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Hey, guys! So, like many Nintendo fans, I’ve been waiting for years for Nintendo to give us Mother 3. I finally gave up waiting and decided to get a copy of the fan translation (more about that at the end). I was able to sit down, play through it, and enjoy it. And what a game! But the big question is, Is it better than Earthbound? I’m going to share my thoughts of this game, and don’t worry, I won’t give away any spoilers (although I will hint at some things). 

First, some history: Earthbound was the very first RPG I ever beat (no doubt that’s because I had the player’s guide to help me through the game). I was blown away by this game! It had more heart than 99% of games could ever hope to have. It also had tons of memorable moments that have stayed with me throughout the years. I think every gamer should experience Earthbound (it’s now on NSO, so play it!). That’s a very high bar, so is it possible that Mother 3 could actually surpass it? Let’s find out. 

                               Earthbound is such a masterpiece! 

On the surface, Mother 3 has many similarities with its predecessor (such as art style, cute characters, and the battle system), but actually, I was surprised to find out that the game is quite different from its cult classic sibling. For one thing, the pacing is different. Earthbound immediately puts you into Ness’ shoes, and you follow him from place to place as he finds new friends to eventually face his destiny. That’s not how Mother 3’s story works at all. The game is broken into 8 chapters, and the first three chapters have you controlling different characters. 

You have to be patient at the beginning because chapter 1 moves very slowly. You’re introduced to a happy family as well as the little town of Tazmily. Everything is so peaceful, but of course, that won’t be the case for long. Soon tragedy strikes, making this one of the most depressing starts to any game I’ve every played! The sweet family you were introduced to is quickly splintered. 

The story is not nearly as straightforward as Earthbound’s. Chapter 2 has you taking the role of a thief as he goes to an abandoned castle to find a treasure. Chapter 3 has you play as a little monkey who is under the control of a cruel master. The story slowly starts to come together as you piece certain elements together and realize that something sinister is afoot. By Chapter 4, you’re finally controlling Lucas as he bands together with 3 others to find out what’s going on. Lucas and another character have PSI powers, and the other playable characters have unique abilities and attacks. 

And that brings me to the battle system. Earthbound introduced rolling HP meters, and thankfully, Mother 3 keeps those. Like its predecessor, this game has some tough bosses, but thankfully, gaining levels doesn’t take long at all, and the game is generous when it comes to save points and hot springs (which revives your party). The rolling HP meters are a life saver, as they give you extra time to act even after you’ve been mortally wounded. But Mother 3 adds something unique to the battle system: a rhythm-based system in which you can deal extra damage by timing button presses with the music. This isn’t easy, and I don’t think I ever got the hang of it, but getting extra hits in was always fun. The game hints at this feature, but doesn’t explain it outright, so you can use it if you want (it’s optional). 

Again, the story and characters are what shine brightest for Mother 3. You don’t know where the story will go. Tazmily is instantly a strange place, as the residents seem to live in peace and harmony. You find out that they have no currency; when you go to the store, they let you take whatever you need, and when you stay at the inn, there’s no cost. The people don’t even know what “money” is. And then a strange man shows up who promises happiness if people will just take a “happy box” and place it in their home. Anyone who refuses a happy box soon finds their home devastated by lightning. You also come across a pig army. What are they up to? 

As with Earthbound, Mother 3 seems like a “kiddie” game, but under the surface, it has some pretty dark and twisted stuff! This game deals with animal abuse, brainwashing, slavery, personal grief, loss, and sacrifice. When the truth of Tazmily finally comes to light, it’s shocking, and it leads Lucas on a quest that is ultimately heartbreaking. Mother 3 is not for the faint of heart. It’s a game that will tug at your heart-strings. 

                  Fassad is quite the character (he likes to hold grudges) 

The game also has plenty of silly characters, goofy baddies, and funny moments. There are some memorable characters here, such as the headstrong Wess, and Fassad, who always manages to get in your way. You’ll face some familiar enemies such as the violent attack roach and the stinky ghost, but you’ll also fight chimeras such as the rhinocerocket and the horsantula. I also loved the save frogs, little frogs who had the ability to save your game. Sometimes they’ll show up in a small bucket of water, and one was (sadly) inside the stomach of a snake (and he could still save your game!), but my favorite had to be the frog driving around Tazmily Square in a tiny car. 

As with its predecessor, Mother 3 will also subvert your expectations at times. This is nowhere more apparent than when your party has to eat some mushrooms and they get high, which causes them to hallucinate a completely different world. It also brings out the characters’ greatest fears. There are other ways the game surprises, such as when you open a present only to be assaulted by a stinky odor! Or when the game has an entire chapter play out in less than five minutes. These are clearly the fingerprints of Shigesato Itoi, and they make the game that much more memorable. 

Of course, Mother 3 is a very funny game, so you’ll find yourself laughing at clever dialog and ridiculous scenarios. Also, if you’re an Earthbound fan, you’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of callbacks to the cult classic, including the return of Mr. Saturns and a certain rotund villain. There are also musical callbacks to Earthbound too. 

Oh yes, the music! Mother 3’s OST is excellent, done by Shogo Sakai (who is probably best known for his work on Super Smash Bros. Melee and a bunch of Kirby games). While I don’t think it’s quite as good as Earthbound’s OST, it’s still very good, and has very memorable songs that help convey the right mood. There are also a LOT of different battle themes, and he did a good job with those especially. 

But now we must come back to the main question: Is Mother 3 better than Earthbound? For me personally, the answer is no. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if anyone were to say yes. You see, this game is different from Earthbound, and I commend Itoi for not just doing the same old thing. Many themes are similar, but Ness’s adventure had to do with him and his friends; Lucas’s adventure has more to do with his family. Again, this is a heartbreaking story, and yet I think that every gamer should experience it. It’s not the kind of game that you beat and then say, “That was a good game.” It will leave you pondering the story for awhile. This is a masterpiece, no doubt about it. I cannot recommend it highly enough (the same goes for Earthbound). 

Let me also say that if you’re holding out for Nintendo to release Mother 3 in the West, I don’t think it’s going to happen (at least not anytime soon). The biggest problem here is that the game has a group of magical characters called Magypsies. These characters are central to the story, and they are also clearly transgender. I really think that Nintendo doesn’t want to put this game out with obvious transgender characters in it (mostly because there could be backlash). So yeah, get the game any way you can. 

Last thing! I was able to get a GBA cart of the fan translation, and this is the best way to experience this game. You can play it on an emulator on a computer, but playing it on original hardware would be much better. Here is the link to where I bought it. Go buy it! It’s very affordable! Just make sure that you have either a GBA or DS to play the cart. The fan translation is exceptional, they did a great job. 

What are your thoughts? Have you played Mother 3? Comment below!