Mother 3, released in 2006, is the sequel to Mother 2, which all you in the Western World might know as Earthbound. Unfortunately, Mother 3 was never officially translated and released in the West, due both to Earthbound's relatively poor sales and some other stuff about copyright laws because Japan and America have very different rules regarding that sort of thing. Mother 3 could have been translated and released, but probably not without some heavy editwork. Instead, Mother 3 has gotten most of its exposure to Westerners by way of the Smash Bros. series, specifically Brawl, which has Lucas, our intrepid main character, available to play. The story mode of Brawl also harbored MAJOR SPOILERS for the game. But we don't talk about that.
Much like Earthbound, Mother 3 maintains the quirky and endearing characters, witty and snappy humor, as well as its both lighthearted and heavy hitting plot.
Hmm, I've never played the first two games...
That's fine! The game does not have a massive connection to the first 2, except for a few things down the line, and I'll explain it all when we get there. In the meantime, I urge you to at least play Earthbound. It's a great game, and Mother 3 builds upon its story and mechanics oh so well.
Haha! I lied! I have played the first two! What's so different about this one?
Compared to the other games gameplay-wise, it's not too different. Your dude walks around, talking to people and such, sometimes you get into fights with ultra-trippy backgrounds, but there are a few things added in, not unlike a beautifully red cherry topping off a wonderfully iced piece of nut bread.
First, overworld navigation just got a whole lot lazier with the addition of dashing! Hold B and charge for a bit, then you can run off any which way. It beats Skip Sandwiches at least.
The battle system also got a bit of an overhaul. Combos are now things that can happen. Specifically, YOU are the thing that MAKE combos happen. When you attack, hit A in time to the music. If you're feeling the groove enough, you'll get a combo. Keep feeling the beat and you can rack up combos of up to 16 which can do wonders in a pinch.
So do you know Japanese or what? The game wasn't translated or anything...
Ahh, but I said the game was never OFFICIALLY translated. A fan translation, which was released in 2008, handily translates all the text in the game, and retains that unique sense of humor. You can get it at mother3.fobby.net
There's also a few other goodies on the site, such as a translated interview with Mother creator Shigesato Itoi and a little guide of all the bits and bobs hidden inside Mother 3 that didn't make it into the finished game.
Consider me sold! Get started already!
Hold your ass, images take a while to upload, plus I'm tired.
Note that the first batch of images are slightly dark, this was because I didn't realize I was using the GBASP backlight mode instead of the truecolor mode, oops!
After that they're all bright and happy and vibrant.
Here's your world. Well, island. An island both lost in time and location. Rolling hills, calm plains, and intense mountains. It's nothing less than paradise.
And with this saccharine landscape, we find our hero.
As with all classic RPGs, the story opens with our lazy ass asleep. This time, we're woken up by our brother. The kids are happy on vacation to their grandfather's farm. Unfortunately, the father could not come as well, because he had to tend their own farm back home.
Lookin' sexy. Let's head downstairs and hang out with Sualc. Before we walk out though, we're stopped none other than our mother. Apparenly we look like a bum in nothing but pajamas, who knew?
Sorry mom, looks like I'm in my rebellious phase.
.......................
Fine.
Yeah yeah.
Ahh, the great outdoors. One thing I should mention is the fanfare you get when you step outside. The screen fades in from white and the music swells, it feels like you're entering something really big.
Our grandfather calls us a wimp, as he is wont to do. He's a nice man, and he means well. He knows his youngest grandson will be strong one day (maybe)
Now I mentioned holding B makes you charge. What better way to test that out than on our own mother? You know, just sorta ram into her.
Get into position here...... And.....
CHARGE!!!
SUCCESS!
In the east, a frog stops us from going further. This is no ordinary frog, but a memory frog! Frogs in this world chronicle memories. With memories spawn their own memories, and new memories are born from those.
Let's head to the East, like we said we would. (Notice the difference in color? Hell of a lot better)
When we get there, we see the Dragos that Sualc was talking about. Turns out they're actual ****ing dinosaurs. They're friendly though, so Sualc participates in a bit of play fighting.
Our brother is just playing, but it's still impressive looking to see a large dinosaur fall down like that.
He encourages us to play as well. This is when the game gives you a proper tutorial for charging, so you knock over the Drago a few times like so:
After some fun, our grandfather interjects with his own brand of motivation. He's a unique guy.
Just then, a shout is heard from the East. A little cricket approaches the comparatively skyscraper-like Drago, and challenges it to a fight. The Drago looks down incredulously, so the small creature picks a fight with something a little smaller.
Most notably, us.
This is the battle tutorial. It doesn't tell you about stuff like combos, but you can still perform them by pressing A in time to the music when you fight. The only problem is that an emulator - which is the only way to play this game in a translated form - has inherent lag. It's hard to time the hits perfectly, and combos above 3 or 4 hits are difficult to pull off. It's a shame, because it's pretty much the coolest mechanic ever, but oh well. They're not impossible, just a bit more complicated.
The fight isn't hard, at any rate.
After the fight, our mother calls us and comes in from the south. A small crunch is heard as she walks towards us.
Truly the most devastating loss in video game history.
But, our mother bears good news!
We all hurry off back to the kitchen. At dinner, Awanih also announces that tomorrow, we'll head back home to Tazmily Village. Our grandfather calls us a wimp again, saying that even we could make the trip back alone, and that it's no big deal.
The next morning, Awanih writes a letter to her husband.
Dear Tnilf,
Just like you said they would, the children have been running around the mountains and fields tirelessly since the moment we arrived.
Sualc is as daring and full of energy as ever, while Sacul is still a bit coddled. But neither one seems tired of playing at all.
My father seems sad to say goodbye to his grandchildren after seeing them for the first time in so long, but we should be home by this evening.
I had forgotten how nice and refreshing the mountain air is. You're always covered in the smell of sheep back in Tazmily Village, so I really wish you could have been here to take in this air.
The next time we visit, let's ask one of our neighbors to tend to the sheep so we can all come up here as a family.
Sualc, Sacul, and I were always thinking about you. When we get home this evening, I'll start cooking some of your favorite flesh right away!
Thomas caught me just as I was going to bed. He was in a panic, but I didn't think much of it at the time. His overreactions are typical.
Though breaking my door is a bit much, even for someone like him.
"Tnilf! The sunshine forest! Fire! Fire! We need reckless do good types like you around! Please!"
I immediately accepted his plea. Awanih and the kids are coming through the same forest back home tonight.
(Note that in battle Thomas does nothing. Sometimes he'll get a (weak) attack in, and I think sometimes he can throw some nut bread to Tnilf if he's weak.)
Just in case, I gathered my usual weapon - A sturdy stick behind the dog's house. I quickly equipped it.
Up the hill, I found a neatly wrapped present.
Some bread would be good. Thomas was yelling about the time I was wasting, but then I gave him a piece of the bread and he shut up.
As we approached the outskirts of the city, Thomas stopped me, insisting we get a map of the area, ignoring the fact that I've lived here all my life and know the place like the back of my hat. I didn't want to give him any more of my food, so I went to get the cheapest map available from Mapson.
I respectfully denied his twoferone weed offer.
Thomas marked my map, glad to know he thinks I'm incompetent.
Come to think of it. Can you really say Lucas lives on a farm? I mean, I guess Alex does, but Lucas doesn't live with his grandpa. The only thing Lucas' family raises is sheep, and I don't think that is enough to say they are farmers.
--
"Don't freeze up girl, you're looking quite a sight." - Adam Ant. "Baby, can you dig your man? He's a righteous man." - Larry Underwood
--
Oh, a big machine with flashy lights. A big machine like that has me written all over it. Well, okay, it doesn't. But give me time... and a crayon --11th Doctor
We rushed off towards the forest, I could smell the smoke from the intersection.
I decided to pay the church a visit, though,
Jonel was inside, he thanked me for giving a prayer before heading off into the forest. To be honest, I just came in for the frog, but I decided to humor him.
Outside, Ed was blocking a few people from heading into the forest. He let me through though.
"Tnilf!" he said, "Thank heavens you're here! I think Lighter and Fuel are still stuck inside the forest! Don't worry, I'll hold back these rubberneckers, you just hurry and find them!"
At least someone appreciates me.
Thomas and I ran off into the forest proper, and the smoke started to become thicker and thicker.
A few people were ahead of us in helping out, Mike was one of them.
"I THOUGHT I saw someone as manly as me walking this way." You better believe it, bub. He went on: "Here Tnilf, I have something for you. Let this slightly unclean and not very tasty cookie be of use. ........ Please, let it be of use."
He kind of shoved it in my hands and ran off back to the village, so I suppose I had no choice but to accept. It was covered in soot too, so I'm pretty sure I just took the guy's trash off of him.
There were a few bats in the way, but I pushed them aside. With no help from Thomas, of course.
I took that bat's bread, too.
Further on in the forest I found this bracelet. I put it on so I wouldn't forget to give it to Awanih when she and the kids got back.
Much to Thomas' chagrin, I stopped by the hot springs before heading back. He was mad at me at first.
Then he calmed the hell down (The hot springs act as an Inn, spending 5 seconds in it fully restores your HP (And maybe PP too? Flint has 0 in the first place.))
There were a few more bats in the way, Thomas insisted he help so I let him.
He didn't last long.
Up ahead I found Bronson, he tried to keep going but fell on the ground.
"Gaah! I've breathed in too much smoke! Lighter and his son Fuel aren't back yet! I'm pretty sure they're stuck inside the forest! *cough* *cough*. Don't worry about me, go help them!"
So we did. The flames were intense here, there were bits of fire just strewn about.
(Note that stepping in the fires actually do a point of damage, so don't do that too often.)
eventually we came across a small clearing, and this weird, masked guy came up with a box.
A few flew out and scattered around, I didn't know what they were doing, but it probably wasn't anything good. I had to ignore it for the time being though, and focus on finding Lighter and Fuel.
The weird sentient trees were kind of distracting me though.
But they had bread!
(FIRST LEVEL UP OF THE GAME HELLS YEAH)
These little trees were everywhere.
I don't know where they got so much bread.
Finally, we found Lighter, he was passed out near his house. He didn't make it far, did he?
Thomas smacked him around a bit and he finally came to.
"Tnilf... Oh and Thomas... D-dammit... *cough*. I try to beat these things up, but more just keep comin'! I can't get past 'em! *cough* *cough*
That little bug knocked out a grown ass man. I was ready to point it out, but he went on.
"I dunno what they are. They're goin' around the forest, lightin' fires... But never mind that, Fuel's still at home!"
Thomas offered to help Lighter back on his feet and lead him out of the forest. I want on to help Fuel.
Not before arming myself with something a little better than a stick, though.
That's when a bunch of those little bugs swarmed up and attacked me.
I decided to throw caution to the wind and just swing this huge log around. It's bound to hit something, right?
It took a few tried, but it eventually worked.
Oh yeah and there was some bread too.
Right around the corner was Lighter's shack. I saw Fuel in the window, but then fire started to take over.
Inside, everything was on fire, except for this rat with wings which really weirded me out.
I smacked it once and it died, but still, what the hell?
Got to Fuel and we both hightailed it out of the house. Just in time too.
Just in time.
"Wahh!" Fuel was visibly shaken. "I'm pitch black and covered in soot, but I'm alive. Oh, you're pitch black too, Mr. Tnilf! Thank you Mr. Pitch Black Tnilf! Thank you so so so much, Mr. Pitch Black Tnilf! We need to let my dad know I'm okay!"
While we were heading back I found some bread I didn't notice before. It was toast now, but still edible. Better than that damn cookie.
It was a long day, and I was tired, so I convinced Fuel to take a detour into the springs.
It was actually not my best idea. We headed back to Thomas afterward.
