Predictions Do you think a translated Mother 3 eventually comes to the GBA NSO app?

[magical kitsune]

Can we get Reggie to comeback just to announce this game for the NSO?

He's gonna come back for the 10th anniversary of "come on Reggie give us mother 3" in 2024 and place a localized copy of Mother 3 upon the grave of the journalist he burned to death.

 

[Marce-chan]

Earthbound Beginnings came to the Wii U;
Star Fox 2 came to the SNES NSO;
Now we have Golden Eye 007 on NSO.

Mother 3 time will definitely come eventually.

 

[sanstea]

It's now or never.

 

[Brock Reiher]

they didn't translate fire Emblem or custom robo they're not gonna translate mother 3

 

[Terrell]

I kinda hope it doesn't because I want the entire series remade.

Unless they change absolutely nothing about it from a story/scenario perspective, don't count on it. Shigesato Itoi is completely and totally done with the series (he's been super unequivocal about that) and, despite the fact that there's been suggestions that someone else should write and produce more in the series, Nintendo doesn't seem to have any desire to touch it in his absence.

Chances are high that you'll get the translated GBA game or nothing.

EDIT: And don't get me wrong, I'd love more Mother, with Itoi as lead writer or otherwise, but Nintendo doesn't seem keen on the "otherwise" option and Itoi's not coming back as lead writer, so..... yeah....

 

[Bonejack]

I still think that they would opt to change a few things in Mother 3 before they'd drop it in any way in the west, be it via NSO or as port or whatever.

 

[juuso]

I hope it does, but I don't think so.

 

[Lit_bae]

I think the fans own Mother 3 now not Nintendo, and I think that that is perfect.

 

[Petaya Berry]

No.

And if they launched it, the number of new subs would not increase. Earthbound does not sell.

The weird thing is that at the launch, the reception among japanese players were not great. Somewhat people on the West romanticize this game too much.

 

[Ramune]

I don't think any potentially controversial content is holding it back, I just don't know if they see localising a text-heavy RPG as a worthwhile investment of resources given that its audience is the niche of people who have played and enjoyed Earthbound and are still interested in playing a 17 year-old sequel to it today and haven't already had their fill (i.e. aren't already emulating it elsewhere). I'm not sure it's going to drive subscriptions significantly more than any other GBA title will, and they have plenty to add for a while that won't require as much work.

I'd love to see it ported to NSO or as a separate eShop release though, so in my heart I am a "yes", even if that heart has been hardened enough that I think "no."

 

[fiendcode]

If they translate Mother 3, it's be a separate rom purchase like Fire Emblem was.

 

[spelga51]

no - didn't Reggie say it wasn't worth the cost for Nintendo?

 

[Kaka]

If they translate Mother 3, it's be a separate rom purchase like Fire Emblem was.

My guess too.
From Reggie, we know that the game was considered for WiiU but ultimately scrapped for business reasons (so I guess the WiiU being a flop)
Nowadays Nintendo has the third best selling system ever with insane software numbers and a perfectly capable emulator for GBA. If they were open to the idea during the dark wiiu era, now is basically the perfect time.

 

[KMA3]

Probably Japan only

 

[Discokuningas]

I think it's coming. Any controversial things are more easily understood when you release the game in the retro app. Or maybe they can change it somewhat. At least in the translation. Haven't played it so I don't know much what I'm talking about.

Edit: It may not be that profitable to them but it is a nice boost to their image in hc circles. Mother 3 is so requested.

 

[Jimmy Joe]

I wish they would put in the effort to localise more Japan-only games for NSO, especially on the Expansion Pack tier. Fire Emblem especially, knowing they already have complete English scripts for FE1-6 lying around.

I'm sorry, they have what lying around? When did we learn this?

 

[KingOnion]

I hope so, they should.

Just slap a content warning on it, make it an additional (free) download for subscribers, something like that. The game has clearly grown to mean so much more than just ‘the third Mother game’. I would argue this context makes the game’s worth rise above its content and it should be made accessible. If it were some c-tier NES platformer that was also offensive then obviously no, but this game stands for so much more.

And I’m not personally invested in the Mother series.