This game is the motherload of all worldwide release requests, it is also seen as the poster child for fan outcry for a game to finally get an American translation, it is the notorious, Mother 3.
A screenshot of Mother 3
Little was it known on April 20, 2006, that the final installment in the Mother series, dubbed Earthbound in Western territories, would become one of the most controversial Japan exclusive titles in regards to making it overseas. Following a long development cycle dating back to Nintendo’s home console, the Nintendo 64, to later making its way to the company’s portable Game Boy Advance, the game stayed in release limbo for nearly 20 years.
Fan outcry has been far from miniscule as the Mother fanbase is known for being one of the most dedicated fan bases ever. A “fan translation” of the game was released to the public in October of 2008. The project was led by around a dozen people and was under the leadership of Clyde Mandelin, who already was a professional translator working on critically acclaimed franchises such as Dragon Ball and Kingdom Hearts.
While fans appreciate the fan translation, many yearn for the day to finally be able to pick up a new translated copy of Mother 3 off the shelf after all the years of expectations and disappointments.
A screenshot of Mother 3
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However, the game has been plagued by copyright and cultural issues that have kept the game in Japan. One of the biggest aspects that has kept Mother 3 from leaving the country is the soundtrack.
The game’s score, while highly recognized for its quality, is filled with various copyright issues that could be identified as plagiarism. From Beatles music to the 1960s Batman theme from the television show, the game is often dubbed “A Copyright Nightmare,” even for a company as big as Nintendo.
A screenshot of Mother 3
Recently however, the 2006 game is seeing a rerelease for the Nintendo Switch, but only in Japan. This has brought Mother 3 once again into the spotlight to the point where series creator Shigesato Itoi has politely asked fans to leave him alone, as it is not his decision.
Itoi has seemingly not been super involved in the video game industry in nearly 20 years and it’s understandable how it can be weighing to be asked about something you can not control.
No, the decision lies with Nintendo. Former President and CEO of Nintendo of America from 2006-2019, Reggie Fils-Aime, who joined Nintendo in 2003 was famous for his relationship with the Mother fanbase. The game never saw an overseas release during his tenure with the company to the point where asking for Mother 3 became a bit of a meme in Nintendo and video game circles.
The controversy of the lack of release was spoofed in an official parody video during E3 2014 in which Reggie, voiced by himself, confronted a journalist wanting a US release. The spoof was actually produced by the team behind Robot Chicken.
The former Nintendo CEO recently stated on X, that the decision is no longer his as well.
No longer mine as well. https://t.co/zIBPE6GqIa pic.twitter.com/a2xZuCHq7S
— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) February 22, 2024
Reggie has stated that during his time with Nintendo, translating Mother 3 “just didn’t make business sense,” which is very understandable due to the amount of content in the game that would need to be changed.
Many who worked on the original game nearly two decades ago, would love to see the game arrive in the West, but until all the stars finally align and Nintendo President, Shuntaro Furukawa, decides to commit to a very production heavy Western release that could rob the game of its original cultural impact or perhaps become a new classic, the game will stay in the East.
そのへんのことは、ぼくじゃなく任天堂さんに言ってください。 https://t.co/Mm3Q8e8jd1
— 糸井 重里 (@itoi_shigesato) February 21, 2024
Nintendo is known for being very particular when it comes to fan games and content that is playable to the consumer that is based on their IPs without their involvement. Often, many games are struck with copyright and taken down, but to this day, the fan translation remains up and available. It seems very likely that Nintendo wants their fans to experience this game no matter what language they speak, a lot can be stated in the silence from a company.
Crickets are everywhere in regards to a Mother 3 release in the West, but if the fans continue to love and show “healthy” support to this classic, the series will remain very much alive and discussed, meaning it’s impact will be worldwide!
Itoi is 75 years old, people need to leave him alone.