Discussion EarthBound/Mother 2 30th Anniversary Thread

[JB2448]

Mother 2: Giygas' Counterattack originally released on August 27, 1994 in Japan, which makes 2024 the game's 30th anniversary!

Before we crumble into collective dust, series creator Shigesato Itoi has put up an official website for the second game's third decade of life:

2024 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY YEAR! 『MOTHER2』30th – ほぼ日MOTHERプロジェクト – ほぼ日刊イトイ新聞 | ほぼ日刊イトイ新聞

2024年は『MOTHER2 ギーグの逆襲』が発売30周年をむかえる年です。記念すべきこの１年をお祝いすべく、ほぼ日MOTHERプロジェクトではさまざまな企画を準備しています。どうぞおたのしみに！

www.1101.com

This thread is meant to cover whatever events and merchandise and other announcements will be made, as well as anything else posted by official Hobonichi and Mother series development staff. Feel free to share your memories of EarthBound and the entire trilogy here as well!

 

[JB2448]

 

[EvilChameleon]

I'm sure all of that merch is gonna come stateside, right? And when it does, it won't be limited to just the NY Nintendo store, right?

 

[carbvan]

I'm sure all of that merch is gonna come stateside, right? And when it does, it won't be limited to just the NY Nintendo store, right?

I don't believe Nintendo has too much involvement with Mother related merchandise. I've seen a lot of new Japanese Mother merch over the years and have never heard of it making stateside without someone importing it for themselves.

 

[lemonfresh]

 

[GPKs3]

I need to go back and replay this. Such a unique and charming game.

 

[Gabev]

I hope some merch makes it over here, I know it won't though.

 

[MondoMega]

A series of interview installments between Itoi and Miyamoto began on Jan 1st too; daily from then until the 12th.

なにもできないからプロデューサーになった | ほぼ日刊イトイ新聞

任天堂の宮本茂さんと糸井重里が久々に人前で話しました。『マリオ』や『MOTHER』のことから、任天堂のものづくりの姿勢、組織論や懐かしい思い出話のまで、ずっと聴いていたいクリエイティブな対談です。

www.1101.com

 

[james]

I hope some merch makes it over here, I know it won't though.

theres a lot of mother merch on the hobonichi website already and they have somewhat reasonable international shipping. no reason to assume this stuff wont be relatively accessible.

 

[Gabev]

theres a lot of mother merch on the hobonichi website already and they have somewhat reasonable international shipping. no reason to assume this stuff wont be relatively accessible.

I didn't realize Hobonichi did international shipping, I will be checking that out right now.

 

[JB2448]

A series of interview installments between Itoi and Miyamoto began on Jan 1st too; daily from then until the 12th.

なにもできないからプロデューサーになった | ほぼ日刊イトイ新聞

任天堂の宮本茂さんと糸井重里が久々に人前で話しました。『マリオ』や『MOTHER』のことから、任天堂のものづくりの姿勢、組織論や懐かしい思い出話のまで、ずっと聴いていたいクリエイティブな対談です。

www.1101.com

Yep! One of the upcoming days will talk about their time during Mother 2's development, so I'm really looking forward to it! It's also just cool to see photos of Itoi and Miyamoto together in 2024!

 

[MisterSpo]

This is great. I absolutely loved EarthBound when I finally played it on Wii U in October 2014, so nearly a decade ago now. I played the whole 30 hours over the course of a single weekend!

I'm adding a replay on Switch to my 2024 goals and looking forward to it. What a brilliant game.

 

[joveroy]

According to the teaser, EarthBound will be featured in the second season of Japanese TV program "Game-Genome" .

 

[Earthbounder]

In a way I'm glad this merch is not available around these parts, because I'd spend so much money I'd be in debt.

 

[Gabev]

According to the teaser, EarthBound will be featured in the second season of Japanese TV program "Game-Genome" .

What is Game-Genome about?
I have never heard of this show.

 

[joveroy]

What is Game-Genome about?
I have never heard of this show.

The show mainly interviews developers and discusses a specific game each episode.

 

[The Giant]

Would be good if earthbound got a remake for it's 30th.

 

[Gabev]

Would be good if earthbound got a remake for it's 30th.

There's a naive part of me deep down that is hoping that gets announced this year, but I know there is no chance of that happening.

 

[JB2448]

第４回 宮本茂のダメ出し | なにもできないからプロデューサーになった | ほぼ日刊イトイ新聞

ダメなものには「ダメだ」とはっきり言うのが宮本茂。若いころから、そう。海外のクリエイターにも、そう。そして、糸井重里にも、そう。

www.1101.com

第５回 操作したときの手応え | なにもできないからプロデューサーになった | ほぼ日刊イトイ新聞

操作したときの手応え、気持ちよさ、気持ち悪さ。そういったものを、宮本茂さんはどうやって調整しているのか？ マリオのジャンプを例にして宮本さんが説明する。

www.1101.com

This is the segment that goes over Miyamoto making Itoi cry.

 

[RecklessThomas]

Just finished my 30th playthrough of EarthBound. I've been sick the past two weeks and playing this game everytime puts me in the feels. I do not think I'd love video games as much as I do today without this game being in my life. It will always be the most special game to me. Can't wait to see what they do with the anniversary!!! Also can't wait to go through this Itoi/Miyamoto interview.

 

[Gingerbread Man]

Have the interviews been translated yet?

 

[Krvavi Abadas]

第４回 宮本茂のダメ出し | なにもできないからプロデューサーになった | ほぼ日刊イトイ新聞

ダメなものには「ダメだ」とはっきり言うのが宮本茂。若いころから、そう。海外のクリエイターにも、そう。そして、糸井重里にも、そう。

www.1101.com

第５回 操作したときの手応え | なにもできないからプロデューサーになった | ほぼ日刊イトイ新聞

操作したときの手応え、気持ちよさ、気持ち悪さ。そういったものを、宮本茂さんはどうやって調整しているのか？ マリオのジャンプを例にして宮本さんが説明する。

www.1101.com

This is the segment that goes over Miyamoto making Itoi cry.

the description is wild. (google translated)

There is a famous story among some people about how I cried on the Shinkansen . That happened when I showed Mr. Miyamoto the notebook in which I had written the plot that would become the basis for the game MOTHER . At that time, I honestly thought that Shigeru Miyamoto , the creator of Mario, would see this plot and receive rave reviews. So, I showed him the notes I had written in pencil, but Mr. Miyamoto just said, "Ah..." and didn't praise me,

I was hoping that Shigeru Miyamoto would look at my proposal and say, Wow!'' So, on the ride home, I thought to myself, ...nothing happened,'' and tears started to well up.

 

[RecklessThomas]

Have the interviews been translated yet?

I used translate on browser and it seems accurate!

 

[shoptroll]

the description is wild. (google translated)

Yea, this is a somewhat known story (I thought this sounded familiar but it took a bit of internet digging). I feel like I read about this a while back on one of the EB fansites or in the Ask Iwata book.

Shigesato Itoi recalls his initial pitch for Mother/Earthbound Beginnings to Nintendo, and how it left him depressed and in tears

A fantastic story from the man himself

gonintendo.com

Original source seems to be a translation from an interview between Arino and Itoi:

Shigesato Itoi Visits Arino Kacho’s Challenge Room

Shigesato Itoi visits Arino Kacho in his Challenge Room on the TV show GameCenter CX to watch him play EarthBound, the second installment in the Mother series created by Itoi.

www.1101.com

EDIT: Ah I found where I read about this previously:

1994 Game Developers – Interview Collection - shmuplations.com

This collection of interviews first appeared in a Japanese book called “Introduction to Game Design,” published in 1994. Although featured as interviews, these are more like testimonials and are directed at aspiring young game developers in Japan. Each interviewee talks about how he got into the...

shmuplations.com

It's also hinted at in this 1989 interview:

Mother – 1989 Developer Interview - shmuplations.com

In this 1989 developer interview, Mother series creator Shigesato Itoi talks about the creation of Mother and his desire to break RPG conventions.

shmuplations.com

 

[Forkball]

 

[shoptroll]

Of course Porky would try to run his own merch line at this time

 

[JB2448]

Here’s something fun:

 

[Gabev]

I don't want to get hyped up but does anyone think that Nintendo is actually planning anything in November for the anniversary for the west.

 

[shoptroll]

I don't want to get hyped up but does anyone think that Nintendo is actually planning anything in November for the anniversary for the west.

No. Aside from NSO icons and the Mother 3 re-release this is all being done by Itoi’s company.

 

[Catsylvania]

I don't want to get hyped up but does anyone think that Nintendo is actually planning anything in November for the anniversary for the west.

Maybe a tweet or marketing email about how Earthbound is available on Nintendo Switch Online.

Unfortunately, Mother as a series is narratively over. Without the possibility of a new game, I can’t see Nintendo doing anything particularly special. I’d love to be wrong though.

 

[JB2448]

Make sure to redeem them!

 

[praisethesun]

No. Aside from NSO icons and the Mother 3 re-release this is all being done by Itoi’s company.

One day I hope he changes his mind about a fourth game.

 

[Gabev]

One day I hope he changes his mind about a fourth game.

It is absolutely blasphemous to say but I believe the series can continue without him, I believe Itoi has expressed interest in the series moving forward without him being involved, though I could be wrong.

 

[Derachi]

I don’t think there will ever be a Mother 4.

HOWEVER

I do absolutely think there will come a time in the next handful of years where Nintendo releases a ground-up remake of EarthBound. With Super Mario RPG last year they proved that a top-to-bottom remake of a SNES era RPG is a viable commercial product. It won’t sell as well (it won’t have Mario on the box) but I think it’ll absolutely make it’s budget back. Maybe they could even get ArtePiazza themselves on it, if they’re available. I know they’ve done a lot of work for Square Enix but I don’t remember off-hand if they own them or not.

And then if it does well enough, Mother 3 (which will get rebranded as EarthBound [subtitle]) will be next up to get remade and released worldwide, with all the legally/morally questionable content excised/changed enough to avoid problems.

If the EarthBound and Mother 3 remakes sell well, like really well, and Itoi is still around and working at that point, Nintendo might revisit the possibility of a Mother 4, but that’s probably at least a decade away.

Maybe Itoi will hand the reins of the franchise to someone he trusts to get it.

 

[franzen23]

第４回 宮本茂のダメ出し | なにもできないからプロデューサーになった | ほぼ日刊イトイ新聞

ダメなものには「ダメだ」とはっきり言うのが宮本茂。若いころから、そう。海外のクリエイターにも、そう。そして、糸井重里にも、そう。

www.1101.com

第５回 操作したときの手応え | なにもできないからプロデューサーになった | ほぼ日刊イトイ新聞

操作したときの手応え、気持ちよさ、気持ち悪さ。そういったものを、宮本茂さんはどうやって調整しているのか？ マリオのジャンプを例にして宮本さんが説明する。

www.1101.com

This is the segment that goes over Miyamoto making Itoi cry.

Have these interviews been translated yet?
I remember reading that Miyamoto that said something in it how having one successful product every 3-5 years is what it takes to keep the company going, and that the successful product would have to sell like 30 million copies.

 

[JB2448]

The Music of MOTHER - Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun

A long-awaited MOTHER music event is finally here. Keiichi Suzuki, who created the famous music for the MOTHER series, will be joining us for a live performance of several songs streamed from our studio in Tokyo. We're also planning on a special talk event between him and Shigesato Itoi.

www.1101.com

https://intl.stagecrowd.live/MOTHER2_30th/

The concert will premiere on June 22nd at 8:00 PM Japan Time.

Available countries:
Japan / Brazil / Germany / Hong Kong / Korea / Macau / Mexico / Singapore / Taiwan / Thailand / the United Kingdom / United States of America / Canada / Italy / Spain / France / Australia / New Zealand / Malaysia / Peru