EarthBound 64
Encyclopedia
EarthBound 64, officially known as Mother 3 , is a cancelled role-playing video game
that was in development by Nintendo
and HAL Laboratory
for the Nintendo 64DD
. It was later transferred to the Nintendo 64
after the Nintendo 64DD proved to be unsuccessful. The game adopted several subtitles in Japan, including , and . It was to be the third game in the EarthBound series
, following EarthBound
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
.
The developers included series designer and creator Shigesato Itoi
, and artist Benimaru Itoh
. Due to the development team's inexperience with making games in three dimensions, it was delayed several times, and ultimately cancelled. The plot of EarthBound 64 was to star ten characters across twelve chapters, including Lucas, a young boy; Claus, his twin brother; Flint, a farmhand and the father of the twins; Boney, Flint's dog; Duster, a thief; Kumatora, a princess
; and Salsa, a monkey. The identities of the other three main characters are unknown. The antagonists are a group called the Pigmask Army, led by Porky Minch, returning from EarthBound.
Despite the cancellation of the Nintendo 64 version, Mother 3 was remade
for the Game Boy Advance
. Itoi supervised the game and wrote its scenario, while Brownie Brown
, HAL Laboratory
and Nintendo
developed the game. It was announced at the end of a television advertisement
for Mother 1 + 2 that Mother 3 would be coming to the Game Boy Advance. It was revealed several years later with two dimensional visuals, as opposed to EarthBound 64s three dimensional graphics. The game was released exclusively in Japan on April 20, 2006, six years after it was cancelled for the Nintendo 64.
for battle. Before entering battle, the player must run into the enemies on the overworld. In battle, the battles are seen from a first person perspective, and are turn-based. Art developer Benimaru Itoh
remarked at E3's 1997 convention that the game would probably utilize the Rumble Pak
in battle sequences, but worried that the controller would become too cumbersome for players given the time-consuming nature of role-playing games. The mechanic of matching the beat to the background music was utilized in the Nintendo 64 version. It utilized a "3D stick" that the player would strum like a guitar chord. Before entering battles, instead of immediately going into battle like previous titles in the series, the player would have an exchange with the enemy. Characters featured several abilities, including jumping and spin attacks. Developers stated that the game would take over 40 to 60 hours to beat for experienced gamers, and more for those less experienced.
One objective of EarthBound 64 was to make it a unique experience for every single individual who purchases it. An example provided by game designer Shigesato Itoi
was that one player could theoretically plant seeds, causing a tree to grow which the player could climb to get to a high cliff, while another player could find a way around the cliff, so the player had multiple paths he or she could take. Another example given was that if the player mistakenly drops food on the ground as he or she goes through the forest, it could attract a hungry monster, causing a battle to ensue. During battle, the mechanics included Fight, Speak, Magic, Call (for Lucas only), Stand, Check, Goods, and Strength, though the Goods, Magic, Speak, and Call options were unusable in the Spaceworld '99 demo.
Itoi also aimed to use several of the Nintendo 64DD's features with EarthBound 64. He wanted to allow players to pick several character faces or create new visages with Mario Artist
while it was in development for the N64DD, as well as use the 64DD's internal clock feature to match the in-game time with the time of the player's. When it was moved to a cartridge-based media, whether the internal clock would be included was not known. IGN commented that they may scale it down to be more like a traditional role-playing game, but include these features in the 64DD add-on that was being developed as well. After it was moved to the Nintendo 64, the developers continued making an add-on disk that would allow players to continue playing in the world of EarthBound 64 with new quests and adventures tentatively titled Mother 3.5.
. It contained allusions to it, including an image of a destroyed Onett. IGN
described the world of Mother 3 as having a futuristic Western style. The plot of EarthBound 64 was created a while before it began development, and was once to feature 12 chapters that span 10 years. The plot followed a family which consisted of a cowboy-like man named Flint, his wife Hinawa, his twin sons Lucas and Claus, and his dog Boney, amongst several other protagonists as they deal with the Pig Army, who is attempting to enslave mankind. At the time, the main protagonist had not been chosen, though he later said if one of the characters was the main character, it would be Lucas. The first two chapters each featured different heroes, and it would have 10 main characters throughout the plot. One of the main characters' plots was that his 40 year old father mysteriously disappeared during the course of the game. The locales of EarthBound 64 were to span a fantasy world, a medieval world, and a futuristic world.
. After a period of time, the game was moved to the Nintendo 64DD
, and titled Mother 3: Chimera no Mori in Japan. It was planned as one of the four launch games for the platform. The Chimera no Mori subtitle was dropped from the title due to copyright issues over the use of the word Chimera, and the game's title was changed to Mother 3: Kikai Seibutsu no Mori. The final planned title became Mother 3: Butaō no Saigo in Japan. Owing to the failure of the 64DD, the project was cancelled and moved to the Nintendo 64
. In its 100th issue, Nintendo Power
expected it to be one of the first 100 video games released for the Nintendo 64
. It was to use a 256 megabit cartridge, similar to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
.
Game designer Shigesato Itoi
's team ran into trouble while developing this game, due to their inexperience with 3D games and the difficulty with developing for the Nintendo 64 hardware. They had assistance from the development tools and the Pokémon Stadium
development team in improving its visuals. The high level of difficulty caused Itoi and the other developers to become demoralized to develop a Mother 4. Itoi states that if the game were made for the Super NES, it would have been released much earlier. It was shown at Spaceworld in 1999 in playable form. It was later delayed, and would be released on March 22, 2000. On April 18, it was revealed that it would not be shown at E3 in 2000 in any form. On August 21 of the same year, Itoi officially confirmed the game's cancellation. Itoi cited trying to "make something truly special" for why EarthBound 64 was delayed and eventually cancelled. After it was cancelled, the development team played through what was completed and gathered screenshots to put on Itoi's web site. People continued to ask Itoi when Mother 3 was going to be released even after its cancellation, after which he commented that he was unable to believe it would not be released.
Shigeru Miyamoto
, a prominent Nintendo
producer, commented that while he would like to see remnants of the game salvaged, it is unlikely that they would be seen in the EarthBound series
. He and others were negotiating with Itoi to see if a licensing agreement could be worked out so that the project could be salvaged. He later commented that he felt sorry for himself and the gamers who were looking forward to it, but if they were told that there were 500,000 people that were looking forward to Mother 3, their attitude may have been different. However, due to Nintendo putting the development team on Nintendo GameCube
projects and high costs, which were in excess of several hundred million yen
, it had to be put on hold. Both Miyamoto and then President of HAL Laboratory
Satoru Iwata
expressed an interest in reviving Mother 3.
Itoi announced at a Super Smash Bros. musical concert that an announcement of Mother 3 was going to come very soon, and it was eventually revived for the Game Boy Advance
. It was first announced at the end of a Mother 1 + 2 television advertisement
, which displays text announcing that it was coming to the Game Boy Advance. It was mentioned again in a list of upcoming titles from Nintendo Corporate Ltd.
, which listed it with a TBA release date for the GBA. It was ultimately released on April 20, 2006, retaining several features from EarthBound 64, including the rhythm combo system and a similar setting and characters. It was only released in Japan.
. Throughout the development history of the game on the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Advance, the scenario remained mostly the same, with the brothers battling each other, though it was "much, much darker" in EarthBound 64. However, as other aspects of the game moved forward, Itoi was unable to decide on aspects of the final battle, comparing this technique to how anime
director Hayao Miyazaki
directs his films. He considered leaving out dialogue for the final battle so that players could use their imaginations, making it more vague than the final version ended up as. He also wanted to betray players by adding content to the ending that would disappoint them. Itoi cited not being presented with as many confrontations as he had been when he made the Game Boy Advance version than when he was making this version. He states that there are things like that which are connected to the series as a whole, and that while it's good from a business perspective to work things into a routine, he made it because he enjoyed it, and wanted to take chances. He added that maybe he was wrong in using that technique.
Early in its development for the Nintendo 64DD
, IGN
editors referred to EarthBound 64 as stunning, comparing it to the PlayStation
blockbuster Final Fantasy VII
, though they remained skeptical that it could carry the 64DD. In response to short footage shown at Spaceworld 96, they called it a step up from EarthBound
for the Super Nintendo
, comparing some of the scenes to renders due to the high quality of the animation. EarthBound 64 made Famitsu's Most Wanted list in September 1999, ranking in the 10th spot. EarthBound 64 was fairly popular amongst Nintendo Power
readers, making the top ten most wanted list multiple times.
It was well-received by IGN
, who referred to it as being more than a "cookie-cutter dungeon exploration fare" that most RPGs were. They called its controls intuitive and easy to master, and found the sound well-orchestrated and memorable. They specifically praised a scene included in the trailer and demo, the mine cart scene, proclaiming it one of the most impressive Nintendo 64 cut scenes yet due to its "silky smooth graphics" and "perfectly orchestrated music". They added that it may prove to be one of the most important launch titles of the often-delayed Nintendo 64DD. Yahoo!
commented that it was a little too off-the-wall to appeal to everyone, but was confident that the wait was worth it for the most part. They praised its game engine cut scenes, calling them better looking than any other game on the Nintendo 64
. They added that the only problem with the game was its battle system, which they considered "more confusing than anything else." Despite the title being only about 50% done at the time, IGN editors called EarthBound 64 promising at Spaceworld '99. They praised the control as both intuitive and easy to master. They closed their impressions by calling it an unusual RPG quest, and that gamers should save their money for this. In later impressions, they compared the developer's intentions to not have one set main character to the Super Famicom
Live a Live
.
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
that was in development by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
and HAL Laboratory
HAL Laboratory
is a Japanese video game developer that was founded on February 21, 1980. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its name comes from the HAL 9000 computer in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The company is most famous for its character Kirby, the protagonist of the eponymous game series, as well as...
for the Nintendo 64DD
Nintendo 64DD
The is a peripheral for the Nintendo 64 game console. It plugged into the N64 through the EXTension Port on the Nintendo 64's underside, and allowed the N64 to use proprietary 64 MB magneto-optical discs for expanded data storage...
. It was later transferred to the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
after the Nintendo 64DD proved to be unsuccessful. The game adopted several subtitles in Japan, including , and . It was to be the third game in the EarthBound series
EarthBound (series)
EarthBound, known in Japan as Mother, is a role-playing game series created by Shigesato Itoi for Nintendo. The series started in 1989 with the Japan-only release of Mother for the Famicom, and was then followed up by a sequel, released in North America as EarthBound for the Super NES in 1995, and...
, following EarthBound
EarthBound
EarthBound, also known as EarthBound: The War Against Giygas! and released as in Japan, is a role-playing video game co-developed by Ape and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console...
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
.
The developers included series designer and creator Shigesato Itoi
Shigesato Itoi
is one of the most influential cultural figures in Japan, known for his copywriting, essays, lyrics, Nintendo game creation, and as editor-in-chief of his popular website “Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun.” He is best known outside of Japan as a game designer for his work on Nintendo's EarthBound...
, and artist Benimaru Itoh
Benimaru Itoh
is a Japanese illustrator employed by Nintendo.Itoh illustrated the comic adaptations of Star Fox and Super Metroid that were serialized in Nintendo Power in 1993 and 1994 respectively...
. Due to the development team's inexperience with making games in three dimensions, it was delayed several times, and ultimately cancelled. The plot of EarthBound 64 was to star ten characters across twelve chapters, including Lucas, a young boy; Claus, his twin brother; Flint, a farmhand and the father of the twins; Boney, Flint's dog; Duster, a thief; Kumatora, a princess
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
; and Salsa, a monkey. The identities of the other three main characters are unknown. The antagonists are a group called the Pigmask Army, led by Porky Minch, returning from EarthBound.
Despite the cancellation of the Nintendo 64 version, Mother 3 was remade
Mother 3
Mother 3 is a role-playing video game developed by Nintendo, Brownie Brown and HAL Laboratory, and published for the Game Boy Advance handheld game console. It has only been released in Japan, alongside a limited supply bundle. It is the third video game in the Mother series, following EarthBound...
for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. Itoi supervised the game and wrote its scenario, while Brownie Brown
Brownie Brown
is a Japanese Nintendo-funded and owned video game development studio opened on June 30, 2000 and based in Tokyo, Japan.- History :The company consists of many ex-Square Co., Ltd. 2D artists. At least two of its founders had previously worked on the award-winning Mana series on the Game Boy and...
, HAL Laboratory
HAL Laboratory
is a Japanese video game developer that was founded on February 21, 1980. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its name comes from the HAL 9000 computer in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The company is most famous for its character Kirby, the protagonist of the eponymous game series, as well as...
and Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
developed the game. It was announced at the end of a television advertisement
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
for Mother 1 + 2 that Mother 3 would be coming to the Game Boy Advance. It was revealed several years later with two dimensional visuals, as opposed to EarthBound 64s three dimensional graphics. The game was released exclusively in Japan on April 20, 2006, six years after it was cancelled for the Nintendo 64.
Gameplay
EarthBound 64 uses similar mechanics to other games in the EarthBound seriesEarthBound (series)
EarthBound, known in Japan as Mother, is a role-playing game series created by Shigesato Itoi for Nintendo. The series started in 1989 with the Japan-only release of Mother for the Famicom, and was then followed up by a sequel, released in North America as EarthBound for the Super NES in 1995, and...
for battle. Before entering battle, the player must run into the enemies on the overworld. In battle, the battles are seen from a first person perspective, and are turn-based. Art developer Benimaru Itoh
Benimaru Itoh
is a Japanese illustrator employed by Nintendo.Itoh illustrated the comic adaptations of Star Fox and Super Metroid that were serialized in Nintendo Power in 1993 and 1994 respectively...
remarked at E3's 1997 convention that the game would probably utilize the Rumble Pak
Rumble Pak
The is a removable device from Nintendo which provides force feedback while playing video games. Games that support the Rumble Pak cause it to vibrate in select situations, such as when firing a weapon or receiving damage, to immerse the player in the game. Versions of the Rumble Pak are available...
in battle sequences, but worried that the controller would become too cumbersome for players given the time-consuming nature of role-playing games. The mechanic of matching the beat to the background music was utilized in the Nintendo 64 version. It utilized a "3D stick" that the player would strum like a guitar chord. Before entering battles, instead of immediately going into battle like previous titles in the series, the player would have an exchange with the enemy. Characters featured several abilities, including jumping and spin attacks. Developers stated that the game would take over 40 to 60 hours to beat for experienced gamers, and more for those less experienced.
One objective of EarthBound 64 was to make it a unique experience for every single individual who purchases it. An example provided by game designer Shigesato Itoi
Shigesato Itoi
is one of the most influential cultural figures in Japan, known for his copywriting, essays, lyrics, Nintendo game creation, and as editor-in-chief of his popular website “Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun.” He is best known outside of Japan as a game designer for his work on Nintendo's EarthBound...
was that one player could theoretically plant seeds, causing a tree to grow which the player could climb to get to a high cliff, while another player could find a way around the cliff, so the player had multiple paths he or she could take. Another example given was that if the player mistakenly drops food on the ground as he or she goes through the forest, it could attract a hungry monster, causing a battle to ensue. During battle, the mechanics included Fight, Speak, Magic, Call (for Lucas only), Stand, Check, Goods, and Strength, though the Goods, Magic, Speak, and Call options were unusable in the Spaceworld '99 demo.
Itoi also aimed to use several of the Nintendo 64DD's features with EarthBound 64. He wanted to allow players to pick several character faces or create new visages with Mario Artist
Mario Artist
Mario Artist is a set of programs that was partnered for sale with the Nintendo 64DD for its exclusive release in Japan. It was developed by Nintendo EAD.-Paint Studio:...
while it was in development for the N64DD, as well as use the 64DD's internal clock feature to match the in-game time with the time of the player's. When it was moved to a cartridge-based media, whether the internal clock would be included was not known. IGN commented that they may scale it down to be more like a traditional role-playing game, but include these features in the 64DD add-on that was being developed as well. After it was moved to the Nintendo 64, the developers continued making an add-on disk that would allow players to continue playing in the world of EarthBound 64 with new quests and adventures tentatively titled Mother 3.5.
Story and setting
EarthBound 64 was to be set on Nowhere Islands, and was going to take place 200 years after the events of EarthBoundEarthBound
EarthBound, also known as EarthBound: The War Against Giygas! and released as in Japan, is a role-playing video game co-developed by Ape and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console...
. It contained allusions to it, including an image of a destroyed Onett. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
described the world of Mother 3 as having a futuristic Western style. The plot of EarthBound 64 was created a while before it began development, and was once to feature 12 chapters that span 10 years. The plot followed a family which consisted of a cowboy-like man named Flint, his wife Hinawa, his twin sons Lucas and Claus, and his dog Boney, amongst several other protagonists as they deal with the Pig Army, who is attempting to enslave mankind. At the time, the main protagonist had not been chosen, though he later said if one of the characters was the main character, it would be Lucas. The first two chapters each featured different heroes, and it would have 10 main characters throughout the plot. One of the main characters' plots was that his 40 year old father mysteriously disappeared during the course of the game. The locales of EarthBound 64 were to span a fantasy world, a medieval world, and a futuristic world.
Development
Development of Mother 3 for the Super Famicom began soon after the Japanese release of EarthBoundEarthBound
EarthBound, also known as EarthBound: The War Against Giygas! and released as in Japan, is a role-playing video game co-developed by Ape and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console...
. After a period of time, the game was moved to the Nintendo 64DD
Nintendo 64DD
The is a peripheral for the Nintendo 64 game console. It plugged into the N64 through the EXTension Port on the Nintendo 64's underside, and allowed the N64 to use proprietary 64 MB magneto-optical discs for expanded data storage...
, and titled Mother 3: Chimera no Mori in Japan. It was planned as one of the four launch games for the platform. The Chimera no Mori subtitle was dropped from the title due to copyright issues over the use of the word Chimera, and the game's title was changed to Mother 3: Kikai Seibutsu no Mori. The final planned title became Mother 3: Butaō no Saigo in Japan. Owing to the failure of the 64DD, the project was cancelled and moved to the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
. In its 100th issue, Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
expected it to be one of the first 100 video games released for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
. It was to use a 256 megabit cartridge, similar to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998...
.
Game designer Shigesato Itoi
Shigesato Itoi
is one of the most influential cultural figures in Japan, known for his copywriting, essays, lyrics, Nintendo game creation, and as editor-in-chief of his popular website “Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun.” He is best known outside of Japan as a game designer for his work on Nintendo's EarthBound...
's team ran into trouble while developing this game, due to their inexperience with 3D games and the difficulty with developing for the Nintendo 64 hardware. They had assistance from the development tools and the Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Stadium, known as in Japan, is a strategy game developed by Nintendo EAD with the assistance of Creatures and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released on April 30, 1999 in Japan, February 29, 2000 in North America, and April 7, 2000...
development team in improving its visuals. The high level of difficulty caused Itoi and the other developers to become demoralized to develop a Mother 4. Itoi states that if the game were made for the Super NES, it would have been released much earlier. It was shown at Spaceworld in 1999 in playable form. It was later delayed, and would be released on March 22, 2000. On April 18, it was revealed that it would not be shown at E3 in 2000 in any form. On August 21 of the same year, Itoi officially confirmed the game's cancellation. Itoi cited trying to "make something truly special" for why EarthBound 64 was delayed and eventually cancelled. After it was cancelled, the development team played through what was completed and gathered screenshots to put on Itoi's web site. People continued to ask Itoi when Mother 3 was going to be released even after its cancellation, after which he commented that he was unable to believe it would not be released.
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
, a prominent Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
producer, commented that while he would like to see remnants of the game salvaged, it is unlikely that they would be seen in the EarthBound series
EarthBound (series)
EarthBound, known in Japan as Mother, is a role-playing game series created by Shigesato Itoi for Nintendo. The series started in 1989 with the Japan-only release of Mother for the Famicom, and was then followed up by a sequel, released in North America as EarthBound for the Super NES in 1995, and...
. He and others were negotiating with Itoi to see if a licensing agreement could be worked out so that the project could be salvaged. He later commented that he felt sorry for himself and the gamers who were looking forward to it, but if they were told that there were 500,000 people that were looking forward to Mother 3, their attitude may have been different. However, due to Nintendo putting the development team on Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
projects and high costs, which were in excess of several hundred million yen
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
, it had to be put on hold. Both Miyamoto and then President of HAL Laboratory
HAL Laboratory
is a Japanese video game developer that was founded on February 21, 1980. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its name comes from the HAL 9000 computer in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The company is most famous for its character Kirby, the protagonist of the eponymous game series, as well as...
Satoru Iwata
Satoru Iwata
is the fourth president of Nintendo, succeeding the long-standing previous president of the company, Hiroshi Yamauchi in 2002. He was responsible in great part for defining Nintendo's strategy both before and during the release of its Nintendo GameCube video game console in 2001, a vision which...
expressed an interest in reviving Mother 3.
Itoi announced at a Super Smash Bros. musical concert that an announcement of Mother 3 was going to come very soon, and it was eventually revived for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. It was first announced at the end of a Mother 1 + 2 television advertisement
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
, which displays text announcing that it was coming to the Game Boy Advance. It was mentioned again in a list of upcoming titles from Nintendo Corporate Ltd.
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
, which listed it with a TBA release date for the GBA. It was ultimately released on April 20, 2006, retaining several features from EarthBound 64, including the rhythm combo system and a similar setting and characters. It was only released in Japan.
Final battle
The scenario for the final battle between Lucas and Claus was written while Itoi was overseas in SaipanSaipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
. Throughout the development history of the game on the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Advance, the scenario remained mostly the same, with the brothers battling each other, though it was "much, much darker" in EarthBound 64. However, as other aspects of the game moved forward, Itoi was unable to decide on aspects of the final battle, comparing this technique to how anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
director Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki
is a Japanese manga artist and prominent film director and animator of many popular anime feature films. Through a career that has spanned nearly fifty years, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a maker of animated feature films and, along with Isao Takahata, co-founded Studio Ghibli,...
directs his films. He considered leaving out dialogue for the final battle so that players could use their imaginations, making it more vague than the final version ended up as. He also wanted to betray players by adding content to the ending that would disappoint them. Itoi cited not being presented with as many confrontations as he had been when he made the Game Boy Advance version than when he was making this version. He states that there are things like that which are connected to the series as a whole, and that while it's good from a business perspective to work things into a routine, he made it because he enjoyed it, and wanted to take chances. He added that maybe he was wrong in using that technique.
Impressions
Nintendo 64DD
The is a peripheral for the Nintendo 64 game console. It plugged into the N64 through the EXTension Port on the Nintendo 64's underside, and allowed the N64 to use proprietary 64 MB magneto-optical discs for expanded data storage...
, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
editors referred to EarthBound 64 as stunning, comparing it to the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
blockbuster Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
, though they remained skeptical that it could carry the 64DD. In response to short footage shown at Spaceworld 96, they called it a step up from EarthBound
EarthBound
EarthBound, also known as EarthBound: The War Against Giygas! and released as in Japan, is a role-playing video game co-developed by Ape and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console...
for the Super Nintendo
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
, comparing some of the scenes to renders due to the high quality of the animation. EarthBound 64 made Famitsu's Most Wanted list in September 1999, ranking in the 10th spot. EarthBound 64 was fairly popular amongst Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
readers, making the top ten most wanted list multiple times.
It was well-received by IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, who referred to it as being more than a "cookie-cutter dungeon exploration fare" that most RPGs were. They called its controls intuitive and easy to master, and found the sound well-orchestrated and memorable. They specifically praised a scene included in the trailer and demo, the mine cart scene, proclaiming it one of the most impressive Nintendo 64 cut scenes yet due to its "silky smooth graphics" and "perfectly orchestrated music". They added that it may prove to be one of the most important launch titles of the often-delayed Nintendo 64DD. Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
commented that it was a little too off-the-wall to appeal to everyone, but was confident that the wait was worth it for the most part. They praised its game engine cut scenes, calling them better looking than any other game on the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
. They added that the only problem with the game was its battle system, which they considered "more confusing than anything else." Despite the title being only about 50% done at the time, IGN editors called EarthBound 64 promising at Spaceworld '99. They praised the control as both intuitive and easy to master. They closed their impressions by calling it an unusual RPG quest, and that gamers should save their money for this. In later impressions, they compared the developer's intentions to not have one set main character to the Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
Live a Live
Live A Live
is a console role-playing game developed by Square for the Super Famicom released in Japan on September 2, 1994. It was never released outside Japan, but it has been unofficially translated into English....
.