NOTE: I had the flu while recording this so please excuse any verbal ticks.
Earthbound was always the odd-one-out in the Super Nintendo’s first-party line up. The gameplay, modeled after Japan’s beloved Dragon Quest
series, was too archaic and difficult for a western audience. Not to
mention the setting and humor were much too bizarre. Nevertheless, the
game found its audience outside Japan and they wanted more. 12 long
years later, Mother 3
is released in Japan—2 years after that, out of an uncanny display of
fan dedication, the game was translated by a group of Earthbound
enthusiasts and spread throughout the net, giving fans of a decade old
game a whole new journey to delve into. The only question is whether it
stacks up to its precursor or if it was best left in Japan.
There are two immediate observations the player will
make upon starting Mother 3. The cast of Earthbound is nowhere to be
seen, but everything else is just how you remember that 95’ classic
being. Shigesato Itoi, creator of the Earthbound series (or Mother as
it is known in its native Japan), has applied his experience as a
novelist to Mother 3. Instead of being brought down a linear, epic
path, Mother 3 conversely explores the transition that a small town and
a family goes through as strange visitors with strange technology
change the fate of the town of Tazmily. Where Itoi’s literary
experience shines is among the game’s opening chapters. Every chapter
sheds light on a different perspective of a Tazmily inhabitant, forming
a rather ingenious Rashomon-esque structure. To say anymore
would spoil the experience but know that Itoi has crafted a story where
the player never knows what will come next but it always makes sense in
the end—well, at least when put through the same logic applied to the
rest of the series. Above all, Mother 3 will be remembered for its
whimsical sense of humor and heartfelt story.
Mother 3 still retains the first-person perspective in battles, along with all the other minimal design borrowed from the Dragon Quest series, but one crucial addition is the use of music and how it relates to your character’s attacks. Every enemy you find will have it’s own battle theme that you’ll have to tap the attack button in time to the beat, although these are shared amongst many enemies you’ll find throughout the 20+ hour game. This ultimately means that you will get an additional attack, albeit weaker then your initial one, for each button press that is in time to the beat. This is often easier said then done; coming from someone who has beaten both Rhythm Heaven games, I can say that you will very rarely follow the beat all the way to the 17 hit cap. Throughout the game you will find a character with a special abilitie that will add a metronome to guide you with the rhythm, but even then you’ll find it difficult to pull off. As metalbox said in the forum, “The game isn't hard enough to make it essential to master, [it] just makes it easier.“
Earthbound was never a graphical powerhouse amongst the SNES catalog, and Mother 3 doesn’t fall far from the tree in that respect. Like it’s SNES forebear, it applies its minimal design to deliver one of the most well rounded experiences you’ll have on your GBA. As DrStrange1 said in the forums, “The graphics aren't really pushing the limit like your run of the mill FPS shooter, but it essentially comes down to a game I’ll be nostalgic over for YEARS”. Every location you’ll find is unique, while still maintaining a connection to the rest of the Mother 3 universe. Brownie Brown, one of the 3 developers in this joint project, has made noticeable improvements in the animation department. The characters, despite being limited to pixels, are very emotive and their actions are very fluid. Pertaining to Mother 3’s music, series new-comer Shogo Sakai helps bring the beat-driven battle themes to life while breathing new air into past series motifs that will invoke a sense of nostalgia for those who knew Ness before Super Smash Bros.
An
outsider to the series might glance at Mother 3 and assume it’s a
quirky RPG for genre fans not so thrilled by recent, next-gen
titles—they wouldn’t be wrong, but Mother 3 is so much more then just a
self-aware genre exercise. Thanks to its inspired setting and a real joie de vivre
it displays, this is a game you will feel compelled to share with your
friends, whether they play games or not. Its minimal design and
light-hearted script accentuates the game’s themes of capitalism and
loss of cultural identity via industrialization without ever feeling
heavy handed like so many other JRPGs. It’s a rare game that has a
purpose to exist beyond making the player feel fulfilled after many
hours of meaningless button presses. It makes you feel richer for
playing it not because you gained any achievement points, but because
it’s a memorable experience and story you’ll think about long after it
ends.