N64 Month | Nintendo's Missing in Action - Part 3: Earthbound 64 (Mother 3)

Where did it all begin?

Despite the series never receiving the international attention it deserved, this didn’t stop Itoi-san and Nintendo from creating a third entry in the series. Originally planned for the SNES, Mother 3 (later Earthbound 64 to those in Western territories), eventually became a project that was due to debut on the Nintendo 64DD. However, when the add-on device didn’t work out for Nintendo, selling a woeful amount in the company’s homeland, the game was later transferred to the standard N64 system before finally being canned in 2000.

It is worth noting that EarthBound 64 did eventually see the light of day in Japan. Six years after its cancellation, Itoi-san brought the title to the Game Boy Advance, transferring most of the original ideas and story that were destined for its short-lived 64-bit predecessor. Mother 3 (the final Japanese title) was met with a positive reception from the critics and Japanese gamers alike. The quirky, very Eastern humour of the title practically rendered any hope of localisation useless (although a valiant fan effort proved otherwise) and the only way you will ever get to play this game is through less-than-legal means.

 

What was it all about?

The GBA version is known for its vibrant and colourful visuals, despite the serious undertones. However, early gameplay footage of the N64 version paints a very different picture, portraying a much darker ambience than what was finally realised back in 2006. Not only that, but the 3D gameplay was undeniably more advanced, presenting the opportunity for new features that could be implemented for the first time into the series.

What if EarthBound 64 had been released for the N64? Gameplay aside, would it have still possessed the same feel as its GBA counterpart? Itoi-san has stated in a past interview that certain aspects of the original N64 game were designed to be much darker -- in particular, the ending. Given the time lapse that occurred between the two versions, it’s fair to say that some aspects inevitably changed and Itoi-san has said that by the time he got around to making Mother 3 for GBA that he was “a good person” and, as a result of this change, faced much more opposition from colleagues with regards to the storyline decisions. His unusual response is very much indicative of how strange this series really is. How Itoi-san originally intended to deal with the surprisingly un-Nintendo topics like death in the N64 version is subject to much debate, although some clues have been given. As stated above, it was his initial plan to present the player with a much darker ending. Seeing as the GBA title ends with the suicide of a young boy, it’s interesting to consider to what extent he would have taken the story in the original game.

Moreover, and perhaps in keeping with the game’s bizarre nature, one of the original ideas was to “betray the player”, essentially disappointing them throughout. Those who have played EarthBound will, no doubt, recall some of its more bizarre moments, such as Poo’s trial, meaning that the creator most certainly did not feel limited by conventional approaches or storytelling norms. With this in mind, it isn’t unreasonable to think that EarthBound 64 could definitely have been avant-garde back in those days, had it been released.

 

Why did it disappear?

Eventually, Itoi-san made a statement on 22 August, 2000, announcing that the game had, after much speculation, been cancelled. At the time, he referred to Mother 64 as a “memory of the future,” which ironically ended up being the case when it was remade and then released in its Game Boy Advance form in 2006. Prior to this, however, the game director had said that if the game had been made for Super Nintendo, it would have released much sooner. The GBA, very much known for its high quality SNES ports, no doubt helped to influence Itoi-san’s decision (along with a GBA port of Mother 1 + 2) to take another stab at releasing the game.