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EarthBound in Nintendo Power #73
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None foundDecember 14th, 2008 | EarthBound, Rumors

Isn’t it strange and sad that EarthBound still isn’t on the Wii Virtual Console yet?
It’s been over two years since the Wii’s release, and still no EarthBound. And it’s not like it’s been forgotten, Iwata even mentioned it by name when first introducing the Virtual Console feature to the public. The game even continues to dominate Nintendo Power’s most wanted SNES game for the Wii, and Starmen.Net isn’t even out there telling people to vote month after month. The demand is there.
What’s weirder is that MOTHER 2 isn’t out on Japan’s Virtual Console even. Even after Smash Bros. X there had a built-in MOTHER 2 demo meant to hopefully advertise the game so people would buy it on the VC. But it’s still not there, almost a year after the new Smash Bros.
Not even the first game in the series is out anywhere. And it’s a simple NES/Famicom game that’s incredibly popular in Japan and somehow continues to rank very high on Nintendo Power’s most wanted charts despite never having an official release here.
Is Nintendo being crazy? Are they planning to do something with the series soon? Is Itoi planning to do something with the series soon? Do they just not care anymore?
In any case, one little nugget of info I *can* provide is about the recent ESRB rating of EarthBound for the Wii. Some little birdies somewhere say that it wasn’t supposed to happen and that it was a mistake on someone’s part. Whether or not it’s true, I don’t know, but it only adds to the drama and mystery surrounding this VC thing.
I guess in the meantime, everyone’ll just have to pirate ROMs instead of giving Nintendo a boatload of free money, which would probably go into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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57 Comments to EarthBound on Virtual Console?
![]() | somaticdefilement said on Jan. 25, 2009 |
I really like to think that there is some reason for the delay we are just not aware of. Alas, I just think it’s wishful thinking.
It doesn’t have something with the 20th anniversary of Mother & 15th of Mother 2? Something special?
God, I love how the Mr. Saturn is kinda poke-prodding at the EB cart with his nose. Makes him look all innocent and curious about it.
Isn’t it strange and sad that EarthBound still isn’t on the Wii Virtual Console yet? yes it is and cool pic
Well, I do hope Nintendo WILL someday release it, we probably just don’t realize it!!! MAYBE, JUST MAYBE… MAYBE THEY TALK ABOUT IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, WITHOUT US KNOWING!!!!! :evil smile:
well, there must be a reason.
i mean, not even in Japan.
Stuff that happens. While dissapointed, i’m still attached to this saga 😀
Earthbound is most likely not coming to VC because they refrenced a lot of things in the game and if the relessed the game with all the refrences they could get in legal trouble and get sued
I wrote them Nintendo of America a huge letter asking WHYYY?!?
And this is what they said.
Hello,
Because Nintendo of America is the distributor for the United States, Canada, and Latin America, we are only able to provide information about products released in this region. That said, Earthbound has not been announced for release on the Virtual Console here in the Americas. If that should change, we’ll be sure to post the news to our website (www.nintendo.com), so please check back from time to time. To find product release information for your own country, I suggest that you contact Nintendo UK, the official Nintendo subsidiary for the United Kingdom and Ireland. Please visit the support page on their website at the following address:
http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/support_62.html
Sincerely,
Alain Dao
Nintendo of America Inc.
![]() | Poe said on Jan. 13, 2010 |
BoundingFromEarth – That’s a form response. A lot of people have gotten similar replies over the years. They’re not really listening to you.
F*** Nintendo, they hate EB.
I think EarthBound is a bit of a “let’s never speak of this again” thing on behalf of Nintendo.
Too much copyright, so they threw the series in the trash can.
*yells so many swear words and insults about Nintendo that the world explodes*
Personally, if EB leaves Nintendo and goes over to SEGA, it will mean the return of SEGA and many happy EarthBound fans.
![]() | LakituAl said on Jan. 16, 2010 |
@BoundingfromEarth
Alain Dao is the new Reggie! Let’s go harass him!
Regie is the reason for all of this ness should just use pk rockin and kill him!
![]() | Poe said on Jan. 25, 2010 |
Stop the Reggie hate. It’s unwarranted and honestly ridiculous at this point.
They didn’t release the first or third games in America, just the second, which we can’t play, because it was for the SNES. It seems like they’re neglecting us in the States, and yet Ness is in every SSB game, and Lucas and an EarthBound demo are in SSBB, when probably half the US doesn’t know about EarthBound. Very strange behavior, if you ask me. If an EarthBound demo appeared alongside VC releases, they probably plan on putting it on the VC.
I voted for the DS compilation. although I doubt it will come out as a compilation (although that would be awesome) I voted this. because Nintendo stated that the esrb rating the game for the VC as a mistake. this makes me wonder if it was supposed to actually be rated for a different system? if the mistake wasn’t the game being rated. but rated for the VC…. don’t know. many say I’m stupid. but that’s my thought
Maybe, just maybe, Nintendo will make it to VC SOOOO unexpectedly, and they try not to leak it and we get surprised.Or they’re just doing it for the DS compilation. Nintendo, you better do either of them, or else! >=(
Why is it that the second most votes on the poll are for traveling back in time?
![]() | Helter Skelter Ω said on Mar. 12, 2010 |
It might be just me, but a DS Mother compilation sounds way better than a VC release to me. I mean, the chances seem slim already, and how do we know EarthBound won’t be a Japan VC release only? I’ll admit, I haven’t followed EarthBound much until now, so I may not have a great deal of knowledge on it, but hopefully in the end, Nintendo will give us a solution we can ALL enjoy.
That guy up there who posted something about a “Starman Chuck Norris” or whatever is officially the least funniest person alive.
Earthbound is a GREAT game and nintendo should put it on virtual console. The reason I think its not on virtual console because that game is so awesome and valuable they dont want to ruin the fun of getting the original. for me, i have earthbound on the wii, i used homebrew found here if you have v4.3, you use ssbb to get past the update: http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Smash_Stack
here is the original for v4.2 and under: http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Homebrew_channel
You can also get it from twilight princess and indiana jones lego, just search it! oh you also need to download snes9x and a ROM of earthbound, SEARCH THAT TOO! and go on youtube or something to see a tutorial of installing homebrew…
A better Wii hacker is Bannerbomb. I had problems with crashing using smash and other games.
Do you think Nintendo could get away with releasing Mother 2 (not the translated Earthbound) as an import on the VC?
they should put it on the nintendo 3ds virtual console (yes it has one it even has game boy and game boy color on the 3ds vc)
Earthbound was immensely successful in Japan, but it did not sell well in the U.S. because it was released at a time when graphically superior and highly-hyped RPG titles for the Super NES such as Final Fantasy 6 (released as “3”) and Chrono Trigger (widely considered to be one of the best RPGs of all time) were being released as well.
Maybe they should have released Earthbound in 1993 or 1994 in the U.S and then it would have been successful like it was in japan.
Actually my friends and I were playin Brawl da other day and found the Earthbound demo so we (clicked) it and the screen froze so it is obvious that Nintendo hates Earthbound.
I honestly don’t see why a lawsuit would go nuts over a game that has a reference to it. If I were someone, and I was referenced in a game like Earthbound I would be one of the happiest people alive.
That sucks that EarthBound (probably) will never be released on the Virtual Console, but at least I have a cart of EarthBound.
what if nintendo just wants to forget the commercial failure of Earthbound?
you know how how earthbound is not on virtual console probably because of copyrighted songs? what’s weird is that so many other games from that same generation also had copyrighted songs heck even the recently released chrono trigger had a few copyrighted songs and even the original sonic the hedgehog had so many copyrighted songs yet it was re released over and over again and is even on the virtual console
![]() | BigDream said on Jul. 29, 2011 |
With the Power of homebrew, I got EBzero and EB on the VC TITLE screen!!!!!!!!!!!!!
…With the 3DS out and the WiiU on it’s way, it’s hard to say. It seems like they’re trying to hide something from us. A remake, perhaps? only time will tell.
I kind of hope people realize that NoA and NCL are different companies. One makes cool games, the other doesn’t think you want to have them.
Please STOP hating Reggie! People already have sent him a huge number of hate mail and even death threats!
@BigDream: Damn, I wish I could use homebrew to do that!
@BananaPong: Hmm, I’d have to agree with you. Nintendo probably is hiding something… Maybe a remake of Mother 3 on the 3D Classics?
Someone needs to write an article about how putting MOTHER 3 in the USA or EarthBound on the VC would fare from a buisness standpoint, complete with graphs, charts, and lots of numbers.
Earthbound on the vc??? Nintendo says NO!!! What the hell. Be a man reggie. No 1,000,000$ to be made. How does sonic the hedgehog not get 100’s of lawsuit. That game haves so many copyrighted songs. Come on nintendo. Mr.Itoi help us earthbound fans. The game cost used 200.00$. New it’s like 500.00$. Why does nintendo HATE EARTHBOUND??? Come out on the wii earthbound. It’s the best game to be made. Stop working on the wiiu and remake earthbound!!!
![]() | PsiPaula4 said on Apr. 16, 2012 |
^ You are a noob. It is not Reggie’s fault that EarthBound was not released. Think before you speak.
![]() | Ninten=ness said on Apr. 16, 2012 |
^I agree with psipaula4 here! It’s all because of copyright stuff, mainly music similarities.
Besides, mato made the best translation anyone could make, because he and his team wanted it to be perfect for everyone. I see no need for hate, otherwise mato’s amazing translation would have never happened! Mato maybe we might need a lock here, some people want to let old wounds stay wounds.
I hope that the game does eventualy get a re-release. But I wanna see a full remake. Remastered soundtrack, full 3D worlds, and HD graphics, making Onett look prettier and Giygas scarier!!
U know, MOTHER’s 25th is in 2014 if I have my facts straight, so maybe they are gonna do a 3D remake.
Dude, I did this, like, a year and a half ago.
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg58/mashi-is-insane/lolwhatever/urfbowndwii.jpg