Introduction

There are some people who, when you mention the title Mother 3, feel a warmth in their heart and a stirring in their soul.

And then there is everyone else who, when you mention the same title, go "huh?"

The Mother series holds a cult-classic status: strongly beloved by those familiar with it, but often completely unknown otherwise. Part of the reason it's somewhat unknown is that the series itself has a somewhat storied and scattered pattern of releases, while the other is that it's known by completely different names depending on where you are in the world: Mother for some, EarthBound for others.

Stay with me for a moment as we break down the series' release history:

• 1989: Mother releases in Japan for the Famicom
• 1989: English localization of Mother is completed but never released
• 1994: Mother 2: Gīgu no Gyakushū releases in Japan for the Super Famicom
• 1995: English localization of Mother 2 releases as EarthBound
• 2003: Mother 1+2 compilation releases in Japan for the Game Boy Advance
• 2006: Mother 3 releases in Japan for the Game Boy Advance
• 2008: Unofficial English localization of Mother 3 releases
• 2015: English localization of Mother releases for Wii U Virtual Console as EarthBound Beginnings

So, for Japanese audiences, the game had 3 releases spanning 17 years:

• Mother (1989)
• Mother 2: Gīgu no Gyakushū (1994)
• Mother 3 (2006)

For the rest of the world, the game has only had two releases, out of order, spanning 20 years:

• EarthBound (Mother 2) (1995)
• EarthBound Beginnings (Mother) (2015)

To date, there is no official non-Japanese release of Mother 3. English-speaking audiences have been using this fan translation.

I have never played any of the Mother/EarthBound games and don't actually know very much about them myself. As our default host this month, I wish I had more to offer, but I hope to learn more as I play. If anyone else wants to chime in with background info, tips, or stories about the series, I'm sure it would be worthwhile as we settle in to explore this month's much-beloved yet still under-appreciated game.

Mother 3

Versions: JP, EN Fan Translation

Platforms: Game Boy Advance

Genre(s): RPG

Links: Mobygames, Wikipedia

Stores: eBay, Nintendo Switch Online JP

Game Setup

The main purpose of this topic is to get people up and running with the game. As such, it's recommended that you:

• Share which version of the game you're playing
• Share what hardware you're playing it on
• Share if there are any tools/mods that you recommend
• Share anything you think is important for people to know before they start the game
• Ask questions if you need help

Another purpose of this topic is to revisit the game and its time period:

• Do you have any memories or associations with this game itself?
• What about its system or era?
• What aspects of retro gaming were common at the time?
• What other games from the same time period are you familiar with?
• What are you expecting from this game in particular?

Finally, this topic is the beginning discussion for people starting to play it:

• Post updates sharing your thoughts as you play.
• Ask for help if you get stuck.
• Offer help to others.

It is recommended that you reply to your own posts if you are making consecutive updates so that they are in the same thread.

Important

• Any links to the game should be legal distributions of the game only. Please do NOT link to any unauthorized copies.

• Put any spoilers in a dropdown block. Copy/paste the block below if needed.

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FAQ