I never "got" Earthbound. I respect it, but I just couldn't really vibe with it how I wanted to. So when I tried its predecessor on a whim, I was expecting to bounce off it pretty quickly... But to my complete and utter surprise, I adored Mother. I don't think I've played a single NES game that resonated with me more.
On a purely presentation level, I love everything Mother is going for. The story manages to do so much with so little, using the NES's limited capabilities to tell a subtle but deceptively deep narrative that feels like a punch in the gut once you realize what it's all meant. The simple Peanuts-inspired artstyle is so cozy and charming, but can also feel haunting in how empty the game can feel at times. I love how Magicant starts off as this overwhelmingly surreal location, but as you return there more and more, it starts to become familiar and homely. I love the robust rock-influenced soundtrack, the existential dread of Youngtown, the abundance of weird and memorable setpieces like the desert tank and the early-game poltergeist, and the harrowingly desperate and personal final boss fight that had me more on edge than anything I've played in a while.
As for the gameplay, yeah, it's flawed. Its battle mechanics can feel archaic, its balancing can feel all over the place, and some of its puzzles can feel quite cryptic, but as someone who's played their fair share of NES RPGs, Mother is incredibly generous. The run button makes exploring Mother's massive open world an absolute treat, you get so many great grinding opportunities and immensely powerful PSI spells and are never really at a lack of options, and for all the complaints I've heard about the grinding in this game, I was stunned at how tightly-paced it is regardless. Even with the times I took stopped to grind up my party, Mother took me less time to beat than any of the Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy games on the NES yet still managed to cover far more ground. Like yeah, Mother is probably the grindiest Nintendo RPG, but that's not really saying much.
I honestly didn't expect Earthbound Beginnings, of all games, to be the one to help me understand the appeal of the Mother series, but it's funny how things work out sometimes. I think they're the kinds of games that may rub you the wrong way at first, but if you just give them a bit of your time, they'll make it worth your while. I gave Mother a chance and was immensely rewarded with one of the most sincere and affecting adventures the NES has to offer, and now I can say I'm excited to do the same with its sequels someday.
And if Mother's combat is still too much for you, play a mod. Literally any mod, there's so many out there. There is a version of Mother for everyone, and everyone should experience this one-of-a-kind game.
On a purely presentation level, I love everything Mother is going for. The story manages to do so much with so little, using the NES's limited capabilities to tell a subtle but deceptively deep narrative that feels like a punch in the gut once you realize what it's all meant. The simple Peanuts-inspired artstyle is so cozy and charming, but can also feel haunting in how empty the game can feel at times. I love how Magicant starts off as this overwhelmingly surreal location, but as you return there more and more, it starts to become familiar and homely. I love the robust rock-influenced soundtrack, the existential dread of Youngtown, the abundance of weird and memorable setpieces like the desert tank and the early-game poltergeist, and the harrowingly desperate and personal final boss fight that had me more on edge than anything I've played in a while.
As for the gameplay, yeah, it's flawed. Its battle mechanics can feel archaic, its balancing can feel all over the place, and some of its puzzles can feel quite cryptic, but as someone who's played their fair share of NES RPGs, Mother is incredibly generous. The run button makes exploring Mother's massive open world an absolute treat, you get so many great grinding opportunities and immensely powerful PSI spells and are never really at a lack of options, and for all the complaints I've heard about the grinding in this game, I was stunned at how tightly-paced it is regardless. Even with the times I took stopped to grind up my party, Mother took me less time to beat than any of the Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy games on the NES yet still managed to cover far more ground. Like yeah, Mother is probably the grindiest Nintendo RPG, but that's not really saying much.
I honestly didn't expect Earthbound Beginnings, of all games, to be the one to help me understand the appeal of the Mother series, but it's funny how things work out sometimes. I think they're the kinds of games that may rub you the wrong way at first, but if you just give them a bit of your time, they'll make it worth your while. I gave Mother a chance and was immensely rewarded with one of the most sincere and affecting adventures the NES has to offer, and now I can say I'm excited to do the same with its sequels someday.
And if Mother's combat is still too much for you, play a mod. Literally any mod, there's so many out there. There is a version of Mother for everyone, and everyone should experience this one-of-a-kind game.
My team consists of Faggot, Dyke, Furas and Queer. My fave food is piss which sometimes makes great Disco Elysium references during gameplay
(edit: unfortunately giving up on it for now and probably will just watch a walkthrough on yt. The gameplay from what I experienced so far just getting lost on a gigantic and mostly empty map and re-living the Zubat cave from Pokemon except you can't escape)
(edit: unfortunately giving up on it for now and probably will just watch a walkthrough on yt. The gameplay from what I experienced so far just getting lost on a gigantic and mostly empty map and re-living the Zubat cave from Pokemon except you can't escape)
i like how this game rewards your curiosity. many cases where i just randomly went to examine something i thought was peculiar and it gave me something i needed to progress. i think the game couldve incentivized this more with some more responses for your checks then just "no problem" but i understand nes had its limitations. soundtrack is very moving as well. the overworld theme, the castle of magicant, the indoors theme, will remain in my mind for many years
Un remake es todo lo que necesita este juego para brillar, genuinamente bello, con personajes interesantes que se ven limitados por la corta duración del juego. Muy infravalorado, no lo recomiendo porque la neta juego castroso, pero tiene una historia que, en mi opinión, es más bonita que la del tercer juego.
Joguei com o Easy Ring no 1+2 do GBA
Pra um jogo de 35 anos ele se sustenta bizarramente bem! Tipo de jogo que eu normalmente jogaria no emulator com o fast-forward no talo, mas como não tinha acesso, não usei e graças a deus que não usei. O jogo nem te dá vontade de usar e passear pelos ambientes eh bem legal (apesar de uma vez ou outra precisar de ajuda de um mapinha da internet).
Combate rápido, simples e eficaz. Com sprites muito bonitinhos e uns poderes bem legais. Com o Easy Ring da versão de GBA, não existe muita dificuldade, mas ainda assim é legal experimentar e usar os poderes mais overpowereds lá pro endgame.
Me apeguei a trilha sonora e a sensação de um mundo cheio de vida que o jogo tem.
Pra um jogo de 35 anos ele se sustenta bizarramente bem! Tipo de jogo que eu normalmente jogaria no emulator com o fast-forward no talo, mas como não tinha acesso, não usei e graças a deus que não usei. O jogo nem te dá vontade de usar e passear pelos ambientes eh bem legal (apesar de uma vez ou outra precisar de ajuda de um mapinha da internet).
Combate rápido, simples e eficaz. Com sprites muito bonitinhos e uns poderes bem legais. Com o Easy Ring da versão de GBA, não existe muita dificuldade, mas ainda assim é legal experimentar e usar os poderes mais overpowereds lá pro endgame.
Me apeguei a trilha sonora e a sensação de um mundo cheio de vida que o jogo tem.
O jogo não é ruim, mas está longe de ser divertido, no geral é uma experiência frustante sem muito do charme de sua sequência, com seu trecho final sendo extremamente frustante sem nenhum pingo de personalidade é difícil só por ser difícil
Mother 1 has a pretty bad reputation in the west, seen as "unplayable" "brutal" and the like.
Because of this its often over looked in favor of Mother 2 and 3, which are both amazing games but I don't think Mother 1 really deserves the reputation it has
Nintendo fans who've never played a JRPG and won't bother to actually learn how to play will have a very hard time getting through it but if you're a fan of the genre its a short but incredibly beautiful journey
At the core of it all is the theme of Love. The game was made because Shigesato itoi wanted to connect with his daughter more, and that love and care comes across all through out the game
Because of this its often over looked in favor of Mother 2 and 3, which are both amazing games but I don't think Mother 1 really deserves the reputation it has
Nintendo fans who've never played a JRPG and won't bother to actually learn how to play will have a very hard time getting through it but if you're a fan of the genre its a short but incredibly beautiful journey
At the core of it all is the theme of Love. The game was made because Shigesato itoi wanted to connect with his daughter more, and that love and care comes across all through out the game
como buen juego de mother la historia es todo lo convulsa, divertida y trágica q esperarías. la banda sonora en este es espectacular y acompaña momentos únicos. el gameplay es la parte q ha envejecido mal. sesiones d puro farmeo, zonas titánicas con apariciones constantes, partes del juego en las q es imposible moverse sin guía... aún así, conserva su encanto intacto.
Get Good
There's probably a far better way to describe it, but the limitations imposed on Mom1 on the basis of it being an NES RPG makes for this certain atmosphere that is completely unique to itself, and compels me to see it through to the end. Hard as balls tho FUCK.
Wholesome
A soulful, loving grindfest that is so eclipsed by its sequel that it's no longer worth the time. Huge, ambitious, and clearly inexperienced. If you like Mother 2 and 3, then sure, give it a look. It's just not something you're likely to come back to over and over.
simple perfection! childlike americana and teh power of love and friendship that leaves a crater in your heart!
Uno de mis nuevos juegos de comfort
O começo dessa franquia incrível porém morta, o primeiro jogo é sem dúvidas o mais difícil, porém nada que se resolva com um pouco de grinding, a estética desse jogo é linda e assim foi nas sequências e a trilha sonora é muito boa trazendo um ar mais descontraído 90% das vezes. Nintendo volte com Earthbound!!!
Não zerei. Mano, eu passei MUITO tempo no Mt. Itoi, MUITO TEMPO no Mt. Itoi. Desde o ano passado eu estava tentando passar desse inferno, as vezes ficava semanas sem jogar, todas as vezes saia frustrado, QUASE CONSEGUI. Até que... Meu celular foi roubado.
Eu estava jogando em um emulador de Famicom no celular. Isso teve algumas implicações: O software tinha uma versão premium ( que eu não comprei ), eu não conseguia diminuir o volume no jogo, não conseguia "acelerar" e também não conseguia usar Save State. Eu ressalto essas coisas pois EU PASSEI MUITA RAIVA nesse jogo, DUNCAN FACTORY é um lugar amaldiçoado. Esse jogo é DURO, ele vai te maltratar, ele vai cuspir na sua cara, ele vai rir de você. Mas PORRA, poucas vezes eu tive uma experiência tão marcante com alguma obra artistica, esse jogo é LINDO caralho.
Desde o primeiro momento que eu tive que deitar um Hippie no pau na primeira rota, até o eu pegar um tanque e depois me aventurar numa caverna de macacos mentirosos. Apesar do penar da gameplay, pqp, parece que os devs e o tal do Itoi estavam numa inspiração divina pra elaborar essa aventura bizarra e esses diálogos escalafobéticos. Nunca senti tanto ódio quanto, em Snowman, um local muito do filho da puta espirrou na minha cara e me deixou gripado todo fudido, ou então quando eu falei com um velho e ele LOTOU MEU INVENTÁRIO COM UMA QUANTIA CÔMICA E ENORME DE TOOTHBRUSH. Eu entrei numa boate, aceitei bebida de uma mulher e APARECEU UM POLÍCIAL DO NADA E ME LEVOU PRO XILINDRÓ PQ O NINTEN É MENOR DE IDADE E NÃO DEVERIA BEBER.
Que trilha sonora da porra também, talvez a maior protagonista na imersão em Mother. Recomendo fortemente o álbum [ https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/keiichi-suzuki-hirokazu-tanaka/mother/ ]. Se esse jogo não fosse o bagulho mais penoso de jogar, tendo 3000 inimigos seguidos a cada 5 passos e um balanceamento patético, seria o melhor jogo já feito na história da humanidade (Arte 2). O que me deixa muito curioso de como será Earthbound e Mother 3.
Um dia vou jogar novamente, vencer o Mt. Itoi e zerar esse jogo, um dia.
Eu estava jogando em um emulador de Famicom no celular. Isso teve algumas implicações: O software tinha uma versão premium ( que eu não comprei ), eu não conseguia diminuir o volume no jogo, não conseguia "acelerar" e também não conseguia usar Save State. Eu ressalto essas coisas pois EU PASSEI MUITA RAIVA nesse jogo, DUNCAN FACTORY é um lugar amaldiçoado. Esse jogo é DURO, ele vai te maltratar, ele vai cuspir na sua cara, ele vai rir de você. Mas PORRA, poucas vezes eu tive uma experiência tão marcante com alguma obra artistica, esse jogo é LINDO caralho.
Desde o primeiro momento que eu tive que deitar um Hippie no pau na primeira rota, até o eu pegar um tanque e depois me aventurar numa caverna de macacos mentirosos. Apesar do penar da gameplay, pqp, parece que os devs e o tal do Itoi estavam numa inspiração divina pra elaborar essa aventura bizarra e esses diálogos escalafobéticos. Nunca senti tanto ódio quanto, em Snowman, um local muito do filho da puta espirrou na minha cara e me deixou gripado todo fudido, ou então quando eu falei com um velho e ele LOTOU MEU INVENTÁRIO COM UMA QUANTIA CÔMICA E ENORME DE TOOTHBRUSH. Eu entrei numa boate, aceitei bebida de uma mulher e APARECEU UM POLÍCIAL DO NADA E ME LEVOU PRO XILINDRÓ PQ O NINTEN É MENOR DE IDADE E NÃO DEVERIA BEBER.
Que trilha sonora da porra também, talvez a maior protagonista na imersão em Mother. Recomendo fortemente o álbum [ https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/keiichi-suzuki-hirokazu-tanaka/mother/ ]. Se esse jogo não fosse o bagulho mais penoso de jogar, tendo 3000 inimigos seguidos a cada 5 passos e um balanceamento patético, seria o melhor jogo já feito na história da humanidade (Arte 2). O que me deixa muito curioso de como será Earthbound e Mother 3.
Um dia vou jogar novamente, vencer o Mt. Itoi e zerar esse jogo, um dia.
Кажется, я теперь понимаю почему о первой части вообще никто не вспоминает. Самая душная JRPG на моей памяти. Единственная игра, где внезапная битва может наступить ступив один шаг после предыдущей. Из-за этого прохождение растянулось на добрые полгода. Накидываю один дополнительный бал только из-за того, что это дед породивший на свет вторую часть.
Not as good but still good
favorite game of all time dont listen what those other guys say i love you so much babe <3
this game would truly truly be like 60% better if the encounter rate was like halved
This review contains spoilers
When my backlog wheel landed on this for me to play, I was beyond hyped. This game, after all, jumpstarted one of Nintendo's most unusual and influential franchises, and would go on to inspire masterpieces of its own. Hell, freaking Yume Nikki has a whole world referencing bits of Mother 1, and that's easily one of the most original and experimental titles ever conceived. So it paying homage to this game must mean a lot.
Well, I'm just going to say straight off the bat: this game induces suffering. Every cool mechanic you know and love about the MOTHER series, this one does not have. That means no rolling HP, no psychedelic background, and random encounters. On top of that, I found the game had a ton of balancing issues. On a whim, the right enemies can bind you into a lock, with hardly a chance of breaking free from it. The cherry on top has to be Mt. Itoi, which is from what I've heard never playtested 💀 Nintendo really smoked crack on their part. I thank myself that I had a guide and an emulator to speed up the battles when I needed to.
All the little gameplay quirks really got to me at first with the inventory management and shops but once I started to view everything from the perspective of real life, it made sense. Of course you're not going to be able to hold a whole lot, and you're going to have to swap around goods so that it can be usable. Of course you're being charged an egregious sum just to see your friends revived. Of course, instead of simply interacting with the ATM, you have to open your inventory, scroll to the Cash Card, and hit use. It makes so much sense. That also goes for having the train animation play whenever you use it, and your dad blabbing on and on before you get to the point.
I think the smartest I ever felt when viewing this game through that lens would be when Lloyd joins your party. The game tells you that he's a weakling, and he has the low stats to back that up. The most useful he gets is using gadgets that break often. I asked myself, "why would the game deliberately give you a weak party member?" Then it hit me. Of course, if you were to go on an adventure with your friends chances are you're going to have drag the dorky kid along with you. They're not all combat ready. I love how the game then ties up Lloyd's character with the typical "I'm going to prove myself" arc.
But, those quirks didn't make me fall in love with the game though. After all, this game had indeed made me ragequit, to the point where I would take weeklong breaks from the game when it's not even that long. As I mentioned to my friends, it's art in the same way that a bully beats you up and your mom gives you grilled cheese and apple slices to help make you feel better.
It was the end that the game really got to me. Out of nowhere, I started crying after Ninten sang the Eight Melodies to Queen Maria. She started talking about Geigue and how he was when she raised him, and how his tail would always wag like a dog except for when she sang that lullaby. I was seriously fighting back tears (which I was told NOT to cry about yet, thanks Mother fandom) because the way she talked about him sounded exactly like a loving grandmother on her deathbed, recalling all the fun little memories she had with her grandchildren before passing away peacefully. And then Magicant disappearing, a place that said to always have a loving home for Ninten, felt like the emptiness I felt when my grandmother passed away. I haven't actually properly cried for her passing away, and I haven't done so for over 10 years now. But now I definitely feel like I've let out some of the deep-seeded pain. Even while writing this review, tears are dripping down my face.
So yeah, the ending manages to pick everything back up all at once. It's really not fair of me to attach a score to this game because of how deep the emotions run with it. I feel the same about this game as I do with my own life. It sucks a lot. I've been through a lot of mental pain. But there are just those tender moments, like dancing on the stage, or walking around the elementary school, or sharing a close bond with Ana, that really just make it charming. And then sometimes, it really turns out for the better.
In short, if you're able to love a piece of art, thorns and all, then I definitely recommend it provided you promise me you won't get hurt too much by it. Because this game hurts a lot but man I'm glad to have gone through it.
Well, I'm just going to say straight off the bat: this game induces suffering. Every cool mechanic you know and love about the MOTHER series, this one does not have. That means no rolling HP, no psychedelic background, and random encounters. On top of that, I found the game had a ton of balancing issues. On a whim, the right enemies can bind you into a lock, with hardly a chance of breaking free from it. The cherry on top has to be Mt. Itoi, which is from what I've heard never playtested 💀 Nintendo really smoked crack on their part. I thank myself that I had a guide and an emulator to speed up the battles when I needed to.
All the little gameplay quirks really got to me at first with the inventory management and shops but once I started to view everything from the perspective of real life, it made sense. Of course you're not going to be able to hold a whole lot, and you're going to have to swap around goods so that it can be usable. Of course you're being charged an egregious sum just to see your friends revived. Of course, instead of simply interacting with the ATM, you have to open your inventory, scroll to the Cash Card, and hit use. It makes so much sense. That also goes for having the train animation play whenever you use it, and your dad blabbing on and on before you get to the point.
I think the smartest I ever felt when viewing this game through that lens would be when Lloyd joins your party. The game tells you that he's a weakling, and he has the low stats to back that up. The most useful he gets is using gadgets that break often. I asked myself, "why would the game deliberately give you a weak party member?" Then it hit me. Of course, if you were to go on an adventure with your friends chances are you're going to have drag the dorky kid along with you. They're not all combat ready. I love how the game then ties up Lloyd's character with the typical "I'm going to prove myself" arc.
But, those quirks didn't make me fall in love with the game though. After all, this game had indeed made me ragequit, to the point where I would take weeklong breaks from the game when it's not even that long. As I mentioned to my friends, it's art in the same way that a bully beats you up and your mom gives you grilled cheese and apple slices to help make you feel better.
It was the end that the game really got to me. Out of nowhere, I started crying after Ninten sang the Eight Melodies to Queen Maria. She started talking about Geigue and how he was when she raised him, and how his tail would always wag like a dog except for when she sang that lullaby. I was seriously fighting back tears (which I was told NOT to cry about yet, thanks Mother fandom) because the way she talked about him sounded exactly like a loving grandmother on her deathbed, recalling all the fun little memories she had with her grandchildren before passing away peacefully. And then Magicant disappearing, a place that said to always have a loving home for Ninten, felt like the emptiness I felt when my grandmother passed away. I haven't actually properly cried for her passing away, and I haven't done so for over 10 years now. But now I definitely feel like I've let out some of the deep-seeded pain. Even while writing this review, tears are dripping down my face.
So yeah, the ending manages to pick everything back up all at once. It's really not fair of me to attach a score to this game because of how deep the emotions run with it. I feel the same about this game as I do with my own life. It sucks a lot. I've been through a lot of mental pain. But there are just those tender moments, like dancing on the stage, or walking around the elementary school, or sharing a close bond with Ana, that really just make it charming. And then sometimes, it really turns out for the better.
In short, if you're able to love a piece of art, thorns and all, then I definitely recommend it provided you promise me you won't get hurt too much by it. Because this game hurts a lot but man I'm glad to have gone through it.
this is the hardest game ever made fuck wally and fuck mt. itoi
Other reviews also say this, but if you're able to handle a 80s RPG with everything that it carries (inventory sucks, grinding sucks, finding where you have to go next kinda sucks) this is my second favorite on the Mother series. The vibe is really particular, the story is great, I just love it.
Tried the EarthBound Zero ROM hack using FCE Ultra GX on my modded Wii, but despite the author's best efforts to rebalance the game, I still had troubles progressing, and found the frequency of the random encounters fairly annoying. I will be abandoning the NES version of Mother in favor of the upcoming fan re-imagining, Mother Encore.
The grinding wasn’t THAT bad
Seriously an amazing game, even with the limitations and flaws from it being an NES rpg
Seriously an amazing game, even with the limitations and flaws from it being an NES rpg
if you're able to handle some 80's rpg clunk, mother is a lovingly made game full of soul and heart. compared to its sequels, the story of Mother is a lot more subdued, and thats one of the things i really like about it. this is my favorite game of all time, and while it isnt for everyone, id still absolutely recommend it. if you want to just see the game and what it has to offer, without the clunk of the NES version, i'd recommend the Mother 1+2 fan translation by Tomato, which includes the Easy Ring, an item that makes grinding almost non-existant.
Por una parte, infancia, aventura, descubrimiento, superación, amor, amistad y muchísimo carisma y humor.
Por otra, un combate con un desbalanceo espectacular, y un mapa gargantuescamente grande que lleva a una desorientación constante, y a vagar constantemente por todo el mapa para descubrir qué hacer y dónde ir. Pasarlo sin guía para ciertas cosas ha sido más duro de lo que pensé.
Aún así, voy a guardar Mother con mucho cariño en un rinconcito de mi corazón, y voy a entrar a Earthbound con los dientes por delante.
Por otra, un combate con un desbalanceo espectacular, y un mapa gargantuescamente grande que lleva a una desorientación constante, y a vagar constantemente por todo el mapa para descubrir qué hacer y dónde ir. Pasarlo sin guía para ciertas cosas ha sido más duro de lo que pensé.
Aún así, voy a guardar Mother con mucho cariño en un rinconcito de mi corazón, y voy a entrar a Earthbound con los dientes por delante.
y luego me preguntan por qué no juego a juegos de Nes... digo, lo "disfrute" y entendí de primera mano la razón por la cual muchos aman y consideran como juego de culto a esta entrega pero lo siento... en sí su gameplay me hizo querer sacarme los ojos por lo tedioso que se vuelve en ese aspecto
pero mira el lado positivo, ahora puedo decir que genuinamente me termine Mother, ya no soy de esos que hablan y alaban mother diciendo que es la mejor saga o incluso piden Mother 3 en occidente cuando en realidad lo máximo que han tocado de la saga es a Ness y a Lucas en SSB. claro, me lo rushee en emulador con velocidad x4 constantemente mientras de fondo estaba escuchando capítulos del chavo para no perder mi sanidad mental mientras jugaba, pero de terminármelo me lo termine (?
pero mira el lado positivo, ahora puedo decir que genuinamente me termine Mother, ya no soy de esos que hablan y alaban mother diciendo que es la mejor saga o incluso piden Mother 3 en occidente cuando en realidad lo máximo que han tocado de la saga es a Ness y a Lucas en SSB. claro, me lo rushee en emulador con velocidad x4 constantemente mientras de fondo estaba escuchando capítulos del chavo para no perder mi sanidad mental mientras jugaba, pero de terminármelo me lo termine (?
Yeah I’m sure earthbound beginnings is a primitive rpg with a lot of flaws that make for an overall tedious experience, but I guess I’ll never really know because I played it with the 25th anniversary patch and decided to just have a lot of fun instead.
And if you don't like the graphical changes made for it, there's a patch for that too!
And if you don't like the graphical changes made for it, there's a patch for that too!
I was wondering why this game had a reputation for being way more brutal/grindy than it actually is but then I saw that the Starmen.net guide I was used recommended that you grind to a level where you one-shot enemies at a point where you're already safely two-shotting them and remembered that the average Nintendo fan can't be trusted to know shit about RPGs