Originally intended to be released on the Nintendo 64, Mother 3 is the sequel to Mother 2, or as we know it, Earthbound. These two JRPGs were notable in the sense that they took place in a more modern setting than most JRPGs do. Mother 3 is set about 1000 years after the previous game. The story involves a young boy named Lucas, who lives in a small village in the Nowhere Islands. Lucas is out to protect his home island from the Pigmask Army who are trying to take over these islands and awaken the dark dragon who can grant them massive power.
Mother 3’s story is divided into several chapters, a couple of which have you controlling characters other than Lucas. This game expanded upon some of the ideas introduced in Earthbound, particularly in the battles. Just like in Earthbound, characters have the rolling health meter which basically means that whenever a character loses health, the life meter will deplete or ‘roll’ in real time. If a character suffers a fatal hit and you manage to heal them or finish the battle before their HP reaches 0, they will survive.
The battles in Mother 3 also have a new system that is similar to a rhythm game. When you attack your enemies, or ‘Bash’ as the series calls it, you are given the opportunity to score multiple hits if you can hit the ‘A’ button in rhythm and keep up with the beat of the song.
After Lucas’ presence in the popular Super Smash Bros. Brawl, many Western fans were wondering who he was and what game he was from. As a result, the demand for a Mother 3 localization rose. The only release so far was on the Game Boy Advance in Japan. One way Nintendo could potentially release this game is by digital distribution via the eShop on the Nintendo 3DS. Mother 3 was originally designed for a handheld, and would be a great fit for the system.
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