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New Mother has a Japanese date

  • By Hirohiko Niizumi, GameSpot
  • Posted Jan 24, 2006 3:50 pm PT

Game Boy Advance RPG known as Earthbound in US gets second sequel more than a decade after last installment was released.

TOKYO--Nintendo's next installment of the Mother role-playing series (known as Earthbound in North America) is finally coming out this spring. Producer Shigesato Itoi revealed on his official site that Mother 3 will be released for the Game Boy Advance on April 20 in Japan. The game's release comes right before Japan's Golden Week period, a string of national holidays and a good period for retail.

The original Mother was released on the Famicom (the Japanese Nintendo Entertainment System) in 1989, and Mother 2 was released on the Super Famicom in 1994. The new project wasn't exactly smooth sailing for producer Itoi, who originally planned to release the game on the Nintendo 64. The N64 project was canceled after six years in development, and in 2003, Nintendo revealed that the sequel would get a second chance on the GBA.

50 Comments

  • rockstar_88

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 10:38 pm GMT

    mansellj: From what I remember, Earthbound 64 was to be 3D. How is this game going to run on the GBA? I guess I don't care, as long as it comes out in the US.

    Umm...the whole EB64 project was dropped. When Nintendo convinced Shigesto Itoi to start up the project again, they decided to start from scratch. That means that the story originally created on the EB64 project was dumped for a new one.

  • sniper_99

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 2:46 pm GMT

    I hope it'll come out for North America so I can finally play it

  • Kravyn81

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 2:07 pm GMT

    Hey hey! April 20th! Hitler's birthday! Great choice.

  • Viquist

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 10:53 am GMT

    Yeah, I thought the little guy was gone for good but he's coming 'round again, I'll have to have this one

  • Mista_Sal

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 10:08 am GMT

    Here's hoping for a US release.

  • s0l0123

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 9:46 am GMT

    can't wait for it to come out, i loved the mother 2 on the Super Famicom and i hope they release it in Australia & Europe.

  • remmbermytitans

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 9:38 am GMT

    another dumb move by nintendo..... come on.... for every 2 steps you take you take one back.... sometimes even two.... you promised us online for the gamecube.... that didnt happen... ok... so here comes the DS with online.... ok this time you kept your promise.... good job.... but you put freaking friend codes! take a step back nintendo.... now i understand that its necessary in a few games.... like animal crossing... cause i dont want people f*ing up my town.... but they could have taken it out for MKDS.... now your putting earthbound for the GBA?! you could have either put it on the DS, or even the gamecube!! but the GBA?! who the f*** is going to buy it for the GBA?! stupid move!

  • remmbermytitans

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 9:38 am GMT

    another dumb move by nintendo..... come on.... for every 2 steps you take you take one back.... sometimes even two.... you promised us online for the gamecube.... that didnt happen... ok... so here comes the DS with online.... ok this time you kept your promise.... good job.... but you put freaking friend codes! take a step back nintendo.... now i understand that its necessary in a few games.... like animal crossing... cause i dont want people f*ing up my town.... but they could have taken it out for MKDS.... now your putting earthbound for the GBA?! you could have either put it on the DS, or even the gamecube!! but the GBA?! who the f*** is going to buy it for the GBA?! stupid move!

  • mansellj

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 7:35 am GMT

    From what I remember, Earthbound 64 was to be 3D. How is this game going to run on the GBA? I guess I don't care, as long as it comes out in the US.

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 6:35 am GMT

    why not DS this title with online play?????????

  • shaggin_wagon

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 5:37 am GMT

    From what I've seen from digg, starment, and here; there is still a massive following. So lets hope the big N notices.

  • Ander_Fodel

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 5:33 am GMT

    I think it will probably come to the US, since the GBA already has a huge installed base here, it will certainly have good sales, I don't see why nintendo wouldn't launch it here.

  • sirlordraven

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 4:47 am GMT

    I don't see why everyone is so excited. We go from having the game made on a powerful system to having the game be made for GBA. The features the original Earthbound 3 was going to have won't work on a GBA I'm sorry. If they were making this for DS or Rev. I'd be excited, but this is an insult.

  • rockstar_88

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 11:44 pm GMT

    Well if it doesn't, maybe if there are enough EarthBound purchases on the Revolution's Virtual Console store, it might convince Nintendo to bring the third installment here. I mean, with over ten years of being released here, the game has built a big enough cult following and pertition a la Starmen.net that Miyamoto himself was surprised at how determined fans were to get this game.

  • pcbm

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 10:04 pm GMT

    I hope they release Mother 1,2, and 3 for Gameboy Advance in USA. Id buy it right now! heh

  • ssvegeta555

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 10:03 pm GMT

    *Wishes for a statewide release for Mother 1-2 and 3*

  • runbmp

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 9:54 pm GMT

    Oh pls Nintendo, release this Gem in North America and i promise.. I will buy your revolution as a token of my apreciation.

  • redwinder

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 9:37 pm GMT

    hopefully this game will come to america and the rest of the world....if it doesn`t you people know there are other ways to play that game........

  • Lupus64

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 9:29 pm GMT

    Finally!! For all of those that remember that in the SNES Earthbound game you had to return the map to the library in the year 2000, I hope our long, long wait has finally paid off. I really hope this game gets a world wide release, considering I'm from Australia. I can't wait to hear more about this game!

  • helluvagood

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 9:27 pm GMT

    swweet new mmama

  • Cz-100

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 9:16 pm GMT

    I see no way in hell this will come out in America.. but I can pray.

  • jakeboudville

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 8:35 pm GMT

    awesome

  • kamillebidan92

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 8:22 pm GMT

    PLEASE COME TO US!!!

  • gangsta6411

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 8:12 pm GMT

    I want this game to come out for US...
    Earthbound for SNES was hilarious and awesome!
    Who ever thought of waiting 15 mintues doing nothing but wating only to enter a little town inside a waterfall!

  • metalmario_64

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 8:07 pm GMT

    too bad it didn't come out on the DS, cause then I could import it.

  • budyholly13

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 8:05 pm GMT

    If this game doesn't come out in the U.S. I will probably cry. We Earthbound fans deserve it for waiting so long for a sequel to the best RPG on the SNES.

  • Kahones

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 7:59 pm GMT

    Yay! This was one of my favorite original game series.

  • chibi-acer

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 7:02 pm GMT

    To quote Super Smash Bros Melee: "Go Ness!!"

  • joeamis

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 6:59 pm GMT

    Nintendo please please bring this game to the U.S. Earthbound was amazing, and I've been waiting for this game since I saw it's first screenshot 10 years ago for the N64 build. If Nintendo was smart they would bring all 3 Mothers to the U.S. on a single cart, it would make them tons of $. Heck it might even actually increase sales of the gba (like thats needed lol). I will buy a gba player if it comes out here.

  • Nin10dude

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 6:35 pm GMT

    I'm the biggest EarthBound fan ever (beaten it 309 times and counting), I've waited through all of the cancellations and delays of this, PLEASE GOD, LET THIS BE RELEASED IN THE STATES!

  • Maquis_UK

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 6:35 pm GMT

    nice nice nice :-)

  • joyer

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 6:07 pm GMT

    i waited so long for the nintendo 64 game.... please please please

  • joyer

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 6:05 pm GMT

    bah itd be nice if either of them were released to australia or europe.... please please please... they made and translated new fire emblem games after they appeared in super smash brothers so i hope theyre considering it for mother

  • FuguNabe

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 5:57 pm GMT

    For the sake of good RPGs in Nitendo sytems this game should b translated and release to the west. I'll be enjoying it where I am in Japan.

  • john221978

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 5:52 pm GMT

    PLEASE MAKE IT TO THE STATES ( :

  • LTomlinson21

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 5:42 pm GMT

    lol, sweet.

  • loxtoxdavid

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 5:32 pm GMT

    i thought mother 2 (Earthbound on Snes) did came out in America?

  • Moonglum

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 5:02 pm GMT

    The article is wrong. Mother 1+2 never came out in America.

  • ryan191919

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 5:00 pm GMT

    In the last paragraph of the article the author mentions that "American audiences got a look at the Mother series in 2003". That game never was released here. I wish it were.

    Excited for the new game though...definitely one of my all time favorite RPGs.

  • R3v0luti0n

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 4:34 pm GMT

    YES! Thank god! This game brought one of the most memorable rpgs and im sure it did the same for many other people, im pleased to see this coming out

  • andrewtyen

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 4:27 pm GMT

    haha lol

  • Donkeljohn

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 4:24 pm GMT

    [This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

  • arathorn2nd

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 4:17 pm GMT

    Time to learn Japanese...

  • seibei

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 4:07 pm GMT

    What?! There was a mother compilation on the gameboy advance in the US? So as a European gamer not only did I miss earthbound but also this...

  • frankeyser

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 4:07 pm GMT

    oh please oh please oh please gome across the sea to america. please oh please oh please... ok... after 10 years of no church... i think i need to go and pray... pray to god for earthbound... that or write a letter to santa...

  • nemes1s3000

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 4:06 pm GMT

    Hehe, yeah same here, I really thought it was gone for good.

  • Gewbur

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 4:01 pm GMT

    It's comming out. It just better come here.

  • Mit_Man

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 4:00 pm GMT

    *explosion*. I still want the Mother 1 + 2 compilation stateside too though. Perhaps more than Mother 3.

  • Legir

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 4:00 pm GMT

    Wow, I thought this series was dead except for the ocational Smash Bros. aperance. I wonder if they will keep the same dragon quest type gameplay.

  • artillery

    Posted Jan 24, 2006 3:57 pm GMT

    Please let this come out!

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