"Nintendo’s official Earthbound site was updated yesterday with a message from series creator Shigesato Itoi, thanking fans of the game and poetically pondering on what the game means to him.
Even for Itoi, it was difficult to describe what made Earthbound…Earthbound.
'[Earthbound is] a playground filled with things no matter how small or unwanted,” Itoi wrote, continuing, “they would all be kept dear in people’s hearts. They would all be kept dear in people’s hearts. It looks like all my friends from around the world have discovered the theme to the game as they were playing – even though I didn’t think I gave it one. That’s right, that’s something I also wanted to do all along.'
Itoi’s statement about the “small or unwanted” may be in reference to how the game’s world is so full of tiny details or NPCs that always have something to say, no matter how insignificant. Those of us who have grown up with Earthbound over the years may find his message uniquely heartfelt and endearing. I suggest you give it a read."
- Patrick Kulikowski
IGN writes: Mother 3 is one of the most hotly-desired RPGs ever, having never received an official translation in North America despite the cult popularity of its predecessor, Earthbound. But over all these years, series creator Shigesato Itoi has never weighed in on the discussion - at least until now."
A translated version of this game on Switch Online would be nice, and it would add a lot value to the Expansion Pak service.
I would love to see an Earthbound game just redone with 3D-ish models and characters. Just having a remaster for Switch Online would be awesome!
Did you ever see the Earthbound 64 concept/materials? That actually looked really good, but I'd also take a HD-2D remake as well.
Nintendo seems very whimsical about what they give they're fans, sometimes they'll give them a bone (e.g. Mario RPG, Thousand Year Door for the Switch), and other times, they just give them little to nothing (agh, the Zelda anniversary).
When you consider the cost of gaming back then and even now, no excuses when costs are involved.
The long-awaited documentary, which highlights the online community that's built around cult SNES RPG EarthBound over the years. It's an examination of the power of online communities and fandom, and the impact that Shigesato Itoi's series has had on its fans.
EarthBound is bona fide classic and part of gaming royalty that somehow still feels like a hidden gem.
So an Earthbound 2?
Please let this be a sign of official US imports or maybe even a new Earthbound.