Preface: I wrote the first draft of this (and it's squeal post) post back in the spring of last year, when I first joined Dtoid. But since the number of people who had played Mother 3 then was about 10, the post was trite and irrelevant. But now that the iron curtain has been lifted with the Fan Translation Patch, and Americans can at long last enjoy Mother 3, I decided it was high time to rewrite this (and it's followup) article, and hopefully finish the series. I hope you enjoy!

Let's talk about Mother 3's music. The full soundtrack for Mother 3 is comprised of 250 songs. I'm going to start with just the first 50 as all of them would make for a ridiculously long post. Don't feel obliged to read it all at once! You can peruse it at your leisure reading/listening to one song at a time. To listen to the songs, all you need to do is NOT download a ROM of Mother 3 and a emulator and your done. Mother 3 has a soundplayer that has all 250 songs already on it, with out you needing to unlock anything. You can also try to download a mp3 version of the soundtrack, or just visit Starmen.net's soundtrack page With any luck, dedicated fans and strangers to the series should get something out of this, although be warned that while I've omitted the big stuff, there are still mild spoilers through out.



Let's Begin:

001 -Let's Begin!- The track that plays on the game’s title screen. The song is filled with uncertainty and limitless potential. The title screen is very ambiguous, with a strange logo and a blank black background, and this track helps to enhance the mysterious atmosphere. It’s a wonderful song, and it’s a shame that most people only take the time to listen to a few seconds of it.
****

002- Fun Naming- This plays during the naming screen. Beautiful and full of simple soothing cheer. It's a happy peaceful song for a happy peaceful family. At the same time though, there's incredible sadness in it when listened to after knowing the sad fate soon to befall. This duality of blissful joy and utter somber makes it one of the best in the game. *****

003-Voice 1011- Its a voice sample of Shigesato Itoi, the director of the entire Mother series
saying Odesuka?, the Japanese equivalent of OK. It was also used in the Earthbound naming screen. Apparently Itoi did not know of its use in EB until he played the final build as a developer snuck it in there as a joke. Because this is not actually a song, I don’t think it’s fair to give it a rating, but it's a cute touch in both games.N/A

004-Welcome- Mother 3 hits you hard and fast with its music. The first two songs were incredible and number three is no exception. This plays during the intro to the game as the world of Mother 3 is shown to you. It fools you into thinking that it will be a slow ballad with its intro, and then switches to a fast paced rock tune. The song is designed to pump you up, and get you excited and anxious to play, which it does very successfully. The hints of sadness present in 002 are gone, and even the slower outro is still designed to excite and energize. A great track. ****

005-Alec's Log House- A mellow but pleasant piece, which helps to reinforce the happy atmosphere at the point in the game in which it plays. Although it works well as a BGM listing to it on its own doesn’t really evoke any strong feelings, like some of the other tracks do. It’s still a good song though, and most definetly deserves recognition. ***

006-Mama's Old House- A beautiful remix of Mother 3’s main theme. While the original version (045) is tragic and methodical, this is happy faced paced and creates feelings of ecstasy instead of ones of
sorrow. Its invigorating rock nature is probably why it was chosen to be a BGM in SSBB, where it excites brawlers as they duke it out on New Pork City. *****

007-Save- The song that plays while your game saves. You will probably only hear a bit of it when you play the game, but it’s no great loss. Works well in the game, but not out of it. **

008-I'm Okera- This really can’t be counted as a song as it is really just a jingle that lasts 3 seconds. It is a good jingle in its defense though and fits the mole crickets well. N/A

009-Ram Into An Enemy!- The jingle that plays when you run into an enemy. It’s a remasterd version of the jingle in Earthbound, which makes it awesome. N/A

010-Annoying Guys- In Mother 3, there is a musical combo system in which you can score more hits (up to 16) on an enemy by tapping the button to the beat of the song. I have utterly no sense of rhythm or beat though, so I was never able to pull off more then four additional hits by luck, but, I hear that it is one of the best parts of the game and that most people who play Mother 3 are quite good it. This song is designed to be easy, (not for me) to pull of a musical combo on as this is the players first fight, and they're still learning the system. Despite the simple beat structure behind it though, it is a good battle song that inspires you to fight and to keep tapping the button in hopes of scoring a combo. No real emotional depth to it, but it's a fun song that stands up outside of the game and in. ***

011-Won The Battle- The remastered victory song from EB. Still just as good as it always was. It brings back great memories and creates wonderful new ones. As nerdy as this is, I'd occasionally just stop and listen to the song after I win a particularly difficult fight. It's the perfect musical embodiment of your feelings of success and triumph. ****

012-Please Stand Up- The death screen song. Somber music to convey you're failure, but at the same time, encouraging you, so that you'll try again. The sensations of longing that the music conveys, really inspire you to get back up and continue the fight. ****

013-As You Like- The song that plays in you're inventory.Soothing like the musak in a hotel atrium. I like the little electronic sounds in the background that scale up and down. A good non-obtrusive yet still pleasurable track but nothing extraordinary. ***

014-Letter to You- A beautiful piece that plays near the end of the introductory chapter. Relaxing with mixed feelings of happiness and nostalgia. A certain degree of longing on the part of the letters author is conveyed, but also her parallel happiness and quiet. although incomplete, bliss.****



015-Carrier Pigeon- The song starts with a surreal remix of track 014 and turns into ambiguous creepy background noise as shit starts to get whack in the peaceful world of Mother 3. Still sends shivers down my spine to this day. ***

016-Mysterious Flying Object- Mother 3 is a lot like the musical Les Mes in the sense that there are several songs that represent certain themes, characters or groups of characters. One such theme is The Theme of Love (Track 045.) One track (Track 187) is remixed quite often in the game and serves as the theme of the main antagonists, the Pig Mask Army. 187 is one the greatest song in Mother 3 and Track 016 is a few bars of it that play in passing at this point in the game. The full song is central to Mother 3 and this introduction of it is crucial to the plot of the game. As amazing as Track 187 is, Track 016 is a 20 second sound bite from it and doesn’t deserve the recognition of its longer brethren. N/A

017-LOG-O-TYPE- The track that plays as the logo of Mother 3 appears and the intro comes to a conclusion. A powerful, intense song, the like of which has not yet been heard in this lighter paced intro. Derived from a portion of Track 187, it's a fanfare like piece perfect for the beginning of this incredible journey. ****

018-It's a f-f-fire!- Another remix of 187, this time turning into a fast paced guitar piece. Fits perfectly with the scene in which it is played and works great as a stand alone piece. The strong chords amplify the intensity of the Pig Mask's blaze. One of my favorite versions of 187. *****

019-Chapter 1- Night of the Funeral- The introductory track for Chapter 1. Filled with intrigue and mystery it fits perfectly with the strange subtitle of chapter one. A nice but short track. N/A

020-Sound of Siren- It starts with an intense, anxious intro then mozies into a slower more mysterious yet still anxious segment. The early frantic pace compliments Thomas mad dash to warn the village of the blazing inferno wrecking havoc on there forest, and the slower scales help to build up a subtler anxiety. A solid track. ***



021-Together- The jingle that plays when a temporary character joins your party. Not as nice as the jingle that plays when a real character joins you (fitting, since a temporary character just isn't as good), but still a great relic from Earthbound. N/A

022-To Teri Forest- Even the average music of Mother 3 is incredible. Although this overworld song starts out slow, it really picks up the pace at about 1:05. I love the mystery and intrigue of this song, which fits as you are just now exploring a new and hostile part of the Mother 3 world. ***

023-Forest Shrine-A quick song that shows up a surprising amount of times. I love the sounds of pipe organs and this simple catchy and haunting ballad serves it’s purpose well. ***

024-Forest in Fire- Another remix of 187. Not quite as goof as 018 but still a solid version. As the action gets more heated(ha ha ha) the music get’s more intense. It really shows how every song in Mother 3 is worked on with care and dedication, and how often certain ditties are remixed and integrated. ***

025-Overcome by the Enemy!- A remasterd version of surprise attack jingle from EB. This one brings back more painful memories then then 009 ;). N/A

026-Bat-san Twist-This song plays when you fight a bat enemy. I love the little throwback to a certain superhero. A great humorous battle song that is supposedly easy to combo on, not for me of course ;) ****

027Good Hot Water- A remastered version of the hot spring theme from EB. Soothing and relaxing, just like the warm water of a sauna. Let this song mellow you out as you're HP is slowly regained. ***

028-Pig Mask Comes!- A brief segment of 187. More a jingle then an actual song. N/A

029-Troublesome Guys- Another battle theme that is reportedly easy to combo on, although apparently harder then the last two. I love the jazz influence in the track, reminiscent of Runway 5. The trumpet combined with the drumbeat really create a mysterious feeling that fits with the strange Chimera's you fight too it. ***

030-Nuisance Guys- An OK battle theme but nothing spectacular. A good beat but no real emotional connotation. It works pretty well in the game though, and keeps you pumped up. **

031-What?-A slightly weird jingle, used for slightly weird instances.. N/A

032-Back Beat Battles-The battle themes get more epic and intense as the game goes on, and this song starts the trend. Not quite as dramatic as some later themes, but still a pretty good song, with a subdued intensity behind it's staggered melody. ***



033-Gentle Rain- A sad piece that is used frequently in the game to create feelings of longing. It works
quite well as both a mood piece in the game and as a song to listen to outside of the game. Somber, but not quite to the tear jerking level of some of the later songs, making for a more calm form of tragedy. ****

034-Homely YADO- A nice track. It plays in the yados (Japanese word for hotel) that you visit. There honestly isn’t much to say about it though. It’s passive, and a far cry to the exciting hotel music to come. While it's the song of fast paced capitalism, this is the passive tune of the cost free utopia that will so quickly be destroyed. The symbolical difference behind the two though is pretty brilliant. ***

035-Letter From You- A gentle and touching remix of Track 014. Beautiful yet incredibly sad, While Hinawa's happiness in writing the letter is conveyed, so is Flint's tender distress wrought from being unable to find his beloved. . ****

036-Hard Rain- A song of determination and strength. If you listen closely, you can hear part of track 24 in the background at times as Flint sets out on the forest trail once again. Hard and steadfast, like the man it plays for. ***

037-Let's Go Together!- A beautiful remastered version of the new party member jingle from EB. Brings back memories of how ecstatic I was when I got my first new party member in EB. N/A

038-Run, My Dog!- Another song of dedication and strength. It contains the theme song(046) of a certain favorite character of mine, whom were about to meet. Boney's loyalty and gusto are perfectly demonstrated by the bravado of the music, as he dashes off to complete a task for his beloved owner. ****

039-Surely Somewhere- An odd track composed of a simple melody with strange noises serving as the beat. The game is becoming stranger at this point, so it makes sense for this song to be played then. Another anxiety inducing piece. ***

040-Got in my hand a...- A remastered version of the got a new item theme from EB. Never really liked it in either version, but it's an item jingle, so whats to complain about it? N/A



041-Timidly- A remastered version of the memorable cave theme from EB. It works just as well as in
EB. The weird siren like sounds accompanied by a strange haunting, humming noise in the background create an atmosphere of intrigue and subdued fear. ****

042-Mischievous Blues- Another good battle theme. Far more goofy then some of the later ones, and fits with the slightly silly enemies fought to it. But while it's present and light heated, the battle themes get more intense soon. ***

043-Tragic Reconstruction- Very soon indeed! This is an intense piece that is used in an intense fight against a difficult (and tragic) foe. The loud drum beat really helps to create the feeling of panic and pressure, especially when your life odometer is trickling down as the Moose readies another assault, and the guilt over killing a something innocent, being forced to fight you. The Pig Masks are dicks. ****

044-Confusion- The song starts with stuttered intro of chords and then progress into a slow and somber ballad. The deep resonance of the chords mixes with the high pitched melody to create a beautiful, haunting effect as a terrible truth is reveled, and equally terrible anger over it is so violently displayed. ****

045-Mother 3 Love Theme- The theme song of Mother 3. It is very similar to EB0’s (Maria's Theme) and EB’s (Eight Melodies) theme songs in the sense that it is a simple yet incredibly powerful and deep ballad that has great importance thought the game. This version of the song is far sadder then the upbeat cheeriness of 006. Even with out knowing anything about the game, you can still hear the meaning and themes that the song conveys. The sadness and mourning, but also the love that creates these sad feelings. The title; The Theme of Love, fits the song perfectly. *****



046-Sorrowful Tazmily- This track starts out a simple flute melody with a small piano playing a tune in the background, but soon other instruments begin to accompany the two, and the song turns into a sad, subdued version of a beautiful theme song to come. ***

047-Sad Room-A sad but unmemorable track. It’s really more of an atmospheric piece, then something
for you to listen to alone. Like all of Mother 3 though, it's high quality atmosphere. **

048-In the Room. This is the song that plays whenever you are in someone’s house. I love the use of the synthesizer to make this track, a somewhat superficial but enjoyable song.***

049-Going Alone- Another epic overwold theme, that is handled just as much care as another track, now that daylight has set in, the music can be less anxiety inducing and suspenseful, and more relaxing. The child like simplicity of the track helps to create an atmosphere that encourages exploration and simple fun, despite the tragedy behind it. ****

050-Fun Bazzar- Another happier track, that plays when you are in a store. It reminds me a bit of the music they play at carnivals (or what I imagine they play at carnivals, I’ve never actually been to one.) I think a synth is used in this track as well. Like 048, this track, while, enjoyable lacks any true emotional depth. ***

Hope you enjoyed: see you next time!