Mother 3 is a game I need to play again. It's a game that I have many opinions on, not all of them positive, but I think it warrants a second look at some point before I truly know what I think of it.

I will say however, I think the obsessive desire that fans have to localize it may end up being to the game's detriment. Don't get me wrong, I want it to come over just as much as everyone else, but I think the community too often thinks of this game as the illusive foreign masterpiece without really talking about a lot of what the game itself does right and/or wrong. I'll be honest, I like Earthbound more, and I think that if we ever do get it officially one day, its reception might not be what it is today. That's a bit speculative on my part though, and I do think that the game does a lot of things right.

But again, one day I will give this game another shot, and I really REALLY hope that it grabs me on the second go.

Shigesato Itoi's ending to the Mother series leaves off on its strongest messages to take home. I'm of a family of brothers and sisters, but most importantly I have a twin brother of my own. That made the story around Lucas and Claus that much stronger and poignant to me, not to discredit that the writing in general isn't already incredible.

From the slow corruption of Tazmily village as it conforms into a capitalist society that comes with less pros than it does take away familial strengths and bonds within the community, to the surrealist hero's journey of the seven needles, Mother 3 fantastically paces itself out and keeps the core message of family ever so strung through the whole thing.

The characters, while not so much riveting examples of three dimensional characterization, each found their way into my heart as I played through. This is a game where, though it has its lows, had a profound effect on my life for a very long time. Even when you dig to its core, to where you find that it's simple in scope and works off of a fine tightrope of emotional beats, I still think it's a shining example of video games I've ever played. I can hum most of the soundtrack to this day.

The combat may not be riveting, it taking up a huge percentage of the time playing the game and just barely good enough thanks to some great boss design, some solid enemy encounters, and the cohesive rhythm system. But still, I never lost my engagement for a single moment. I was gripped until the credits rolled and the game came up and told me that it wants the very best of my life as I did the characters at the end. And I think, I wish everyone here the best too, and that maybe if these words find you that you also play Mother 3. (10/10)