Perhaps no Japanese-exclusive game has been more commonly requested for a localization than Mother 3. The sequel to the cult classic Earthbound started development not long after it's predecessor's release, and it's since gained a reputation of its own. This hasn't, however, afforded it an official release outside of its home country.

Despite its characters and concepts showing up in the Nintendo crossover series Super Smash Bros., Mother 3 still hasn't shown up in Western retail outlets. Fans have taken the opportunity to translate the game themselves, but Nintendo still seems pretty uninterested in the title. Here's the history of Earthbound's sequel, how it was received and why fans outside of Japan still want it so badly.

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The History of Mother 3

The game that would become Mother 3 began its long production journey all the way back in 1994, not long after the Japanese release of Mother 2 (known as Earthbound in the West). The game was initially planned for the Super Famicom like its predecessor, but production switched to the Nintendo 64 once that console was available. Dubbed Earthbound 64, footage of the game was shown at Nintendo Space World. This included a look at future protagonists Lucas and Claus in a mine cart, their father Flint and what seemed to be the ruins of notable locations from Earthbound.

A stifled production cycle comprised of numerous delays saw the game unofficially cancelled before its production was switched to the then-upcoming GameCube. This was supposed to add two years to the game's development, but the release of Mother 1+2 as a compilation for the GameBoy Advance caused the game the switch platforms yet again. Mother 3 finally released in Japan on April 20, 2006, over a decade after it technically entered development.

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Reception

The game was lauded upon its final release for building upon what fans loved so much about the previous game while also making changes. Unlike the first two games, Mother 3 has a decidedly darker and more somber tone, accentuated by a major character death in the first chapter and an apocalyptic, Evangelion-esque conclusion. The plot and characters as a whole were much deeper than the comparatively flat stories of the first two Mother games.

The first-person, turn-based battles were also improved via a unique rhythm system that allowed players to do extra damage to enemies. Just as good as ever was the soundtrack, which added several incredibly catchy tunes to the franchise's repertoire of hits. This made the game one of the best-selling titles in Japan of 2006, fueling demand for the game to be released internationally. Unfortunately, these requests would consistently go unanswered, making the game ironically more well-known for its being lost in translation than its actual quality.

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Why Fans Still Demand Mother 3

Lucas using a PSI kick

The game has yet to be made officially available for non-Japanese fans, though it was re-released in Japan for the Wii U Virtual Console. The franchise's vocal Western fans took it upon themselves to allow gamers outside of Japan to finally enjoy the game, with Earthbound fansite Starmen.net releasing a fan patch for the game. When applied to a Mother 3 ROM, it would translate its over 1,000 pages of scripted text into English.

Despite the company's typical heavy-handedness with such things, Nintendo knew about the fan translation -- yet it never issued a cease-and-desist order. This patch was downloaded over 100,000 times in its first week, further bolstering the game's critical reception and positive reputation. Ironically, this didn't stop request for an official release from Nintendo. It's possible that its silence regarding the fan-translation stems from not wanting to officially release Mother 3 in the West itself, though its continued lack of availability remains suspect. This is especially true following the 2015 Western release of the original Mother as Earthbound Beginnings, another game from the series that was initially skipped internationally.

On top of this, the series itself has been dormant ever since the launch of Mother 3. Creator Shigesato Itoi has said he has no personal plans for a fourth entry. However, if Nintendo were to change its mind regarding the franchise's future, perhaps another compilation, this time containing all three entries, could be what finally brings Mother 3 to international audiences in an official capacity.

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