This review contains spoilers
✔
The Mother series (or the Earthbound series if you're in America) is like the John Wick movies. All of them are 10/10 and it's valid to think one is better or worse than the other as long as Earthbound is your favorite. I knew going in that I would like it less than Earthbound, and I did, but it's still perfect. Yes, some things are imperfect, but they're wrong. Gosh, I love video games.
In terms of gameplay, not much changes other than a more accessible menu system, a musical combo mechanic in battles, and a chapter-based story structure. Just like in Earthbound, it gets easier as you go along. By the end of the game, my characters were all level 62 (except for Lucas, who was level 63), so I swept up the remaining encounters. The final battle, unlike Earthbound, was not against a big monster or some insurmountable foe. It was just your brother, stuck in his controlled state. Yes, it is similar to Giygas in the way that traditional attacks won't always work, but you have stakes in this because of his significance in the story (which I didn't get spoiled on, funnily enough).
Speaking of which, the story is gold like always. Shigesato Itoi knows how to craft great stories. There are tons of characters you'll like, of course. The bigger achievement on my mind is that Mother 3 manages to introduce not just one, but two people that you're going to hate (Fassad sucks, by the way). I will admit that it doesn't really start until Chapter 4 though. The first three chapters are mostly setting up the story, making you familiar with the world and characters. I admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of the concept, but it's executed masterfully here. If nothing else, the game is worth playing for the story.
Out of every game, Mother 3 definitely deserves the name Mother. Hinawa, your mom, is an important factor for most of the plot. Her death drives the motivation of Flint, Claus and Lucas, her presence is felt throughout the whole game, and it is her who manages to pull Claus back from Porky's clutches (Porky sucks, by the way). Mother 3 is more about family than any of the other games in the series, really emphasizing the familial connections. Even if we're not just talking about the mother, the other members of the family are represented well. Lucas and Claus spoke to me as two siblings who just didn't see eye to eye (yes, one was being controlled, but it can really feel that way sometimes). Of course, I can't forget Flint. He isn't a perfect dad, but we find out why this time instead of just seeing a phone ring. I really appreciate that during the end, he tries to make sure he doesn't lose anyone else like he lost Hinawa.
I know I didn't write nearly as much for this review as I did for Earthbound, but I enjoyed my time with Mother 3 so darn much. I wonder what they did in the timeline where it came to America. Maybe they called it Earthbound: Love or something. Maybe they changed the series name back to Mother. Maybe nothing happened like our current timeline. It's a shame that America has to resort to a fan translation or to just play it in Japanese. The Mother series deserves an audience and I think you ought to go try it out.
Oh, and don't forget. No crying until the end.
The Mother series (or the Earthbound series if you're in America) is like the John Wick movies. All of them are 10/10 and it's valid to think one is better or worse than the other as long as Earthbound is your favorite. I knew going in that I would like it less than Earthbound, and I did, but it's still perfect. Yes, some things are imperfect, but they're wrong. Gosh, I love video games.
In terms of gameplay, not much changes other than a more accessible menu system, a musical combo mechanic in battles, and a chapter-based story structure. Just like in Earthbound, it gets easier as you go along. By the end of the game, my characters were all level 62 (except for Lucas, who was level 63), so I swept up the remaining encounters. The final battle, unlike Earthbound, was not against a big monster or some insurmountable foe. It was just your brother, stuck in his controlled state. Yes, it is similar to Giygas in the way that traditional attacks won't always work, but you have stakes in this because of his significance in the story (which I didn't get spoiled on, funnily enough).
Speaking of which, the story is gold like always. Shigesato Itoi knows how to craft great stories. There are tons of characters you'll like, of course. The bigger achievement on my mind is that Mother 3 manages to introduce not just one, but two people that you're going to hate (Fassad sucks, by the way). I will admit that it doesn't really start until Chapter 4 though. The first three chapters are mostly setting up the story, making you familiar with the world and characters. I admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of the concept, but it's executed masterfully here. If nothing else, the game is worth playing for the story.
Out of every game, Mother 3 definitely deserves the name Mother. Hinawa, your mom, is an important factor for most of the plot. Her death drives the motivation of Flint, Claus and Lucas, her presence is felt throughout the whole game, and it is her who manages to pull Claus back from Porky's clutches (Porky sucks, by the way). Mother 3 is more about family than any of the other games in the series, really emphasizing the familial connections. Even if we're not just talking about the mother, the other members of the family are represented well. Lucas and Claus spoke to me as two siblings who just didn't see eye to eye (yes, one was being controlled, but it can really feel that way sometimes). Of course, I can't forget Flint. He isn't a perfect dad, but we find out why this time instead of just seeing a phone ring. I really appreciate that during the end, he tries to make sure he doesn't lose anyone else like he lost Hinawa.
I know I didn't write nearly as much for this review as I did for Earthbound, but I enjoyed my time with Mother 3 so darn much. I wonder what they did in the timeline where it came to America. Maybe they called it Earthbound: Love or something. Maybe they changed the series name back to Mother. Maybe nothing happened like our current timeline. It's a shame that America has to resort to a fan translation or to just play it in Japanese. The Mother series deserves an audience and I think you ought to go try it out.
Oh, and don't forget. No crying until the end.