View source for Mother 3

{{short description|2006 video game}}
{{redirect|EarthBound 2|the game known as "Mother 2" in Japan|EarthBound}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox video game
| image = Deluxe package.jpg
| caption = Japanese box art
| developer = {{ubl|[[Brownie Brown]]|[[HAL Laboratory]]}}
| publisher = [[Nintendo]]
| series = ''[[Mother (video game series)|Mother]]''
| platforms = [[Game Boy Advance]]
| released = {{vgrelease|JP|April 20, 2006}}
| genre = [[Role-playing video game|Role-playing]]
| modes = [[Single-player]]
| director = [[Nobuyuki Inoue]]
| producer = {{ubl|Shinichi Kameoka|[[Kensuke Tanabe]]|Keisuke Terasaki}}
| artist = Nobuhiro Imagawa
| writer = [[Shigesato Itoi]]
| composer = Shogo Sakai
}}

{{Nihongo foot|'''''Mother 3'''''|マザースリー|Mazā Surī|group=lower-alpha|lead=yes}} is a 2006 [[role-playing video game]] developed by [[Brownie Brown]] and [[HAL Laboratory]] and published by [[Nintendo]] for the [[Game Boy Advance]]. It is the third and final entry in the [[Mother (video game series)|''Mother'']] series. The game follows Lucas, a young boy with psychic abilities, and a party of characters as they attempt to prevent a mysterious invading army from corrupting and destroying the world.

Like previous entries, ''Mother 3'' focuses on exploring the game world from a [[Video game graphics#Top-down perspective|top-down perspective]] and engaging in [[Turns, rounds and time-keeping systems in games#Turn-based|turn-based]] [[role-playing video game#Combat|combat]] with enemies. [[Development of Mother 3|Its development]] spanned twelve years and four consoles, beginning in 1994 for the [[Super Famicom]] and then transitioning to the [[Nintendo 64]] and its [[64DD]] add-on, when it was known as ''EarthBound 64''. It was initially canceled in 2000, but development was restarted in 2003 for the Game Boy Advance.

''Mother 3'' was never localized or released outside [[Japan]], due to its release near the end of the Game Boy Advance's lifespan and the company focusing on the [[Nintendo DS]].<ref name="Bloomberg: interview"/> However, it was a critical and commercial success in the years that followed and has generated a [[cult following]], in which it received praise for its character development, stylized graphics, music, and story, but was criticized for its lack of innovation in the role-playing genre. The game is noted for its themes of grief and rebellion against tyranny, and its progressively more mature and dramatic tone than its previous two installments.

An [[Mother 3 fan translation|unofficial English fan translation]] was released by the [[Starmen.net]] [[Virtual community|internet community]] in 2008, and received over 100,000 downloads within a week. ''Mother 3'' was re-released for the [[Wii U]] [[Virtual Console]] in Japan in 2015, and for the [[Nintendo Classics]] service exclusively in Japan in 2024.

== Gameplay ==
''Mother 3'' is a single-player [[role playing video game|role-playing video game]] similar to previous games in the [[Mother (video game series)|''Mother'']] series. The player controls a [[Party (role-playing games)|party]] of [[player character|playable characters]] who explore the game's [[2D computer graphics|two-dimensional]] fictional world, primarily shown from a [[Video game graphics#Top-down perspective|top-down perspective]]. While navigating the [[overworld]], the player may converse with [[non-player character]]s, obtain [[Item (gaming)|items]], or encounter enemies. Winning battles against enemies awards [[experience point]]s to the party, which is required for [[Experience point#Level-based progression|leveling up]]. Leveling up a character permanently enhances its individual [[Attribute (role-playing games)|attributes]] such as maximum [[Health (gaming)|hit points]] (HP), [[magic point|power points]] (PP), offense, and defense. Weapons, armor, or accessories can be equipped on a character to increase certain attributes. The player can restore their characters' HP and PP or heal various status ailments by visiting [[hot spring]]s which are abundant in the game world, and the player can [[Saved game|save]] the game by talking to [[frog]]s.<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p2"/> Currency is introduced in the later half of the game as Dragon Points (DP), earned by winning battles and used to purchase items. The player can deposit or withdraw DP from frogs.<ref name="Game quote: DP"/>

[[File:Mother 3 battle.PNG|right|thumb|250px|In a battle sequence, the player can perform [[Combo (video gaming)|combo attacks]] by repeatedly [[rhythm game|striking to the]] [[Beat (music)|beat]] of the background music.]]

''Mother 3'' retains the [[Turns, rounds and time-keeping systems in games#Turn-based|turn-based]] [[role-playing video game#Combat|battle system]] featured in ''EarthBound''. When the player comes into contact with an enemy in the overworld, the game transitions to a battle screen. Battles are viewed from a presumed first-person perspective, showing the enemies against a distorted, animated background. The player can assign each character in their party to perform an action, such as attacking an enemy or using items to restore HP or PP. Some characters can utilize [[psychic]]-based abilities referred to as PSI, which includes stronger attacks and healing abilities, but require PP to execute. Like ''EarthBound'', combat uses a "rolling health" system: when one of the player's characters is injured, their HP will gradually "roll" down, similar to an [[odometer]], rather than be immediately decremented. This allows a mortally wounded character to perform actions like attacking or healing themselves if the player acts quickly enough. If a character's HP reaches 0, they will fall unconscious and be unable to perform any actions until they are revived by another character. The player loses a battle if all characters become unconscious; the player will then be given the option to continue play from the nearest save point, but with half the DP on their person.<ref name="RPGamer: Jackson review"/>

Combat in ''Mother 3'' includes a unique musical [[Combo (video gaming)|combo]] system not seen in previous ''Mother'' games. When one of the player's characters directly attacks an enemy with a weapon, they can repeatedly attack the enemy by pressing the button in time with the [[Beat (music)|beat]] of the [[background music]], with each enemy possessing a musical theme with different rhythms. Using this system, the player can attack the enemy up to sixteen times in a row.<ref name="RPGamer: Moehnke review"/> When the correct beat is not apparent, the player can put the enemy to sleep to isolate the beat from the music.<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p2"/>

== Plot ==
''Mother 3'' is set in the fictional Nowhere Islands, an unknown length of time after the events of ''Mother 2''.{{sfn|Fangamer|2009|p=1}} The game begins with twins Lucas and Claus and their mother Hinawa preparing to return home to Tazmily Village after visiting Hinawa's father, Alec, who lives in the northern reaches of the Islands. Before they can return, Tazmily Village is attacked by a mysterious military force known as the Pigmask Army, who bomb the nearby forest and start a forest fire. Hinawa's husband, Flint, is alerted to the fire and sets out to rescue his family. He finds Lucas and Claus, but discovers that Hinawa was killed defending them from a hostile Drago, a normally peaceful lizard-like creature. Later, Claus leaves the village to take revenge on the Drago; Flint attempts to follow him, discovering and defeating the Drago, which has been turned into a cyborg, but fails to find Claus.

In response to the Pigmasks' invasion, novice thief Duster is sent by Wess, his father and teacher, to the abandoned Osohe Castle to retrieve the mysterious Egg of Light. While there he meets the spirited young Princess Kumatora, but both he and the Egg are caught in a trap and vanish. At the same time a mysterious peddler known as Yokuba,{{efn|Renamed Fassad in the fan translation}} who works with the Pigmasks, introduces the concept of currency and sells television-like devices known as Happy Boxes to the townspeople, with the unwilling help of a monkey named Salsa whom he abuses. Salsa escapes from Yokuba's control with the help of Kumatora, Lucas, and Wess.

Three years later, Tazmily Village has been taken over by the Pigmask Army, who have modernized it with railways, Happy Boxes, and other modern technology. Lucas hears rumours that Duster, who has been missing since leaving for Osohe Castle, is working as a bassist at the nearby Club Titiboo, and sets off with his dog Boney. While travelling there, he learns psychic powers from Ionia, who is a superpowered, benevolent, androgynous creature known as a Magypsy. At the club, he finds Kumatora working as a waitress, as well as Duster, who is suffering from amnesia. They join to recover the Egg and restore Duster's memory, but while attempting to board a flying Pigmask airship, a mysterious Masked Man shakes them off and sends them flying to the ground, separating them.
[[File:Mother 3 Tanetane Heights.png|thumb|left|250px|Lucas and his party exploring the overworld]]
Lucas and Boney land in a haystack back in Tazmily, and learn from the Magypsies that beneath the Islands is a massive, sleeping creature known as the Dark Dragon. The Magypsies' purpose is to guard seven Needles that were placed in the dragon to control its power; whoever pulls most of the Needles will be able to use the dragon's incredible power to completely reshape the world. Because of this, the Masked Man is trying to find and pull the Needles. Lucas and Boney reunite with Duster and Kumatora and race to pull the Needles before the Masked Man, but only manage to pull three, with the Masked Man pulling another three.

The seventh and final Needle is located beneath New Pork City, the capital of the Pigmasks. Lucas and company travel there and meet Leder, another villager, who reveals that the inhabitants of Tazmily Village are the last survivors of a global apocalypse, who travelled to the Nowhere Islands as they were protected by the dragon's power. To prevent a second apocalypse from occurring, the survivors sealed their previous memories in the Egg of Light; Leder was given the role of revealing the truth if the situation called for it. He also reveals that the leader of the Pigmasks is [[Porky Minch]] (known as Pokey Minch in Mother 2), who, after the events of ''Mother 2'', travelled in time to the Nowhere Islands and began building an empire there, kidnapping inhabitants from other time periods (including Dr. Andonuts from ''Mother 2'') to populate it, and transforming the local wildlife into twisted new forms (including the Drago that killed Hinawa).

Lucas and company set out to confront Porky and pull the last needle. While fighting their way to him, they discover that Yokuba was the Magypsy responsible for protecting the seventh Needle, who betrayed them and started working for the Pigmasks. The heroes confront Porky deep beneath New Pork City, but he seals himself inside an "Absolutely Safe Capsule" built by Dr. Andonuts; unbeknownst to him, however, Andonuts has tricked him, as the Absolutely Safe Capsule also renders the outside world safe by permanently sealing Porky within it.

Lucas reaches the seventh needle and confronts the Masked Man, who is revealed to be a brainwashed Claus. During the battle between Claus and Lucas, Hinawa's spirit speaks to the boys and begs them not to fight. This eventually causes Claus to remove his mask and commit suicide by casting lightning at Lucas's magic-reflecting Franklin Badge. Lucas pulls the final Needle, awakening the Dragon and destroying the Nowhere Islands.

In an epilogue set in pitch darkness, the game's cast reveals that they have survived and wish the player farewell.{{sfn|Fangamer|2009|p=234}} After the credits, the ''Mother 3'' logo is shown restored to being made completely of wood.<ref name=DREAM-08/>

== Development ==
[[File:64DD-Attached.jpg|thumb|left|The game was designed for the [[64DD]] add-on, shown here as docked beneath the [[Nintendo 64]].]]
{{main|Development of Mother 3}}
Development of ''Mother 3'' began in 1994 for the [[Super Famicom]] with [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] and [[Satoru Iwata]] as producers. The team mostly consisted of members involved in the development of the previous ''Mother'' game, ''[[EarthBound]].'' Inspired by ''[[Super Mario 64]]'', the team transitioned from the Super Famicom to the [[Nintendo 64]], believing that they could also creatively flourish by making a [[3D computer graphics|3D]] world without technical restrictions. However, their early specifications exceeded the capabilities and memory limits of Nintendo 64; halfway through development the team scaled back its large scope and changed the platform to the [[64DD]], a Nintendo 64 expansion peripheral that was later released only in Japan in 1999.<ref name="1101: cancel"/> ''Mother 3'' was expected to be a 64DD launch game, but development shifted back to the Nintendo 64 after the 64DD's commercial failure.<ref name="IGN: 64DD"/><ref name="IGN: SW99"/>

Nintendo showcased a demo of ''Mother 3'' at the 1999 [[Nintendo Space World]] trade show. It was expected to be released in North America under the title ''EarthBound 64'', on a 256-[[megabit]] cartridge, similar to ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]''. ''[[IGN]]'' reacted favorably to the demo and compared the multi-character narrative to the Japan-only Super Famicom RPG ''[[Live A Live]]'',<ref name="IGN: SW99" /> and ''[[Famitsu]]'' readers ranked the game as one of their top ten most anticipated towards the end of 1999.<ref name="IGN: Zelda" />

{{multiple image
| footer = Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto, ''Mother 3'' producers | footer_align = center | height = 300 | direction = horizontal |align = right
| image1 = Satoru Iwata - Game Developers Conference 2011 - Day 2 (1).jpg |width1={{#expr: (150 * 1728 / 2592) round 0}}
| image2 = Shigeru Miyamoto GDC 2007.jpg |width2={{#expr: (150 * 519 / 725) round 0}}}}

[[Shigesato Itoi]] announced in late August 2000 that ''Mother 3'' had been cancelled following a number of delays.<ref name="IGN: cancelled"/><ref name="IGN: M3 PUSHED"/> Iwata and Miyamoto clarified in an interview that resources had been moved to the development of the [[GameCube]], the next Nintendo console. Itoi stated that an additional two years would have been required to finish the game, which was 30% complete at the time of cancellation. Iwata stated retrospectively that the focus on 3D graphics made the project overcomplex. Miyamoto also stated that the ''Mother'' franchise had not been abandoned and that he was still interested in bringing the game to fruition.<ref name="1101: cancel"/>

In 2003, in a Japanese commercial for the compilation game ''[[Mother 1+2]]'', Nintendo announced that it had restarted the development of ''Mother 3'' for the portable [[Game Boy Advance]] console.<ref name="RPGamer: commercial"/> Itoi had believed that restarting the project was impossible but changed his mind following encouragement from the ''Mother'' fanbase.<ref name="RPGamer: 1+2"/> Nintendo subsidiary [[Brownie Brown]] developed the game, with input from Itoi. While the graphics were changed from 3D to [[2D computer graphics|2D]], the story was not altered. ''Mother 3'' was about 60% complete by July 2004, and was released on April 20, 2006 in Japan.<ref name="RPGamer: 2004"/><ref name="Kotaku: hype"/>

=== Design ===
[[File:EarthBound 64 Mother 3 comparison.PNG|thumb|350px|Flint in an inn setting, as compared between the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Advance versions]]
Itoi thought of the concept behind ''Mother 3'' towards the end of ''Mother 2''{{'s}} production, a "detective story where the city was the main character".<ref name="1101: cancel"/> He thought of a [[hack writer|hack]], small-time, [[womanizing]] [[private investigator]] who would become engrossed in a big murder case, and the story would unfold from a young female clerk at a flower shop who would slowly recall parts of a story consequential to the plot. Thus, the city would appear to grow. This idea of a "single place changing over time" was central to ''Mother 3''.<ref name="1101: cancel"/> Unlike previous RPGs, which he saw as "[[road movies]]" with little reason to revisit, he wanted the player to see the town gossip grow dynamically.<ref name="1101: cancel"/> It was enough of a departure from the series that the development team questioned whether fans would consider it part of the series.<ref name="1101: cancel"/> Itoi intended the game to have 12 chapters with various game mechanics and rotating player-characters.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://starmen.net/eb64/interviews/5.php |title=Interview: Mycom Inc. |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=starmen.net |access-date=1 December 2014 |archive-date=2 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002194849/http://starmen.net/eb64/interviews/5.php |url-status=live}}</ref>{{efn|This revolving player-character mechanic was first attempted in ''Mother 2''.<ref name="1101: cancel"/>}} He conceptualized the development as moving 3D puppets before realizing the degree of programming required. As development wore on, Itoi reduced the scope of the chapters until seven or nine were left. The "uncomfortable beauty" of [[chimera (mythology)|chimera]]—multiple creatures fused into one—was central to the game and the idea behind the metallic and wooden ''Mother 3'' logo.<ref name="1101: cancel"/>{{efn|The ''Mother 3'' logo was made from a fusion of metal and trees, which Itoi interpreted as the discomfort of two materials that were impossible to fuse.<ref name="1101: cancel"/> The chimeras theme informed the game's original subtitle: "Forest of the Chimeras",<ref name="1101: cancel"/> which eventually became "The End of the Pig King" before the game was cancelled.<ref name="IGN: SW99"/> The final release had no subtitle because Itoi did not want to lead the player's interpretation.<ref name=DREAM-09/>}} Itoi served less of a manager role and more as a team member and scriptwriter than in previous ''Mother'' development cycles. He saw himself as simultaneously making the game he wanted to play and setting traps for the player, and as making a game Nintendo could not.<ref name="1101: cancel"/>

Itoi chose to use the pixelated style of ''Mother 2'' for the Game Boy Advance ''Mother 3'' because he was uninterested in computer graphics trends.<ref name=DREAM-01/> The series' games were written in the [[hiragana]] alphabet instead of in [[kanji]] (Chinese characters) so as to remain accessible to young children.<ref name=DREAM-07/> Itoi described the game world as governed by a "[[might makes right|might equals right]] ... [[macho]]" power struggle.<ref name=DREAM-03/> The antagonist, Porky, was designed as a "symbol of humankind", complementing Itoi's view of evil on a fungible morality spectrum with "pranks" and "crimes" at its extremes.<ref name=DREAM-09/> Itoi compared the way in which the characters realize their psychic powers with [[menstruation]] and added that [[human physiology]] was "one of his themes".<ref name=DREAM-04/> Players sweat when learning an ability based on Itoi's belief of how physical struggle facilitates growth. He also included characters like the Magypsies and Duster (who has a bad leg) to show the value of having friends with different qualities.<ref name=DREAM-04/>

Another of his themes was the duality of the seriousness and lightheartedness of games, which is why he added a serious death scene to the first chapter.<ref name=DREAM-06/> Itoi's Nintendo 64 version of the final battle was darker, "dirtier", and more upsetting, though the final version changed little in concept.<ref name=DREAM-07/> Itoi attributed the change in tone to his own growth and the character composition of the new development team. Itoi later reflected on the ending's lesson on the virtue of helping bad people.<ref name=DREAM-07/> Itoi felt that the ending's renewal theme reflected his worldview of appreciating our time on Earth in light of the planet's inevitable end.<ref name=DREAM-08/> Much of the rest of the script was written after-hours at a local hotel where they would continue their work.<ref name=DREAM-07/>

=== Music ===
{{See also|Music of the Mother series#Mother 3}}
Shogo Sakai, a [[video game composer]] at HAL Laboratory whose previous works include music for ''[[Kirby Air Ride]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', composed ''Mother 3''{{'s}} [[video game music|soundtrack]]. Shigesato Itoi stated that Sakai was chosen for the role given his deep understanding of the game's story and the ''EarthBound'' series in general, in addition to the fact that ''EarthBound'' composers [[Keiichi Suzuki (composer)|Keiichi Suzuki]] and [[Hirokazu Tanaka]] were both unavailable. Sakai worked to make the music feel similar to previous entries in the series.<ref name=DREAM-02/> The ''Mother 3'' soundtrack was released on [[compact disc]] on November 2, 2006. Kyle Miller of ''RPGFan'' wrote that the game retained the quirkiness of the previous soundtracks in the series despite the change in composers. He found the second half of the album, which included reinterpreted "classics" from the series, to be its strongest.<ref name="RPGFan: soundtrack"/>

{{Listen
|filename     =MOTHER3LoveTheme1.ogg
|title        = "Love Theme"
|description  = A 10-second sample of the game's theme, highlighting the song's simplicity.
}}

"Love Theme", the main theme of ''Mother 3'', was composed late in the game's development; earlier in development Itoi intended to use the "Pigmask Army" theme as the main theme of the game. During the creation of an important scene in the game, however, Sakai was asked to create a song that would have a greater impact than the Pigmask theme; upon its creation, it was chosen to be used as the main theme instead of the "Pigmask Army" song. Itoi claims that, given how quickly Sakai composed the song, that he had been "waiting for the order" to make a song like "Love Theme". Itoi requested that "Love Theme" be playable on a piano with only one finger, as the "Eight Melodies" theme from ''Mother'' had gained popularity and been played in elementary schools due to its simplicity.<ref name="nintendodream"/> The "OK desu ka?" that plays after the player chooses the character's name was recorded without Itoi's knowledge by [[Hirokazu Tanaka]] more than a decade before the release of ''Mother 3''.<ref name="nintendodream">{{cite web |title=Exclusive Interview (Part 1)|url=http://mother3.fobby.net/interview/ |publisher=Nintendo Dream |access-date=2009-01-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215151038/http://mother3.fobby.net/interview/ |archive-date=2014-02-15 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Release ==
[[File:Nintendo-Game-Boy-Advance-Purple-FL.jpg|thumb|''Mother 3''{{'s}} development spanned four consoles. The game was eventually released for the handheld Game Boy Advance.]]

''Mother 3'' was released in Japan on April 20, 2006, where it became a bestseller.<ref name="1UP: Vapor"/> Prior to its release, the game was in the "top five most wanted games" of ''Famitsu''<ref name="Edge: Famitsu"/><ref name="Edge: Rogers"/> and at the top of the Japanese [[pre-order|preordered]] game charts.<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p1"/> At one point leading up to its release, the game's "Love Theme" would play as [[music on hold]] for residents who made phonecalls to the [[Japan Post]].<ref name="Edge: Rogers"/> A [[limited edition]] Deluxe Box Set was produced with a special edition [[Game Boy Micro]] and Franklin Badge pin.<ref name="RPGamer: deluxe"/><ref name="IGN: deluxe"/> The game was marketed in Japan with a television commercial that has Japanese actress [[Kō Shibasaki]] on the verge of tears as she explains her feelings about ''Mother 3''. Itoi has said that her performance was unscripted.<ref name=DREAM-07/> The game was released for the Japanese [[Virtual Console]] on the [[Wii U]] in December 2015.<ref name="IGN: Wii U"/> ''[[Game Informer]]'' editor Imran Khan alleges that Nintendo planned an English localization but canceled it due to fears that the central theme of bereavement, as well as instances of drug use and animal cruelty, would generate controversy.<ref name="NLife: Cancelled"/><ref name="GameRev: Canceled"/> Former [[Nintendo of America]] president [[Reggie Fils-Aimé]] later said in an interview with ''[[Bloomberg News]]'' that the lack of localization was because it "just didn't make business sense" to make one for a game released very late in the handheld's lifespan.<ref name="Bloomberg: interview"/> He also said that he was in talks with Iwata to possibly release it on the North American Wii U eShop prior to Iwata's death.<ref name="NLife: Porting"/> The game was re-released in Japan via the [[Nintendo Classics]] service on February 21, 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/classic-rare-games-have-been-added-to-nintendo-switch-online/|title=Classic Rare games have been added to Nintendo Switch Online|last=Robinson|first=Andy|website=Video Games Chronicle|date=February 21, 2024|access-date=February 21, 2024|archive-date=February 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221142154/https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/classic-rare-games-have-been-added-to-nintendo-switch-online/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Fan translation ===
{{main|Mother 3 fan translation}}
''Mother 3'' did not receive an official release outside Japan. On October 17, 2008, [[Starmen.net]] released a [[fan translation of video games|fan translation]] [[Patch (computing)|patch]] that, when applied on a copy of the ''Mother 3'' [[ROM image]], converts all the game's text into [[English language|English]].<ref name="Kotaku: completed"/><ref name="Ars Technica: finished"/> Reid Young, co-founder of Starmen.net, said that when they realized Nintendo was not going to localize ''Mother 3'', they decided to undertake the task, for themselves and for fans of the game.<ref name="UGO: interview"/> The translation team consisted of around a dozen individuals, including project lead Clyde "Tomato" Mandelin, a professional Japanese-to-English translator. The project took two years and thousands of [[man-hour|work-hours]] to complete; it was estimated that the theoretical freelance cost of the translation was $30,000.<ref name="Ars Technica: epic"/>

The project included translating, writing, and revising about 1,000 pages of the game script in addition to extensive [[ROM hacking]] and testing to ensure that the game properly displays the translated text. The translation included minor deviations from the original, such as localization of place names and puns. The few dramatic changes included renaming some characters and locations. For example, the character "Yokuba", loosely derived from {{nihongo||欲望|yokubō|extra="greed"}}, was renamed "Fassad", loosely derived from the French word ''[[façade]]'' and, incidentally, the Arabic word ''fasād'' (فساد, "corruption"). The ROM hacking entailed [[Assembly language|assembly]]-level changes to the game code to support features such as [[Typeface#Proportion|variable width font]]s.<ref name="Ars Technica: epic"/>

The team reported that "the highest levels" of Nintendo of America knew about their project, though they did not intervene.<ref name="Ars Technica: epic"/> The localization team planned to end the project if Nintendo were to make an announcement about the future of the game, or if they were asked to cease development of the translation.<ref name="Ars Technica: epic"/> They acknowledged that the legality of the localization was unclear<ref name="UGO: interview"/><ref name="Gamasutra: Tomato p2"/> since the final translation required use of an [[Video game console emulator|emulator]] or a flash cartridge.<ref name="Kotaku: completed"/> The localization patch was downloaded over 100,000 times in the first week following its release.<ref name="Gamasutra: Tomato p1"/> Along with the translation, the team announced the ''Mother 3 Handbook'', an English player's guide for the game that had been in development since June 2008.<ref name="UGO: interview"/> ''Wired'' reported the full-color, 200-page player's guide to be akin to a professional strategy guide, with quality "on par with ... [[Prima Games]] and [[BradyGames]]".<ref name="Wired: gorgeous"/> ''[[The Verge]]'' cited the two-year fan translation of ''Mother 3'' as proof of the fan base's dedication,<ref name="The Verge: today"/> and Jenni Lada of ''TechnologyTell'' called it "undoubtedly one of the best known fan translations in existence", with active retranslations into other languages.<ref name="TT translation"/>

== Reception ==
{{Video game reviews
| EuroG = 7/10<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p2"/>
| Fam = 35/40<ref name=Famitsu/>
| NGC = 77/100<ref name="NGC review"/>
| rev1 = ''RPGamer''
| rev1Score = 4/5<ref name="RPGamer: Jackson review"/><ref name="RPGamer: Moehnke review"/>
}}

''Mother 3'' received critical acclaim. It sold around 200,000 copies in its first week of sales in Japan and despite not having an English localization, critics imported it for reception and gave it mostly positive reviews.<ref name="IGN: no more"/> It was one of Japan's top 20 bestselling games for the first half of 2006,<ref name="1UP: Vapor"/> and received a "Platinum Hall of Fame" score of 35/40 from Japanese reviewer ''[[Weekly Famitsu]]''.<ref name=Famitsu/> It ended the year with over 368,000 copies sold, the 36th highest of the year in Japan.<ref name="EBsales"/> Jenni Lada of ''TechnologyTell'' called it the "perfect" Game Boy Advance role-playing game.<ref name="TT review"/> Reviewers praised its story (even though the game was only available in Japanese<ref name="NGC review"/>) and graphics, and lamented its 1990s role-playing game mechanics.<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p2"/><ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p1"/><ref name=Famitsu/><ref name="NGC review"/> Critics also complimented its music.<ref name="RPGamer: Jackson review"/><ref name="RPGamer: Moehnke review"/><ref name="GameSpy preview p2"/>

''Famitsu''{{'s}} reviewers noted the level of detail from the game's direction, accessibility and wit of the story, unconventional art style, and conventional game mechanics. They considered the timed battles to be both useful and difficult.<ref name=Famitsu/> ''Eurogamer''{{'s}} Simon Parkin detailed the 12-year development, the series' legacy as both "one of Japan's most beloved" and the video game cognoscenti's "[[sacred cow (idiom)|sacred cow]]", and the endurance of its [[EarthBound fandom|fan community]].<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p1"/> He was impressed by the quality of the fan translation and described Itoi as a "storyteller" who chose the Japanese role-playing game medium to tell his story.<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p1"/> Parkin noted how the "excellent" script unfurled from a "straightforward tale" into "breadth and depth of quality that few titles many times its budget achieve" with "affecting scenes" and "unexpected impact".<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p1"/> He compared the chapter approach with the method of ''[[Dragon Quest IV]]''.<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p2"/> Parkin wrote that the script allowed for the somewhat "heavy-handed" juxtaposition of "nature and technology, [[feudalism]] and [[capitalism]], individuals and community",<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p2"/> and that what he first considers a name customization "trick" becomes useful later in the game.<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p1"/> ''[[NGC Magazine]]''{{'s}} Mark Green wrote that the game felt like ''Mother 2.5'' in its look and feel, which he did not consider negative, albeit somewhat antiquated.<ref name="NGC review"/> Lada of ''TechnologyTell'' said ''Mother 3'' was surprisingly "darker" than its forebears.<ref name="TT review"/>

{{Quote box|quote=Few pregnancies have been as painful and protracted as ''Mother 3''{{'s}}. |source=Simon Parkin of ''Eurogamer'', ''Mother 3'' review, 2008<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p1"/> |width=30em |quoted=1}}

''Eurogamer''{{'s}} Parkin wrote that the "childlike" and "unusually Western" graphics were similar to ''EarthBound''{{'s}} in "flat pastel textures devoid of shading" as juxtaposed with background art that "fizzes with life and character".<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p1"/> He described the cutscenes' animations as "[[bespoke]]", rare for [[16-bit]] role-playing games, and of greater dramatic impact.<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p2"/> ''RPGamer''{{'s}} Jordan Jackson wrote that the visuals are typical of the series and fit the game's mood,<ref name="RPGamer: Jackson review"/> and the website's Mike Moehnke criticized the inventory limits carried over from the previous game.<ref name="RPGamer: Moehnke review"/> Green of ''NGC'' said the game mechanics were "depressingly basic" against more advanced role-playing games.<ref name="NGC review"/> ''Eurogamer''{{'s}} Parkin felt that the role-playing game elements were less interesting and added that ''Mother 3'' had few standout selling points other than its attention to detail and "only systemic innovation": the rhythm-based battle system.<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p2"/> ''Kotaku''{{'s}} Richard Eisenbeis praised the system,<ref name="Kotaku: hype"/> and ''[[GameSpot]]''{{'s}} Greg Kasavin compared it with that of the [[Mario & Luigi (series)|''Mario & Luigi'']] series.<ref name="GameSpot: import"/> Jackson wrote that the music was "just as catchy as previous games" despite being "almost completely new".<ref name="RPGamer: Jackson review"/> Moehnke agreed, calling it "nothing less than stunning".<ref name="RPGamer: Moehnke review"/> He noted overtones of [[Wagner]] and [[Chuck Berry]].<ref name="RPGamer: Moehnke review"/> Jackson said that the game was somewhat easier than the rest of the series and somewhat shorter, at about 30 hours in length.<ref name="RPGamer: Jackson review"/> Both ''RPGamer'' reviewers noted that ''Mother 3'' has few penalties for death.<ref name="RPGamer: Jackson review"/><ref name="RPGamer: Moehnke review"/> Jackson reflected that while the game is humorous and grows in enjoyment, it has some somber moments as well.<ref name="RPGamer: Jackson review"/> Eisenbeis of ''Kotaku'' cited "the importance of mothers" as a key theme about which the game revolves, which he preferred to the mid-game "slapstick insanity" and final [[plot twist]].<ref name="Kotaku: hype"/> Parkin wrote that the game was filled with "memorable moments", including a character who criticizes the player "for not giggling at puns", frogs with progressively silly costumes that [[gamesave|save the game]], a "reconstructed [[mecha]] [[caribou]]" battle, a bad haiku, and the "[[campfire]] scene", and that while the game's simpleness could have leaned towards "raw stupidity", instead it was "elegant in its simplicity".<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p2"/>

== Legacy ==
Multiple critics wrote that ''Mother 3'' was one of the best role-playing games for the Game Boy Advance.<ref name="RPGamer: Moehnke review"/><ref name="TT review"/><ref name="GamePro: Why"/> ''GamePro''{{'s}} Jeremy Signor listed it among his "best unreleased Japanese role-playing games" for its script and attention to detail.<ref name="GamePro: unreleased"/> [[Tim Rogers (journalist)|Tim Rogers]] posited that ''Mother 3'' was "the closest games have yet come to literature."<ref name="Action Button"/>

Nintendo has been heavily criticized for ''Mother 3''{{'s}} lack of an international release. [[IGN]] referred to the ''Mother'' series as "neglected" in regards to ''EarthBound'' being the only game to be released outside Japan<ref name="IGN: Retro Remix"/> for decades until 2015, with ''[[Mother (video game)|Mother]]'' being localized as ''EarthBound Beginnings'' globally for [[Virtual Console|Nintendo Virtual Console]], 26 years after the original game's release on the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Famicom]] in 1989. Bob Mackey of ''[[1UP.com]]'' wrote of ''Mother 3'' that no other game in the history of time garnered such demand for translation,<ref name="1UP: noble art p1"/> and Chris Plante of ''[[UGO Networks]]'' wrote that the lack of an official ''Mother 3'' English localization was one of 2008's "worst heartbreaks".<ref name="UGO: heartbreaks"/> Frank Caron of ''Ars Technica'' said that the fan translation's "massive undertaking ... stands as a massive success" and that "one cannot even begin to fathom why Nintendo wouldn't see fit to release the game in the West".<ref name="Ars Technica: finished"/>

Although acclaimed, ''Mother'' series writer and creator Shigesato Itoi has stated that he does not have any plans to create a fourth installment in the series.<ref name="IGN: no more"/>

The ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series features Lucas as a playable fighter, as well as minor characters as collectibles, items, or stage hazards.<ref name="NWR: Lucas added"/><ref name="IGN: Brawl FAQ"/><ref name="Polygon: Lucas DLC"/>

During Nintendo's digital event at [[E3 2014]], Nintendo made a humorous reference to ''Mother 3''{{'}}s lack of a localization by presenting a [[stop-motion]] animation created by ''[[Robot Chicken]]''. The short features a fan in attendance talking to then-Nintendo of America President [[Reggie Fils-Aimé]]. After the fan says "Come on, Reggie, give us ''Mother 3''!", Fils-Aimé responds by saying "How about this instead?" and then proceeds to eat a Fire Flower from the ''[[Super Mario]]'' series in order to throw a fireball at the fan.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schreier|first=Jason|date=2014-06-10|title=Nintendo Makes ''Mother 3'' Joke|url=https://kotaku.com/nintendo-makes-mother-3-joke-1588679661|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140612031532/http://kotaku.com/nintendo-makes-mother-3-joke-1588679661|archive-date=2014-06-12|website=Kotaku}}</ref>

== Notes ==

{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name="1101: cancel">{{cite web |url=http://www.1101.com/nintendo/nin13/nin13_2.htm |access-date=August 30, 2014 |title=『ＭＯＴＨＥＲ ３』の開発が中止になったことについての |trans-title=About the development of "MOTHER 3" has been canceled |last1=Itoi |first1=Shigesato |author-link=Shigesato Itoi |date=August 22, 2000 |work=1101.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018163212/http://www.1101.com/nintendo/nin13/nin13_2.htm |archive-date=October 18, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="1UP: noble art p1">{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/features/translation-noble-art-rom-hacking |access-date=June 28, 2014 |work=[[1UP.com]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |title=Found in Translation |page=1 |last=Mackey |first=Bob |date=July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151010093619/http://www.1up.com/features/translation-noble-art-rom-hacking |archive-date=October 10, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="1UP: Vapor">{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3154276 |access-date=June 15, 2014 |title=Vapor Trails: The Games that Never Were |last1=Cowan |first1=Danny |date=February 7, 2007 |work=[[1UP.com]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |page=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426100703/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3154276 |archive-date=April 26, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Action Button">{{cite web |url=http://www.actionbutton.net/?p=422 |access-date=September 7, 2014 |title=Mother 3 (****) |last1=Rogers |first1=Tim |author-link=Tim Rogers (journalist) |date=August 15, 2008 |work=Action Button Dot Net |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029215820/http://www.actionbutton.net/?p=422 |archive-date=October 29, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Ars Technica: epic">{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2008/10/no-edits-junk-test/ |access-date=June 28, 2014 |work=[[Ars Technica]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast Digital]] |title=Mama's boys: the epic story of the Mother 3 fan translation |last=Caron |first=Frank |date=October 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305014049/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2008/10/no-edits-junk-test/ |archive-date=March 5, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Ars Technica: finished">{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2008/10/remember-earthbound-play-the-sequel/ |access-date=June 28, 2014 |work=[[Ars Technica]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast Digital]] |title=Remember Earthbound? Play the sequel now, in English |last=Caron |first=Frank |date=October 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908070339/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2008/10/remember-earthbound-play-the-sequel/ |archive-date=September 8, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Bloomberg: interview">{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-05-06/ex-nintendo-president-fils-aim-talks-book-and-mother-3-video-game |access-date=June 25, 2022 |title=Ex-Nintendo President Talks Regrets And Mother 3 |author=Jason Schreier |date=May 6, 2022 |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509190050/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-05-06/ex-nintendo-president-fils-aim-talks-book-and-mother-3-video-game |archive-date=May 9, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name=DREAM-01>{{cite web |url=http://www.nindori.com/interview/m3/index.html |access-date=August 31, 2014 |title=Shigesato Itoi Tells All about Mother 3 (Part One) |page=1 |date=July 2006 |work=[[Nintendo Dream]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226100724/http://www.nindori.com/interview/m3/index.html |archive-date=February 26, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name=DREAM-02>{{cite web |url=http://www.nindori.com/interview/m3/m3int_02.html |access-date=August 31, 2014 |title=Shigesato Itoi Tells All about Mother 3 (Part One) |page=2 |date=July 2006 |work=[[Nintendo Dream]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226104925/http://www.nindori.com/interview/m3/m3int_02.html |archive-date=February 26, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name=DREAM-03>{{cite web |url=http://www.nindori.com/interview/m3/m3int_03.html |access-date=August 31, 2014 |title=Shigesato Itoi Tells All about Mother 3 (Part One) |page=3 |date=July 2006 |work=[[Nintendo Dream]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226103752/http://www.nindori.com/interview/m3/m3int_03.html |archive-date=February 26, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name=DREAM-04>{{cite web |url=http://www.nindori.com/interview/m3/m3int_04.html |access-date=August 31, 2014 |title=Shigesato Itoi Tells All about Mother 3 (Part One) |page=4 |date=July 2006 |work=[[Nintendo Dream]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226103827/http://www.nindori.com/interview/m3/m3int_04.html |archive-date=February 26, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name=DREAM-06>{{cite web |url=http://www.nindori.com/interview/m3/m3int_06.html |access-date=August 31, 2014 |title=Shigesato Itoi Tells All about Mother 3 (Part One) |page=6 |date=July 2006 |work=[[Nintendo Dream]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226040900/http://www.nindori.com/interview/m3/m3int_06.html |archive-date=February 26, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name=DREAM-07>{{cite web |url=http://www.nindori.com/interview/m3/m3int_07.html |access-date=August 31, 2014 |title=Shigesato Itoi Tells All about Mother 3 (Part Two) |page=7 |date=August 2006 |work=[[Nintendo Dream]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226100734/http://www.nindori.com/interview/m3/m3int_07.html |archive-date=February 26, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name=DREAM-08>{{cite web |url=http://www.nindori.com/interview/m3/m3int_08.html |access-date=August 31, 2014 |title=Shigesato Itoi Tells All about Mother 3 (Part Two) |page=8 |date=August 2006 |work=[[Nintendo Dream]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403065006/http://www.nindori.com/interview/m3/m3int_08.html |archive-date=April 3, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name=DREAM-09>{{cite web |url=http://www.nindori.com/interview/m3/m3int_09.html |access-date=August 31, 2014 |title=Shigesato Itoi Tells All about Mother 3 (Part Two) |page=7 |date=August 2006 |work=[[Nintendo Dream]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201150920/http://www.nindori.com/interview/m3/m3int_09.html |archive-date=February 1, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Edge: Famitsu">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/inside-famitsu-rogue-galaxy-and-more/5/ |access-date=September 7, 2014 |title=Inside Famitsu: Rogue Galaxy and More |page=5 |author=Edge Staff |date=November 30, 2005 |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |publisher=[[Future plc|Future]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908064956/http://www.edge-online.com/features/inside-famitsu-rogue-galaxy-and-more/5/ |archive-date=September 8, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Edge: Rogers">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/week-japan-8/3/ |access-date=September 7, 2014 |title=The Week in Japan |page=3 |last1=Rogers |first1=Tim |author-link=Tim Rogers (journalist) |date=February 24, 2006 |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |publisher=[[Future plc|Future]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103000255/http://www.edge-online.com/features/week-japan-8/3/ |archive-date=November 3, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p1">{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/mother-3-review |access-date=September 7, 2014 |work=[[Eurogamer]] |publisher=Gamer Network |title=Mother 3 Review |page=1 |last1=Parkin |first1=Simon |date=October 29, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904181832/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/mother-3-review |archive-date=September 4, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Eurogamer: M3 review p2">{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/mother-3-review?page=2 |access-date=September 7, 2014 |work=[[Eurogamer]] |publisher=Gamer Network |title=Mother 3 Review |page=2 |last1=Parkin |first1=Simon |date=October 29, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908020943/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/mother-3-review?page=2 |archive-date=September 8, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name=Famitsu>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=195 |access-date=September 7, 2014 |title=MOTHER 3 |language=ja |magazine=[[Famitsu]] |publisher=[[Kadokawa Corporation]] |issue=906 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908020231/http://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=195 |archive-date=September 8, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="EBsales">{{Cite book |title=Famitsū Gēmu Hakusho 2007 |publisher=[[Enterbrain]] |year=2007 |isbn=978-4-7577-3577-4 |location=Tokyo |page=387 |id={{JPNO|21240454}} |language=ja |script-title=ja:ファミ通ゲーム白書2007 |trans-title=Famitsu Game Whitebook 2007 |chapter=2006年ゲームソフト年間売上TOP500 |trans-chapter=2006 Game Software Annual Sales Top 500 |url=http://geimin.net/da/db/2006_ne_fa/index.php |access-date=2015-05-01 |archive-date=2015-06-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626214525/http://geimin.net/da/db/2006_ne_fa/index.php |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Gamasutra: Tomato p1">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132284/you_say_tomato_a_pro_on_.php |access-date=June 28, 2014 |work=[[Gamasutra]] |publisher=[[UBM Tech]] |title=You Say Tomato: A Pro on Fan-Translating Nintendo's Mother 3 |page=1 |last1=Parkin |first1=Simon |date=December 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140511214921/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132284/you_say_tomato_a_pro_on_.php |archive-date=May 11, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Gamasutra: Tomato p2">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132284/you_say_tomato_a_pro_on_.php?page=2 |access-date=June 28, 2014 |work=[[Gamasutra]] |publisher=[[UBM Tech]] |title=You Say Tomato: A Pro on Fan-Translating Nintendo's Mother 3 |page=2 |last1=Parkin |first1=Simon |date=December 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513030903/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132284/you_say_tomato_a_pro_on_.php?page=2 |archive-date=May 13, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Game quote: DP">{{cite video game |title=Mother 3 |developer=[[Brownie Brown]] |publisher=[[Nintendo]] |date=April 20, 2008 |platform=[[Game Boy Advance]] |scene=Chapter 4|quote='''Frog:''' From this day forth, you'll be rewarded for your hard work. It'll be given in units called DP (Dragon Power). You can use DP in shops and other places in exchange for good and services. [...] You can save and withdraw DP anytime by talking to nearby frogs.}}</ref>

<ref name="GamePro: unreleased">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/218274/the-14-best-unreleased-jrpgs/ |title=The 14 Best Unreleased JRPGs |last1=Signor |first1=Jeremy |date=February 22, 2011 |magazine=[[GamePro]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110821145755/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/218274/the-14-best-unreleased-jrpgs |archive-date=August 21, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="GamePro: Why">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/218682/editorial-why-im-still-playing-the-game-boy-advance/ |title=Editorial: Why I'm Still Playing the Game Boy Advance |last1=Bailey |first1=Kat |date=March 30, 2011 |magazine=[[GamePro]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111202013924/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/218682/editorial-why-im-still-playing-the-game-boy-advance/ |archive-date=December 2, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="GameRev: Canceled">{{cite web |last1=Tamburro |first1=Paul |title=Rumor: Nintendo canceled Mother 3 localization due to controversial themes |url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/494379-nintendo-canceled-mother-3 |website=[[Game Revolution]] |access-date=February 12, 2019 |date=February 11, 2019 |archive-date=April 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425012825/https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/494379-nintendo-canceled-mother-3 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot: import">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mother-3-import-hands-on/1100-6148258/ |access-date=September 7, 2014 |title=Mother 3 Import Hands-On |last1=Kasavin |first1=Greg |date=April 24, 2006 |work=[[GameSpot]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180713012322/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mother-3-import-hands-on/1100-6148258/ |archive-date=July 13, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpy preview p2">{{cite web |url=http://gba.gamespy.com/gameboy-advance/mother-3/702986p2.html |access-date=September 7, 2014 |title=Mother 3 |page=2 |last1=Alfonso |first1=Andrew |date=April 24, 2006 |work=[[GameSpy]] |publisher=[[IGN]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326012436/http://gba.gamespy.com/gameboy-advance/mother-3/702986p2.html |archive-date=March 26, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="IGN: 64DD">{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/1997/06/03/four-games-to-launch-with-japanese-64dd |access-date=August 31, 2014 |title=Four Games To Launch With Japanese 64DD |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=June 2, 1997 |work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427192100/http://www.ign.com/articles/1997/06/03/four-games-to-launch-with-japanese-64dd |archive-date=April 27, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN: Brawl FAQ">{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/04/super-smash-bros-brawl-faq?page=11 |access-date=September 7, 2014 |title=Super Smash Bros. Brawl FAQ page 11 of 26 |page=11 |last1=Thomas |first1=Lucas M. |last2=Casamassina |first2=Matt |date=April 4, 2008 |work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141203003325/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/04/super-smash-bros-brawl-faq?page=11 |archive-date=December 3, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><!-- unused Lucas prediction:
http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/08/09/smash-it-up-volume-4
-->

<ref name="IGN: cancelled">{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/22/earthbound-64-cancelled |access-date=August 31, 2014 |title=Earthbound 64 Cancelled |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=August 21, 2000 |work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219174521/http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/22/earthbound-64-cancelled |archive-date=February 19, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN: deluxe">{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/05/02/deluxe-mother-3-game-boy-micro |access-date=September 7, 2014 |title=Deluxe Mother 3 Game Boy Micro |last=Block |first=Gerry |date=May 1, 2006 |work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908111123/http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/05/02/deluxe-mother-3-game-boy-micro |archive-date=September 8, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN: M3 PUSHED">{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/03/23/mother-3-pushed-back |access-date=June 15, 2014 |title=Mother 3 Pushed Back |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=March 22, 2000 |work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626222943/http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/03/23/mother-3-pushed-back |archive-date=June 26, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN: no more">{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/05/03/no-more-mother |access-date=June 15, 2014 |title=No More Mother |last=Gantayat |first=Anoop |date=May 3, 2006 |work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710062732/http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/05/03/no-more-mother |archive-date=July 10, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN: Retro Remix">{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/08/17/retro-remix-round-25 |access-date=June 15, 2014 |title=Retro Remix: Round 25 |last=Thomas |first=Lucas M. |date=August 17, 2006 |work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714212907/http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/08/17/retro-remix-round-25 |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<!--<ref name="IGN: SSB 3DS/Wii U">{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/10/03/nintendo-reveals-secret-smash-bros-fighters-coming-to-wii-u |access-date=November 15, 2014 |title=Nintendo Reveals Secret Smash Bros. Fighters Coming To Wii U |last=Macy |first=Seth G. |date=October 3, 2014 |work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113000259/http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/10/03/nintendo-reveals-secret-smash-bros-fighters-coming-to-wii-u |archive-date=November 13, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>-->

<ref name="IGN: SW99">{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/23/earthbound-64-mother-3 |access-date=August 31, 2014 |title=Earthbound 64 (Mother 3) |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=August 22, 2000 |work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129015913/http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/23/earthbound-64-mother-3 |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN: Wii U">{{cite web|last1=Goldfarb|first1=Andrew|title=Mother 3 Coming to Wii U Virtual Console in Japan|date=13 November 2015|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/11/13/mother-3-coming-to-wii-u-virtual-console-in-japan|publisher=IGN|access-date=18 November 2015|archive-date=16 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151116015011/http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/11/13/mother-3-coming-to-wii-u-virtual-console-in-japan|url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN: Zelda">{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/1999/09/03/japan-wants-zelda |access-date=September 1, 2014 |title=Japan Wants Zelda |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=September 2, 1999 |work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220231458/http://www.ign.com/articles/1999/09/03/japan-wants-zelda |archive-date=February 20, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku: completed">{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/5065032/mother-3-fan-translation-completed |access-date=June 28, 2014 |work=[[Kotaku]] |publisher=[[Gawker Media]] |title=Mother 3 Fan Translation Completed |last=Fahey |first=Mike |date=October 17, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714141733/http://kotaku.com/5065032/mother-3-fan-translation-completed |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku: hype">{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/years-later-mother-3-still-lives-up-to-all-the-hype-462399126 |access-date=September 1, 2014 |work=[[Kotaku]] |publisher=[[Gawker Media]] |title=Years Later, Mother 3 Still Lives Up to All the Hype |last=Eisenbeis |first=Richard |date=March 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140619195100/http://kotaku.com/years-later-mother-3-still-lives-up-to-all-the-hype-462399126 |archive-date=June 19, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="NGC review">{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/stream/NGC-120-2006-06#page/n35/mode/2up |access-date=September 7, 2014 |title=Mother 3 |last1=Green |first1=Mark |date=June 2006 |issue=120 |pages=36–37 |work=[[NGC Magazine]] |publisher=[[Future plc|Future]]}}</ref>

<ref name="NLife: Cancelled">{{cite web |last1=Doolan |first1=Liam |title=Nintendo Allegedly Cancelled Localisation Of Mother 3 Due To Its Controversial Aspects |url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/02/nintendo_allegedly_cancelled_localisation_of_mother_3_due_to_its_controversial_aspects |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |access-date=February 12, 2019 |date=February 11, 2019 |archive-date=April 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424120227/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/02/nintendo_allegedly_cancelled_localisation_of_mother_3_due_to_its_controversial_aspects |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="NLife: Porting">{{cite web |last=Hagues |first=Alana |title=Reggie Fils-Aimé Had "A Serious Conversation" About Bringing Mother 3 West With Iwata |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/05/reggie-fils-aime-had-a-serious-conversation-about-bringing-mother-3-west-with-iwata |website=Nintendo Life |access-date=June 25, 2022 |date=May 3, 2022 |archive-date=May 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220508220733/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/05/reggie-fils-aime-had-a-serious-conversation-about-bringing-mother-3-west-with-iwata |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="NWR: Lucas added">{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/14506/lucas-from-mother-3-added-to-smash-bros-brawl |access-date=September 7, 2014 |title=Lucas From Mother 3 Added to Smash Bros. Brawl |last1=Burchfield |first1=Evan |date=October 1, 2007 |work=Nintendo World Report |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908085552/http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/14506/lucas-from-mother-3-added-to-smash-bros-brawl |archive-date=September 8, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<!--<ref name="ONM: drop Lucas">{{cite web |url=http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/41762/smash-bros-characters-who-need-to-be-dropped-for-wii-u-and-3ds/?page=7 |access-date=September 7, 2014 |title=Smash Bros characters who need to be dropped for Wii U and 3DS |page=7 |last1=East |first1=Thomas |date=September 11, 2012 |work=[[Official Nintendo Magazine]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008064951/http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/41762/smash-bros-characters-who-need-to-be-dropped-for-wii-u-and-3ds/?page=7 |archive-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>-->

<ref name="Polygon: Lucas DLC">{{cite web |url=http://www.polygon.com/2015/4/1/8327893/earthbound-mother-3-lucas-smash-bros-wii-u-nintendo-3ds |access-date=April 1, 2015 |title=EarthBound's Lucas is coming to Super Smash Bros. as DLC this June |last=McWhertor |first=Michael |date=April 1, 2015 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |publisher=[[Vox Media]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402145620/http://www.polygon.com/2015/4/1/8327893/earthbound-mother-3-lucas-smash-bros-wii-u-nintendo-3ds |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="RPGamer: 1+2">{{cite web |url=http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q2-2003/041603a.html |access-date=September 1, 2014 |title=Further News of Mother 3 |last1=Putnam |first1=Gabriel |date=2003 |work=RPGamer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822121820/http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q2-2003/041603a.html |archive-date=August 22, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="RPGamer: 2004">{{cite web |url=http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q3-2004/072204b.html |access-date=September 1, 2014 |title=Mother 3 to See 2005 Release |last1=Adashek |first1=Jeffrey |date=July 22, 2004 |work=RPGamer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140824201048/http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q3-2004/072204b.html |archive-date=August 24, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="RPGamer: commercial">{{cite web |url=http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q2-2003/041403b.html |access-date=September 1, 2014 |title=Mother 1 and 2 Hit the GBA |last1=Hindman |first1=Heath |date=2003 |work=RPGamer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822100631/http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q2-2003/041403b.html |archive-date=August 22, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="RPGamer: deluxe">{{cite web |url=http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q1-2006/022206b.html |access-date=September 1, 2014 |title=Mother 3 Gets a Little More Special |last1=Sloderbeck |first1=Matt |date=February 22, 2006 |work=RPGamer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140824070406/http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q1-2006/022206b.html |archive-date=August 24, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="RPGamer: Jackson review">{{cite web |url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/mother/mother3/reviews/mother3strev1.html |access-date=September 7, 2014 |title=Mother 3 - Staff Review |last1=Jackson |first1=Jordan |date=<!--none--> |work=RPGamer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129020339/http://www.rpgamer.com/games/mother/mother3/reviews/mother3strev1.html |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="RPGamer: Moehnke review">{{cite web |url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/mother/mother3/reviews/mother3strev1.html |access-date=September 7, 2014 |title=Mother 3 - Staff Retroview |last1=Moehnke |first1=Mike |date=<!--none--> |work=RPGamer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129030139/http://www.rpgamer.com/games/mother/mother3/reviews/mother3strev2.html |archive-date=January 29, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="RPGFan: soundtrack">{{cite web |url=http://rpgfan.com/soundtracks/mother3+/index.html |access-date=September 1, 2014 |title=Mother 3+ |last1=Miller |first1=Ryan |work=RPGFan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725093457/http://rpgfan.com/soundtracks/mother3+/index.html |archive-date=July 25, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="The Verge: today">{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/7/18/4534994/cult-classic-earthbound-launches-today-on-wii-u |access-date=June 15, 2014 |title=Cult classic 'Earthbound' launches today on Wii U |last1=Webster |first1=Andrew |date=July 18, 2013 |work=[[The Verge]] |publisher=[[Vox Media]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129022409/http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/18/4534994/cult-classic-earthbound-launches-today-on-wii-u |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="TT review">{{cite web |url=http://www.technologytell.com/gaming/88612/important-importables-review-mother-3-for-gba/ |access-date=September 7, 2014 |title=Important Importables Review: Mother 3 for GBA |last1=Lada |first1=Jenni |date=February 17, 2012 |work=TechnologyTell |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908091143/http://www.technologytell.com/gaming/88612/important-importables-review-mother-3-for-gba/ |archive-date=September 8, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="TT translation">{{cite web |url=http://www.technologytell.com/gaming/53707/important-importables-notable-fan-translation-projects/ |access-date=September 8, 2014 |title=Important Importables: Notable fan translation projects |last1=Lada |first1=Jenni |date=March 5, 2010 |work=TechnologyTell |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729001155/http://www.technologytell.com/gaming/53707/important-importables-notable-fan-translation-projects/ |archive-date=July 29, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="UGO: heartbreaks">{{cite web |url=http://www.ugo.com/games/heartbreaks-of-2008-mother-3 |access-date=June 28, 2014 |title=The Worst Heartbreaks in Videogames 2008 |last1=Plante |first1=Chris |date=December 17, 2008 |work=[[UGO Networks]] |publisher=[[IGN Entertainment]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615041910/http://www.ugo.com/games/heartbreaks-of-2008-mother-3 |archive-date=June 15, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="UGO: interview">{{cite web |url=http://www.ugo.com/games/mother-3-in-english-an-interview-with-reid-young-co-founder-of-starmennet |access-date=June 28, 2014 |title=Mother 3 in English! an Interview with Reid Young, co-founder of Starmen.Net! |last1=Plante |first1=Chris |date=October 17, 2008 |work=[[UGO Networks]] |publisher=[[IGN Entertainment]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110915093027/http://www.ugo.com/games/mother-3-in-english-an-interview-with-reid-young-co-founder-of-starmennet |archive-date=September 15, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<!--<ref name="USgamer: bid farewell">{{cite web |url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/smash-bros-character-cuts |access-date=December 31, 2014 |title=Time to Bid Farewell to these Smash Bros. Characters |last1=Bailey |first1=Kat |date=September 20, 2014 |work=[[USgamer]] |publisher=Gamer Network |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231235216/http://www.usgamer.net/articles/smash-bros-character-cuts |archive-date=December 31, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>-->

<ref name="Wired: gorgeous">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/10/fans-release-go/ |access-date=June 29, 2014 |title=Fans Release Gorgeous Mother 3 Companion Book |last1=Cavalli |first1=Earnest |date=October 20, 2008 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast Publications|Condé Nast]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908063726/http://www.wired.com/2008/10/fans-release-go/ |archive-date=September 8, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite web |url=http://handbook.fangamer.com/ |access-date=October 11, 2014 |title=Mother 3 Handbook |editor-last1=Young |editor-first1=Reid |date=March 2009 |publisher=[[Fangamer]] |ref={{SfnRef|Fangamer|2009}} |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112011058/http://handbook.fangamer.com/ |url-status=live}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* {{official website|http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/a3uj/index.html}} {{in lang|ja}}

{{EarthBound series}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mother 3}}
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