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!!!
The hate for open world games is so unserious
Fantastic story and world, unforgettable music, a unique setting for the time, Mother is a truly unforgettable game.
Shame it also has large labyrinthian dungeons with random encounters at an absurdly high rate and awful enemy balance meaning you'd have to grind a ton.
It's one of those games better seen and heard than actually played.
If I do retry it, it'll be with Starmen.net's Easy Ring but I hear that ruins the balance in the other direction.
Shame it also has large labyrinthian dungeons with random encounters at an absurdly high rate and awful enemy balance meaning you'd have to grind a ton.
It's one of those games better seen and heard than actually played.
If I do retry it, it'll be with Starmen.net's Easy Ring but I hear that ruins the balance in the other direction.
This review contains spoilers
At first glance, MOTHER appears as not much more than a parody of the Dragon Quests and Final Fantasies of the time, opting for or a modern setting in lieu of a medieval one - substituting inns for hotels, armories for department stores, and swords for baseball bats.
I do not believe this is what makes MOTHER a parody, however.
What truly makes MOTHER a parody, to me, is how much beauty it hides within its subtext, supplementary material, and the inferences you can make about the characters and world, especially given the time it released. It's a Famicom RPG, so naturally, not much is going to be spelled out directly. A lot of things that managed to hit me as hard as they did only hit because I bothered to talk to npcs, because I listened to the vocal album, and because I made up theories in my head about the characters' personalities based on the groundwork the game provided me.
Take Lloyd, for example. He's an evidently bullied, socially anxious, but incredibly intelligent kid with a love for explosives - just going off of NPC dialogue in Twinkle Elementary. Hell, he isn't just bullied by the other students, the game bullies him. Practically all of the flavour text relating to weapons refers to him as "puny", "weak", "nerdy" or some other synonym. So you find him in a trash can that he's voluntarily hid himself in, go to the sweet's factory to the south, get some bottle rockets for him in what is probably the single act of kindness anyone has ever given him, and he decides to join you. This is going to sound really corny, but I immediately saw him as neurodivergent. He's a smart, socially anxious kid who latches onto Ninten as soon as he does something nice for him, and has a hyperfixation on explosives, going as far as to immediately show them off to Ninten by dragging him to the science lab. I say all this because quite frankly I immediately saw myself in him (minus the intelligent part, I'm not that smart lol), and if I were in his shoes I'd probably want to be friends with Ninten too. Lloyd may be the only mandatory party member to beat the game, and despite that, this whole sequence of events comes across as the forming of a genuine friendship between two kids. If you're not sold on the two becoming genuine friends yet, the overworld music literally changes to "Bein' friends". This all culminates in Lloyd coming to the group's rescue on Mt. Itoi, in a bid to prove his bravery.
"Now it's the weakling's turn. You stay here and wait!"
Ana and Teddy have similar circumstances. You deliver Ana her lost hat and joins having developed feelings for Ninten from seeing him in her visions (which concludes with a really cute scene where the two dance together and confess their love). You get in a fistfight with Teddy, who recognises his strength and decides that the group (save for Lloyd) are strong enough to brave Mt. Itoi and avenge his parents. It was a rarity for party members i RPGs from this time to have nearly this level of character, let alone feel like they joined the party because they simply wanted to and not because the story demanded it, and it plays a huge part in one of MOTHER's core themes.
From the very beginning, MOTHER is a game about family. The found family of the party, the legacy of Ninten's great grandfather's research, his great grandmother's dissapearance, and how this all relates to the game's main protagonist: Gyigue.
There's so much I want to talk about regarding this game, from how much you can really feel Itoi just wanted to roam and explore the countryside as a kid, the heartfelt soundtrack, and my defence of the core game actually being that it's fine and not grindy or obtuse (because it isn't. Duncan's factory and Mt itoi are far from the worst RPG dungeons, and I actually quite the latter, which I'll get to). What I want to talk about the most, though, is MOTHER's fantastic, emotionally charged endgame. This gets pretty in depth and over analytical(even by the standards of this review so far), so I'm going to clearly distinguish where that begins and where the the point where I actually talk about the ending comes up, which you can read from if you want to skip this. It's basically a plot summary with my ramblings, inferences and thoughts on things that happen.
-----------------------------------
You're going through the cave leading to Mt Itoi. The enemies are some of the toughest yet (though very manageable assuming you don't get too unlucky with PK beam from the blue starmen), but after not too long, you're able to make it through to Mt Itoi itself. From the very first measure of music, Mt Itoi is a complete tonal shift. It gives off an incredibly foreboding atmosphere that really pairs well with just how much more difficult the encounters have become. They're somehow even tougher (and should still be manageable without grinding. you have buffs and powerful psi. use them.). It's a very clear indicator that you're nearing the end of the game, and I honestly think the area not being playtested was to its benefit?? I do genuinely feel toning down the difficulty here would take away from the game's ludonarrative consistency. You know that Teddy's parents were killed here, you know that nobody dares go near the place, and most importantly; it serves as Gyigue's base of operations - it would naturally be guarded his elite and wildlife driven mad by his very presence. If it was made easier, it just wouldn't make much sense, at least for me.
Anyway, you're able to make it to yet another healer's house and effectively another checkpoint. Unless you missed any melodies before this point, and save for coming back later with Lloyd, this is practically the point of no return. Ninten and Ana have their previously mentioned dance here, and while it does feel like they went from nothing to confessing love, I do want to note the poignancy this scene just has in general. "Fallin' love" only plays here, and having a character directly confess their love to the protagonist like this, as far as I know, wasn't really heard of until Final Fantasy IV, a good few years later. It's interrupted with Teddy barging in to check on the two, and the group then getting ambushed with an unwinnable encounter that leaves Lloyd arriving just in time tp save the group. Teddy is presumably dead after this, though, which I see as the game's way of saying "he was injured protecting Ninten and Ana". I don't think it'd make sense if "the three were all equally wounded but the two kids made it out alive because psychic abilities". Regardless, Lloyd rejoins, has his quick character arc, and you quickly find a boat that he's able to get working, in turn having EVE join you.
EVE is the primary reason why I really don't think Mt Itoi is as impossibly difficult as many seem to describe it as. You're given an invincible robot designed by Ninten's great grandfather specifically with the intent on protecting him, should she ever be found, that oneshots every enemy in the area. You could keep her around for grinding, but by now you should have 4th D slip. Want my advice for getting to the top of Mt Itoi? Just run from every encounter. You really won't need those levels for the final boss. Either way, EVE quickly dies protecting the group in another scripted boss fight, and investigating her remains gives you the seventh melody. There's something bittersweet about a living organism, whether biological or artificial, having their flame finally go out with a tune. I think it just attests to music's beauty and its ability to illicit emotions in us.
Even after this, Mt Itoi has quite a ways to go. It genuinely is this long trek up a perilous mountain, and it becomes ever more rewarding when you reach the final melody at the top. George, Ninten's grandfather, even in death, is able to communicate with the group and bestow to them the final piece of Magicant's puzzle, before presumably finally moving on to the afterlife. The fact that his soul has lingered here for decades, him having created EVE, his diary - it's clear he died with many regrets, and as to why is quickly revealed when Queen Mary finally hears the full song. The game left many bread crumbs, but it's finally revealed Mary is Maria: Ninten's missing great grandmother, that the combined melodies are a lullaby that she sung to an adopted Gyigue as a baby. She cries out to her husband before joining him in the afterlife.
-----------------------
I struggle to articulate as to why, but there's something especially poignant about someone dying with regrets so extreme, that they essentially create an alternate dimension/dream world that they can live on in, with the only thing that perpetuates their continued existence being relegated to their subconsciousness. NPCs talk about how Queen Mary "sounds as if she is scoling a child" or "singing a lullaby to a child" in her sleep, which gave some clues towards her being Gyigue's adoptive mother well in advance when coupled with the riddles George's diary had in order to access Magicant to begin with. It's a testament to just how good the game's subtext is, and how much better it gets when given closer inspection.
Something I think I can articulate, is just how good MOTHER's final boss is. With the completed song, MOTHER, a game about family and the beauty and power of music, naturally tasks the player to beat the final boss using music. Music that the final boss is all too familar with. A mother's song. There's something so visceral, so evokative of having the final boss of a 1989 famicom RPG be defeated by merely having them crumble under their own guilt from hearing the selfsame tune that helped them to sleep as a baby. I guess even a universal cosmic destroyer can still love their mother, even if they're of the same species they seek to destroy. And I think I love my mother too, despite it all.
That is the unshakable bond that family can provide. This is what MOTHER, and by extension, the mother series, stands for.
I do not believe this is what makes MOTHER a parody, however.
What truly makes MOTHER a parody, to me, is how much beauty it hides within its subtext, supplementary material, and the inferences you can make about the characters and world, especially given the time it released. It's a Famicom RPG, so naturally, not much is going to be spelled out directly. A lot of things that managed to hit me as hard as they did only hit because I bothered to talk to npcs, because I listened to the vocal album, and because I made up theories in my head about the characters' personalities based on the groundwork the game provided me.
Take Lloyd, for example. He's an evidently bullied, socially anxious, but incredibly intelligent kid with a love for explosives - just going off of NPC dialogue in Twinkle Elementary. Hell, he isn't just bullied by the other students, the game bullies him. Practically all of the flavour text relating to weapons refers to him as "puny", "weak", "nerdy" or some other synonym. So you find him in a trash can that he's voluntarily hid himself in, go to the sweet's factory to the south, get some bottle rockets for him in what is probably the single act of kindness anyone has ever given him, and he decides to join you. This is going to sound really corny, but I immediately saw him as neurodivergent. He's a smart, socially anxious kid who latches onto Ninten as soon as he does something nice for him, and has a hyperfixation on explosives, going as far as to immediately show them off to Ninten by dragging him to the science lab. I say all this because quite frankly I immediately saw myself in him (minus the intelligent part, I'm not that smart lol), and if I were in his shoes I'd probably want to be friends with Ninten too. Lloyd may be the only mandatory party member to beat the game, and despite that, this whole sequence of events comes across as the forming of a genuine friendship between two kids. If you're not sold on the two becoming genuine friends yet, the overworld music literally changes to "Bein' friends". This all culminates in Lloyd coming to the group's rescue on Mt. Itoi, in a bid to prove his bravery.
"Now it's the weakling's turn. You stay here and wait!"
Ana and Teddy have similar circumstances. You deliver Ana her lost hat and joins having developed feelings for Ninten from seeing him in her visions (which concludes with a really cute scene where the two dance together and confess their love). You get in a fistfight with Teddy, who recognises his strength and decides that the group (save for Lloyd) are strong enough to brave Mt. Itoi and avenge his parents. It was a rarity for party members i RPGs from this time to have nearly this level of character, let alone feel like they joined the party because they simply wanted to and not because the story demanded it, and it plays a huge part in one of MOTHER's core themes.
From the very beginning, MOTHER is a game about family. The found family of the party, the legacy of Ninten's great grandfather's research, his great grandmother's dissapearance, and how this all relates to the game's main protagonist: Gyigue.
There's so much I want to talk about regarding this game, from how much you can really feel Itoi just wanted to roam and explore the countryside as a kid, the heartfelt soundtrack, and my defence of the core game actually being that it's fine and not grindy or obtuse (because it isn't. Duncan's factory and Mt itoi are far from the worst RPG dungeons, and I actually quite the latter, which I'll get to). What I want to talk about the most, though, is MOTHER's fantastic, emotionally charged endgame. This gets pretty in depth and over analytical(even by the standards of this review so far), so I'm going to clearly distinguish where that begins and where the the point where I actually talk about the ending comes up, which you can read from if you want to skip this. It's basically a plot summary with my ramblings, inferences and thoughts on things that happen.
-----------------------------------
You're going through the cave leading to Mt Itoi. The enemies are some of the toughest yet (though very manageable assuming you don't get too unlucky with PK beam from the blue starmen), but after not too long, you're able to make it through to Mt Itoi itself. From the very first measure of music, Mt Itoi is a complete tonal shift. It gives off an incredibly foreboding atmosphere that really pairs well with just how much more difficult the encounters have become. They're somehow even tougher (and should still be manageable without grinding. you have buffs and powerful psi. use them.). It's a very clear indicator that you're nearing the end of the game, and I honestly think the area not being playtested was to its benefit?? I do genuinely feel toning down the difficulty here would take away from the game's ludonarrative consistency. You know that Teddy's parents were killed here, you know that nobody dares go near the place, and most importantly; it serves as Gyigue's base of operations - it would naturally be guarded his elite and wildlife driven mad by his very presence. If it was made easier, it just wouldn't make much sense, at least for me.
Anyway, you're able to make it to yet another healer's house and effectively another checkpoint. Unless you missed any melodies before this point, and save for coming back later with Lloyd, this is practically the point of no return. Ninten and Ana have their previously mentioned dance here, and while it does feel like they went from nothing to confessing love, I do want to note the poignancy this scene just has in general. "Fallin' love" only plays here, and having a character directly confess their love to the protagonist like this, as far as I know, wasn't really heard of until Final Fantasy IV, a good few years later. It's interrupted with Teddy barging in to check on the two, and the group then getting ambushed with an unwinnable encounter that leaves Lloyd arriving just in time tp save the group. Teddy is presumably dead after this, though, which I see as the game's way of saying "he was injured protecting Ninten and Ana". I don't think it'd make sense if "the three were all equally wounded but the two kids made it out alive because psychic abilities". Regardless, Lloyd rejoins, has his quick character arc, and you quickly find a boat that he's able to get working, in turn having EVE join you.
EVE is the primary reason why I really don't think Mt Itoi is as impossibly difficult as many seem to describe it as. You're given an invincible robot designed by Ninten's great grandfather specifically with the intent on protecting him, should she ever be found, that oneshots every enemy in the area. You could keep her around for grinding, but by now you should have 4th D slip. Want my advice for getting to the top of Mt Itoi? Just run from every encounter. You really won't need those levels for the final boss. Either way, EVE quickly dies protecting the group in another scripted boss fight, and investigating her remains gives you the seventh melody. There's something bittersweet about a living organism, whether biological or artificial, having their flame finally go out with a tune. I think it just attests to music's beauty and its ability to illicit emotions in us.
Even after this, Mt Itoi has quite a ways to go. It genuinely is this long trek up a perilous mountain, and it becomes ever more rewarding when you reach the final melody at the top. George, Ninten's grandfather, even in death, is able to communicate with the group and bestow to them the final piece of Magicant's puzzle, before presumably finally moving on to the afterlife. The fact that his soul has lingered here for decades, him having created EVE, his diary - it's clear he died with many regrets, and as to why is quickly revealed when Queen Mary finally hears the full song. The game left many bread crumbs, but it's finally revealed Mary is Maria: Ninten's missing great grandmother, that the combined melodies are a lullaby that she sung to an adopted Gyigue as a baby. She cries out to her husband before joining him in the afterlife.
-----------------------
I struggle to articulate as to why, but there's something especially poignant about someone dying with regrets so extreme, that they essentially create an alternate dimension/dream world that they can live on in, with the only thing that perpetuates their continued existence being relegated to their subconsciousness. NPCs talk about how Queen Mary "sounds as if she is scoling a child" or "singing a lullaby to a child" in her sleep, which gave some clues towards her being Gyigue's adoptive mother well in advance when coupled with the riddles George's diary had in order to access Magicant to begin with. It's a testament to just how good the game's subtext is, and how much better it gets when given closer inspection.
Something I think I can articulate, is just how good MOTHER's final boss is. With the completed song, MOTHER, a game about family and the beauty and power of music, naturally tasks the player to beat the final boss using music. Music that the final boss is all too familar with. A mother's song. There's something so visceral, so evokative of having the final boss of a 1989 famicom RPG be defeated by merely having them crumble under their own guilt from hearing the selfsame tune that helped them to sleep as a baby. I guess even a universal cosmic destroyer can still love their mother, even if they're of the same species they seek to destroy. And I think I love my mother too, despite it all.
That is the unshakable bond that family can provide. This is what MOTHER, and by extension, the mother series, stands for.
I've never played Earthbound or Mother 3 but I've heard great things about both of them, so I thought I'd play through the whole series, though I hadn't heard much about Mother 1 . After beating it I can happily say that it's honestly really good, especially for a Famicom/NES RPG.
I will say I beat the Mother 1+2 version with the english patch, so it also means I did use the easy ring. I will say though my main issue with the game is the combat, frankly it's bad and the encounter rate is very high, so the Easy Ring was a big help, I don't like to cheat in games but I was fine doing it here because from what I'd researched I heard that the gameplay was unbalanced and it very much is, so if you want to play the game I'd reccomend doing it with the Mother 1+2 patch with the easy ring makes it more bearable.
Apart from the combat being iffy, I loved everything else in the game the music is incredible and sounds great even with the famicom sound chip limitations, and the ost versions while quite different are lovely too. The characters while not really being a main focus or super fleshed out or anything are still nice, and I like them. The main thing I loved about the game is the writing is really good, just very funny and strange but overall really enjoyable, especially with how strange it can be. The actual story felt a bit confused (to me anyway) but I still liked it, maybe I'm stupid and didn't understand it but it did feel very rushed but I mean ehh,
Overall for what it is and when it came out this game is amazing and I really enjoyed my time playing it, something I'd never expect playing a NES era RPG, but honestly I'd play it again and I'd say you should give it a chance if you are at all interested, just don't be afraid to use save states and cheats I'd say
I will say I beat the Mother 1+2 version with the english patch, so it also means I did use the easy ring. I will say though my main issue with the game is the combat, frankly it's bad and the encounter rate is very high, so the Easy Ring was a big help, I don't like to cheat in games but I was fine doing it here because from what I'd researched I heard that the gameplay was unbalanced and it very much is, so if you want to play the game I'd reccomend doing it with the Mother 1+2 patch with the easy ring makes it more bearable.
Apart from the combat being iffy, I loved everything else in the game the music is incredible and sounds great even with the famicom sound chip limitations, and the ost versions while quite different are lovely too. The characters while not really being a main focus or super fleshed out or anything are still nice, and I like them. The main thing I loved about the game is the writing is really good, just very funny and strange but overall really enjoyable, especially with how strange it can be. The actual story felt a bit confused (to me anyway) but I still liked it, maybe I'm stupid and didn't understand it but it did feel very rushed but I mean ehh,
Overall for what it is and when it came out this game is amazing and I really enjoyed my time playing it, something I'd never expect playing a NES era RPG, but honestly I'd play it again and I'd say you should give it a chance if you are at all interested, just don't be afraid to use save states and cheats I'd say
Worth a playthrough, especially if you've played Mother 2, 3 and maybe interested in checking out Mother: Cognitive Dissonance right after. It has a rough start and I wouldn't be afraid to use a guide(especially one that tells you what key items to store). Highly recommend looking at the Mother 25th and Faithful patch it's my favorite way to play the game
Meme review: This game is like Dragon Quest 2 but if Prince of Cannock was actually good
Meme review: This game is like Dragon Quest 2 but if Prince of Cannock was actually good
Me encanta este juego. Por más que sea injusto, difícil y donde puedes perderte fácil, en general todo me gustó, disfruté jugarlo las 3 veces que lo he completado
Underrated game. Has probably my favorite final boss fight in any game ever, brought me to tears. I love Earthbound slightly more, but every Mother game is genuinely amazing.
A perfect game to me. A gorgeous story wrapped in the love for the game genre. Mother is a RPG on the Famicom, and definitely plays like a RPG on the Famicom, so it can seem a bit tedious in comparison to RPGs we see even just one console generation later, but it's not as bad as people may say... except for Mt. Itoi, which is genuinely awful and why this game isn't a full 5-star in my rating lol (4-D slipping your way to the top is my advice).
A very special game to me that will always have a strong place in my heart.
4.5/5
A very special game to me that will always have a strong place in my heart.
4.5/5
Very hard to recommend if you're not interested on the Mother series or old-school RPG's. The game is surprisingly open, it has some really memorable moments and fairly funny dialogue.
But besides that the combat is very basic, there's lot of random encounters, the dungeons are mediocre and a good chunk of the game you will be spending it on mindlessly grinding.
If you want to try out, try playing the Mother1+2 version of GBA because it has an item that makes grinding faster.
But besides that the combat is very basic, there's lot of random encounters, the dungeons are mediocre and a good chunk of the game you will be spending it on mindlessly grinding.
If you want to try out, try playing the Mother1+2 version of GBA because it has an item that makes grinding faster.
Mother is a really special game. I'd say is one of the few RPGs of it's time with a memorable world instead of a generic Fantasy Land. If you wanna try it just be aware that the gameplay is essentialy Dragon Quest, with all the outdated mechanics that the genre had. The few dungeons in the game are also really repetitive. I'd recommend to try the 20th anniversary fan version, specificlay the one with NES graphics. Since it soften a lot of the rough edges of the games it makes it much easier to enjoy the quirky dialogues and the fun moments. (It's really hard to rate this game. Had a lot of fun reading, but no so much playing)
"it's time to balance Mt. Itoi!"
Mother is def the neglected step-child of the series. It was passed over to release and it's the roughest of the three games, mechanically, since its from an age of gaming where it's RPG elements seem archaic and tedious. I played the 25th anniversary rom-hack WITH a patch that kept the original sprites intact, and it lessened the tedium. The writing is still so charming and hilarious. The game seems more like a satire on RPGs of the time and it has a lot of fun with the genres tropes. I found it unique and fascinating to play, especially for the Famicom. Not as necessary as Earthbound--I still really enjoyed playing this.
Lowkey highkey really awful to play but I mean what did you expect from an RPG from the late 80s. The charm from the rest of the games is still present here which is nice. Don't recommend though.
Don't cry until the end
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
A game of progressively getting to see lots of wacky and charming stuff, while all the "worst game design ever" just... wasn't?
Having someone guard while I'm off going places i needed to anyways until they can fight sure was one of the grinds of all time. And i dunno those dungeons were fine. Except Mt. Itoi I guess but just run away. Your attacker cannot legally hurt you without your consent.
What I'm trying to say is that if this is the standard of quality and wit set by a game the Internet decided sucked because the inventory is a bit shit, then I'm gonna be in for a treat with the rest of the series.
Having someone guard while I'm off going places i needed to anyways until they can fight sure was one of the grinds of all time. And i dunno those dungeons were fine. Except Mt. Itoi I guess but just run away. Your attacker cannot legally hurt you without your consent.
What I'm trying to say is that if this is the standard of quality and wit set by a game the Internet decided sucked because the inventory is a bit shit, then I'm gonna be in for a treat with the rest of the series.
Mother is where absurdist fantasy, playful mundanity and hints of horror join to produce an atmosphere that is uniquely "Mother-like": one second you're fighting crazed hippies and living cars, the next you're meeting the princess of a dreamlike realm, then you're accompanied by a janitor through school halls while he casually talks about his wife. This delightful surrealism is pretty much the only thing that the game has going for it, though, as combat and exploration structures largely fall into the same crude, tiresome formulas and (now) terribly dated designs of most RPGs of its time.
why did i waste my time
Esse jogo realmente é bem diferente em questao de desing comparando com os jogos do nes, é bem engraçado realmente é um jogo que nem parece ter sido feito na sua época por ser algo bem diferente do que você pensa que seria um rpg de turno do nes. Apesar disso infelizmente ele sofre dos mesmos problemas mecanicos dos rpgs daquele tempo como os encontros aleatorios A TODO O MOMENTO tornando o jogo uma experiencia estremamente chata pra maioria dos jogadores atuais, dá pra relevar se você tiver paciência e souber relevar esses problemas de época apesar de ser realmente o maior desafio desse jogo (e dos rpgs de nes em geral). Apesar desses problemas o jogo ainda é bem divertido e interessante de se jogar, pelo menos pra mim foi uma boa experiência no final das contas.
impossível andar 5 passos sem começar uma batalha
Not my favorite in the series but has the coolest lore. This is the blueprint of earthbound but great nonetheless. If you love Earthbound you will like this game viewing it as the same game p much. Cool soundtrack, awesome final level. Mt. Itoi is challenging and intimidating.
Mother, conosciuto anche con il nome di Earthbound Beginnings, è un jrpg di grande rilevanza storica e fonte di ispirazione per tantissimi giochi, dal 1989 ad oggi; titoli recentissimi come Undertale e Omori, infatti, presentano diverse analogie, principalmente nello stile dei nemici e dei dialoghi.
A sua volta, Mother si ispira ai due grandi neonati colossi del genere ruolistico orientale, ovvero Final Fantasy e Dragon Quest, reinterpretandoli in chiave più umoristica e contemporanea. Al posto di partire all'avventura per salvare principi e principesse di castelli medievali, il protagonista sarà un normale ragazzetto americano che, armato della sua fidata mazza da baseball, andrà in giro per la nazione al fine di comprendere il motivo dietro agli eventi paranormali che stanno mettendo in pericolo il mondo intero. Detta così può sembrare una storia banale... e a larghi tratti lo è... salvo poi subire un'impennata di eventi ed emozioni verso gli ultimi minuti di gioco. Quel che pare un gioco per bambini in realtà nasconde ben altro, tanto da far parlar di sè ancora oggi. Persino la colonna sonora risulta sorprendente, essendo composta da tracce orecchiabili e piacevoli anche in seguito ad un ripetuto ascolto continuativo, oltre al fatto che esistono ost variabili a seconda del contesto in cui ci si trova.
Veniamo ora al vero nucleo di Mother: il gameplay. Al di là del design bizzarro dei nemici, perlopiù persone, animali o oggetti di vita quotidiana impossessati da un'entità malvagia, la componente ruolistica è piuttosto solida e leggermente innovativa in certi frangenti, come lo scalo recuperabile degli hp ad ogni danno subito. Il vero grande problema di questo gioco sta nella sua mappa: enorme, troppo grande e tutta identica a sè nelle inquadrature. La vera sfida non è quella di sconfiggere nemici potenti, ma quella di orientarsi nelle immense ambientazioni. Da un lato capisco l'intenzione di creare un arcaico contesto open-world in stile Breath of the Wild, ma qui si è esagerato nelle misure: la distanza tra una città e l'altra è paragonabile a quella che esisterebbe nel mondo reale e il tempo di attraversata pure; in più non c'è modo di velocizzare il passo, rendendo così il backtracking oltremodo tedioso (quantomeno fino all'ottenimento del, nascostissimo, potere del teletrasporto).
Mother è una pietra miliare del videogioco, capace di essere al contempo vecchio e giovane, fastidioso e divertente, banale ed emozionante.
Di certo non è affatto un retrogame per tutti, pensateci due volte prima di spendere tempo e soldi per metterci sopra le mani... ma se sarete abbastanza coraggiosi, alla fin fine ne uscirete soddisfatti.
A sua volta, Mother si ispira ai due grandi neonati colossi del genere ruolistico orientale, ovvero Final Fantasy e Dragon Quest, reinterpretandoli in chiave più umoristica e contemporanea. Al posto di partire all'avventura per salvare principi e principesse di castelli medievali, il protagonista sarà un normale ragazzetto americano che, armato della sua fidata mazza da baseball, andrà in giro per la nazione al fine di comprendere il motivo dietro agli eventi paranormali che stanno mettendo in pericolo il mondo intero. Detta così può sembrare una storia banale... e a larghi tratti lo è... salvo poi subire un'impennata di eventi ed emozioni verso gli ultimi minuti di gioco. Quel che pare un gioco per bambini in realtà nasconde ben altro, tanto da far parlar di sè ancora oggi. Persino la colonna sonora risulta sorprendente, essendo composta da tracce orecchiabili e piacevoli anche in seguito ad un ripetuto ascolto continuativo, oltre al fatto che esistono ost variabili a seconda del contesto in cui ci si trova.
Veniamo ora al vero nucleo di Mother: il gameplay. Al di là del design bizzarro dei nemici, perlopiù persone, animali o oggetti di vita quotidiana impossessati da un'entità malvagia, la componente ruolistica è piuttosto solida e leggermente innovativa in certi frangenti, come lo scalo recuperabile degli hp ad ogni danno subito. Il vero grande problema di questo gioco sta nella sua mappa: enorme, troppo grande e tutta identica a sè nelle inquadrature. La vera sfida non è quella di sconfiggere nemici potenti, ma quella di orientarsi nelle immense ambientazioni. Da un lato capisco l'intenzione di creare un arcaico contesto open-world in stile Breath of the Wild, ma qui si è esagerato nelle misure: la distanza tra una città e l'altra è paragonabile a quella che esisterebbe nel mondo reale e il tempo di attraversata pure; in più non c'è modo di velocizzare il passo, rendendo così il backtracking oltremodo tedioso (quantomeno fino all'ottenimento del, nascostissimo, potere del teletrasporto).
Mother è una pietra miliare del videogioco, capace di essere al contempo vecchio e giovane, fastidioso e divertente, banale ed emozionante.
Di certo non è affatto un retrogame per tutti, pensateci due volte prima di spendere tempo e soldi per metterci sopra le mani... ma se sarete abbastanza coraggiosi, alla fin fine ne uscirete soddisfatti.
the mega man of earthbound
A wild adventure with some issues, mostly the Mt. Itoi wild ride and leveling up randomness.
RPG with a kinda interesting setting aside classic NES issues like 8 slots inventory and random encounters outside towns but can use repel ring to reduce them.
RPG with a kinda interesting setting aside classic NES issues like 8 slots inventory and random encounters outside towns but can use repel ring to reduce them.
Итак – игра Mother заинтересовала меня прежде всего обложкой. Да, вот так просто. Сидел и смотрел уже не помню какой ролик на ретро-тематику, и там показали красный картридж для Фамикома, с планетой и золотой надписью Mother. Стиль! Все как я люблю. Решил узнать, что же за игра такая. Оказалось – JRPG про детей в Америке 80х. Еще интереснее. Дело в том, что я в последнее время переборщил с Драгон Квестами, и переел «фентези» ЖРПГ. И такой сеттинг меня сразу же привлек. Плюс, когда я пошел гуглить себе ромчик на Wii U, оказалось, что это культовая игра, с кучей фанатов, обалденным фанатским сайтом (зацените: https://mother4ever.net/ ). В общем хайп все нарастал в моей голове. Параллельно мне подарили ГБА, и там в лучших играх числились все три части Mother. Ну все, подумал я. Хватит это терпеть, пора уже поиграть, заценить, что ж там за культ такой. Скачал переведенный оригинал, запустил. И честно говоря – я просто офигел. В плохом смысле слова. Стоило мне выйти из дома – как рандом энкаунтеры начали встречаться каждые 2 шага. В буквальном смысле слова. Через 10 минут игры меня без шансов убил Хиппи. Наложил дебафф, и уничтожил. Я решил пойти обратно на сайт, ведь там были и другие версии игры. И там я нашел пропатченную фанатами игру, где понизили сложность. Скачал ее, запустил, и понеслась. Но давайте немного отвлечемся, и уделим еще внимание оригинальной Mother.
Итак, игра вышла в 1989 году, на Фамиком. То есть буквально под самый закат консоли, и под выход СНЕС. И как и все хорошие игры – это в буквальном смысле выстраданная игра мечты одного человека: Шигесато Итой. На момент 80х, он был уже известным копирайтером (придумывал рекламные слоганы), и писал небольшие рассказы. Он долго долбил Нинтендо с идеями игры. И вот его пригласили в большую Н на ковер. Он там рассказывал про свою игру, и на встречу даже пришел сам Шигеру Миямото. К сожалению для Итоя, Миямото идею завернул, сказав, что «может быть в другой раз, мы вам позвоним». Но в отличии от других таких ситуаций – через полгода таки позвонил. И работа началась. Игру сделали буквально за 2 года, и разработка была очень стрессовой. В итоге это сказалось на финальном продукте далеко не лучшим образом. Тем не менее, люди старались, и превозмогали ограничения слабенького Фамикома. Например с музыкой. Для игры написали очень крутой саундтрек, но Фамик такое не тянул. Тогда в помощь команде отрядили лучшего звуковика, который отлично знал железо и как с ним работать. До этого он сделал саундтрек Супер Марио Брос 3, и нехило так удивил всех креативным подходом к железу, использовав шумовой канал для баса. И саундтрек таки случился. Причем удался он настолько, что записали оркестровую версию с вокалом, и выпустили на виниле. В целом игра вышла на мой взгляд весьма противоречивая. И сейчас мы об этом и поговорим.
Сюжет вкратце таков: В 1900х годах, в США семейную пару Роберта и Марию (если я правильно запомнил), похитили инопланетяне. Через несколько лет Роберт вернулся, хоть и слегка не в себе. А Мария с тех пор пропала. Далее действие переносится в 1988 год, где главный герой, мальчик которого по лору зовут Нинтен (но игра предлагает назвать всю пати в честь себя и своих детских друзей) просыпается у себя дома, и обнаруживает, что вещи летают по комнате и нападают на людей. Далее, разобравшись с вещами он приходит в коридор, где берет телефонный звонок от бати, который сообщает ему, что Роберт – его пра-прадед, мальчик унаследовал от него ПСИ-способности (читай-магию) и сообщает что надо взять дневник предка, прочесть его и отправляться в путь-дорогу, спасать мир. На мир напал инопланетянин по имени Гийгас, который весь бедлам и устроил. Животные озверели и нападают на людей, машины сошли с ума, а так же на земле появились инопланетяне, роботы и нечисть. Напал он потому, что Роберт, когда тикал с мазершипа, притырил секреты ПСИ. И Гийгас переживает, что мерзкие людишки используют эту силу против инопланетян и победят их. В итоге, руководствуясь известным принципом «Они хотят на нас напасть!» напал первым. И мальчику Нинтену надо найти способ победить гада. В этом ему помогут другие дети, которых он встретит и подружится на своем пути, и даже один взрослый хулиган. И тут мы переходим к проблемам оригинальной игры, которые частично, но не все, решены в фанатском патче.
Проблема 1 – зубодробительная сложность игры. Дело в том, что на полировку игры, и выравнивание сложности просто не хватило времени разработки. Об этом сообщил сам Итой в более позднем интервью. Главная проблема – рандом энкаунтеры. Они встречаются буквально каждые 2 шага, и дойти хотя бы до первого города очень тяжело. Причем монстры расставлены довольно по дурацки, и уже в первых локациях могут встретится мобы которые легко вайпнут одинокого пока что Нинтена.
И к финалу игры, когда ты уже разожран, проблема становится только хуже. Последние локации, типа горы Итой – чертов лабиринт, а мобы там настолько лютая имба – что могут ваншотнуть даже перекаченного члена пати. Благо тогда уже есть ревайв, главное чтобы не убили хилершу Ану. Если же всех вынесли – ты ресаешься в последнем месте, где ты сохранялся путем телефонного звонка бате. А это может быть за тридевять земель от того, куда тебе надо. И ты снова идешь, через каждые 2 шага подвергаясь нападению.
Проблема 2 – характерная для всех ЖРПГ того периода – чтобы понять куда тебе идти, тебе надо буквально говорить с КАЖДЫМ нпц. Но по крайней мере в этой игре у каждого из них уникальные фразы, написанные спецом для него. Да, так можно было. Даже на фамикоме.
И вот уже на этом этапе – я просто не понимаю, как ТАКАЯ игра могла стать культовой. Как ее не бросали сразу же. Странные японцы.
Фанатский патч уменьшает радикально количество рандом энкаунтеров, повышает количество бабок за бои, и снижает количество опыта, нужного для левелапа. И так играть куда проще. Однако, люто имбовые мобы, и необходимость базарить с каждым НПЦ никуда не девается.
Но сеттинг, юмор, эти самые НПЦ с фразами, смешные враги, и главное – САУНДТРЕК – тащат еще как. Когда заиграла музыка битвы с Хиппи – я понял, что это мы проходим. И ты играешь и кайфуешь. В игре множество забавных механик: например, несмотря на то, что тебе НАДО говорить со всеми НПЦ, от части из них можно, подхватить простуду. И будешь терять ХП при ходьбе пока не скушаешь лекарство (которое еще надо иметь) или посетишь доктора. Из еще прикольных моментов – бабло не выпадает из монстров. Его тебе батя скидывает на карточку, если ты ему позвонишь, после того как погуляешь и повоюешь. Карточку надо донести до магаза, там в автомате снять деньги. Быстрое перемещение реализовано междугородними поездами, на которые надо покупать билеты каждому члену партии. Мир вообще продуман хорошо. Города большие, видно где люди живут, спать где хош – нельзя, только в отелях, и только за бабки. Чтобы звонить по платным телефонам – можно платить кэшем, а можно купить карточку, и будет дешевле. В баре можно бухнуть. Но так как ты шкет – придет полицейский и арестует тебя. Проведешь ночь в КПЗ, дальше если извинишься – отпустят. Но оружие отберут. Вот такой вот продуманный и логичный мир можно было сделать на фамиком. А на ПС4 уже нельзя, к сожалению. Железо не вытягивает, видимо.
Чтобы побороть вторую проблему, я играл по гайду. Игра, конечно, проходима и без него, но займет это КУЧУ времени. А она и так нифига не короткая. Чтобы победить глав босса тебе надо собрать мелодию из 8 нот. Но дело в том, что когда тебе об этом говорят – ты мог уже пропустить (и скорее всего пропустил) 3 из этих 8. Ноты спрятаны так, что найти их можно тоже или разговаривая с каждым НПЦ и запоминая что тебе сказали, или тыкаясь во все предметы подряд. В итоге, ты собираешь ноты, королева волшебной страны, куда можно попасть, используя дневник прадедушки, вспоминает песню, которой учит тебя, и только ей можно победить главбосса. Вот такая вот игра. Что могу сказать? Великолепный саундтрек. Интересный сеттинг. Разнообразный мир – несколько биомов, данжи тоже не просто банальные пещеры (хотя есть и они) – дома с призраками, огромные фабрики, ледяные пещеры. С фанатским патчем – не сильно напрягающий геймплей. Имхо – в исправленном варианте – это лучшая ЖРПГ на Фамикоме.
Итак, игра вышла в 1989 году, на Фамиком. То есть буквально под самый закат консоли, и под выход СНЕС. И как и все хорошие игры – это в буквальном смысле выстраданная игра мечты одного человека: Шигесато Итой. На момент 80х, он был уже известным копирайтером (придумывал рекламные слоганы), и писал небольшие рассказы. Он долго долбил Нинтендо с идеями игры. И вот его пригласили в большую Н на ковер. Он там рассказывал про свою игру, и на встречу даже пришел сам Шигеру Миямото. К сожалению для Итоя, Миямото идею завернул, сказав, что «может быть в другой раз, мы вам позвоним». Но в отличии от других таких ситуаций – через полгода таки позвонил. И работа началась. Игру сделали буквально за 2 года, и разработка была очень стрессовой. В итоге это сказалось на финальном продукте далеко не лучшим образом. Тем не менее, люди старались, и превозмогали ограничения слабенького Фамикома. Например с музыкой. Для игры написали очень крутой саундтрек, но Фамик такое не тянул. Тогда в помощь команде отрядили лучшего звуковика, который отлично знал железо и как с ним работать. До этого он сделал саундтрек Супер Марио Брос 3, и нехило так удивил всех креативным подходом к железу, использовав шумовой канал для баса. И саундтрек таки случился. Причем удался он настолько, что записали оркестровую версию с вокалом, и выпустили на виниле. В целом игра вышла на мой взгляд весьма противоречивая. И сейчас мы об этом и поговорим.
Сюжет вкратце таков: В 1900х годах, в США семейную пару Роберта и Марию (если я правильно запомнил), похитили инопланетяне. Через несколько лет Роберт вернулся, хоть и слегка не в себе. А Мария с тех пор пропала. Далее действие переносится в 1988 год, где главный герой, мальчик которого по лору зовут Нинтен (но игра предлагает назвать всю пати в честь себя и своих детских друзей) просыпается у себя дома, и обнаруживает, что вещи летают по комнате и нападают на людей. Далее, разобравшись с вещами он приходит в коридор, где берет телефонный звонок от бати, который сообщает ему, что Роберт – его пра-прадед, мальчик унаследовал от него ПСИ-способности (читай-магию) и сообщает что надо взять дневник предка, прочесть его и отправляться в путь-дорогу, спасать мир. На мир напал инопланетянин по имени Гийгас, который весь бедлам и устроил. Животные озверели и нападают на людей, машины сошли с ума, а так же на земле появились инопланетяне, роботы и нечисть. Напал он потому, что Роберт, когда тикал с мазершипа, притырил секреты ПСИ. И Гийгас переживает, что мерзкие людишки используют эту силу против инопланетян и победят их. В итоге, руководствуясь известным принципом «Они хотят на нас напасть!» напал первым. И мальчику Нинтену надо найти способ победить гада. В этом ему помогут другие дети, которых он встретит и подружится на своем пути, и даже один взрослый хулиган. И тут мы переходим к проблемам оригинальной игры, которые частично, но не все, решены в фанатском патче.
Проблема 1 – зубодробительная сложность игры. Дело в том, что на полировку игры, и выравнивание сложности просто не хватило времени разработки. Об этом сообщил сам Итой в более позднем интервью. Главная проблема – рандом энкаунтеры. Они встречаются буквально каждые 2 шага, и дойти хотя бы до первого города очень тяжело. Причем монстры расставлены довольно по дурацки, и уже в первых локациях могут встретится мобы которые легко вайпнут одинокого пока что Нинтена.
И к финалу игры, когда ты уже разожран, проблема становится только хуже. Последние локации, типа горы Итой – чертов лабиринт, а мобы там настолько лютая имба – что могут ваншотнуть даже перекаченного члена пати. Благо тогда уже есть ревайв, главное чтобы не убили хилершу Ану. Если же всех вынесли – ты ресаешься в последнем месте, где ты сохранялся путем телефонного звонка бате. А это может быть за тридевять земель от того, куда тебе надо. И ты снова идешь, через каждые 2 шага подвергаясь нападению.
Проблема 2 – характерная для всех ЖРПГ того периода – чтобы понять куда тебе идти, тебе надо буквально говорить с КАЖДЫМ нпц. Но по крайней мере в этой игре у каждого из них уникальные фразы, написанные спецом для него. Да, так можно было. Даже на фамикоме.
И вот уже на этом этапе – я просто не понимаю, как ТАКАЯ игра могла стать культовой. Как ее не бросали сразу же. Странные японцы.
Фанатский патч уменьшает радикально количество рандом энкаунтеров, повышает количество бабок за бои, и снижает количество опыта, нужного для левелапа. И так играть куда проще. Однако, люто имбовые мобы, и необходимость базарить с каждым НПЦ никуда не девается.
Но сеттинг, юмор, эти самые НПЦ с фразами, смешные враги, и главное – САУНДТРЕК – тащат еще как. Когда заиграла музыка битвы с Хиппи – я понял, что это мы проходим. И ты играешь и кайфуешь. В игре множество забавных механик: например, несмотря на то, что тебе НАДО говорить со всеми НПЦ, от части из них можно, подхватить простуду. И будешь терять ХП при ходьбе пока не скушаешь лекарство (которое еще надо иметь) или посетишь доктора. Из еще прикольных моментов – бабло не выпадает из монстров. Его тебе батя скидывает на карточку, если ты ему позвонишь, после того как погуляешь и повоюешь. Карточку надо донести до магаза, там в автомате снять деньги. Быстрое перемещение реализовано междугородними поездами, на которые надо покупать билеты каждому члену партии. Мир вообще продуман хорошо. Города большие, видно где люди живут, спать где хош – нельзя, только в отелях, и только за бабки. Чтобы звонить по платным телефонам – можно платить кэшем, а можно купить карточку, и будет дешевле. В баре можно бухнуть. Но так как ты шкет – придет полицейский и арестует тебя. Проведешь ночь в КПЗ, дальше если извинишься – отпустят. Но оружие отберут. Вот такой вот продуманный и логичный мир можно было сделать на фамиком. А на ПС4 уже нельзя, к сожалению. Железо не вытягивает, видимо.
Чтобы побороть вторую проблему, я играл по гайду. Игра, конечно, проходима и без него, но займет это КУЧУ времени. А она и так нифига не короткая. Чтобы победить глав босса тебе надо собрать мелодию из 8 нот. Но дело в том, что когда тебе об этом говорят – ты мог уже пропустить (и скорее всего пропустил) 3 из этих 8. Ноты спрятаны так, что найти их можно тоже или разговаривая с каждым НПЦ и запоминая что тебе сказали, или тыкаясь во все предметы подряд. В итоге, ты собираешь ноты, королева волшебной страны, куда можно попасть, используя дневник прадедушки, вспоминает песню, которой учит тебя, и только ей можно победить главбосса. Вот такая вот игра. Что могу сказать? Великолепный саундтрек. Интересный сеттинг. Разнообразный мир – несколько биомов, данжи тоже не просто банальные пещеры (хотя есть и они) – дома с призраками, огромные фабрики, ледяные пещеры. С фанатским патчем – не сильно напрягающий геймплей. Имхо – в исправленном варианте – это лучшая ЖРПГ на Фамикоме.
Es un juego tan adelantado a su tiempo que podría pasar por un indie de esta década. Irreverente, absurdo y sobre todo, mágico. Que Nintendo ignore joyas como estas y haya que jugarlas en emulador es sacrilegio.
Really would appreciate if the discussion of this game would shift from centering around how “dated” (it plays like an NES/GB rpg. Theyre practically their own genre. It plays exactly how a modern player should expect it to) it is in favor of how ambitious it is. NES games rarely tried to be funny, affecting, thematically coherent, or even player friendly (yes I would say this, you have maps, constant hinting NPS, multiple options for free heals AND multiple fast travel options to get to them all throughout the game. Play 25th Anniv if random encounter rate is the endall for you) as this one does. That said, I mean yeah Earthbound is better except for the Eight Melodies which are are better here.
Una obra bastante atípica de los juegos de rol y que en sus particularidades reside la grandeza que nos hizo amar esta mítica saga.
The original Famicom is so massively overshadowed by it's successor that it's very easy to forget just how ambitious and cool so many of the games on this thing were. I suspect, although I have no evidence to back this up, that a lot of people would draw the line between "playable" and "unplayable" retro games right between the third and fourth console generations. I get it to some extent, it doesn't help that all the best titles (Mother included) didn't make it to the west, and it definitely doesn't help that the big staple Nintendo franchises, your marios, zeldas, and metroids, were all WAY better on the snes. Still, I've got a soft spot for this system despite how little of it's library I've actually experienced, and Mother embodies just about everything I love so much about it. This game is absolutely bursting at the seams with passion and ambition. It came out at the absolute end of the Famicom's lifespan and it's pretty apparent, you can tell Itoi was aiming for stuff far beyond the physical capabilities of the console. The sense of scale the world has and the pacing are incredibly impressive for the era, almost every aspect of the game is punching above it's weight. The story is refreshingly unique even today, it's been mimicked and copied thousands of times especially in recent years but that basic concept of an epic adventure RPG about kids with psychic powers in Rural America, circa 1988, is still so much fun. Everything in Mother feels like an attempt to push the envelope for Nintendo RPGs and just take the basic idea into all the craziest places possible, people joke about jrpg plots going from saving cats to fighting God but only in Mother do you go from fighting hippies (who don't die, they just go "back to normal") to singing a lullaby at the top of a mountain to defeat a psychic alien from the year 1900. The story is consistently fun, and for it's era Mother has maybe the coolest and most original conclusion of any rpg. The music is catchy, the visuals are charming, and the humour is great. it's more sporadic than in Mother 2, but most of the jokes were really good. I particularly liked the "Unsinging Monkey", who asks you if you have any questions for him after introducing himself, and if you say Yes he responds with "I bet it's a stupid one, too" and the conversation immediately ends before you can ask anything.
At the end of the day, everything here is expanded on and arguably improved in the sequel, but the fact that all the stuff people love about Mother 2 was present here on the Famicom, albeit slightly more unformed, is truly impressive. I used to think this was largely unremarkable in comparison to 2 the first time I played it, a few years ago, but going through it again I think there are areas where the ambition shines through the technological limitations to a level that even surpasses the more sheer quality of the sequel. It's translated and easily available in various forms now, so if you skip right to Earthbound you've got no excuse! Mother is absolutely worth playing, don't let anyone convince you otherwise. One of the true gems of Nintendo's first-party offerings on the Famicom, and probably the system's library in general.
At the end of the day, everything here is expanded on and arguably improved in the sequel, but the fact that all the stuff people love about Mother 2 was present here on the Famicom, albeit slightly more unformed, is truly impressive. I used to think this was largely unremarkable in comparison to 2 the first time I played it, a few years ago, but going through it again I think there are areas where the ambition shines through the technological limitations to a level that even surpasses the more sheer quality of the sequel. It's translated and easily available in various forms now, so if you skip right to Earthbound you've got no excuse! Mother is absolutely worth playing, don't let anyone convince you otherwise. One of the true gems of Nintendo's first-party offerings on the Famicom, and probably the system's library in general.