After years of anticipation and countless petitions, fans of the cult classic RPG Mother 3 were met with bittersweet news in the latest Nintendo Direct: Partners Showcase. The highly sought-after game, which has long been the subject of localization demands, was finally released on the NSO + Expansion Pack service for the Game Boy Advance platform in Japan.
The announcement has reignited the hopes of fans who have been waiting for the game to be made available to a wider audience outside of Japan. However, the news also comes with a tinge of disappointment, as there is still no word of a dedicated release or localization for the game in other regions.
Since its original release in 2006, Mother 3 has been a source of frustration for international fans who have been eager to experience the sequel to Earthbound. Despite the game’s popularity and the ongoing demand for its release, Nintendo has yet to fulfill the wishes of fans.
The game’s absence from the international market has been attributed to its tackling of sensitive and controversial themes that may attract censorship. The plot of Mother 3 delves into deep and emotional topics such as loss, animal cruelty, and drugs, making it a potentially challenging game to localize for a global audience.
While the current release of Mother 3 on the NSO + Expansion Pack service in Japan is a step in the right direction, it remains to be seen whether Nintendo will take further steps to make the game available to a wider audience. For now, fans will have to continue to wait, or resort to streaming the game in Japanese, as they hold out hope for a future dedicated release or remaster.