Legends of Localization: MOTHER 3’s Timeline of Hope (2025)

Table of Contents
2012 2013 2014 2015

This is Part #4 of my write-up about the hope, hype, and disappointment that has followed MOTHER 3 for over 20 years. For more details, see Part #1.

2012

For whatever reason, things started to change in 2012. New hope and optimism rushed in and fans were hungry for an official MOTHER 3 translation announcement.

Early in the year, the official Nintendo World Store in New York showcased a lot of MOTHER series merchandise, including MOTHER 3 and MOTHER 3-related items.

Well, at least they acknowledge the series existence, something they don’t always do….

Not all hope is lost! I thinks its neat that even if Nintendo themselves don’t talk about or acknowledge Mother/Earthbound their employees do

Wow. That’s really nice. It’s great to see that at least the series is remembered.
A “glimmer of hope”, huh? Definitely a faint one, but still, I wonder how far it might go…

Hope for a MOTHER 3 release via the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program hadn’t quite died out yet:

As most know, the Nintendo 3DS recently dropped its price, and people who bought the 3DS beforehand were introduced to the Ambassador program, which offered them a choice of 20 free NES and, most notably, Game Boy Advance games. This made me think, “So, Nintendo has hinted that they might release GBA games on the eShop, and at least proved that they could port a GBA game to the 3DS, so even if they aren’t planning to release many GBA games on the eShop, they could do a standalone title. What better standalone title, or better yet, GBA eShop launch title than Mother 3?” Then the gears in my head started to turn. I realized that there were actually many factors in favor of Nintendo launching Mother 3 on the eShop. Here are the reasons: (NOTE: I’ve left out the giant list of reasons followed this) More… »

Satoru Iwata, now the president of Nintendo, commented on the MOTHER series and fans outside of Japan:

Iwata: [in English]: “Just yesterday, before I left from Japan, I met with Mr. Itoi, who is the creator of the Earthbound series. [laughs]”

Me: “Oh, I know. Are we ever going to get it?”

Iwata: “And, yeah, accidentally we were discussing that there are huge fans from Western countries for the Mother series [laughs].

Me: “So, someday? Someday?” [I stand up to shake his hand]

Iwata: “[laughs] Thank you. Great to see you!”

Kotaku

This brief quote from Nintendo’s president led to excited speculation that also seemed a bit premature:

Iwata just said that he knows that there are fans fron the West.

Doesn’t exactly correlate to Mother 3 going to America, especially when the GBA “died”.

IWATA PLEASE DONT PLAY WITH MY FEELINGS OK?
oh my god ; _ ;

Looks like it’s time for Nintendo’s annual trolling of the Earthbound fanbase again. We couldn’t have a year go by without it.

The new 3DS game crosswords plus has an EB reference, so it’s not dead!

As for Mother 3, it’s too little too late, guys. Nintendo held out too long. Those who were waiting it out probably got bored and just downloaded the ROM and patched it with the English translation, which Nintendo surprisingly stayed mum on. If they release it now, it’ll sell like crap. They can theoretically make it a digital release, which is the best and most cost-effective route possible. Or make a Mother compilation.

By this point in time, many of the original 1990s EarthBound fans were grown up and had careers. One longtime fan named Chewy even started working at Shigesato Itoi’s office. She was able to share her experiences with the MOTHER with Itoi face-to-face, and even went on to explain how and why the series is so popular outside of Japan now.

This Chewy stuff is actually a topic all of its own that goes in its own direction, but it’s helpful to know now because it was instrumental for some of the things to come. For now, check out this podcast if you’re interested in learning more.

Itoi was also aware that Chewy was part of Starmen.Net (or the “Starman Club” as he puts it), so he offered a little present to the community in 2012:

Itoi presents Chewy with a personally drawn and autographed Mr. Saturn drawing

Chewy made sure the drawing safely reached Reid, the head of the Starman Club

For years, fans had tried to get Itoi’s attention to let him know how much they like the series and how much they want to see MOTHER 3 translated. And the fans finally succeeded. There was excitement and hope in the air.

A few weeks after talking with Chewy, Itoi began talking about Starmen.Net and posting Twitter messages about the MOTHER series. He would usually only talk about MOTHER stuff a couple times a year, so this was very out of character for him. He even mentioned an upcoming meeting with Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto after a follower asked about the MOTHER series. This flurry of Itoi activity lit the fire of a new hope.

Then, after a few more enigmatic MOTHER-related tweets, Itoi suddenly announced a secret MOTHER series release in the near future.

Details were sparse, but fans were excited by the possibility that EarthBound might finally get a re-release, that MOTHER 3 might finally get a translation, or that some all-new game was being made.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I’m reeeeeally excited now!!:D

Just seeing “Itoi Announces MOTHER Developments” was already too good to be true.And it is truth!

Ok,I know I shouldn’t get too much hopes up.But as a Mother fan and a Mega Man I got some really good surprises today.Of course the Mother one was more unbelievable and exciting,but I’m just happy ☺

I think it would be pretty safe to assume it’s a compilation release. Since he is referring to the MOTHER series as a whole, that seems slightly more likely. Perhaps for the 3DS? That would be great.

Unfortunately, i doubt it’ll be released outside of Japan, due to Itoi kind of stating that one of the reasons they didn’t brin mother 3 to the U.S. is because of not that many people liking the mother franchise. Unless it’s on virtual console.

hhahahaaaah i can already see the purists pooping themselves over every little change and running to the internet to cry about it

The little child in me can’t stop screaming. It’s that same little child who was told Santa doesn’t really exist, but that won’t stop me making one specially for her. It’s that kind of emotional outcry.

The year ended with very strong hopes for something MOTHER 3-related in 2013.

2013

Things are usually quiet at the start of each year, but this year was different. Itoi continued to tweet about something he called his “MOTHER Revival”, but details remained sparse.

Itoi also continued to tweet to fans outside of Japan and talk about fans outside of Japan. Fans grew more hopeful for a MOTHER 3 announcement, but they displayed it in different ways:

Honestly, I would appreciate and take advantage of any opportunity to purchase the EarthBound games that come out on any platform, especially if they come to North America.

If it turns out to be some B.S. “Anniversary Collection” thing like they did with Kirby and Mario All-Stars for the Wii, I’m not even going to bother. Nintendo can’t be completely oblivious to the fact that people hate crap like that.

It would be pretty awesome if something is planned for sometime in 2014, since it’s the 25th anniversary of MOTHER.

Eventually, it was revealed that the “MOTHER Revival” thing Itoi spoke about for months was actually just a MOTHER 2 re-release on the Japanese Wii U Virtual Console. It had nothing to do with MOTHER 3 at all.

Some fans were understandably disappointed the secret game wasn’t MOTHER 3, but most longtime fans were used to not getting overly hopeful. If anything, fans were antsier about whether or not EarthBound would get a similar re-release.

I am happy for those in Japan, who will finally be able to play this game.

I am also happy for those in the US, who are far more likely to see a version released than the UK, EU, and AUS.

It’s a first step, and that is good news.

This is not the time for disappointment. This is not the time for outrage. This is the time for hope, action, and enthusiasm. Here is our opening, one that parallels the Mother 3 release. It is our time to demonstrate our demand for a US/EU/AU release with the utmost earnest sincerity.

Nintendo has shown its responsiveness in listening its fans (Xenoblade, The Last Story, acknowledgment of Wii U problems in today’s Nintendo Direct, et al.). Let us organize, explain our wishes, and show Nintendo and Nintendo of America (and Europe, etc.) that our hopes of playing EarthBound (and Mother 3!) are not empty desires. We have an unrelenting love for the games, and we plan to demonstrate how localizing the game(s) for **at least** Wii U Virtual Console availability would be an excellent business decision.

Mother 3 on 3DS virtual console wouldn’t be a bad Idea Either

Itoi continued to reach out to fans outside of Japan:

This acknowledgment and appreciation from the series’ creator continued to build hope very slowly:

this is our chance to show our love and support this game and Nintendo and show just how much the Earthbound fanbase has really grown. And at the end of the day, that’s what this is really all about. And who knows, if it does well and wakes Nintendo up to this, they’ll release MOTHER 3 worldwide?

This fight. Now for THE ULTIMATE BATTLE OF LIFE AND DREAMS!

Or, instead of that, let’s just see about getting Mother 3 and NES Earthbound to be officially released.

Unrelated to all of this, Nintendo of America suddenly mentioned MOTHER 3 on Facebook:

I doubt this got any hopes up, but it did generate some strong reactions from fans:

NoA, can we have more Mother 3 info, like that game itself. 😀

Mother 3? What’s that? I have never seen it over here in the US…. ☺ I am actually surprised that you acknowledged its existence. Reggie normally tells us how much he hates Mother 3 fans.

Welp I’d sure like to legally find out what makes the dog in Mother 3 so goreat, but gee, SOMEBODY won’t bring it to the States! C’mon, Nintendo. Seriously. Bring it here.

Mother 3? What’s that? That game doesn’t exist according to you guys!

EarthBound eventually saw a Wii U Virtual Console re-release, even in regions where the game had never been released before. This was a huge deal – EarthBound was finally getting an affordable, legal re-release 18 years after it debuted. Fans had also been trying to convince Nintendo for 6+ years to release EarthBound on the Virtual Console. So this was a big step forward.

It felt like Nintendo was finally acknowledging the game’s existence and its fans. Naturally, this raised hopes that MOTHER 3 would eventually get a translated release too. Many fans already owned EarthBound but bought the Virtual Console re-release based on that hope alone:

What I do know is that since GBA game are going to be available for the Wii U VC( and hopefully for 3DS too),if this sells a lot,there’s a good chance of Mother 3 coming too 😀

YEEEEEEESSSSSSSS! My favorite game of all time! I’ve only bought one game for the Wii U, but this now makes buying it at launch WORTH IT. It costs about the same to buy an SNES and Earthbound as it does a Wii U. (of cource I already have all three, but I’m buying the Virtual Console game just cuz.) Maybe some day we’ll see MOTHER 3 on the Wii U!!!

Will buy it. Maybe we’ll get a port of Mother 3. 😐

EarthBound quickly rocketed up the Wii U sales charts:

EarthBound at the #1 spot for recent best sellers

EarthBound also rapidly climbed the all-time best seller charts

Nintendo of America even mentioned in a press release that EarthBound was “off to a great start”. Fans were excited by this news and hopeful that this meant Nintendo would finally consider a MOTHER 3 translation:

In all seriousness, I’m really happy that Earthbound is doing so well. Maybe This will be their cue to bring Mother 3 overseas… Please?

As for earthbound being released in general. If you mother fans want mother 3 mother 1 or any slim chance of a mother 4 of 3DS or wii U. go pick up a wii U and download earthbound. It’s already the #2 seller of all time on the eshop in just 4 days. Idc if itoi said no mother 4, mother is a nintendo property, no mater what he says nintendo can make it or buy out whatever they need to make it happen if they think it’ll sell

REALLY!!!
That Could Give MOTHER 1 & MOTHER 3 A Chance!!! 😀

Oh my, I can’t help but think we’re on the way to an international release of Mother 3.

Of course, even after all of the exciting news, not everyone shared this same level of optimism:

In all honesty I don’t think Mother 3 will get a release outside of Japan, since it never got translated officially. Now Mother I think has a chance.

Meanwhile, on a whim, I posted an offer to Nintendo that said they could use the MOTHER 3 fan translation script if the issue holding back a release was time or money. I also offered to re-translate it from scratch for free if that would make a deal less complicated. Of course, I didn’t expect to get taken seriously, but I wanted to put the offer out there just in case.

I had actually posted this same offer many times before in different places, but because I posted it on MOTHER 3’s release anniversary and possibly because it was a slow news day, the blog post hit all the major gaming news sites:

Any mention of “MOTHER 3” and “translation” on gaming news sites will get fans’ hopes up and/or result in bystander backlash. I used this as a learning experience to be extra careful about what I say about MOTHER 3 on a whim from now on!

Later on in 2013, with no warning at all, Nintendo created a new, dedicated Miiverse community called the “Onett Times”:

A post from “Tom” greeted visitors to this mysterious Miiverse community:

Why was it made? What kind of “EarthBound news” could there even be after all this time? It was a big mystery that understandably increased hope for an official MOTHER 3 localization to be released soon.

Mother 3 at Nintendo Direct tomorrow? Pleeeease!

Well, if it’s one thing we’ve learned it’s persistence in Miiverse can pay off. If fans keep clamoring for Mother 3 and Earthbound Zero, and if Earthbound has strong sales numbers, we may see the full trilogy released before it’s all said and done.

I’m really hoping for a Mother 3 announcement from this or, preferably a brand new Wii U Mother title that is being released outside of Japan [once it’s finished].

Mother 3 is a definite possibility, though. Ease of distributing it [through the Virtual Console] in addition to Earthbound being as popular now as it is [and for good reason, it’s a shame so many missed out on it until now].

COME ON NINTENDO!!

Nothing happened on the channel after Tom’s first post, though – the whole thing went silent until 2017 when an Undertale-related post was made for some reason. I hope Tom is okay.

In August, Reggie claimed he was well aware of the demand for Mother 3, but stated that there’s nothing to announce for Mother 3 when asked about the game’s chances on the Virtual Console:

To answer your specific question, I would have to say no. We knew the response to EarthBound was going to be strong. Believe me, I’ve met those fans. The first question out of their mouth is, ‘Reggie, when is EarthBound coming? Mother 3!’ I’ve met, I think, all of them,” Fils-Aime told IGN. “So we’re always looking at our rich history to identify those opportunities of games we could bring back and have consumers experience.”

[…]

So is Mother 3, the sequel to EarthBound released on the Game Boy Advance in Japan, coming to Virtual Console? “I have nothing to announce regarding Mother 3 at this time,” Fils-Aime said.

IGN

As always, Reggie’s “nothing to announce yet” response got some fans’ hopes up, while other fans were already used to this type of answer:

He said they had nothing to announce in regards to Mother 3 “at this time”. Would be surprised if it’s announced before the end of the year.

*crosses fingers*

If they said they arn’t going to announce anything about it means that they have something to announce about it but they aren’t yet!

key words “at this time”… thats code for not telling. there was no plan for a price drop or a wind waker hd bundle. so im hoping that means not yet (there is an official earthbound announcement community on miiverse). i also hope this applies to a potential wii u ambassador program…

All that means is the possibility is not ruled out, but it also tells us nothing. EarthBound fans have heard this line from Reggie countless times. It’s just something you get used to, lol.

For fans, 2013 was full of surprises, vindication, misunderstandings, and hope.

2014

Now that fans had their EarthBound Virtual Console re-release, MOTHER 3 became the main focus again. There was a feeling of momentum as 2014 began. This year also marked the 20th anniversary of MOTHER 2’s original release in Japan. Things were looking up.

In March, Nintendo announced that Game Boy Advance games would start joining the Wii U Virtual Console lineup.

This news excited some MOTHER 3 fans. For others, the Wii U Virtual Console didn’t seem like a logical fit for a MOTHER 3 translation. The news was met with a mixture of excitement, lukewarm hope, and hardened skepticism:

I would LOVE to see any type of release of Mother 3 in English, but none of us can really get our hopes up. But then again, EB came out on the Wii U VC… So really, who knows?

They won’t translate it into english, because they are too lazy to do that. I won’t get my hopes up. The only reason they released Earthbound on the VC is, that it already had an official english version. They didn1t even translate it into different languages here in Europe. That would have been important with a game that has so much text. Though english is important, there are still people who don’t speak it or don’t know it well enough… -.-

I honestly believe it will see release here. Because one of the two scenarios will play out, I think…

1. Nintendo releases everywhere. HUZZAH!

2. Nintendo makes a Japanese-exclusive release. Fans make petitions, call-ins, letters, e-mails and more. MOTHER 3 is released stateside. HOORAY!

In time… I do think it will happen.

Hope for a MOTHER 3 announcement at E3 returned in 2014. There was even a separate sliver of hope sparked by a comedy video featuring Reggie:

The box Reggie picks up at 3:14 looks strikingly like the Mother 3 Special Edition Micro.

The color scheme is what makes me think Mother 3 the most. It’s almost identical to the SE Micro. When the video is slowed down the back of the box reveals a white 2DS diagram. The only legible golden lettering on the side is the 2DS. It’s larger than a standard 2DS box which leads me to believe it comes with a physical copy of a game.

Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, or far too much time spent browsing eBay for a copy of Mother 3, but could this happy box on Reggie’s desk be a potential spoiler of an e3 Mother 3 software and hardware reveal?

To everyone’s utter surprise, MOTHER 3 did get mentioned during Nintendo’s E3 Digital Event. A Nintendo-produced video showcased a fan asking Reggie for a MOTHER 3 translation. Then Reggie set the fan on fire.

Although it didn’t provide any new information or announcements, this surprising and sarcastic mention of MOTHER 3 by Nintendo of America – in the full spotlight, no less – caught everyone’s attention, whether they were fans or not. The overall fan response was a complicated mixture of frustration, anger, laughter, and hopefulness.

The fact that Nintendo of America had acknowledged the game and its fans instantly revived hope that had been lost over the years. This also marked the beginning of a new wave of MOTHER 3 hope that we’re still riding today. It also rekindled the “Reggie vs. MOTHER 3 fans” idea, which has given outsiders an entertaining show to watch for years now.

Reactions were widespread, especially on social media sites:

Kinda sick of Nintendo’s attitude towards Mother and its fans. I’ve supported NOA my entire life and this is the crap that is constantly thrown by Reggie.

Get off the high horse and release the damn game already. Would take almost no effort (fan translation exists).

Look Nintendo. I get that you don’t want to release Mother 3 in the west. It’s the greatest game of all time, and it’d be as simple as putting it on the Virtual Console, but you’re a business, and I’m sure you have your reasons.

But that doesn’t mean you have to rub it in our faces.

For those of you who missed it, Nintendo opened their E3 Digital Event with a Robot Chicken-style bit. At one point, a journalist demanded Mother 3. Reggie Fils-Aime responded by a attacking him with a Fire Flower.

I know it’s just a gag, but I’m actually kind of annoyed by this. Mother 3 is one of the most incredible things I’ve ever experienced, and fans have every reason to ask for a western release. Nintendo doesn’t need to give in to those requests, but they shouldn’t mock gamers over them either.

If a Mother 3 announcement is in the pipes, then Nintendo can joke all they want. But if Mother 3 is never coming, then that was a low blow, Nintendo. Seriously.

I seriously doubt they would mention Mother 3 if they had no plans to do anything with it, you know. Nintendo knows better than to rile people up on a wanted game they have no plans to bring over on their biggest 1 hour of 2014.

I think they have practically confirmed that they have heard people want it and thus they acknowledge it as something for the future. Eventually something will show up, I’m certain.

I think it was just a fun reference, nothing more. NoA doesn’t really seem like that’d publish/localise M3 here. Mature stuff like that (let’s say SMT4 as a comparison) seems like stuff they’re OK with 3rd parties releasing in the West, but not something they’re into doing themselves.

Star Fox Joke -> New Star Fox game
Mother 3 Joke -> ????

I very highly doubt that anything will come of this, but keep in mind that MOTHER’s 25th anniversary is next month. So you never know.

I thought it was funny. It’s a good sign noa is cracking jokes about it. Noa is aware of the fan base. It will sell like crazy when the new smash bros comes out. Timing. If lucas or ness make the roster, i’d be shocked if the game isn’t localized. As another poster mentioned. Star fox was a target and there’s a new game in the works. Why would they call out a fan base to ignore them? Just wait. I’m positive they’ll buckle. Metroid fans should be sweating. Shouldn’t have done that. Poor lil’ feller. She’s just a bounty hunter.

At the beginning of the Digital Event, there was a little skit where Reggie appeared on stage and someone in the audience said, “Another Mario game? Reggie, give us Mother 3!” Reggie then proceeded to fry him with his laser-death ray eyes. A little later, the same fan demanded a new Star Fox. Now, we know Star Fox is actually happening, so a M3 re-release could be in the works.

Two new Super Smash Bros. games were released as 2014 came to a close. MOTHER 3 content was included this time around too, although not quite as much as in the previous entry. The “Masterpieces” section of the Wii U release also provided fans with hope that some sort of playable version of MOTHER 3 would be available outside of Japan. Most of these hopes fizzled out over time, however.

Lucas, the main character of MOTHER 3, appeared as a trophy in the 2014 Super Smash Bros. games

Other elements from MOTHER 3 were included, even though MOTHER 3 was never released outside of Japan

Despite all the disappointment, these Super Smash Bros. releases also brought back the old feelings of “If Nintendo is going to include MOTHER 3 content in Super Smash Bros. then they’d be stupid not to release MOTHER 3 in English soon!”

In late 2014, news of an “EarthBound Forever” for the Wii U hit gaming news sites, social media, and message boards. It was said to be a set of all the games in the MOTHER series – including MOTHER 3 – translated into English.

This was met with skepticism by longtime fans, but the news got enough traction to excite many others. It eventually turned out to be a hoax.

2015

Things were looking good in 2015. First, it marked the 20th anniversary of EarthBound’s release. Over the years, I’ve noticed that EarthBound fans love anniversary dates and place extra MOTHER 3 hope around them. This year was no different.

In April, Nintendo announced that Lucas would be made available as a DLC character in the recently released Super Smash Bros. games.

This announcement also suggested that a Lucas amiibo would get released at some point down the road. All of this Lucas love boosted hope that MOTHER 3 might finally get an official translation of some sort:

But just think, we’re getting official MOTHER 3 merchandise in the USA. This will be the first (and only?) amiibo for a chracter whose original game is not available in our region. I think this tips 0.0000001% of the scale in favor of an official release for MOTHER 3 here.

It’s interesting to note that it was specifically mentioned in the direct that MOTHER 3 was never released outside of Japan. It might be wishful thinking, but with all of this, maybe they’re gearing up for a MOTHER-related announcement sometime?

Mother 3 announcement at E3 right

This is the year. Mother Collection. Mother 3. Something.

You could say that I’m being too optimistic here, but I think they may be planning a virtual console release, and we may hear an announcement this E3. People all across the globe have spoken that they love Mother 3 and want it, that’s part of the reason as to why we got Lucas as a DLC character in Smash Bros. now. We had the guy talking about M3 in the Robot Chicken trailer last E3, and regardless of whether Nintendo had a word in putting that in or not, it shows that it’s common knowledge now that people have been begging for a western Mother 3 release.

Lucas in Smash, Earthbound’s 20th Anniversary this year with Mother 3’s 10th Anniversary the next, Nintendo no longer being a stranger to fan-demand and localization, Amiibo selling out like crazy, 1-Up Studio currently unknown to be working on something; it all seems to add up. Call me crazy, but something may be up. Hopefully it is.

On the other hand, some longtime fans were already too weary to have any more hope:

If we ever get Mother 3 in the U.S., I’ll buy gold for every member of this subreddit. I gave up years ago.

In June, the Lucas DLC was finally released… and to commemorate it, Nintendo also released an official translation of MOTHER 1 on the Wii U Virtual Console. The game had been translated in the early 1990s but never released, so this was a huge, huge deal. it also received a new name: “EarthBound Beginnings”.

Shigesato Itoi personally speaks to overseas audiences and announces MOTHER 1's official English release

The pre-filmed announcement debuted at a live stadium event and had fans crying with joy

Fans were delighted. It felt like something impossible had happened. The surprise release was well-received, but it did disappoint fans expecting a MOTHER 3 announcement. Even so, hope wasn’t lost:

This is wonderful, and I never thought it would happen. This great game is now going to be enjoyed by more people, our chances of getting Mother 3 are getting better.

I called it in 2003, i called it in 2006, i called it about a year ago and I’m calling it again. we were getting Mother 3. I will never lose faith.

I think it will happen, someday, sometime… but not soon, that’s for sure. I don’t want to expect something to happen just to get disappointed once more. If I have learned something from Nintendo recently, is not to have great expectations (E3…). Sorry for being so pessimistic… but I’m one of those who thinks that Lucas coming back for Smash Bros was mostly because of Lucas’ mains who wanted him back, not because of the Mother fanbase.

After EarthBound Beginnings’ release, it immediately jumped to the top of the Wii U eShop charts in multiple regions and remained high for a long time:

EarthBound Beginnings on the North American eShop rankings

EarthBound Beginnings on the European eShop rankings

This was a good sign for fans:

MOTHER 3 officially in the pipeline now, hopefully. I think the public has proven themselves at every opportunity provided by Nintendo.

Reggie commented about EarthBound Beginning’s success on the Virtual Console and what it means for a MOTHER 3 translation:

Fils-Aime, in reference to MOTHER 3: “Look, again, I think this is an example that demonstrates we’re constantly listening. We’re hearing what the fans say. And we thought it was great to bring back the very first Mother, Earthbound Beginnings here in the market. It’s been out for sale and doing quite well in the eShop. Again, we’ll never say never, but there’s nothing to announce right now.”

[…]

Fils-Aime: “The Mother/Earthbound series is quite niche. And so for us it’s constantly thinking about the investment and then return for a game like that. There is quite a bit of localization to be done and we just need to make sure that volumetrically there’s enough volume to offset that investment.”

Totilo: “Is it safe to assume that you guys are pretty happy with how Earthbound was received last year and that helped motivate and get Mother 1 out?”

Fils-Aime: “That’s exactly right.”

Kotaku

”He has nothing more to announce for the series for now”
“for now”

So, we still might get mother 3?

Later in the year, Lucas and other MOTHER 3-related content was released for Super Mario Maker on the Wii U. This additional MOTHER 3 content bolstered hopes for a MOTHER 3 release in the near future.

Then, in late 2015, MOTHER 3 was released on the Japanese Wii U Virtual Console.

Naturally, this made fans elsewhere envious and hopeful that a translated release would soon arrive:

With all that’s happened, it seems more likely than ever that they actually do intend to translate and release the game now. It’ll be a big undertaking, much bigger than just releasing already translated ROMs, but I think they now know the demand is there.

They won’t releasing it to the west, end of story.

I just noticed that it was literally faster for me to learn Japanese than to get an English release of Mother 3. ( . _ . )
It’s been a long 9 years.

Yes, it will cost money to translate this game. But their first party games have pretty much perpetual shelf lives. They’d only have to spend money to translate MOTHER 3 once, and afterwards, they’ll have a game they can sell and resell to the US and Europe literally forever.
The Wii U is likely going to have a sizable dry spell between Pokken and Zelda U, and this would be perfect for plugging it up.

It’s super duper real. Well I hope it is because I just bought a Japanese WII U on EBay.
I hope it’s officially in English for the tenth anniversary.

As the year came to a close, some fans shifted their hope to 2016, as it marked the 10th anniversary of MOTHER 3’s release in Japan.

A new wave of MOTHER 3 hope had built up over the past few years. In 2016, that wave would take an unexpected turn and reach new places. Check it out in the next section, Part #5: 2016 to 2018.

Legends of Localization: MOTHER 3’s Timeline of Hope (2025)
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