I finished this game for the first time recently, and I honestly think it is one of the few games that actually lives up to its hype. I loved the whole experience throughout. The story and characters were great. The gameplay and combat, although not the deepest in an RPG, was still fun enough for my 30-35 hour playthrough. Mother 3 is surprisingly very emotionally mature for a Nintendo game. It was emotionally satisfying and compelling without being corny or sappy. This game actually made me tear up a little during the final arc, and it takes a lot for me to cry at a game. That's how invested I was in the characters and story. The final arc in Mother 3 is one of the greatest final stretches and payoffs of any game I've ever played. I'm dead serious. This game has to be up there with one of my favorite RPGs now. I would definitely recommend this game if you love RPGs or compelling stories in games.