It was recently discovered that Starmen.Net founder Reid Young received a special gift from a very special individual, the man himself Shigesato Itoi, who is the creator of the Mother series (also known as Earthbound in the West). Itoi wanted to show his appreciation to the fans who were so dedicated to getting his creation localized. A signed drawing that portrayed the ever so adorable ‘Mr.Saturn’, the mascot and native creature of the series. It was given to him by freelance translator Lindsay Nelson, who helped a great deal with the Mother 3 fan translation.
The text on the picture has been translated saying, “is good” and “potential,” by the Earthbound Central (A very popular and dedicated website for the cult series). This wasn’t the first time he has acknowledge the group (calling them “Starman Club”, which is a name they adopted), the first time was in a video you can check out with the link above. While their efforts may not have changed Nintendo of America or NCL’s (Nintendo of Japan) minds, what they accomplished was notoriety and they have become a staple of what fan groups would try to emulate. What also was shown by the group is what a gamer is capable of when many people group together and use their energy in a positive way; they made a mark that can’t be easily extinguished. Their hard work is still talked about these days; that should give you a clue as to their impact.
In the end, we will never know if the first and third Earthbound will ever get an official release in the West, heck, we hope we get all three on the virtual console or just something for that matter. All we can do now is hope, but it’s certainly a fantastic thing to know that the series creator once again shows that he knows there is a fanbase outside of Japan who eagerly want to purchase and play his games officially. Thank you Shigesato Itoi for such an endearing series. Thank you fan translators for the terrific translation, letting us gamers have a way to play the amazing third installment. Last and certainly not least, thank you everyone at Starmen.net, your efforts will live on and so will your unbridled enthusiasm.
