EarthBound, which has always been known as Mother overseas, started out as one of the most beloved RPG series of its time, remained one of the most cherished series all throughout the 1990s, and has since then proven that it stands the test of time with ease. However, with the release of Mother 3 a few years ago, many are divided as to which game deserves the crown, and that's precisely what we're going to determine this week!
As for last week's debate between both K.OT.O.R. games, Dtoid reader Jarmel summed up most voters' opinions with "This is like comparing Modern Warfare to World at War." Here are the results:
- K.O.T.O.R. (57 votes) -- Winner!
- K.O.T.O.R. II: The Sith Lords (14 votes)
I've got a feeling this week's discussion might be similar to the Fallout series debate, where many expected the most recent game of the series to win with ease, only to see a strong surge of support for one of its predecessors. Will the battle between EarthBound and Mother 3 live up to my expectations? Will it be a landslide? Or will one of the other games in the series pull off a surprise win? Anything can happen, and the outcome is all in your hands!
Which game in the EarthBound / Mother series is the best, and why? What sets your pick apart from the other games in the series? Sell me on the idea! Get me stoked to see it compete in the RPG tournament! Give it some serious thought, share your reasoning with all of us, and then check back next week to see how your game did!
Contest:
8:30 PM on 07.27.2010 | 
EarthBound should be on second place in a very close tie, it has it's own flavor. After all Mother 3's full effect wouldn't be detonated without playing this one first.
Earthbound was second. But Mother 3 was just...incredible. First and only game in my life to make me shed one manly tear.
Sometimes on Tuesday nights after I hit post, I will brew a cup of coffee or pour a large glass of something tasty, and then sit down and hit F5. And I'm always fucking thrilled at how many comments come in so quickly! You guys rock, and I just want you to know that I still read every single one of your comments most weeks!
Keep on kicking ass, Dtoid Army.
So, Mother 3 is the winner, but only by a very, very tiny bit.
I'd have to side with Mother 3 on this one. I still own and occasionally play my original copy of EarthBound, but Mother 3 had an amazing story ending.
P.S. Although I admit I played the Fan-Trans of Mother 3, I'd buy it in a heartbeat if it was ever actually released here.
Earthbound and Mother 3 are both the pinnacles of gaming.
It's the most funnest Mother game EVAR
The best JRPG since Suikoden II....
Really Mother 3 is to brothers what Suikoden II was to best friends.
Mother 3 also does what JRPGs don't....not take itself seriously for most of the game but still be about serious issues.
When will the Ultima series, Wizardry series, Mana series, Might and Magic series, and even the SSI Gold Box series go?
Will Planescape Torment be in?
So Mother 3 is my vote. But Earthbound is 1B to Mother 3.
Just kidding, Mother was terrible.
Earthbound is my favorite.
Mother 3 was damn amazing, but Earthbound just has so much nostalgic value to it
my vote will have to be Earthbound (mother 2)
the one thing M3 does have for sure is better bosses. In EB you pretty much just have to spam your strongest attacks and heal accordingly; whereas mother 3's bosses will fuck you up if you dont use the right strategies.
I've got a .doc file with all the contenders in it, and it's going to come down to a little more than 32, which means eventually I'll be doing a 2 part (2 week) finish to the qualifiers, where I show all the of games that remain, with only 1 or 2 spots left open, and have week 1 letting any other games be requested to join the battle royale, and then week 2 be that bloodbath until only 1 or 2 remain. Then the tournament will start the week after.
It's definitely going to make the epic Street Fighter tournament look puny in size by comparison.
Mother 3 is technically a better game to me, but I have a closer affinity to Earthbound.
I haven't played Mother (Earthbound Zero) yet, so I can't comment on it. :)
Mother 3, on the other hand, is one of my favourite JRPGS.
Mother 3 on the other hand feels a lot more on the emotional side for me, focusing more on the emotional story than the charm, but I guess a better story really is stronger. The music is once again amazing, memorable, and gut wrenching when it reminds you of the sad parts of the story. Actually scratch that Mother 3 is also just as charming as ever.
But the fact of the matter is, Lucas will never be Ness. I mean just look at Lucas and his hairdo. Compare it with Ness, and his thugged out swag (crooked cap). Lucas is the typical emo boy (not that he doesn't have good reason to be sad). All the games are amazing at what they do and how they bring that charm but all in all I choose Earthbound. Ness, Paula, Jeff, Poo... Mother 3 main heroes don't come close to the classic.
Earthbound was fun, but Mother 3 streamlined the system while pulling at my heartstrings at the same time. Story and gameplay run on two separate rails, just like they always have for JRPGs, but Mother 3's track is 3000 karat gold.
First, the gameplay: The Dragon-Quest-style battles stay pretty much the same, (I could never get the music combos down) but it's easier to avoid encounters now and only fight when you feel like it. Earthbound had the same visible enemies, but it took some real fancy footwork to actually stay out of battle. Besides that, boss fights got a considerable difficulty upgrade. Earthbound's boss fights were always lightning affairs- either you waste the boss in under 5 turns, or you wipe because you didn't buy enough bottle rockets. In Mother 3, every chapter ended with a satisfying battle. There were a lot of times when Lucas and Kumatora ran all out of PP for healing, and I had to desperately attack and hope the boss died before my HP rolled down to zero.
And of course, the story. There be spoilers here. The game sure knows how to trigger emotions. I rarely feel anything for the characters in games, but this game brought me to tears several times. The death of your mother, the private farewell concert for Duster, your mother's ghost saving you from a death, and the list goes on. I remember whispering "no..." at my screen when your dad protects you from the final boss' attack, then falls to the ground. And of course, there was plenty of brighter moments as well. The coffee breaks are oddly soothing after a rough chapter. And never has a boss fight made me laugh more than the ending for the Barrier Trio.
I played Earthbound and enjoyed it, but M3 blows it out of the water. Earthbound has all the makings of a good RPG. But M3 tells me what makes a great RPG.
I tried playing Mother, but couldn't get into it. I've played games with random encounters before, but this game's encounter rate is heinous. There's no reason why I should have to walk across the world map 1-3 tiles at a time.
Since I played Mother 3 first, I disagree with EtherGK with the characters. I felt the main characters were instantly more likeable than the characters in Earthbound. They just have an abundance of more personality to them. The characters in Earthbound almost feel lifeless in comparison. All the characters had motivation for completing their quest. With Earthbound characters it was just save the world 'cause it's what has to be done. I even felt that Boney (the dog) had more personality than Jeff or Paula. Boney was the dog that loves his masters (Lucas and Flint) and had to help them with all of their endeavors. Jeff just had a dream from Paula, and Paula just had a vision. I did love Poo though, I thought the sequence where he had to master Mu was fantastic.
Mother 3 is the clear winner for me, but in the end, they both stand tall as pinnacles of the RPG genre, and should be played by all. (plus Mother 3 had the Magypsies, so ya, instant win right there)
Earthbound is close second.
Alright, I'm gonna vote Earthbound/Mother 2, just because of the music. <3
It's Dragon Quest, but replace the swords and armor with baseball bats and t shirts, and replaces the puns with cracks at American culture. That's the best way I could describe it.
My pick is Mother 3: Awesome story, intense battle system, not to mention an artistic style that I wish was used more often.
but this game was so freaking epic for a GBA game.
i vote mother 3