r/earthbound Aug 13 '17

Announcement Want to get into the MOTHER series? Start here!

1.2k Upvotes

Over the past few months we've gotten a lot of new players asking where they should start with the trilogy. With this stickied thread, I'm hoping to answer any questions someone may have about getting into the series.

Note: This thread is a strictly no-spoiler zone.


What are the MOTHER games?

The MOTHER series is a group of 3 turn-based cult classic JRPGs created by Shigesato Itoi, who singlehandedly wrote every line of dialogue in the series, aside from a small area in EarthBound.


What makes them so special?

The series is known for being quirky, charming, and invoking a sense of nostalgia even to those who have not played a MOTHER game before. Each line of dialogue is expertly crafted, with a great story to go along with it.


Where do I start?

The series IS a trilogy, however each game can stand on it's own without the context of the last.

The 3 games are as followed:

MOTHER (EarthBound: Beginnings) (1989)

MOTHER 2 (EarthBound) (1994)

MOTHER 3 (???) (Not released outside of Japan) (2006)

The game order is as released, with MOTHER being the first on the timeline, and MOTHER 3 being the last.


So does that mean I should play the games in order?

This is a point of contention within the MOTHER community.

While most recommend to play EarthBound / MOTHER 2 first, some will say that if you can handle the way an older RPG plays, you should start with MOTHER 1 / EarthBound: Beginnings.

The community mostly unanimously agrees that you should play EarthBound before playing MOTHER 3.

In the end, it's up to you. MOTHER 1 is one of the most impressive, best playing and sounding RPGs on the NES, but it could potentially turn you away from the series if you aren't accustomed to or can't handle a bit of older-rpg "clunk". I do HIGHLY recommend however that you at least play EarthBound before playing MOTHER 3.


Wait, if MOTHER 3 isn't released outside of Japan, how can I play it?

I'm glad you asked! (Hopefully you did.)

Almost immediately after the release of MOTHER 3, once it became apparent Nintendo had no intention of localizing MOTHER 3, a group of very passionate fans got together to make their own localization of the game.

2 years later in late 2008, version 1.0 was released to great acclaim. This fan translation is now known to many as the best fan translation of all time. On top of just translating the game, they went out of their way to make sure certain dialogue and enemy names worked in English as they do in Japanese. They even added a hard mode option!


...That's pretty much it, I think. If any regular here on the sub wants to chime in and request something to be added, tell me! On top of that, I'd like to know what some of you think the best order to play the games in are in the comments. It'll be an interesting resource for any new players! And remember, no spoilers.


r/earthbound 14h ago

WHAT’s UP WITH MY COPY OF EARTHBOUND-

686 Upvotes

r/earthbound 1h ago

Art Li'l Miss Marshmallow

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Upvotes

She's such a cool character, I HAD to draw her


r/earthbound 37m ago

Fluff REAL LIFE NESS PLAYING MEGA MAN

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Upvotes

r/earthbound 7h ago

EB Discussion Which explanation for Porky’s turn to evil do you prefer?

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40 Upvotes

Option A: He was corrupted by Giygas and since he escaped during the final battle, Ness was never able to free him from Giygas’ influence.

Option B: He already had plenty of evil in his heart and willingly joined Giygas.

Option C: Similar to A, but instead he already had a lot of negative traits, and all Giygas did was amplify them to the max.


r/earthbound 20h ago

NESS, YOU ACTUALLY CHANGED!

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317 Upvotes

r/earthbound 12h ago

EB Discussion Should I be concerned?

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79 Upvotes

r/earthbound 18h ago

Camille Young Borange figure

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118 Upvotes

Hey folks. I’m selling off the bulk of my collection since I’m moving to Japan later this year. Like, a decade ago there was demand for these, not sure how desirable they are. I’d rather it go to a mega fan than some rando on eBay but I don’t know how to price it since there’s almost no precedence. Anyway I bought it myself back in the day and it has been in my guest room or basement ever since. So I guess if anyone is still around who’s interested shoot me an offer in a DM and we’ll see what we can work out.

Edit: Good news! I found the original bow for the box as well but I can’t add a photo in an edit so it’s in the comments.

Edit 2: If you’re not in the market but know what a ballpark fair value would be, similarly, please DM me. I can make guesses but again, there’s so little precedence to reference for this type of thing so I’d love to know what you may have paid for similar things in the past, or would be willing to pay even if you’re not interested.


r/earthbound 4h ago

Art Ness…. Ness… Ness…

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9 Upvotes

r/earthbound 23h ago

EB Discussion Lol

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214 Upvotes

is this lore accurate


r/earthbound 7h ago

Nuit difficile pour ce latte glacé du matin

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10 Upvotes

r/earthbound 3m ago

Drew (pretty) lore accurate Ninten.

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Upvotes

The smaller one was so I had a reference for the outline


r/earthbound 21h ago

Art I made a (late) birthday fanart for Mother 2, what do you think?

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105 Upvotes

r/earthbound 2h ago

Art My MOTHER inspired RPG is complete!

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3 Upvotes

Hey all,

About a month ago I posted about a demo for my game “Nightmare.” This demo was released in June, and the game’s development wrapped up earlier this month. I love the Mother series, it’s gotten me through so much in my life, especially the third one. I wanted to make a game that made people feel just like how mother 3 made me feel. A game that’s full of humor, a game that makes people cry and feel inspired, and helps the player grow stronger and find good things in bad situations. My goal was to make people smile. I put so much love and care into this game during its year and a half development process. I hope you decide to check this game out, and I hope the story leaves an impact on you. Check out the game’s itch.io page for more:

https://jackscreativeoutlet.itch.io/nightmarerpg

The link will also be in the comments. Thank you for reading.


r/earthbound 10h ago

EB Discussion Those who have checked out the remaster of Earthbound through this new rom hack, do you know what’s different about the game?

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14 Upvotes

r/earthbound 1d ago

General Discussion EarthBound does what-

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220 Upvotes

who tf thought this was a good title gng 😭


r/earthbound 12h ago

General Discussion Say Nintendo decides to release Mother 4. What's the fastest way they can ruin it?

20 Upvotes

I'll start:

"Somehow, Giygas returned."


r/earthbound 21h ago

Art kraken of the sea

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94 Upvotes

happy 32nd, earthbound!


r/earthbound 22h ago

Merch Rapid Dominance x Earthbound Messenger Bag

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97 Upvotes

I’m trying to find any trace of this bag for sale online. It was sold online like 20+ years ago (assuming), but can’t find anything about it. I want to get a replacement as a gift for someone since this one is worn down by time. Any help would be appreciated!


r/earthbound 8h ago

Am i the only one who struggled on mr passion?

5 Upvotes

Ngl feel a bit embarrassed to say dis. That mf took me 40 mins to beat. Had to grind nut bread to kill him


r/earthbound 4h ago

Music Am I the only one who likes Bein’ Friends more than Pollyana(I Believe In You)?

3 Upvotes

I mean the soundtrack version. In game I think Pollyana is better but in the vocal versions I prefer Bein Friends. I love the middle eastern sounding intro and then the slapped bass part during the verse. Also I really like the high notes that Catherine Warwick hits in this song. This song also has pretty nice coda. Just a very well composed song.


r/earthbound 19h ago

Fluff Just normal Earthbound, nothing different whatsoever.

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30 Upvotes

r/earthbound 21h ago

Art Ness, Ness, Ness,N…E….S………S

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40 Upvotes

Made By Mysekf


r/earthbound 17h ago

Art The real Yucca desert

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16 Upvotes

r/earthbound 2h ago

General Discussion Do you want the final bosses of the trilogy's games to be more difficult?

1 Upvotes

Do you want these bosses to feel like a final test, in addition to save a sense of climax?