Weekly Round-Up #13

April 12th, 2009 | Weekly Round-Up

This week seemed to be a rather well-rounded week, if I do say. Things have quieted down a bit since that EarthBound lookalike game thing a few weeks back, but the updates still roll in. Hopefully this will keep up; it’d suck if all the cool content dries up by this time next year. I don’t want to start updating about the difference between the grass in each MOTHER game just yet 😛

But anyway, that side-talk aside, let’s look at what happened this past week!

Site News

• I added a(n) FAQ page earlier this week, check it out. If you think I should add some other useful stuff, let me know!
• I also added a simple little donation thing to the above. If you’re ever feeling generous, maybe give it some thought?
• I finally moved my site that compares MOTHER 2 and EarthBound to EB Central
• Can someone in Japan help with this?
• Help list old rumors!
• Help hunt for this old video with Itoi talking about EarthBound 64
• I’ve been hard at work on the MOTHER 1+2 translation this week. I’m up to 50% on the first draft now (from like 20-25% before) and I intend to get a whole bunch done later today. I have new things I want to work on, but I’m a responsible guy so I’ll take care of this first. I’ll post a more detailed status update soon.
• On and off I’ve been messing with Vegas to try to learn how to make videos. I don’t know how people can make such fancy videos. I guess I just really lack artistic skill. Anyway, like I’ve mentioned before, I intend to start making videos for EB Central once in a while. I’ll talk more about this later. You guys’ll like the stuff I got in my head 😀

EarthBound News

• Using the Exit Mouse to escape the Cave of the Past!
• EarthBound and EB Zero dominate Nintendo Power’s Virtual Console polls
• Izumi visited another of Itoi’s favorite food places, as mentioned in MOTHER 3
• We sampled some Japanese fan-made remix albums
• Unboxing the new giant Mr. Saturn plushie!
• EarthBound was in the latest Anime Insider!
• A kickass EarthBound section in NGamer Brasil 😀
• The unused song in EarthBound also exits in MOTHER 1+2!
• I posted one of my all-time favorite EarthBound remixes
• This thing looks WAY too much like Ness…
• MOTHER 3 in LEGO form!
• This Giygas rap is cool
• I love this video of Twoson
• Even the keyboardist was slightly changed between MOTHER 2 and EarthBound
• Meditate with Talah Rama using this DS ROM!

Cool Auctions & Merchandise

Here’s a bunch of cool stuff that’s recently appeared on eBay. I try to point out some of the most interesting deals here, but you can check to see what’s currently on eBay anytime you want here 😀

• Official MOTHER 1 Novel! – rare AND at a great price
• Giant Mr. Saturn plushie – and it doesn’t cost $800!
• Official MOTHER Encyclopedia – they don’t make ’em like this anymore
• A huge lot of SNES RPGs, including EarthBound and the guide!
• EarthBound, complete with box, guide, etc. – I dunno, that’s a pretty steep price if you ask me
• MOTHER 3, cart only – this will probably go for pretty cheap 😀
• MOTHER 3 Deluxe Box
• EarthBound cart for $70, with Buy It Now!
• EarthBound cart + Player’s Guide – not a bad deal at all
• Starmen insignia keychain – wtf, never thought I’d see this on there 😯
• That $800 or whatever Mach Pizza Air Freshener is much cheaper now! – but still a bit much

Here’s some cool stuff from Yahoo! Auctions Japan:

• Rare MOTHER 1+2 store poster – will probably go pretty cheap, good deal
• Super rare & unopened Slot Brothers card game!!!
• A rare and official MOTHER 2 manga

And here’s some stuff on Amazon:

• Gulliver’s Travels – a few things in EarthBound come from this book
• MP3 of Tequila – this HAD to have inspired the Runaway Dog battle music 😉
• Similiarly, this song always makes me think of the EarthBound hotel music

Community News

• GameGirl’s EarthBound retrospective
• EarthBound magnets
• Animal Crossing + Giygas
• EB0 Remake project using MOTHER 3 graphics
• EarthBound T-shirts!
• EarthBound: The Board Game
• Birdy & Chimera contest! Win an awesome Chimera plushie!
• Community Art Interpretation update! – Current topic: Frankystein Mark I
• New installment of Tree From My Youth MOTHER 3 radio play
• Of Pigs and Masks comic series updated
• Pig Mask Peril forum game
• Office Bound updated

I’m only at level 12 right now, so I can’t humanly keep up with every single thing that happens in the EarthBound community, so if you’ve done something cool or if you know of something cool that belongs here, let me know!

What’s Up With Itoi

I slacked off again this week, so I didn’t keep close tabs on Itoi’s site. Nothing MOTHER-related, of course. I gotta start taking notes more often. Anyway, the main things I remember are that this week was when he sat down with every person in his company and discussed things with them one-on-one. It sounds like it was a lot of work. Also, apparently he or someone visited a Disney place recently, for his dog has been given a makeover:

Upcoming Stuff

I will do that MOTHER 1+2 status update finally, I promise. We’ll look at a few other EarthBound magazine scans, including some from other countries. I also had some other stuff in mind, but it’s pretty late now and I can’t remember well. But it’ll be another good week, I’m sure 😀

End

Doesn’t feel like 13 weeks since this site opened, does it? I think the site needs a lot of improvement and a lot of fixes still, but it’s great seeing it coming together as well as it is. Just think if a new MOTHER game was released, though. Things would be hopping around here like crazy. Oh, if only I had started this site 3 years ago 😉