones or Polestar?

>>1249148
It's Polestar, where did you get jones?

star men have real life trilateral symbols on them.
look up dulce base

>>1250615
from dule alien base

>>1249416
>Paula Jones

>>1250630
Didn't this game come out before that scandal though?

how the fuck do you get past mister belch? i swear the fights can last for like a half hour and hes still alive...

>>1251879

Feed him the Fly Honey.

>>1250630
>Paula Jones
>>1250669


Her name comes from Pollyanna. Anna was the character in the first game. That song from Ness' house is called Pollyanna too.

>>1251883
>>1251883

You'll catch more flies with honey...

Why is the best music in Mother so shortlived?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVWFyPoeB4I&list=PLFF34B6D42C6060B9

Earthbound is the only game I've beaten 6+ times. Mother is a fantastic series, and honestly the world and lore feel unique and well thought out. A part of it does come from MUH NOSTALGIA but I do feel as though it's a very unique game.

I also don't even like JRPGS that much but this one felt so much different for me.

Also I love the fact that there's not that much grinding. There's a little at the beginning, but that's about it.

>>1249148
Polestar is the name of the school her mother runs, her actual last name is Jones.

It's like that in all the Japanese media the game had. However, she wasn't given a last name in the english version. Probably because of Bill Clinton

Maybe I just suck but I found this game incredibly difficult. Also, what's the deal with Jeff? He has no PSI, what's he useful for? Never made it past Threed.

Out of curiosity, how do you Earthbound fans feel about the presentation of the Mother series in the Super Smash bros series? I think it's really cool how they have Ness in there, plus levels like Onett and Fourside, the music is cool too.

>>1253850
The Smash Bros stuff is really cool, and It's neat to see Ness update in modern graphics.

Sure, some things are weird, like the PSI he uses, but that's a minor thing for me.

>>1253850
I love it.
It's neat to see EarthBound stuff update in modern graphics, and it's the only new Mother-based content we'll get from Nintendo.

I'm hoping for a Saturn Valley stage. Maybe the Cave of the Past, too.

>>1253850
It's one of the driving factors of keeping the games legacy alive. Hell, most people who've played Earthbound outside of Japan probably learned about it from Ness' appearances in Smash. Ness and Lucas look great in modern day graphics, and stages like Onett, Fourside, and New Pork City are very well made.

>>1253850
It's nice. Waiting for Ness announcement for the new game.

>>1253894
>Masked Man design
Nothing like my doujins.

>>1226998
I may be the only person alive who doesn't like eqrth bound.

>>1256529
Just curious, any particular reason you don't like it?

>>1256529
I don't like it either. The world and its characters didn't appeal to me. The game felt really fucking slow paced, like, really boring. I didn't like the combat system.
I tried to like it, several times.

>>1256529
I don't know about eqrth bound, but I like earthbound

depends on taste of course

>>1243448
The vendor theory honestly doesn't hold any water.

>>1256961
Thanks that asian man sucking his fingers is a really fantastic counter argument that definitively has more water than my theory which I only mentioned and didn't even list any actual evidence.

This is Picky.

>>1256961

Sorry for the snark, here's the full post.

http://cromulent.fobby.net/forum/?t=msg&th=31152

Why the fuck would some random assed NPC have the typical Earthbound protagonist main face. It makes some sense for Fuel since he's an archetypical normal boy like Ness and Lucas and the same for Kumatora but this random assed guy, nope, not a coincidence.

>>1256529
>I may be the only person
No, you are not not.

>>1258047
>It's really an unpleasant game (laugh)
>I think the ending will go above tearjerking and turn your mind into a complete blank.
>While there are comical elements to the storyline, he believes pain is the reoccurring theme.
Damn, what the hell did Itoi originally write for Mother 3?

>>1253850

Ness was a god in 64 but he's total shit in Melee

>>1258165

To be fair, the ending we finally got in Mother 3 was pretty painful.

>>1258207
I agree. Still, he makes it sound like he wrote something absolutely heinous the first time.

I tried playing Earthbound when I was 13. Couldn't get past Onett without getting bored. Tried again when I was 18ish same thing. Tried one more time when I was about 21 or so. Same thing.

Then last year, I met a chick who was really into the Mother series and I was really into her. She made me promise her that I'd give it a try and beat it. So I did.

I liked the aesthetics and atmosphere of the game. It's got a really nifty atompunk feel to it. Gameplay is awful though and the game was dated even when it came out in 1995.

I really enjoyed Mother 3 when I played that though. And I just got in a reprocart of the original Mother and am enjoying that so far as well. But Earthbound? Hmm, idk it just doesn't call to me. Maybe it's because I was forced to play it?

I love the design of the Starmen though.

>>1258216
>Maybe it's because I was forced to play it?
That's probably it. I don't blame you though, it was hard for me to get into Earthbound too. At least you enjoy the other 2 games.

>>1258216

>Gameplay is awful though and the game was dated even when it came out in 1995.

Not too many RPGs in 1995 had 8-directional moving characters (a lot of RPGs still used the old 4-direction movement), not to mention being able to see the enemies on the map field, and being able to attack them from behind.
If by dated you mean the grapghics aren't "impressive", that's another thing entirely, I don't think Mother games would work if they used 3D rendered sprites or something like that. I like the simple-looking and colorful visual presentation, gives these games a unique personality.
Battle system is a slightly enhanced Dragon Quest menu-based system. Nothing to complain about it really, DQ battle style is meant to be simple and fast, I didn't find it bad on Earthbound, the rolling HP meter added some fun and tension too.
Not to mention the big game map (Mother 1 is even more impressive, the whole game is a single giant map, something that's very very rare in RPGs in general, most of them are overworld maps with towns in it you can enter as separate maps, much like Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy). So yeah, no, Mother games, albeit simple and very inspired in dragon quest, have some good technical stuff in them too, but it was mostly ignored by reviewers back then because they were all expecting spectacular graphics, without noticing all the other things that made EB good from a technical standpoint.

>musical hits
>feels and drama
>worse maps, most of them are lineal, only one city
>almost zero diversity compared to earthbound
>doge
>that mediocre anticlimatic endgame
there are good points about mother 3, some music tracks, some bosses, a couple of dungeons but the game is way too dramatic for me.

it should have been a ds or 3ds game, the game feels short and small compared to earthbound

>>1258216
Can't blame you, I've only been able to play through it once. It's a really slow game.

>>1253842
He can use items you pick up, like bottle rockets. They can do some decent damage. Also, if you place a "broken" item in his inventory and then stay at the inn for a night or two, he can fix it.

>>1230705
>music that consists of shitty renditions of overrated songs in real life.
yeah, no

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN1fHNIRY7c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd8gwYJA6Y4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu7kqxkqPdA

Say what you want about the rest of the game, but don't talk shit about the soundtrack

>>1258269
>it should have been a ds or 3ds game, the game feels short and small compared to earthbound
It was a GBA game. How is that different from DS or 3DS?

>>1258047
Well, the thing is he doesn't even have a protagonist face. His chin is completely different. It's a generic Mother-styled face.

Does the vendor say anything eerie? I know he was located by Porky's theater, but that still doesn't hold water for me. It's just a vendor they spent 2 seconds spriting.

>>1258035
a picture of Itoi always makes a good counter argument

>>1258165
In trailers for Mother 64 we actually see Onett in ruins, so I think we ewre originally going to see everything from the SNES game destroyed. Also check out the unused boss that can be hacked into the game. I think Claus' fight was supposed ot have a few extra forms, which were removed. There probably wasn't going to be a sequence after The End where you talk to your friend. Everyone could have just died.

>>1259594
>Does the vendor say anything eerie? I know he was located by Porky's theater, but that still doesn't hold water for me. It's just a vendor they spent 2 seconds spriting.

Read the thread I linked you lazy piece of shit because it's all there. The theatre plays clips from Mother 2 and he sells you items from Mother 2.

>>1238787

Super Metroid

>>1245007

yes killing all the enemies is a good idea in that situation, and uh I don't think you suffer a big penalty when YOU die so don't worry too much about that (unless I'm wrong), the main thing is to keep building up your level until the game gets to be easy enough because you're stronger, that's generally how JRPGs work

the first part of the game is surprisingly punishing, but it should get easier as you progress and MANY new options open up--and yes there is definitely some room for strategic use (or even "abuse") of items that could give a clever or attentive player much more success than a more ordinary player, but you don't HAVE to figure out that kind of thing, because you can always fall back on the idea that even if you keep dying, you're still most definitely making progress as long as you're gaining levels

as long as you keep killing enemies and not forgetting to save your game, you can eventually succeed

>>1247013

I played on an emulator too, I could NOT figure out that damn rhythm system--it really just seemed to be the emulation setup, but I don't know what the exact problem was

it kind of bothered me that I was able to breeze through the game anyway (except the Barrier Trio, which seemed to be the only tricky "puzzle battle")--but oh well, the story was still good

>>1253850

it kinda sucks that they put in spoilers

>>1260353
In retrospect calling someone a lazy piece of shit may not be the best choice of words when you're trying to convince something to a skeptic. But I just hope you realize it was 4chan banter and I was half kidding. Internet can't tone of voice.

>>1258395
He's probably a troll. He doesn't even know what he's talking about. The games did have samples from real world songs, but they wouldn't be even close to "shitty renditions of real life songs."

>>1258403
>>>1258269
>>it should have been a ds or 3ds game, the game feels short and small compared to earthbound
>It was a GBA game. How is that different from DS or 3DS?


More space. Itoi had to cut out a few chapters from the N64 version of the story.

I just came to an interesting interpretation of Mother 3 that I wanted to share here.

Porkey is seen is a juvenile permanent child who treats the entirety of space and time as his playtoy, effectively playing God. He was banned from all space and time which is why he ended up at Nowhere Islands. Claus was transformed into a lifeless doll because of Porkey. He was nothing more than Porkey's toy, being controlled by him to do his bidding.

There is a lot of lore behind the concept of a light and dark dragon. The game has themes of duality. The mirror to Porkey, the main villain of the game inst isn't Lucas. It's not hero versus villain. The actual parallel to Porkey is you, the player. The player acts as God while playing through the Mother series. You control Lucas, like a doll. He doesn't talk. He's one of the only characters in the game who is mute. Videogames are toys.


This goes back to the concept of the Light and Dark dragon and the idea that somebody with a pure heart needs to pull the needles versus somebody with a dark heart.

tl;dr:
Porkey and the Player use Lucas and Claus as dolls. Porkey turned Claus into a mecha to brainwash him and control him, and the Player uses the gameboy to control Lucas. Probably related is how the ending is basically like someone hitting a reset button on a videogame.

Does this make any fucking sense to anyone else?

I just came to an interesting interpretation of Mother 3 that I wanted to share here.

Porkey is seen is a juvenile permanent child who treats the entirety of space and time as his playtoy, effectively playing God. He was banned from all space and time which is why he ended up at Nowhere Islands. Claus was transformed into a lifeless doll because of Porkey. He was nothing more than Porkey's toy, being controlled by him to do his bidding.

There is a lot of lore behind the concept of a light and dark dragon. The game has themes of duality. The mirror to Porkey, the main villain of the game inst isn't Lucas. It's not hero versus villain. The actual parallel to Porkey is you, the player. The player acts as God while playing through the Mother series. You control Lucas, like a doll. He doesn't talk. He's one of the only characters in the game who is mute. Videogames are toys.


This goes back to the concept of the Light and Dark dragon and the idea that somebody with a pure heart needs to pull the needles versus somebody with a dark heart.

tl;dr:
Porkey and the Player use Lucas and Claus as dolls. Porkey turned Claus into a mecha to brainwash him and control him, and the Player uses the gameboy to control Lucas. Probably related is how the ending is basically like someone hitting a reset button on a videogame.[/spoiler]

Does this make any sense to anyone else? Earthbound was always meta, look at how you defeated Giygas in Mother 2.

I just came to an interesting interpretation of Mother 3 that I wanted to share here.

Porkey is seen is a juvenile permanent child who treats the entirety of space and time as his playtoy, effectively playing God. He was banned from all space and time which is why he ended up at Nowhere Islands. Claus was transformed into a lifeless doll because of Porkey. He was nothing more than Porkey's toy, being controlled by him to do his bidding.

There is a lot of lore behind the concept of a light and dark dragon. The game has themes of duality. The mirror to Porkey, the main villain of the game inst isn't Lucas. It's not hero versus villain. The actual parallel to Porkey is you, the player. The player acts as God while playing through the Mother series. You control Lucas, like a doll. He doesn't talk. He's one of the only characters in the game who is mute. Videogames are toys.


tl;dr:
Porkey and the Player use Lucas and Claus as dolls. Porkey turned Claus into a mecha to brainwash him and control him, and the Player uses the gameboy to control Lucas. This goes back to the concept of the Light and Dark dragon and the idea that somebody with a pure heart needs to pull the needles versus somebody with a dark heart.


Does this make any sense to anyone else? Earthbound was always meta, look at how you defeated Giygas in Mother 2.

>>1261197
What spoilers did they put in?
Obv post in spoiler for other people :)

>>1262083
Interesting idea. It ties in the with the fact that the game asks you for your name early on, making you a part of the game world, as did Earthbound.
Also, I'd be really interested to hear how you guysinterpreted the ending.

>>1262083

Yes, and also the twins themselves are a duality.
I remember on an interview Itoi said one of the main themes in the game was that it was meant to be "macho", or something like that... in the sense that it's about the male competitiveness, beating your opponent and all that kind of things that define "machos". I interpreted that as an analogy to how twin brothers have to struggle with competition especially during their childhood days, and how tragic that "competition" turned on in the game's setting. But now reading your take on it, yeah, Porky added an extra twist to it, and he became more like an enemy for the player, rather than just Lucas. When you think about it, Porky didn't even care about Lucas that much, he just laughed it off when Lucas was looking for Claus, like "oh, you mean my lifeless toy? LOL".

So yeah, nice observation there, anon.

Also, I reccommend everyone to read Agota Kristof's "The Notebook" novel, it's where Itoi got the inspiration from Mother 3, it stars 2 twin brothers, called Claus and Lucas. It's... brilliant. The way it's written, the story, the characters. It's much crueler and violent than Mother 3, though.

>>1262224
Put things in spoilers man.

I'm really sad that the greatest game of all time came out and there hasn't been one since.

>>1262083
>Earthbound was always meta, look at how you defeated Giygas in Mother 2.
You pray for help because Giygas's strength is beyond your comprehension. How is that meta?

>>1262625
The prayer calls the player for help/spoiler]

>>1262091
Porkey!

>>1262083

That's an interesting interpretation, but Lucas has a few lines in Salsa's chapter, so he isn't completely a mute.

>>1262096
>Interesting idea. It ties in the with the fact that the game asks you for your name early on, making you a part of the game world, as did Earthbound.


It could be intentional that it happens in a church of all places. A church that happens to have a picture of the light and dark dragon.
I remember reading an interview when the game came out from Itoi. He said something to the effect that he as comforted by the fact that in a million years everyone would be at peace, aka dead after the sun exploded. I think the ending was essentially a continuation of the meta themes too. It was Mother Earth hitting the reset button because the Earth had become too corrupted from humanity. The game has huge environmental themes. It's why the logo becomes completely wooden at the end. He probably realized how fucking depressing it was though, maybe the characters existing after "the end" screen was only in the GBA version. There were interviews about how he wanted to be kinder to his fans.

>>1263646
In terms of duality, the ending and the resetting of earth can be see as both a good and bad thing. It depends on your perspective, not who actually pulls the needle.

I should say that it's been a long time since I've played the game so I am probably forgetting a lot of details. I'm too homesick to replay Mother 3 to analyze it again.

>>1260353
I actually read the thread this time, and gotta say, it's definitely possible. Could be one of the ways Itoi was gonna be a dick to the audience.

>>1262056
Also, it's alright you called me a lazy piece of shit. It's typical chan speak, I'm used to it, heh

>>1263646
My interpretation of the characters being in the blackness at the end was that as the Lucas (or the player) only pulled some of the needles and the rest were pulled by opposite forces. There wasn't enough energy in any direction to properly create a new world, so the destruction occurred, but no creation, and the characters were all stuck in a kind of limbo.
Been a while since I've played it so might be shaky on the details.

>>1264971
Wow fucked up my wording there majorly haha
Dunno how that happened

>>1264971
Characters acted joyful, though, right? If they were stuck in a limbo, they'd be freaking out. It's also been a while since I read the ending dialogue, but I remember it being optimistic.

>>1264978
I think they could have just been relieved that they still exist after the island was destroyed. If there had been something new created in its place, I don't think the darkness would have been used. It's a pretty big focus that the Dragon would follow the will of whoever pulled the needles, and since they pulled by opposing forces I don't think anyone would have the power to control it and the destruction would have been without direction or creation.
Talking about it's making me want to replay it.

OP here. Fuck, it's been two weeks. Do threads on /vr/ usually last this long? Also, finished Earthbound. Great game, loved Gigyas. I decided to save Mother 3 for later, started playing some other games to space it out.

>>1265048
My experience of Mother 3 was enhanced by playing it directly after Earthbound so I'd recommend you don't wait too long :)

>>1264964
>>>1260353(You)
>I actually read the thread this time, and gotta say, it's definitely possible. Could be one of the ways Itoi was gonna be a dick to the audience.

Itoi isn the type of guy who leaves it to the fans to decide on a personal level so it's really all a matter of opinion sometimes. I think Itoi mentioned stuff like that when people ask him if Ninten is Ness and Ana is Paula, etc. (Heh, Pollyanna.)

A few more thoughts on the ending:
Porkey really wanted to return to the womb in a very literal sense. The absolutely safe capsule was a womb. His spider mecha was a crib. It was fucking disturbing.

>>1265173
I finished playing earthbound around two weeks ago and just started playing mother 1. Should I play mother 3 first?

so paula got kidnapped by that weird thing in fourside and somehow the enemies kicked my butt badly, I had to avoid most of them and I almost die a couple of times

ness is 37, jeff is 33. should I level up? what's a good strategy? I'm scared of moonside considering I don't have paula

>>1266217
Nah, finish with M3. The first two are closer to each other than the third is to the first two, stylistically speaking.

>>1266243
That's a hard part, tough it out.

>>1266243
haha ya. The friggin cups of coffee start spilling their shit on you and all goes to hell fast.

living cups of coffee are dicks in this game.

Most excellent gaming experiences!

I think what irritates me most about EarthBound is how people chose to remember it.
I remember as a lighthearted adventure of four kids 'growing up' in a sense, overcoming fear and challenges and discovering the world.
I swear everyone else remembers it as some random, funny, goofy for the sake of being wacky.

>>1269008
Wow, that's an interesting way to put it.

I played earthbound when I was just about 9, and as I did I dreamed of being that boy who went on an adventure across the world with his friends.

I collected a shoebox of things that reminded me of Earthbound; a bent key, a french fry box, a broken TV antenna, a baseball... it seems a bit crazy now, but to my young mind, the more things I had that related to Ness or his friends, the more I would be like him.

I adventured around the the train-tracks near my house with a backpack and baseball bat pretending to fight Starmen and Sharks. I'd climb fences into other-peoples back hills and unmaintained forest just to explore.

So, I guess that's what I remember most about Earthbound, the feeling that maybe I could be a hero just like Ness, and the thrill of exploring a new place, heedless of the danger it might possess.

I really wish they better tied together Mother 1 with the rest of the series. Giygas is literally the only thing that serves to connect the two games. All other connections are just aesthetic and musical. At least 3 lets you know for sure that what happened in 2 mattered.

In Mother 2 and 3, there's no reference to anything that happened in 1, nor 1's characters besides the fact that Giygas is getting his revenge (and even then, you wouldn't know what for if you didn't play 1).

There's actually a theory that Giygas' little trick of going back in time changed the world in a way that things were different, but not TOO different (like settings and characters in 2 being so similar to 1), effectively retconning 1 out of existence.

>>1269060
But still, the tiebacks were only connected to the villains...

I saw Pokey's attempt to shape parts of Tazmily into a twisted version of what he remembered Eagleland like as a kind of explanation for Giygas's appearance in Eagleland in the first place; they tried to grasp on to some place that seemed familiar

>>1269060
Mother 1 to Mother 2 reminds me of transition from The Legend of Zelda (NES) to Link to the Past. Especially when you consider that was well before the whole timeline and Link/Zelda/Ganon reincarnation thing. I don't think you're supposed to think too hard about it, but it's personal to everyone. I think Itoi wanted you to decide for yourself it it's a sequel or not. It's still fun to talk about though.

>>1269060

Mother 2 is a re-vamped version of 1. Mother 2 is like Mother 1.5...like the improved second take at it on better tch system (snes).

to read into it this much is not the way to go.

>>1270438
This. The stories aren't connected.
I still don't understand people who won't play Earthbound because they insist on "playing them in order". Not necessary.

>>1270438
>>1270594

If you really think Mother 2 is just a remake of Mother 1 with some tweaks here and there I'm afraid you haven't really played M1 to completion.
Yes, they are similar, and many ideas were kind of re-worked on M2 (Monkey Cave being a proto Satrn Village, and even uses the same music too), but the plot and practically everything makes them different in many ways. The difference is not as notorious as the transition from M2 to M3, but this is mainly because the director of Mother 3 was someone different and not Itoi (Itoi did write everthing in M3, but the direction was not as his charge, hence why it has a more traditional story-driven RPG vibe, director was some ex-Square guy who worked on Legend of Mana series, Live-A-Live and others), and because Mother 3's core plot is completely different than that of M1 and 2.
So, are Mother 1 and 2 similar in many ways? Yes.
Is Mother 2 just a "re-vamped", "re-worked" Mother 1? No. Really, no.

>I still don't understand people who won't play Earthbound because they insist on "playing them in order". Not necessary.

Necessary? No, you can play any of the 3 games independently form the others and you will still understand (mostly) everything, but the optimal way to play the Mother series is indeed playing them in order.
You can play Mother 3 without having played M2 first.... you just wouldn't know who Porky is, or get all the references toward the end of both, M1 and M2.

>>1271972
Am I gonna a lot out of M1 if I've already played the 2 and 3? What's the version you would recommend?

>>1271976

If you played M2 and 3 first, you will probably feel the dated battle mechanics and high random encounter rate.
But don't compare Mother 1 to its sequels, that's unfair. if you're gonna compare Mother 1 to some other games, compare it to the other RPGs that were released at the time... that way you will see Mother 1 is not as bad as people make it out to be, and is actually quite impressive on a technical level, for a Famicom RPG.
As for the story, Mother 1 is about the backstory of Giygas, which was completely unexplained on Earthbound. Doesn't matter if you played EB first, you will still enjoy it because it's still a completely separate and original story than EB, the only returning character on EB is Giygas

And the first time I played it was the EarthBound Zero ROM (aka the official, unreleased NOA localization), I had no problem with it, the translation is not as charming as EB though, so you might want to check out the fan translation of the port in Mother 1+2 for the GBA. Either way you're fine.
Also, you can use the Easy Ring item if you want, but if you ask me, it's not necessary. Mother 1 is hard, but it's not brutally hard (people complaining about its difficulty probably never played any 8 bit RPG). Just expect to die sometimes, but remember, it uses Dragon Quest's system, you won't lose any progress or exp points if you lose, just half your money (which you don't even need to carry all with you anyway, you can keep most of it in the bank and only carry the necessary).

Some tips:
Use Ninten's 4th-D Slip ability to escape from dangerous battles if you're about to die.
Be sure to get the Magicant Hook before you leave Magicant (you have to find an optional Fish boss)
Once you get to the infamous Mt. Itoi, be sure to get a certain memory chip... using both the Magicant Hook and the memory chip will make your life on Mt. Itoi easier, remember that.
And most importantly, don't rush it, have fun, immerse yourself into it.

>>1271997
>And most importantly, don't rush it, have fun, immerse yourself into it.

I always felt that Mother 1 excelled at immersion. People always give EB it's accolades in that department, but something about Mother 1 completely captures me.

>>1271997
Thanks for the great post mate, I've downloaded it :)

>>1272016
I thought M3 had better immersion than either.

>>1270438
To be fair I think the reason people try to connect them is because it's called "The Return of Giygas." I think they don't get that's a title for the audience and it doesn't have to make sense in game .

>>1272016
The reason people always say that is probably because that's the only Mother game they played, and it's the one they grew up with. The first time I beat Mother 2 Mother 3 was released a week later, so I was just so immersed withe verything. I used to play it on emulators when I was 12 or so, but I never beat it. I actually just used to walk through walls to explore the game, which is why I like Yume Nikki so much. Which incidentally has an entire level dedicated to Mother 1.

>>1274251
I still haven't played Mother 1 yet, but I had no idea the translation patch for the GBA version was out. I might try to play it soon. The 8 melody song makes me cry though so I avoided playing Mother 1 until now. It's just so sad that a mother's love would drive a child insane. Maybe I'm just a pussy.