The Mother series, known as EarthBound in the West, holds a cult status, especially outside of Japan. Such is the fervor that fans, including beloved actor Terry Crews, have been demanding for years that Nintendo bring Mother 3 to the West, but without success. Everyone except Nintendo wants the game to reach the West... even the franchise's creator.
The legacy of Mother lives on thanks to Super Smash Bros., but primarily thanks to the fans. A testament to this is EarthBound USA, a fan documentary that delves into the mystique of the franchise and anecdotes, in which even Shigesato Itoi, the creator of the series, participated.
Creator of Mother wants fans to be able to play Mother 3
Itoi was questioned about the absence of Mother 3 in the West, and interestingly, he took the opportunity to express for the first time his desire for the audience in this region to have the opportunity to play Mother 3 in a localized form.
He even spoke about the occasion when fans offered their translation to Nintendo, which the company dismissed because "it wasn't that simple." However, he mentioned that he would have liked to see what would have come out of this unusual collaboration and even stated that something better would have come out than what Nintendo would have done on its own.
"I have spoken with Nintendo about that before. Apparently, they were proposed to use the [fans'] translation, but they said it wasn't that simple. I think it would have been interesting if they had accepted the proposal. It would be complicated to do something like, say, a car with [fan collaboration]. But when it comes to software, I think there would be an opportunity to do something that would have been better than what the company could have done on its own," expressed Itoi (via Nintendo Everything).
Will Shigesato Itoi return to work on Mother?
However, despite the celebrated writer participating in the documentary to talk about his old creation, he reiterated and made it clear that he is not interested in returning to the franchise, as he had already left it behind.
"Usually, when I'm done with something, I consider it finished once and for all. You can't leave projects halfway, but when you put an end to something, it's better to leave it behind. The older you get, the more stories there are for you," the writer concluded.
What do you think of Shigesato Itoi's words? Do you think Mother 3 will ever receive an official localization for the West? Let us know in the comments.
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