Now, it's no secret that I love EarthBound. I love it enough to import both the GBA rerelease of the game and the sequel. I actually haven't written a review yet of Mother 3 because I love it too much, if that makes sense. It's hard to do a rational review about a game that's so emotionally affecting. Just the first chapter alone might be the most incredible and traumatic prologue to a game. It's an absolutely unbelievable experience.
Of course, a big problem people have had is because they really couldn't believe it. Despite the game being over two years old (and that's after being in development for over eleven years), there's still no indication that Nintendo is even thinking about bringing it over. Much gnashing of teeth over this has been done already; not to mention the online projects to provide a fan translation, or the general frustration that Super Smash Bros. Brawl was filled with spoilers for Mother 3 (perhaps most blatantly, the identity of the main bad guy – spoiled beyond a shadow of a doubt both by the New Pork City level and The Subspace Emissary).
As someone who readily identifies with the EarthBound fan community, I'm obviously frustrated by this. I'm similarly frustrated by the lack of EarthBound on the Virtual Console, despite the fact that it has already been rated for Virtual Console release months ago. It's a good series, and I would love to talk it over with people. But it's really hard to do so when the most conversation I can get is a knowing nod and the promise to take my word for it.
One factor, I think, is that Nintendo completely flubbed the release of EarthBound back in the day. For one thing, the packaging of a game with the strategy guide was not just ahead of its time, it was a downright boneheaded maneuver. Back when EarthBound came out, the strategy guide was something that was bought by only a small number of people, and it really wasn't necessary for getting through the game (I managed to get through just fine without it). Quite a few people were disappointed in that they had to get a guide with the game... particularly at a time when completing a game with a guide was looked down upon (for those wondering about that, they used to make games where you could clear through the game without a guide's help... alien concept today, I know).
Another factor, I think, is that EarthBound is not an easy game to get into. I'll be honest, it took me over a year to actually like the game, and a few more after that to fully appreciate everything going on with the game. I know it's rated K-A on the Super Nintendo (the rating that eventually became E by the ESRB), but the game's not for kids. It's just too dense, both in terms of play style and thematically. The game needed time to develop its fanbase – due to when it was released and how, it never had a chance to fully develop one. Heck, even now, a good chunk of the fanbase isn't so much a fan of the game as it is a fan of Ness (and a bit of Lucas as well) in Super Smash Bros.
Also, the series has a bad habit of releasing at awkward times. The first Mother game was apparently denied release because Nintendo was focusing on development for the Super Nintendo, particularly in North America. The GBA rerelease of Mother 1+2 was stymied in part by Nintendo's focus on the DS, and the GBA Mother 3 came out in Japan at a point when Nintendo had all but stopped releasing GBA carts in North America.
However, sometimes, I can't help but wonder if part of the reason the series doesn't get brought over is due to the, well, antagonistic stance the fanbase has towards Nintendo over the series. Every so often, you'll get someone who asks the American arm of Nintendo about the game. The answers are non-committal: they'll recognize the game's vibrant fanbase, but refuse to give solid word one way or the other about any plans they might have regarding the franchise.
You wouldn't know it to hear some fans, though. I've seen people splice clips of Reggie Fils-Aime together to make it look like he's trashing the franchise and that it'll never get brought over to these shores. When Nintendo Power (which has not been published by Nintendo for some time now) made a joke that appeared to mock EB fans, Nintendo got deluged with angry letters (one of the possible drawbacks of letting a house organ go independent – not everyone remembers that it isn't a house organ anymore). You'd think that Nintendo executives ate puppies every day, from the way they're described at times.
Honestly? I think people need to realize that such behavior doesn't help. Look, I'm just as frustrated that the series isn't coming over. But trying to antagonize and insult the company you want to bring the Mother series over isn't going to help. I don't think that Reggie, or anyone else at Nintendo, has a grudge against the series. But if they do, it's most likely because the fanbase treats them like garbage. I'm not saying that Nintendo would refuse to release a game just because its fans have been rude... but I wouldn't put it outside the realm of possibility.
Again, I think it's quite silly as I bet the format issue is really the big one. I mean, since Mother 3 came out in Japan, I can only think of one game that Nintendo has released for the GBA – and that was a Pok้mon game, which is guaranteed money for them. And even that didn't sell as well as Nintendo hoped. It's quite reasonable to believe that a nearly-unknown franchise would fare much worse. Now, there is always hope that Nintendo could bundle the trilogy on a DS card (if so, they should call me – I have a great ad campaign for it). But before we get to that point, we should probably treat them nicer. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, and I don't think it help to insult Nintendo over the series.
Source : http://www.netjak.com/review.php/1462
