Pros
-new life breathed into FE characters from all across the series
-pretty cool art for the most part
-theoretically decent adaptation of the core FE gameplay formula into a mobile game setting

Cons
-gacha
-everyone you love will be mischaracterized and flanderized because the devs get their character info from fan wikis by their own admission
-nonsensical pay to win meta with rampant unchecked powercreep; modern player phase units are delete buttons and modern enemy phase units are unkillable
-you can hypothetically use your favorites, but units now require absurd amounts of investment just to be moderately usable, so it sucks to be you if one of your favorites doesn't have a broken prf and a bunch of premium skills in their base kit
-very disproportionate amount of attention given to certain units, games, etc. in terms of alts while others get table scraps at best (we just got our biannual Thracia banner earlier this month and guess what, another fucking Reinhardt alt, stop this, he barely even qualifies as a character GRAHHH)
-I stopped caring about the plot 6 books ago and all I know about most of the OCs (which this game desperately tries in vain to make me care about) is that I hate an overwhelming majority of their designs
-some seasonal banner themes have either become predictable, adopted really stupid running trends, or overstayed their welcome
-speaking of which, I love Three Houses and its cast, and I know it's like the best selling SRPG of all time and all that jazz, but does every seasonal banner have to have a Three Houses sneak?
-new side modes that nobody cares about are constantly introduced in practically every update
-too many damn currencies
-I never pull the units I want, dogshit game

I first played this game somewhere around mid-to-late 2014. It has been my uncontested favorite game of all time for nearly 10 years straight. I have played it all the way through roughly 10 times, including a run that I just finished mere moments ago as of the writing of this review. I would be surprised if another game ever even came close to surpassing it in my eyes, let alone actually managed to impress me more. Absolutely everything about this game is perfection, and I do not believe this is hyperbole.

Without any spoilers, the praiseworthy aspect that sticks out first and foremost is the story. Mother 3 has a wonderfully constructed narrative filled to the brim with fascinating themes ranging from human nature to corruption to even various meta-commentaries about playing video games and stretching the medium to its absolute limits, among many, many others, all of which are executed and conveyed brilliantly through the vibrant, ever-changing setting and endlessly charming cast of characters. This game has provided me with some of my favorite fictional characters in all of media, including but absolutely not limited to Lucas, who helped me (and presumably most people, especially outside of Japan) discover this game in the first place thanks to his appearances in Smash.

Playing this game is more than just something I do every once in a while because I feel like it; it's an experience that grabs me by the heart and fully immerses me, refusing to let go until I'm all the way through. This game is capable of conveying joy, sorrow, fear, anger, grief, and so many other emotions through its captivating writing, excellent and varied selection of music, and charming 2D sprite-based graphics that complement the art style beautifully.

The actual gameplay is something Mother 3 also excels at. There are lots of creative setpieces to traverse and interesting enemies to fight. On top of that, the core mechanics of the Mother series have been significantly refined, and new ones were also introduced. The ability to hold and let go of B to run is such a simple yet wonderful implementation of such a basic mechanic. As a musician myself, the music-based combo system is a creative and fun addition that I absolutely adore. You can ignore it if you so choose, but it also greatly rewards players who figure it out and master it. This combined with the scrolling HP bars gives Mother 3 arguably the most engaging combat system in its genre. This is not an action RPG or anything like that; this is a traditional turn-based RPG, yet there is so much incentive to thinking and playing quickly in real time and strategizing on the fly if need be. I'm also a big fan of the addition of enemy back sprites as an expansion of the back attack feature. I completed the Battle Memory in my most recent run, and it was a lot of fun.

Mother 3 has made a name for itself in the nearly 20 years since its release, but plenty of people have still not played it. This game's unfortunate Japan-exclusive status means many players elsewhere have not been given an opportunity to experience it for themselves, which is a crying shame. For English speakers, I would highly recommend playing this game with the phenomenal fan translation. For the players who are so averse to emulation that they would not even consider this option, I still hope for an eventual localization of this game, as slim as the odds may be, because everyone deserves to play this masterpiece.

I first played this game when I was 11. I am almost 20 years old now. I cannot overstate the staying power of this game and the profound impact it has had on my life and outlook. I could talk (or write) for hours about everything I love about this game. Mother 3 is truly a life-altering experience. If I could rate it more than 5 stars, I would do so in a heartbeat. If you have not played it, I highly recommend you do so. You will not regret it in the slightest.

Just remember to keep a box of tissues nearby.

God or demon, what am I?
It's time for me to choose my path
The power of my God Hand
No evildoer will get past

Hand to hand or fist to fist
Kick your nuts or twist your wrist
God power keeps my pimp hand strong
So trust me, or you won't last very long

Dragon Kick your ass into the Milky Way! (Milky Way!)
Don't act like you don't like the Ballbuster! (Ballbuster!)
My arm
My arm
My arm
My arm
My arm
My arm
I summon up the power of the God Hand!

Lost a limb in a fight
But don't worry, babe, I'll be cool
The ultimate power of a god is now my secret tool
My defenses are impregnable
My style is impetuous
If it's too much, I'll grovel at your feet
I beg for mercy when I feel the heat

Jaw-dropping attacks from my Roulette Wheel! (Roulette Wheel!)
Apocalyptic beatdowns from the God Hand! (God Hand!)
My arm
My arm
My arm
My arm
My arm
My arm
I summon up the power of the God Hand!

Everybody wants a piece
Who's next? Don't be a fool
Hyperactive fighting styles so slick they'll make you drool
God Hand helps me work out my stress
It's overpowering, I must confess
The only person who it doesn't work on
Is the girl who got me into this, Olivia

Slicing through thugs with my Shock Wave! (Shock Wave!)
More beheading than a guillotine: Headslicer! (Headslicer!)
My arm
My arm
My arm
My arm
My arm
My arm
I SUMMON UP THE POWER OF THE GOD HAND!