When asked about when Mother 3 would be coming to the States, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said that wasn't his decision. Japan makes those decisions.
If so, what's up with Wii title Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse? When asked about the game, Tecmo replied, "Nintendo holds the publishing rights to 'Fatal Frame Wii,' which was developed by Tecmo LTD. and Grasshopper Manufacture and released in Japan on July 31, 2008. Nintendo of America has since then decided not to publish the title in North America – consequently, the title will not be released in this territory. As the owner of the IP, Tecmo feels very unfortunate that the fans of the series in North America will not have a chance to play the game, but respects the final decision made by Nintendo of America."
Previously, Reggie Fils-Aime told MTV Multiplayer that Nintendo "was not the publisher of that title in the Americas."
Fatal Frame Never Coming to America? [IGN via Kombo]