Kotaku: Earthbound

How To Improve One of Nintendo's Best Games? Like This.

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:30:00 EST

Kotaku reader Riccardo whipped up this HD version of Mother's opening credits. It, like the game itself, is fantastic. If anything should get you excited about an HD Nintendo gaming system, it's this. More »

What Makes the Mother Series so Great?

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

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They may not be chart-toppers - indeed, the third game has never even been officially released in the West - but the Mother/Earthbound series of role-playing games are some of the most revered and cherished of all Nintendo games (at least among certain cliques). More »

Saved by the Bell: The Video Game Is the Best Thing That Never Happened

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 04:30:00 EDT

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You know, it was one of the great tragedies of the 1990s that we never got a Saved by the Bell video game on the SNES. One heavily inspired by the Earthbound series, in which you had to help Zack do whatever he did for 23 minutes an episode. More »

Episode IV: A New Earthbound

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 09 May 2011 06:30:00 EDT

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This piece, throwing Nintendo's classic Mother RPG series (known as EarthBound in the West) and the original Star Wars together, is just too damn cute for words (via 4CR). More »

What If Mother Was A Children's Story?

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 04:40:00 EDT

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The Mother (known in the West as Earthbound) series of RPGs can be enjoyed by kids, but also have stuff specifically for adults. Just like a fairy tale. More »

Talk Of Mother 4 Doesn't Mean It Will Happen

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 07:50:00 EDT

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Shigesato Itoi, who's perhaps best known in Japan as a copy writer and TV personality, already said that there will be no Mother 4. Making Mother 3 was no easy task. That doesn't mean there still isn't hope - however faint that might be. More »

How The Wife Of Japan's Beloved RPG Maker Challenged Nudity Censorship

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 02:00:00 EST

In the West, Shigesato Itoi is best known for the Earthbound series of role-playing games. He might challenge game conventions, but his wife Kanako Higuchi challenged Japanese censorship more, changing it forever. More »

True Love Is Found In Nintendo Classics

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:30:00 EST

Get ready for some feel-good times, as a man and his lady agree to be wed after a night spent dining, drinking wine then playing classic Nintendo RPG series Earthbound. More »

Mother 4 In Development (By Fans, Not Nintendo)

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:30:00 EDT

The Mother series, known in the West as Earthbound, are some of the best games to ever grace a Game Boy. They're so good, in fact, that Nintendo of America wants nothing to do with them. More »

Just In Time For Fall, The $400 Mario Sweater

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:00:00 EDT

And it's not just any only $400 Mario sweater, but an officially licensed $400 sweater sold to you via the guy who created role-playing game Earthbound. More »

One Mother Loving EarthBound Cosplayer

Mike Fahey — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:00:00 EDT

If you think Linda Le aka Vampy's EarthBound cosplay is adorable, wait until you get a load of her Morrigan from Darkstalkers. More »

Mother Action Figures Won't Need A Fan Translation

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 06:30:00 EDT

While these Mother figures aren't as charming as those hand-made Mother 3 statues, they do have one advantage: they're made by a toy company, so large numbers of people can actually buy them! More »

Oh Mother, This Looks Hot

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:00:00 EDT

It's July. July in Japan means one thing: unbearable heat. It's not exactly the weather for your typical full body costume. More »

Earthbound Inspired Shirtness, Hatness Ups Your Nerdness

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:40:00 EDT

It is not too late to do a very serviceable Ness impersonation this Halloween, thanks to Fangamer, creators of the Earthbound inspired "Awesomeness Combo Pack," complete with shirtness, hatness and yo-yo-ness. More »

Oh Goodie, Another Mother Statue

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EDT

Camille Young's handmade, resin statues are exquisite. But she doesn't just make 'em for Mother 3 handbooks! Oh no. She makes them for previous games in the series as well. More »

Get Your Free Mother 3 Handbook

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:30:00 EDT

If you have $20 lying around, and are a fan of Mother/Earthbound, you should definitely pick up the Mother 3 Handbook. If you're a fan of the game and don't have $20...well, lucky you. More »

The Bestest College Webpage Ever

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:00:00 EDT

Pictures of student sitting under trees? Crowded libraries? Professors lecturing? Boring! A school campus in retro 8-bit? That's more like it. More »

Mother 3 Handbook Is Sheer Indulgence

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:30:00 EDT

Remember that Mother 3 handbook we told you about? My copy just arrived in the mail. And I'm lost for words. More »

Earthbound Fans Are Crazy, Yo

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 05 May 2009 07:30:00 EDT

Somehow a fresh, unopened copy of Earthbound turned up on eBay the other day. Bidding was fierce. And at the auction's closing bell, the winner had parted with, oh, over $1000. More »

Exquisite Mother 3 Statues

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:30:00 EDT

Since Americans can't even get their hands on an official version of Mother 3 the game, there's no hope of seeing much official Mother 3 merch. But unofficial merch? Knock yourselves out. More »

Is There A New Mother (Earthbound) On The Horizon?

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 23:00:00 EDT

Roid is a "non-console" from developer Level 5, but rather, a web portal used by the dev to sell PC and mobile games. The new issue of Famitsu hints at what to expect. More »

This Might Be Why We Don't We Have EarthBound On Virtual Console Yet

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:30:00 EST

A rumour popped up today on Starmen.net claiming that Earthbound would never, ever be released on Nintendo's Virtual Console. Made vague mention of potential lawsuits. But lawsuits from whom? Let's take a look. More »

Why Don't We Have EarthBound On Virtual Console Yet?

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:20:11 EST

Say, remember when the Entertainment Software Ratings Board re-rated classic Super Nintendo RPG EarthBound for the Wii's Virtual Console? Remember how excited we all got? Well, there's some bad news about that. More »

Mother 3 Fan Translation Completed

Mike Fahey — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:40:00 EDT

Nintendo didn't seem to keen on releasing Mother 3 for the Gameboy Advance outside of Japans, so a group of fans banded together and took localization duties into their own hands. Nearly two years after the project first started, the Mother 3 fan translation website has launched version 1.0 of their labor of love. Now mind you that actually utilizing the translation requires the use of a ROM, which in turn requires the use of an emulator, which pretty much equals being shady. Pay special attention to the first step listed in the instructions on the web site.

Import a copy of the game, if you can find one. It’s not cool to brazenly pirate stuff! Itoi, Nintendo, HAL, and Brownie Brown worked hard on this game. Can’t find a copy? Consider buying some official merch (below).

ESRB Rates EarthBound For Wii VC

Mike Fahey — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:20:00 EDT

Here's one future Wii Virtual Console update I cannot wait to write up. The ESRB has recently posted a rating for the classic Super Nintendo RPG EarthBound for the Nintendo Wii. The sequel to the Japanese-only game Mother, the game tells the story of Ness and company as they fight to gather the powers of the Earth to defeat the evil alien Giygas. With a compelling humor, an original setting, and some damn fine graphics for a Super Nintendo game, EarthBound is widely considered to be one of the greatest role-playing games of all time...and now it is rated E for Everyone. There really is only one reason an older game gets a Wii rating via the ESRB, so expect EarthBound to arrive on the Wii Virtual Console sometime in the near future. More »

Earthbound Creator Evaluates Iron Chef Cooking

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:20:29 EDT

The man responsible for the Mother series of role playing games, known as Earthbound in the West, Shigesato Itoi, has made a handful of appearances on the TV show Iron Chef, poetically evaluating the culinary skills of master chefs from around the world. If you've ever wondered how a famous writer/game designer would judge a vicious bell pepper battle, your curiosity can easily be satisfied by clicking the play button. This clip comes courtesy of the YouTube surveying prowess of the Select Button forums. More »

MOTHER Shirts to Hold You Over

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 07:00:55 EDT

Consider this a consolation prize of sorts. With MOTHER 3 not getting an English language release anytime soon, Kyoto-based shirt maker King of Games has *get this* shirts that should make you feel better! The company's latest line is MOTHER. For those who've never purchased a KOG shirts, be aware they not only look cool as fuck, but they're made from the highest quality material, come in a groovy box and are totally Nintendo approved. Besides MOTHER 3 ULTIMATE CHIMERA shirts, they got MOTHER 1+2 as well. Pre-orders for them kick off October 10th at midnight with shirts shipping in November. They're gonna go fast! More »

Iwata's Personal Theory on Human Reproduction

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 08:30:49 EDT

Nintendo honcho Satoru Iwata doesn't just like to talk Nintendo games. He talks other stuff. Deep stuff. Stuff like reproduction and DNA and how this factors in why we compare out strengths and weaknesses. I'll let Iwata say it. It sounds better: More »

Crafty Needlepoint DS Case

fdemarco — Sat, 12 May 2007 16:00:00 EDT

I'm always envious when people show off their really cool game related objects that their partners make for them be it cakes, crafts and other objet d'art. My ex's hatred of video games knew no boundaries and I probably would have received a million dollar check for my birthday before anything game related. So I will sit here and seethe with jealousy over Lauren's sweet Earthbound DS case, lovingly handcrafted in the lost art of needlepoint. The recipient of this awesome gift was her fianc on the occasion of the Baby Jebus' birthday. Congratulations, man, you've got yourself a keeper. Flynn De Marco More »

A Mother Earthbound Film Years In the Making... Part Two!

kotaku.com — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 09:00:22 EDT

You know, it's a testament to how amazing Earthbound is that even something this gleefully incompetent fills me with pining for more innocent, carefree gaming days. I think you probably have to adore Earthbound to get it though: the digging through the trash for food, the battle noises, the simplistic victory crescendo. I just can't wait to see how they handle Mr. Saturn. Florian Eckhardt More »

A Mother Film Years In The Making

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 12:22:16 EDT

Back in 1995, Shigesato Itoi's Mother 2 (known as "Earthbound" in the West) was released for the SNES in America. The film made a huge impact on young Robbie and Jeff Benson, who set off to make a feature film of the game. They didn't get very far. One of the Bensons adds: More »

CNET Has No Idea What "Vaporware" Means

egauger — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 19:40:14 EDT

CNET has a bizarre little slideshow of the top-eleven vaporware titles, with the mysterious inclusion of those who are no longer vaporware (Prey is #3). I think someone is confused about the definition of "vaporware", despite the literal definition being pasted above the article itself. More »

Make Contact... In English

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 16:22:07 EDT

Earthbound-like RPG Contact for the DS is odd. It should be. The game is courtesy crazy Japanese game studio Grasshopper Manufacture, who also brought us Killer7. The game is getting English localization thanks to publisher Atlus. Game site Siliconera talked with Tomm Hulett, the game's localization director: More »

Rumor: Mother Trilogy Coming to DS

egauger — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 21:40:53 EDT

Joystiq put a little skip in my step and a happy bumblebee in my tummy with the announcement that there's a fairly believable rumor floating around about Mother (aka Earthbound) and the DS: More »

The Mother Tattoo

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 15:22:42 EDT

An arm tattooed with characters from Mother (Earthbound)? Yep. The ink is still fresh as it was done a week ago. The tattoo artist said this was one of his more "unusual tattoos." This was found on *surprise* LiveJournal. Go figure. Brian Ashcraft More »

Clips: Canned Mother 3 Beta for the N64

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 14:22:11 EDT

Here's a look at the Mother 3 game that never was. The title was original planned for the Nintendo 64, but was canned. Rumor has it that the cancellation was due to janky 3D modeling, but this clip looks pretty good. The title eventually found its way to the GBA, finally getting a release earlier this year. Brian Ashcraft More »

Vaporware Stars: the Best Games That Never Were

egauger — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 22:46:07 EDT

There's a fantastic little expose' over on Twitch Guru on the five greatest games that never officially saw the light of day: Earthbound, Duke Nukem Forever, Star Fox 2, Sim Mars, and the one that makes me cry little black tears, Sam and Max: Freelance Police. More »

If Mother 3 Had Another Dimension

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 16:22:53 EDT

A Japanese fella with loads of free time and Maya skills to boot has rendered the 2D Mother 3's world in 3D. Neat stuff, and even the battle scenes (which I abhor) look great. Still haven't finished Mother 3 yet (I'm slow, sue me), but I am totally lovin' the GBA title. In fact, because it is a Game Boy Advance title, I perhaps am enjoying the experience even more. It's intimate. Personal. Wonderful. Brian Ashcraft More »

Mother's Mother Says What Makes Him Tick

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 08:22:21 EDT

Game designer, t-shirt designer, TV commentator, copywriter, tomato juice bottler. Mother (Earthbound in America) creator Shigesato Itoi does it all it seems. (And does it damn good.) In an sit down with the online Ping Magazine, Itoi sums up his M.O. by saying: More »

Mother 3 Europe Only?

brownlee — Mon, 15 May 2006 17:40:41 EDT

Hello Central... Give me Doctor Saturn! For you Earthbound fanatics, good news! An English translation is coming our way. More »