Content deleted Content added
"passing" is more respectul than "death" Tags: Manual revert Reverted |
|||
| (33 intermediate revisions by 22 users not shown) | |||
Line 21:
{{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 Switch Online|Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack]] exclusively in Japan in 2024.
Line 30:
''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|
''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,
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 and discovers and defeats the Drago, which has been turned into a cyborg, but fails to find Claus.
In response to the Pigmasks' invasion, neophyte thief Duster is sent by his father and teacher Wess 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
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
[[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,
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
▲Lucas and Boney land in a haystack back in Tazmily, and learn from the Magypsies that beneath the Islands is a massive 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 reoccurring, 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, as well as 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.
Line 92:
[[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
=== Fan translation ===
Line 111:
}}
''Mother 3'' received critical acclaim
''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"/>
Line 122:
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"/>
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"/>
Line 283:
[[Category:Video games about dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Fiction about mind control]]
[[Category:
[[Category:Game Boy Advance games]]
[[Category:Grief in fiction]]
Line 292:
[[Category:Mother (video game series)]]
[[Category:Nintendo Switch Online games]]
[[Category:Video games about psychic powers]]
[[Category:Video games about twins]]
| |||