r/earthbound • u/Semanticss • 7h ago
r/earthbound • u/Howisthisaname • Aug 13 '17
Announcement Want to get into the MOTHER series? Start here!
Over the past few months we've gotten a lot of new players asking where they should start with the trilogy. With this stickied thread, I'm hoping to answer any questions someone may have about getting into the series.
Note: This thread is a strictly no-spoiler zone.
What are the MOTHER games?
The MOTHER series is a group of 3 turn-based cult classic JRPGs created by Shigesato Itoi, who singlehandedly wrote every line of dialogue in the series, aside from a small area in EarthBound.
What makes them so special?
The series is known for being quirky, charming, and invoking a sense of nostalgia even to those who have not played a MOTHER game before. Each line of dialogue is expertly crafted, with a great story to go along with it.
Where do I start?
The series IS a trilogy, however each game can stand on it's own without the context of the last.
The 3 games are as followed:
MOTHER (EarthBound: Beginnings) (1989)
MOTHER 2 (EarthBound) (1994)
MOTHER 3 (???) (Not released outside of Japan) (2006)
The game order is as released, with MOTHER being the first on the timeline, and MOTHER 3 being the last.
So does that mean I should play the games in order?
This is a point of contention within the MOTHER community.
While most recommend to play EarthBound / MOTHER 2 first, some will say that if you can handle the way an older RPG plays, you should start with MOTHER 1 / EarthBound: Beginnings.
The community mostly unanimously agrees that you should play EarthBound before playing MOTHER 3.
In the end, it's up to you. MOTHER 1 is one of the most impressive, best playing and sounding RPGs on the NES, but it could potentially turn you away from the series if you aren't accustomed to or can't handle a bit of older-rpg "clunk". I do HIGHLY recommend however that you at least play EarthBound before playing MOTHER 3.
Wait, if MOTHER 3 isn't released outside of Japan, how can I play it?
I'm glad you asked! (Hopefully you did.)
Almost immediately after the release of MOTHER 3, once it became apparent Nintendo had no intention of localizing MOTHER 3, a group of very passionate fans got together to make their own localization of the game.
2 years later in late 2008, version 1.0 was released to great acclaim. This fan translation is now known to many as the best fan translation of all time. On top of just translating the game, they went out of their way to make sure certain dialogue and enemy names worked in English as they do in Japanese. They even added a hard mode option!
...That's pretty much it, I think. If any regular here on the sub wants to chime in and request something to be added, tell me! On top of that, I'd like to know what some of you think the best order to play the games in are in the comments. It'll be an interesting resource for any new players! And remember, no spoilers.
r/earthbound • u/ShiftlessBridgrKid • 1h ago
EB Discussion Just completed my first playthrough of Earthbound! Ask me anything!
r/earthbound • u/Forward-Grade-832 • 21h ago
General Discussion How does this even happen?
I just got Paula back and she is at max hp but for whatever reason, it states she is also unconscious. I don’t understand what's going on.
r/earthbound • u/toddynho_melado • 1h ago
EB:B Spoilers Oh, i see what you did here toby Spoiler
r/earthbound • u/SupremeDog8782 • 1d ago
EB Discussion Accidental Sword of Kings
Finally playing through Earthbound for the first time after beating Mother 1 two years ago (and owning it for like 8 years at that point lol) and I was slightly debating whether or not it would be worth it to grind for the Sword of Kings but it seems I didn’t need to at all! 5th or so Starman Super that I fought during my normal progression of the dungeon just randomly dropped it and wow I feel so lucky.
r/earthbound • u/HetTheTable • 11h ago
EB:B Spoilers Duncan’s factory actually wasn’t that bad as I remember. Spoiler
I’ve been replaying Mother 1 and got to Duncan’s Factory and it wasn’t that bad. If you use the map that’s on the Starmen.Net Walkthrough it’s not that difficult. You mainly just stick to the right if you just want to go straight to the end. Although there are some good items in the way which the map does tell you. Like a second Franklin Badge. It wouldn’t be a bad place to explore if it weren’t for the constant random encounters. I can’t imagine going through this place without a map though, with all the locations looking the same and all the encounters disorienting you. And then also having to find your way back if you don’t use your bread crumbs.
r/earthbound • u/Gracosef • 8h ago
Mother 3 Spoilers Who are the pigmasks and where do they come from ? Spoiler
Replaying M3 right now and just realized this
Where did Porky recruit his entire army, supposing they're actual humans and not a star wars clones situation
Also where do the people living in new pork city come from ? My headcanon is that they were recruited during Porky's whole time travel journey but is there any actual info ?
r/earthbound • u/Sky_Blauler • 1d ago
EB:B Discussion Why did George escape without his wife, Maria?
Wasn’t there any way for both of them to escape or something?
r/earthbound • u/Time-Layer-1008 • 1d ago
Mother 3 Spoilers What could this possIbly remind me of? Spoiler
art by Van Gogh
r/earthbound • u/tanehineri-jima • 18h ago
Art [M3 SPOILERS] Bogos Binted (a.k.a my character-inspired photo frames and the ary with it) Spoiler
galleryNothing much else to say. Bonus of the art I drew on the boxes I stored them in.
No, there were no banana charms. Sorry there's no bananas for banana man. :(
r/earthbound • u/MrKirby34 • 1d ago
Art Mother style Half Life
I am just gonna place this here
r/earthbound • u/Gareeeeeeee • 1d ago
S2 E4 of The Podcast Against Giygas is up!
Listen to it here or on the Youtube channel!
Pippi has been located, and the… ugh, pink hat is safe and sound. The way is now clear to Youngtown, where Ninten and Lloyd meet the next member of their ragtag team: Pollyana Cherrycoke, or Ana for short!
The polar opposite of Ninten, Ana is cheerful, chatty, and optimistic to a fault. She’s always singing a song and likes talking to birds. She’s bound to get on Ninten’s nerves any moment now, but he and Lloyd are gonna need all the help they can get from her when something makes the animals in the zoo go crazy and bust out of their cages! Something… extraterrestrial? Let’s hope George’s journal can help Ninten survive his very first encounter with an especially nasty kind of bad guy… the Starman!
Will they halt the animal insurrection led by the lumbering Gregory the elephant? Will a hero rise, take up a baseball bat, and protect the innocent children of Youngtown from a sinister alien menace? Will that hero be… Mayor Tom Garrickson Junior?
Find out on this week’s episode of… The Podcast Against Giygas! No crying till the ending.
r/earthbound • u/CaptaineCochon • 1d ago
Art Some new artwork (in black and white—I was too lazy to color them) of characters from Earthbound, in Overworld, for a potential remake
r/earthbound • u/ShelfyShelfyShelfy • 23h ago
help with playing rom
everytime i try play earthbound or a rom hack like hallow end or something, 2 days or week later the game wont open and i have to load the game on sne9sx and that deletes all my data does someone know how can i fix this??
r/earthbound • u/nikonoobtuber • 1d ago
Music songs that remind me of earthbound
enjoy
r/earthbound • u/HetTheTable • 23h ago
EB:B Discussion What is the accuracy of the bats in Mother 1?
I’m replaying Mother 1 and it seems like every third hit Ninten seems to miss. It was like that in Earthbound too. It happens so often I almost expect to miss whenever I click Fight.
r/earthbound • u/Popular-Obligation-9 • 1d ago
Mother 3 Spoilers Hi! I made this tribute to Claus from Mother 3, it's a sprites music video :)
some time ago I asked for help finding a song for Claus / Masked Man, and I finally finished it. I'm not very good at sprite animation and I made it all on my phone, but I put a lot of effort into it with what I had. Hope you like it and thanks to everyone who helped me. 🫂
I warn you this video contains spoilers!
My intention is just to show my appreciation for this Mother games experience I have, and I'm excited to someday make more videos like this for other characters. 🌻
r/earthbound • u/Suspicious-One-5290 • 1d ago
Help/Advice Having my friend try to play mother 3.
As you may not know, all my friend plays is dungeon crawler games and minecraft. Do yall know anyway how i could get him more interested into mother 3?
r/earthbound • u/SelectMonitor3028 • 22h ago
Help/Advice Teleport a Issues
I've been struggling to unlock Teleport a for Ness. I accidentally crashed when the monkey was teaching it and now the monkey keeps trying to reteach me it, but I keep crashing into him because I had to get close to talk to him. Does anyone know any solutions for this problem?