Fan-made MOTHER 4 Coming in 2014

Oh boy, this is looking really good, Hype mode activated!

It is all smoke and mirrors.

This is going to suck.

There, I said it.

The writing is going to be bad. There are going to be screw ups that wouldn’t be there in an Earthbound game. There’s no reason or justification to call it Mother 4.

I know Itoi said how he wanted Mother 4 to be the stories of everyone who has played the games, but this is not what he meant. What he meant was to go live their lives.

This is making an amateur fan game and having the audacity to say it’s part of the cannon.

Sorry to be a downer, but screw this whole project. There’s NO reason to call it Mother 4.

It’s so bizarre to think that I’m entering my senior year in high school and I’ve been waiting on this project since my freshman year. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though. I want them to take as long as they need to make it polished.

Here’s to hoping PacoTaco is worng. :>

Can’t wait to play it. Glad to see they’re still working on it.

PacoTaco: If you disagree with them calling it Mother 4, that’s fine. However, your assertion that the writing is going to be bad and that there are going to be screw-ups is entirely baseless. It’s outright disrespectful to the Mother 4 team.

Mother 4 is being developed by people who love the Mother series enough to devote a ton of time and creative energy into a free fan project that they feel does the Mother series justice, all for other Mother fans to enjoy. This game isn’t capable of causing you or the Mother series harm, so you have no reason to be angry. Try to be more positive and thoughtful.

I can definitely see PacoTaco’s point. But I just hope it’s “decent”. No, it won’t be Mother 4, but I think it has the potential to be an amazing game!

I seriously think it shouldn’t be called 4…

Cory: My assertion is based on the fact that most of the people working on it are high school and college students with zero professional writing experience, whereas the original trilogy was written by one of Japan’s most clever writers, who was already famous as a copywriter before jumping into video games. He was famous as a humorist. A random group of students from the internet just doesn’t have that kind of talent or professional polish.

I have no problem with kids making a fan game. I have a big problem when they decide to call it Mother 4, cannonizing it in their own mind. Who do these guys think they are, honestly?

What benefit does it have to call it Mother 4? None. What right do they have to call it Mother 4? None.

You don’t think it’s the least bit ostentatious and vain to call this project Mother 4 when NOBODY working on it has ever done a damn thing in the world of game design, writing, production, or publishing?

I don’t know if it will be bad or not, but I don’t think it should be called “Mother 4” either. Besides, what if there is an actual Mother 4 someday? (even though that has a very small chance of ever happening)

I actually think the writing will be really good. I remember seeing Zephys talking passionately about their story, and how excited he is about it.

And they aren’t canonizing their story at all. They flat-out say it’s not official right before the teaser actually starts. They didn’t chose the name “Mother 4” in a narcissistic sense. They’re pushing themselves to try and deliver a game that lives up to the name. That’s all.

They’ve been working on this project for five years now. It is a massive labor of love, and they’re taking their time. You can tell in that they’re not planning to be done for at least another full year. Just because they don’t have any “professional” experience doesn’t mean they can’t do a good job.

This has been worked on for years now. I really think it’s going to be great. Maybe it’s just not offical enough for everyone, but this is about as damn near close to it.

Itoi isn’t making another one, he’s going to play it.

Delectabit: It’s fine that they might do a good job. I still have not seen one good reason for calling it Mother 4. None. Zero.

Zephys can talk passionately about things all he wants. The fact of the matter is, he’s a college writing student who has never written a thing of consequence in his life trying to live up to one of the greatest and most clever living legends in the history of Japanese pop culture.

Not to mention the fact that the real games had, you know, experienced coders, scenario writers, spriters, various other artists, etc. who weren’t just random fans of video games halfway through college.

Reality sucks, fanboys. Deal with it.

@Meh – How is Itoi going to play a game in a language that he doesn’t speak a word of?

PacoTaco: Your assertion is based on *assumptions* of the quality of their work, which are based purely on their assumed ages and professions. I assume you don’t know any of the team members personally and don’t have any reference material that would actually be an indicator as to whether or not they’re capable of making a game that doesn’t “suck”?

It’s also very closed minded to assume that only professionals are capable of producing good work. That’s an especially outdated mindset in this day and age where we have such a prominent independent creative culture full of artist in it primarily out of love. 🙂

@PacoTaco Hah, as if people need years and years of professional experience to make a great game. I love how you refer to your opinion as “reality” when it is nothing more than a close-minded opinion.

I’m going to have to agree with PacoTaco’s skepticism that the writing is going to be bad and sloppy, and that it’ll give the Mother series – at the least fangames – a bad image.

I already have a nitpick of a store clerk saying “I’m not gonna sell you a magazine.” That’s not something a real store clerk would say, and it’s not absurd to be Mother-acceptable – it feels unrealistic and detached.

However, I will say that it is an incredibly well made and put together game that’s inspired by the Mother series incredible attention to detail, but I don’t think it’s deserving of the fake-canonesque “Mother 4”

I think it has potential and I will probably play it, but I also think it should be called something else than “Mother 4”.

What if another fan group wanted to make a fan sequel and also wanted it to be “Mother 4”?

For everyone getting their panties in a bunch, including pacotaco. STFU and stop being over dramatic about a free fan game that’s made out of love, stop bitching and don’t play it if you feel that way.

Ness1985: Looks like you’re the one with your panties in a bunch. I haven’t told anyone to STFU.

Cory: So it’s safer to assume that these guys can write humor and story on Itoi’s level than to assume that they cannot? Man, if that were the case, there would be a LOT of once-in-a-lifetime talents out there. (Protip: There are not.)

Delectabit: Name me a game with a popularity level worldwide that is equal in quality to the Mother series that was not written by someone with experience and professional polish. Ever. In history. (Obviously excluding very early games which were, at best, experimental). You can’t.

Cory: Also forgot to mention, the team frequently mentions school breaks, college exams, etc. on their posts and on their Twitter, so I know that they are made up of students and other non-professionals. Sorry to have omitted that from my initial reply.

PacoTaco: You outright said Mother 4 was going to suck and that the writing was going to be bad. If your reasoning for this is that the team isn’t as good as Itoi, then you’re implying that Itoi is just barely good enough to make good games and stories and that anyone not as talented as him are bound to only make bad games and stories. That’s just ludicrous.

I want to amend that last post and say that by stories I also mean dialog and scenarios. 🙂

Paco: lol you follow them on twitter? You take hating to a whole new level, what’s the point?

Cory: There’s a very good chance that for anyone who is expecting a Mother-quality game (which is what the team is promising), that this game is going to suck. I stand by that statement.

Seriously: I don’t follow them, I occassionally check their blog for updates out of morbid curiosity, where they post their Tweets.

I’ll play it, I’ll probably enjoy it, but I’ll never accept it into canon unless Itoi himself says otherwise.

Someone should translate the game into Japanese just for him. Then we could settle this once and for all.

PacoTaco: Yet you claimed that the game was going to suck even though it’s clear you’re not a person who is expecting a Mother-quality game. You contradict yourself a lot.

I personally am expecting a good game, and all signs point toward that being a very reasonable expectation. However, I’m not expecting it to surpass Mother 3, the greatest game of all time. If I did that with every game, I’d be in for a lot of disappointment. I wouldn’t even expect that from an *official* Mother sequel.

PacoTaco: So they can’t try to create a Mother-quality game because they have no chance of doing so. They have no chance of doing so because they are not professional game developers. And their game is worthless because they aren’t allowed to try to make it worth playing (because they aren’t professionals)?

Man. I had this whole “fan game” concept wrong. I guess the only fans allowed to make games are professionals who don’t have time to do so. 😛

To me, it seems much more “fanboy”-ish to get all flustered over “Mother 4” being used as a fan game title than to assume that the “Mother 4” fan game could be good before having gotten the chance to try it. Will it be as good as the official Mother 1-3? Probably not. Is trying to match that quality a fair goal to shoot for? I don’t see why not. Naming the game “Mother 4” doesn’t change any of that. Now, if you were to state that their site and trailer need the words “Fan game” on them more often so as to not be misleading, then I would wholeheartedly agree with you. But your assumption about the game’s quality is flawed and premature, and dissuading anyone from playing the game before it’s released hurts the fan game community (and this project) more than if this game were to be released.

Let’s all wait and see what it’s like before we worry about whether it lives up to expectations (and its name).

Firebane: I don’t care what they do. Why the hell call it Mother 4, though? Even if it’s a great game, it’s not Mother 4.

If it’s a fan game, make it a fan game. Don’t be so freaking full of yourselves as to call it Mother 4.

PS, you guys are living, breathing troll bait. Holy cow.

PacoTaco: You’re the kind of person the Mother community and the whole world in general doesn’t need. Whether or not you were actually trolling or if you’re just using that as a cover up for your fallacies and contradictions, it doesn’t benefit society at all.

(Yeah, I thought about the whole troll-factor before posting. But hey, a debate is a debate, and I felt like it was worth saying.)

I feel compelled to ask: if you were to make a Mother-series fan game that had its own storyline and characters, what would you have called it? Or what would be an acceptable alternative? (besides “anything but Mother 4”, that’s the obvious answer)

Cory: There weren’t any fallacies. It’s an amateur team of college and high school kids making a game that they say will hold up with one of the greatest series’ of all time. If you think it’s a fallacy to presume that they will fall quite a bit short, that’s on you.

Firebane: I have no idea what I’d call it, because I don’t make fan games. Nor do I have the gumption to claim that I could make a game of a quality worthy of being called Mother 4.

I can’t wait til this game comes out and sucks and you guys are all disappointed because you got your hopes up for an amateur fan project, which one should never do.

I think it looks nice and EarthBound-y, and I’ll definitely play it. The sprite work looks spot-on!
The one thing that struck me as out of place, though, was the PSI Freeze animation, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it.

all the characters heads are SO BIG

Guys, I know~! Why not name it Mother Gaiden instead~? *bonk

@Anonymous

Besides, what if there is an actual Mother 4 someday?

Well, they could just re-name the fan-game. After all, fans will understand, right?

I think they are naming the game Mother 4 to motivate themselves to the best they can to live up to the name, not to canonize it.

Are they being overly ambitious? Probably, but they’re not going to hurt anyone by trying.

Yeah, my expectations are probably in-line with PacoTaco’s. Fan games contain some of the worst writing around. Even highly acclaimed fan games like Crimson Echoes was an absolute mess dialogue wise.

“Nathalie （ナタリー） ‏@omgnathalie
It’s sad to see all the hate that the @MOTHER4Game receives just because they ‘dare to call it a MOTHER game’ despite it not being official.

‏@Mother4Game
@omgnathalie We’re alright, Nathalie. People just really care about the series, and don’t want to see it tarnished. Understandable!

Nathalie （ナタリー) ‏ @omgnathalie
@Mother4Game I understand that they don’t, but also wish people would keep an open mind. Keep up the good work!

@omgnathalie They’ll simply have to see the release is all. We’ll deal with any flack we get. Don’t worry!”

https://twitter.com/Mother4Game/status/369561334091751425

Itoi has given explicit permission to anyone wishing to create “Mother 4” that they could go ahead a do it. Multiple times.

He’s done with the series. He himself said that he would never personally make Mother 4, but if someone DID come along and make it that he would love to be the player.

He didn’t say “Make a Mother Gaiden” or what have you. He said to fans, game designers, and players that they could make “Mother 4”. Team Azure rose to the challenge and have since shown that they are at least competent in designing the title. The overall quality of the product cannot be judged until it is released, mind you, but to be honest…in so far the quality of the released content kicks the shit out of 99% of other fan games.

So yeah, they CAN call it Mother “4”. Itoi has stated as much in various interviews. Go re-read some of them, or read them if you never have.

Stay shaded.

Banana Kid: You misinterpreted what Itoi said. He was trying to make a profound statement, basically that like, “Mother 4 is your story. It’s whatever you make of your life. I’d like to play that.”

I’m sorry that you are illiterate.

I have to agree with the people complaining about the fangame’s name. It’s extremely pretentious, and personally turns me off the game.

Oh I did, did I Paco?

“ITOI: Yes, exactly. That’s why, in my eyes, I see them as unfinished works that I’ve left sitting there for someone…

IWATA: For someone to come and finish.

ITOI: Yes. For someone to take the baton and run with it. And, unlike a long-distance relay race, with a game you can take that baton and run in any number of directions. That makes things all the more interesting. You can run through the mountains, or you can go all the way to the lake if you want. You can cry out, “I love running!” as you run, or you can run quietly and savor the thrill of running deep down inside. Whatever it is, it’s something the guy who handed you the baton couldn’t have done. What’s more, sometimes the runners just keep running and running…”

I guess your illiterate ass can’t even do proper research to back your erroneous claims. Dip shit.

My current mood on the fangame is “cautiously optimistic”.

There’s really no point in judging a game solely based on the trailer and the name. Try it yourself when it’s released, and then you can have a more informed opinion. Or avoid it altogether if you’re convinced you won’t like it, but then stop complaining about it. Either way, being so vocally upset isn’t really a reasonable response. Neither is insulting those you disagree with

http://m4old.andonuts.net/2012/03/mother-4-101/#more-1850

The Big Question

Q: You guys are lunatics! Aren’t you worried about being cease and desisted?

A: As an opening statement, the reason this project’s working out so well (almost 4 years in the making) is because of how hilariously unlikely Nintendo is to give it a C&D order, for reasons you’ve largely covered. From the developer’s side, I can say that there’s very little “stolen” from Nintendo’s series in this game, minus the title, a few character names, Mr. Saturns, (possibly Tendas, we’re still kind of fighting about that), enemies, and things of the like that are staples to the Mother series. These are all minor things that could be considered hails alone, but mixed together, becomes a bit more obvious. The big stuff is ours, however. Our characters are original, our villain is original (And I’m gonna hate to see him go when we’re finished with the game. He’s really cool.), and our world map is original.

From a logical, business perspective, Nintendo certainly will have no interest in seeing the project shot down, since it doesn’t seek profit, and is so unobtrusive compared to other high scale projects. We have nothing to gain, and neither do they. May as well keep the fans off of THEIR backs about the series, right? Heh, in that regard, Reggie may think we’re doing him a favor. You wouldn’t believe how much fanmail we get.

In the event we DO get a cease and desist order, don’t expect Mother 4 to die. We’ve given the game a makeover before, and we can do it again. Just like any good Mother game, this one doesn’t rely on content from past installments to shine. It wouldn’t take much work to yank or alter some of the elements taken from past games, such as a few enemies, songs, and items, and of course, mr. saturns. In that regard, we’d go from “Mother 4” to “That really awesome RPG Azure Studios made”. Actually, we’d be able to cross some lines that would be jumping the shark in the context of a Mother game. It could get pretty interesting.

Banana Kid: Nowhere in that does he “EXPLICITLY” (as you said) say that he wants someone to go make the game. He’s talking about life experiences. It’s an allegory. You’ve got to check your vocab if you think anything there is explicit.

@Miles: I didn’t say anything insulting, Banana kid is the guy who called me a dip shit.

I don’t know if I’m as furious as Paco Taco. However, I’m sympathetic to the argument that it shouldn’t be called “MOTHER 4.”

Obviously, the fangame looks very polished; the authors deserve praise for capturing the feel and look of the MOTHER series. But let’s say Itoi changed his mind about making another game (not likely, but hear me out), or let’s say he authorized someone else to make a brand new game in the series–then what?

It would just become this awkward exercise: “No, I’m not referring to that MOTHER 4, but the other MOTHER 4.”

Even though this iteration of MOTHER 4 shares a lot of superficial similarities with the official series in terms of artwork and gameplay, it’s ultimately a wholly original work. These guys are almost diminishing the achievement of creating a completely new game by couching it as the fourth in an established series.

– So let’s make a MOTHER 4, then!

Itoi: (makes a pu sound with his mouth, then laughs) Just making MOTHER 3 was already tough enough for me!

– But when you were working on MOTHER 2, ideas for MOTHER 3 sprouted in your mind, right? So some ideas for a MOTHER 4 have certainly sprouted this time around too, right?

Itoi: I just want to be the player now. (laughs)

– But there are already tons of other games out there you can enjoy from the player’s perspective.

Itoi: What I mean is, if someone were to come up to me and say, “I’d like to make a MOTHER 4,” I might just say, “Sure, go ahead!” (laugh) Yeah, if there was a MOTHER 4, I’d really love to play it.

He isn’t giving “explicit” permission, per say, but this is about as close as one could get. What the hell do you want, a contract to be signed?

The game is getting made. You can hate it, ignore it, criticize it and bash it. But the one thing that you CAN’T do is stop it.

And you can’t change the name either. ; I can’t wait to play Mother FOUR!

@Banana Kid: Who said I was trying to stop it? I’m just trying to temper the inevitable disappointment in everyone who is excited about a game that after SEVERAL YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT has a 30 second trailer where the only functionality shown sounds and looks like garbage and the only line of dialogue sounds like it was written by a high schooler.

Enjoy your game, dude.

@Max_H: I’m not furious at all. It’s the fanboys who can’t handle the truth that are pissed.

I support Paco Taco. If you want another Mother game, play Cognitive Dissonance.

Seriously. Go play it. It’s great.

I believe that Itoi is the kind of person that, if he knew about this, would absolutely love it. Perhaps not the game itself, but the fact that the fans made a MOTHER 4.
I mean, if I made a game series and decided to indefinitely discontinue it, I would love it if there was a fan project to make a sequel. Even if it sucked, I’d be flattered that they even tried, because in my mind it would show that my games actually warrant a sequel. It would prove how much the players enjoyed and cherished the game, and how the game affected them personally. Nothing would make me happier.
MOTHER is definitely a series that resonated with many a player, including me, and Itoi doesn’t seem like the type of person that would get offended by something like this. Quite the opposite actually. I mean, I can’t speak for the man personally, but I believe that Itoi wouldn’t have any at all problem with a fan-made MOTHER 4.

based on the website, and now this pretty awesome teaser, I can finally say that I’m really excited to give this a shot!

but also based on the site I’m not really diggin’ the music so far, at least it worked in the trailer

home screen is cool too

Also, concerning the game, it looks like it has the potential to be absolutely incredible. I’m not keeping my hopes up, but if they can make the entire game have the same sort of atmosphere as the teaser, and pull it off well, then we may have an outstanding title on our hands.

@PacoTaco : Saying that he was illiterate wasn’t insulting? Interesting. Then you won’t mind me calling you illiterate for missing this from that very same interview:

ITOI: The feeling of, “I want a MOTHER 4 to be released!” is inside me, too. Even if it’s not something I need to do, I still feel that way. Still, there isn’t someone for me to watch over from afar anymore. If there were a fourth game, I’d want to be the player.

NAGATA: In other words, you wouldn’t mind if someone other than yourself made it?

ITOI: Right. For example, when I watch a good stage play, that’s MOTHER 4. Even if they never intended it to be that way. When I say, “I can’t get enough of this dialog!” you could even say that I, as a “player”, am finishing the world the writer built. Just as everyone finished the MOTHER games for me. So it’d be great if there were such “games” everywhere. They don’t even need to be games, though. If someone wanted to play it in game form, then go right ahead. If someone started making something like “Chimidoro-numa Strikes Back” (translation note: MOTHER 2′s subtitle was Giygas Strikes Back) and you could basically say, “This is clearly MOTHER 4, however you look at it,” who knows, I might just say, “In that case, why don’t you stick a red cap on him and give him a backpack?”

IWATA: Or, “Why not include some people who talk funny and have huge noses too?” (laughs)

ITOI: Yes, yes. (laughs)

NAGATA: And then maybe you’ll be like, “I wouldn’t be against writing a line of dialog for it.”

ITOI: Like a single cameo line, as opposed to a cameo apperance (laughs). I think the greatest thing would be if there was a person who’d show up to say, “Here, now it’s your turn to play.”

Checkmate.

Because Itoi had always written with the poetic wit and flair of say, a Shelley or Poe. I just farted. Tee hee!

How does it look like garbage? Elaborate. The game is still being developed, dude. It ain’t complete, so yeah, it’s going to be rough around the edges. Remember, it still have over a year of scheduled development time.

I’m cautiously optimistic. I’m going in expecting as “meh” of a product as possible. I hope that I’m pleasantly surprised, though.

@RockXLight: No, not at all. He doesn’t say anywhere to go make the game. He says, basically, that he wants to see Mother 4 everywhere — in plays, in games, etc. He doesn’t say, “Here go make a game and call it Mother 4.”

You are going to insult my literacy when you don’t know how to read subtext? Very, very simple and apparent subtext?

@Banana Kid: You’re telling me that it is going to look better in a year? It’s been in development for how many years? It still looks crappy. Look at the enemy sprite for the cop. Look how the backgrounds don’t blend. Even the PSI animations look second-rate and amateurish.

@PacoTaco

So nothing short of Itoi giving fans a mandate to make MOTHER 4 is going to please you? The very fact that he says he wouldn’t even mind if someone somewhere made a game and called it Mother 4 isn’t enough? Hilarious. Troll on, dude.

@RockXLight
Someone does not mean anyone. There’s a clear difference between those words. I’m sure Itoi would be pleased to know about the project, absolutely. That doesn’t mean he’d support this.

Besides, you’d need a mandate from Nintendo, they hold the rights to the title. Nintendo has every reason to C&D this once it comes out. They should, too. This is a blatant infringement of a registered and copyrighted IP.

Everyone should relax. It’s a fan-game. They get made all the time. And most of them suck pretty bad. I feel cautiously optimistic about the MOTHER 4 fan-game though, and if it does suck we will all just forget it and move on. It’s not like they’re trying to create a canonical addition to the series, just a tribute.
Also, what’s with all the personal insults?

To EVERYONE who is giving “PacoTaco” a soapbox by continually debating him even though he’s made it clear he ain’t changing his mind:

“Just repeat to yourself ‘It’s Just a Game’, and you should really just relax.”

Not to plug MY fanworks, but when there was a comment war over whether Ness should talk or not (Not realistic vs. true to the game) I made sure to stay out of it and immediately stopped reading posts by the two offenders once I realized what was happening.

This message is probably also applicable to Mr. Taco as well.

@ M3FTW

It absolutely *does* sound like he’d support this. In his very own words

“If someone wanted to play it in game form, then go right ahead. If someone started making something like “Chimidoro-numa Strikes Back” (translation note: MOTHER 2′s subtitle was Giygas Strikes Back) and you could basically say, “This is clearly MOTHER 4, however you look at it,” who knows, I might just say, “In that case, why don’t you stick a red cap on him and give him a backpack?”

He doesn’t even say it has to be a game company that makes it. He seems very cool with the idea of someone making a MOTHER 4, and Chewy, who has worked for him at his company, has said that people don’t realize how serious he is when says that. He could not make been more literal when said that someone could call their project MOTHER 4, and not only would he like to play it he wouldn’t be opposed to writing a cameo line for it.

No one is saying it isn’t infringement, but its infringement in the same sense that the countless Batman and Star Wars fan films that are made year after year are infringement. Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox/Disney never pursue legal action against fan projects, and neither does Nintendo.

This is *the worst* argument I have seen on the Internet.

@RockXLight
That comparison is shocking and so inaccurate I can hardly describe it. This fan game would be like making a fan-sequel to The Dark Knight Rises. It would also be similar to that Chrono Trigger remake that Square Enix C&D’d. The point is that this claims to not be a spin-off, but a MAIN SERIES TITLE.

Just because other rights holders don’t sue or C&D over a few fan movies doesn’t mean that Nintendo won’t. The comparison is fallacious to such a large fault that I DON’T need to describe it.

Also, if Itoi would absolutely support this, where is he? You can’t seriously think that he doesn’t know about it by now, do you?

@ RockXLight

1) Cut the hyperbole, please. Calling my argument so shockingly inaccurate that you can’t or do not need to describe it does nothing to bolster your argument.

2) On that note, Newer Super Mario Bros. says hi! 🙂 http://newerteam.com/

3) I seriously doubt Itoi keeps tabs on what goes on the Western side of the web. If MOTHER 4 was being actively discussed on Japanese gaming forums, sure, but I somewhat doubt that.

Eat nobs, game looks amazing.

Derp. I meant to write @M3FTW, obviously.

If I’m not mistaken, you got Dave, a fellow Starmen.netter who is one of the people working on this game.

People assume so much off of so little… It’s seriously sad to read some of these comments.

@Seppucrow

Dodging all the flamethrowers in the comments above, I just wanted to point out that the line is actually

“I’m not gonna sell you a dirty magazine.”

In essence, it sounds like a store clerk taking offense at an underage customer trying to buy porn. It sounds completely natural to me…

That being said, you’re free to be as skeptical as you like. I think they look like they’re doing a splendid job. Looks like the hard work is paying off, guys! Can’t wait to play!

@SunshineWaker

I know, right? I wish people could just sit back and admire all the hard work that’s clearly been put into this by the staff.

The dialogue looks promising!

(As does everything else but still.)

Not the biggest fan of the in-battle HUD, but other than that, it looks good. I am a little cautious since it is a fan-game, even though this looks like a worthy addition to the series. I will be giving this a shot when it releases. (but I don’t know if I can wait until the end of 2014 XD)

All the drama in these comments makes me sad. It’s a fan game, why are you all so angry?

For a fan game it looks pretty impressive so far and they have put a lot of work into it. It’s a shame There’s some folks hating on the mother 4 fan game a year before it’s out…on the grounds its a fan-game and not written by someone with 500 English Literature degrees.

Zephys and the rest of the time are not trying to out do Itoi or prove they’re better than him, they’re making a fan project in there spare time out of love for the wonderful series Itoi has created. The mother games are always going to be there, nobody is rewriting them or taking them away from you nor is nintendo going to show up and slap a big sticker on this with the word “canon” on it, so go chill out and grab a sandwich or something.

I have played many indie RPGs and fan games out there, created by normal everyday folks that have wonderfully crafted stories and settings.

Honestly PacoTaco, wait till the game is out before you slam it or decry those who are slightly optimistic about this project as “Fanboys.”

Some skepticism is fine but it’s sad people are bashing this project before it’s even out. The whole spirit of the series was about love and compassion anyway, not blind hate.

If the very idea of these horrible, evil fans making a fan game repulses you, then feel free to ignore it and get on with your life.

Going to try to not be excited about this until it’s delivered… Winter 2014 means next January/February right, and not December 2014?

I might not be a huge fan of the project myself but it’s obvious that a lot of time and effort went into it. I understand the skepticism but this argument is ridiculous and you should be ashamed for acting like 5-year-olds on a playground. It’s a fangame. Go outside.

Woah, cool down.

Mother 4 looks fine. They obviously aren’t forcing it to be canon, but you can think of it like a fanfic or webcomic. Think Memoria. It was a Mother 3 sequel webcomic, and did it fail horribly? No way. It never got finished but netherless looking at the scripts, you could tell it was bound for great things. Fans can do an excellent job too. While it’ll probably never be as good as the Mother series, because Itoi is just a flat out genius, it doesn’t mean it’s bad. And that one part of dialogue we saw may just be an plot point. Kinda like the Overcoming Shyness book, except you might have to do something to get it. Or maybe a sidequest. I’ve seen good fangames, and these people know what they’re doing. All bunch of you probably haven’t taken a shot at animation, writing, and working on something that would take a long time. It takes effort, a lot more than you think. It’s being rather rude to shoot someone down before they start. Give it chance, then judge. Kinda like how Clover did Okami, and Capcom did Okamiden. While Okamiden wasn’t as great as Okami, it was pretty good considering a totally different company was working on it. Memoria was great, and I daresay would be a worthy Mother 3 sequel if ever made into a game. Don’t be childish and wait to make judgement on it. What were they going to call it anyways, Mother 3.5? Mother: The Fangame? It’ll end up sounding really bad, and not like a game. What would make you play a game, the name: “MOTHER” or “Earth Bound”? You’ve got to come up with a suitable name, to fit the audience you’re aiming towards. Nintendo of North America did it, why can’t the Mother 4 crew do it? They’re aiming towards Mother fans, not a whole new different group. Naming it something like: “The Story of Travis” wouldn’t sound as good to the target audience. Just wait and maybe it’ll be good.

If Mr Itoi doesn’t like this, he is well within his rights to give a C&D. And if he does like it, then he’ll probably just roll with it.

Either way, there’s no point to any righteous indignation on our part. We’re not Mr Itoi.

Sup y’all. No hate.

Okay, I have a few things to say:

1. Everything about this game looks amazing!

2. I’m okay with them calling it Mother 4: Even if Itoi said that he sees many things as Mother 4, don’t you thing that he would be glad that someone actually made one, even if he didn’t necessarily want someone to?

3. Please stop arguing. We can all agree on one thing: This isn’t going anywhere for both sides. Nobody’s going to either give-in or give up. I’m happy it seems PacoTaco wants to stop.

Maybe it’s just me, but since Earthbound was released on VC, the “fans” for the series have been really volatile, moody, and quick to hate things, or be rude to others with different opinions.

In the past, people usually welcomed fans showing off their art and project, but with Mother 4, it’s such a split opinion.

Where is the bash on Earthbound Zero remakes that show up on Starmen.net? I mean, they are remaking a game and in a way, claiming to make it “better” than the original, as if their remake is superior.

See that problem with that? People are discouraging others to pay tribute to something they love. What, are people going to complain about ROM hacks of the games, claiming that a custom fan made game is using THEIR Mother Series? Will people bash all further fan art, because those people did not design any of those characters, and therefore are destroying the style and name of the franchise?

I for one am excited for this fan game. When it comes out, I’m not going to expect it to be the greatest thing on Earth, but I did that with the games in the Mother series, and was pleasantly surprised.

Well, besides all the people whining about the name, I for one can’t wait to get my hands on this. If it sucks, then it sucks. If it’s good, then HELL YEA. Either way, I’m excited to get my hands on it…it looks great and I love that creepy music in the teaser.

My two cents: I will play it and judge it when it comes out. On the naming thing, let us all agree to disagree shall we? I for one, have been looking forward to this game for years. I hope the team will do a good job and try to the very best of their abilities. If it doesn’t live up to the series, than I at least want it to stand on it’s own merits.

@PK_Fanta: I know, it was a typo, but flood filter didn’t let me correct it.

I can’t buy that the dialogue is natural because the shop and the way the clerk is dressed is very professional looking and they would say it in a more courteous manner.

If the building was run down and the clerk was badly dressed I could accept the dialogue, because it shows the writers vision of how the environment can be connected to the people.

It’s a little nitpick that isn’t much to many, but I see it as a crack.

Why shouldn’t we play it? Heck, i bought contact b/c it was supposed to be mother-like. (It had the humor and weirdness, but wasn’t all that much fun.) I’d even try thos game if they decided to call it “not mother 4”. The mother series isn’t sacred. In fact, all the games that are available in the west are translated. Things are (earth)bound to be lost in translation. Would you argue the fan translations are poorly done b/c not every single person that worked on them was a professional? (They might have been. If so, i’ll eat be eating some smoking crow.)

Who played megaman x street fighter? I thought that game was gonna be great. It was shallow, easy, and poorly constructed, but i’m glad i was able to play it.

I’m glad someone has the balls to try to make a fan game…for fans of the series. Best wishes to everyone involved.

No such thing as bad publicity. In fact, negative feedback just might get this fan game even more attention. However, i do understand the criticism leveled at this game. Nintendo isn’t nintendo w/o shiggy. Same holds true for mother and itoi in many fans’ eyes. Regardless, i hope this game gets the attention it rightly deserves.

does anyone know which winter they’re talking about when they say “winter 2014”? it could be at the very beginning of the year or the very end.

Read the first few comments and then I realized the other 82 comments were just bickering about whether the game should be called Mother 4 or not.

Seriously, folks?

This is a fan-game inspired by the Mother series, designed like the Mother series, and being created by fans of the Mother series. They can call it whatever they’d like, and if you’re upset about it, then make your own fan-game. No one ever said they were trying to out-do let alone match the quality of the first 3 games; they’re simply making a game in spirit of its inspiration. Why any of you would be angry about that is beyond me.

(Have to admit though, the game caught most people’s attention by the title alone. I’m willing to wager over half of you saw this on some other major news site, and if the team had gone by any other name, you wouldn’t have even clicked the link.)

Also, I should add that I am looking forward to trying out this game! Although I’m going out on a limb and saying the game will be delayed at least once before its inevitable release 😛

(Also fanboys, chill out)

Let’s talk about something else. For example, why is the Earth melting?

I’m really excited for this. The animation looks awesome, the music sounds awesome.

I did notice little things about the writing that suggest it won’t have quite the crispness of Itoi’s writing, but it’s close (I like the butterfly, nice touch), and there’s a lot of time to work on it. In all I have high hopes, and am really grateful to the team for staying with this for so long.

I interpreted the earth in the logo as being covered in a green goop. Possibly related to the green slime ball on the needle?

Man, if some of you guys thought their trailer was bad, you should see some of the original Half-Life trailers ValvE made back in the late nineties.
’bout M4, sure the trailer may have been a bit odd and out of place, but i just can’t help but notice all the care these guys have put into this. I’ve seen fan work that is right up there with the story’s of games, etc and i gotta say – give it a chance. lets just be glad that Mother 4 is coming, some games don’t even get a chance, so let’s be the ones who can.

I hate this game. Not because it “it” itself, but because of it’s fanbase. Whenever people ask men if i’m going to play it and I say no, they always get angry and complain how i’m not A mother fan…

WTF?! Not to mention on places like tumblr and deviantart, people are always posting this sh*t in the mother 3 tag… No offence, the game looks great and all but it’s fanbase could use some work.

GOOD MORNING MOTHER 4 FANS.

From the AstroVerse live in Wereo Stereo, comin atcha, it’s the only known recording of the rarest, greatest miracle moment in rock and roll history! Yeah!

Fear and respect the Wereo and the greatest music in the history of mankind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUsHvgGxTCs

…tceles B hsup. A magic spell?

Hmmm i don’t get those who had already judge this game that it’s gonna be bad,For me i’m glad that i’m going to have a new game to play! 😀 (i’m very picky with a kind of game i play and this is my fav kind!)and then i will judge it whether it’s good or bad after finishing ..okay i think we should stop arguing about this…i’m sad 🙁

About that melting earth logo…i’m sure there is some meaning in it ..could it be..the whole world is gonna be engulfed by that greeny thing?? Uh i’m not very good at theorizing!!

ive read some really crappy theories here today, thanks for letting me know that mother 4 fans are mostly naive children

u wot m8 come at me i send dis 2 teno for copyright infringement