I though this was a great experience to read, but a less than desirable experience to play. The game tries to focus on narrative more than the actual gameplay, and because of that you constantly keep switching and losing party members until you're halfway through the game. it keeps the inconveniences of the last Earthbound/Mother game and for that it weighs it down. You still lose items when you die and reload a save, making this a must for emulation play to pop save states. The actual gameplay though is just the same as Mother 2, but you have the addition of some skill in the factor to maximize damage with your regular attacks by rhythmically tapping the attack button with the background music. I think this addition is pretty cool, letting you sink in the amazing soundtrack that is Mother 3. At least when it comes to boss fights, their design is very fun but the beginning of the game is rough in progression of difficulty and you'll get your ass kicked in the Jealous Bass boss fight if you're not prepared.
The theme and story at first is something I felt is very outdated and cliche at first with the whole 'technology is bad and shouldn't be attached to it' moral, but later on parts of it turn for the better making you have more than just the goal of stopping a villainous organization. The dialogue, as Mother tradition is, is pretty charming. It made me want to every npc in town to see what they have to sya for every situation, and it even made me laugh a couple of times. The character writing for party members made me emotional and you get used to them pretty quickly. Lucas, Duster, and Kumatora have their struggles and backstory that sets in nicely when you in the chapters that make them have the spotlight, or when the plot calls for it.
In conclusion Mother 3 is very strong with the plot, characters, and dialogue, but if it wasn't tied down by its linearity and inconvenient gameplay features that stick around it would be the best Mother game to conclude the franchise.