Has anyone heard of the Mother/EarthBound franchise?

[ZethaPonderer 2,196]

Basically The Mother games are a form of an RPG except its a parody. Plays like Dragon Quest/Warrior in some ways and takes place in a modern America (80s/90s) like setting.

 

Pretty fun and hilarious games.

 

First game in the franchise was Mother 1 for the Famicom (Japanese NES). It plays like Dragon Warrior/Quest and Final Fantasy for NES.

 

Second is Mother 2 (AKA EarthBound) released on SNES and is considered to be one of the best RPGs on the Super Nintendo.

 

Third is Mother 3 released on Gameboy Advance (in Japan).

 

Have you heard of this series? If yes, then what are your thoughts?

Edited May 20, 2018 by ZethaPonderer
Adding more in bolded

[PiratePony 8,473]

Earthbound for SNES is maybe my favorite game of all time. It was not popular AT ALL when it came out, but I got it when it was first released based on the quirky Nintendo Power preview. It's stellar.

[Ganondorf8 11,118]

I've known about this series since 1999 through Super Smash Bros.--Ness was an unlockable character in that game--but it wasn't until the last few years that I was given the opportunity to play the second game--the original NES game didn't get a proper English release until after the fact. I played Earthbound for a while though I'll be honest in saying that it's one that only a truly devoted fan would appreciate it. But, I will praise the fact that it's different from the typical RPG.

[Guest]

I’m actually currently in the middle of earthbound but I keep having to start over for one reason or another but it’s a game I’ve been meaning to finish.

[AlbaTross 1,581]

I've been holding out on buying a Switch until I could purchase this and other classic titles on it, but based on a recent announcement, Nintendo would rather just sit on their legacy of great games than capitalize on it.  This E3 will determine whether I should get a Switch at some point or pass on it altogether.  Maybe I'll go the emulation route until Nintendo decides they no longer hate money.

[PoisonClaw 8,153]

Oh, I've certainly heard of Earthbound/Mother and their nightmarish final bosses like Giygas, but I've never actually played it before. 

[Wannabrony 11,638]

I've heard it a long time ago, I've heard many good things about it, though I've never played the actual game myself. I would like to!

[Steve Piranha 28,782]

Everyone who plays Smash at least knows of it's existence  . Yeah, I've played them all, in dubious ways, but did. It was about 7 years ago where I've started with Beginnings, and played the others afterwards. Games made by someone high on drugs, but it's unfortunate they didn't get the success they deserve   

[ZethaPonderer 2,196]

It is interesting to note that while the Mother franchise is a parody deconstruction of a typical RPG, I do have to admit that there are some pretty dark and depressing moments in this silly looking game. That and the psychedelic LSD induced acid-tripping background screens every-time you fight enemies. E.g.

 

and how most enemies have unique themes depending on what kind of enemies they are: Silly (they'll waste a turn doing something pointless) or Dangerous (constantly attacking the player).

[Prospekt 10,984]

I love Earthbound. Definitely one of the funnest RPGs I have ever played. And Mother 1, known outside of Japan as Earthbound Beginnings, is pretty cool, too. Kind of plain in comparison, but great considering the hardware it was originally made for. Both have a lot of lighthearted humor.

[YoshiAngemon 223]

I own the first two installments, via Virtual Console, and the SNES Classic Edition.

[AlbaTross 1,581]

15 hours ago, Steve Piranha said:

Games made by someone high on drugs

I think the technical term is Japanese games, and they're an entire race that can somehow pull off Lewis Carrol type stuff without having to be high.  That actually applies to all of their fictional media, not just games.  I brought back a few manga magazines from Japan and though I can't read them...yet...they certainly contain stuff you wouldn't believe if I were to tell you about them.  Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if the entire fiction industry in Japan had a trade secret drug that only people who work in that particular realm know about.  That would explain a lot.  Either that or there are just certain compounds in the blood of Japanese people that produce a drug-like high without having to be high.  Then again, how were games like Ecco the Dolphin or the recently released Forgotten Anne made in spite of not being created by Japanese people?  

In any case, I agree that it's a crime when certain games don't sell as much as they deserve to...

[Steve Piranha 28,782]

2 hours ago, AlbaTross said:

I think the technical term is Japanese games, and they're an entire race that can somehow pull off Lewis Carrol type stuff without having to be high.  That actually applies to all of their fictional media, not just games.  I brought back a few manga magazines from Japan and though I can't read them...yet...they certainly contain stuff you wouldn't believe if I were to tell you about them.  Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if the entire fiction industry in Japan had a trade secret drug that only people who work in that particular realm know about.  That would explain a lot.  Either that or there are just certain compounds in the blood of Japanese people that produce a drug-like high without having to be high.  Then again, how were games like Ecco the Dolphin or the recently released Forgotten Anne made in spite of not being created by Japanese people?  

In any case, I agree that it's a crime when certain games don't sell as much as they deserve to...

Man, EB is pretty eccentric even by Japanese standards, and that can't be denied. One moment you're fighting a blue loving cult, and later zombies . Still, that high on drugs was a joke, I wasn't implying Itoi is a junkie for real

Edited May 21, 2018 by Steve Piranha

[ZethaPonderer 2,196]

Probably my favorite battle is when what the games consider Enemies that play the Hippie Battle Music e.g. Hippies (obviously), Psycho/Mad Trucks and Cars, and Wallies/Rednecks. Such silly enemies I almost pity them getting bashed by the main character's baseball bat . In Mother 1 this was the case though in Mother 2/Earthbound that music seems reserved strictly for the New Age Retro Hippy Enemy in that game as far as my memory serves me (though I could be wrong).

 

This is the Hippie Battle from the first Mother game on the Famicom (Japanese NES).

 

And here's the Mother 2/EarthBound one from SNES,

 

Edited May 21, 2018 by ZethaPonderer
Replaced 'you' for 'I' under bolded and underlined

[Steve Piranha 28,782]

37 minutes ago, ZethaPonderer said:

Probably my favorite battle is when what the games consider Enemies that play the Hippie Battle Music e.g. Hippies (obviously), Psycho/Mad Trucks and Cars, and Wallies/Rednecks. Such silly enemies I almost pity them getting bashed by the main character's baseball bat . In Mother 1 this was the case though in Mother 2/Earthbound that music seems reserved strictly for the New Age Retro Hippy Enemy in that game as far as my memory serves me (though I could be wrong).

 

This is the Hippie Battle from the first Mother game on the Famicom (Japanese NES).

 

And here's the Mother 2/EarthBound one from SNES,

 

Oh yeah, hippie music is the shit. Is my favorite battle theme in Earthbound Beginnings. Too bad it's used in very few suckas  

You know? At times, I feel kind of down when I start getting partners in that game, because I prefer Pollyanna over Bein' Friends  

 

 

 

[AlbaTross 1,581]

1 hour ago, Steve Piranha said:

Man, EB is pretty eccentric even by Japanese standards, and that can't be denied. One moment you're fighting a blue loving cult, and later zombies . Still, that high on drugs was a joke, I wasn't implying Itoi is a junkie for real

You're assuming my post was meant to be taken seriously.  I don't know how Japan does it, but creativity is something they have in spades.  EB is pretty eccentric by the standards of media that actually leaves Japan.  Trust me, the real out there stuff will never make its way out of Japan in any official capacity, possibly because Western minds can't handle it.  Some of the small sampling I took home in my suitcase baffles me to no end.  Heck, it's a wonder Japanese children aren't scarred for life based on what I've seen in Children's manga.  

[Steve Piranha 28,782]

9 minutes ago, AlbaTross said:

You're assuming my post was meant to be taken seriously.    

My bad, it's just that it's hard at times the meaning behind written words around here the internet

[Thorgir the Mighty 736]

I have. I was never interested 

[AlbaTross 1,581]

On 2018-05-21 at 4:03 PM, Steve Piranha said:

My bad, it's just that it's hard at times the meaning behind written words around here the internet

Written words in lack tone due to not being audible, but yeah, the internet is a pretty nonsensical place.  I would say that it, Japan and the White House as it is currently should be compared to determine which is the most nonsensical, but I just don't think it's possible to come up with a definitive answer on that, no matter how hard we science.

[Luigi 7,868]

Earthbound is a pretty nice game. I have it on my Wii U which I have not been using at all lately. Ness is also one of the characters I use the most in Super Smash Bros.

[Kai-rouken 146]

On 5/20/2018 at 7:10 PM, ZethaPonderer said:

Has anyone heard of the Mother/EarthBound franchise?

           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpj7N3hUCn4

[ZethaPonderer 2,196]

9 hours ago, Kai-rouken said:

           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpj7N3hUCn4

Wat?  

[AveryGamerDude 4,640]

HECK YES!! I thought I was the only one who knew about this series! Good lord, the Mother series is one of the most underrated game series ever made...

[Floofie 799]

I've heard a lot about the Mother series, and I'm actually playing through Mother 1 right now. I decided to emulate it instead of buying Earthbound Beginnings, because there are romhacks for Mother 1 that fix a lot of the problems it had, mainly the excessive amount of grinding required.

Honestly, I didn't think I would like an old NES rpg, but I'm actually enjoying it a lot, and I'm getting pretty close to the end, I think. I can't wait to finish it and move on to Earthbound!

Edited July 9, 2018 by Sir Floof

[Bronyfordays 401]

I watched a YouTuber named Chuggaaconroy play that series, both Chuggaaconroy and the series are awesome btw, and had to try one for myself. I recently got my hands on Earthbound and I'm loving it so far. (Technically virtual hands since I bought it on the EShop, but whatever, haha.) I still need to try Mother and somedaaaaay play Mother 3. (I know it will happen, my body is Reggie for the American release! Hopefully it will happen.)