OFFICIAL MOTHER 3 THREAD

[executioneer]

i still think shields are worth it, just not on EVERYONE. at least when he's dispelling it he's not attacking

[King Hadas]

I would just buy a bunch of pencil rockets for Duster and Boney and use them with Kumatora and Lucas's most powerful magic to try and kill him before he killed me. That was kind of my strategy for every fight.

I've actually been curious about this, back for Earthbound/Mother 2 was Jeff suppose to be such a heavy hitter? Once I could afford those multi-bottle rockets the difficulty level just evaporated.

[Neen]

Bombs and offensive PSI are wasted on Masked Man, as he has high defense against them. Raise your stats and lower his.

[Phoenix Gamma]

I would just buy a bunch of pencil rockets for Duster and Boney and use them with Kumatora and Lucas's most powerful magic to try and kill him before he killed me. That was kind of my strategy for every fight.

I've actually been curious about this, back for Earthbound/Mother 2 was Jeff suppose to be such a heavy hitter? Once I could afford those multi-bottle rockets the difficulty level just evaporated.

Jeff is shit in Earthbound. I never bought any items for him because I'm a cheap bastard, so he usually spends his time shooting his useless weapon and getting beat on.

I'm sure if I gave him some items he'd be somewhat useful (like how Boney is useless in M3 without items) but I already hate Jeff so much. Boney has the advantage of being a dog, therefore he's cool enough for me to overlook him taking up a character slot that should have been used for Flint.

Or Fuel. He'd be cool to have tag along.

[Zomboid]

Jeff was fucking badass in Earthbound. Maybe you just didn't get him his better weapons. He was weak, but he really had some useful weapons. Also, Poo was fucking awesome with the Sword of Kings.

[King Hadas]

I ask because I've always wondered if my game had been glitching. Jeff was ALWAYS the one doing the most damage and nobody ever seems to use him that way. If I recall right those multi-bottle rockets did like 600 damage a piece. They weren't cheap but you'd only use them against bosses anyways so they were definitely worth the price.

I never did get the King of Swords, I heard about it right after exiting the area you steal it in which I'm pretty sure you can't go back to. Poo's pretty shitty without it. You might say his not worth crap. He down right STINKS empty handed. Really poops out near the end. You could say he's shit green with envy.

[Emu]

When you're in the last area, just use Mirror against the Atomic Power Robots and Poo will heal your whole party. :D

[Neen]

Jeff had the Counter PSI Unit, Shield Killer, and the HEAVY BAZOOKA. If you think Jeff is shit, then I don't think you know how to play EarthBound.

[Phoenix Gamma]

I know how to play Dragon Quest, and that's just as good.

[Zomboid]

Apparently not.

[Emu]

I didn't find out until about a month ago that PSI Thunder in earthbound destroys power shields. :(

Edit: this is compounded with the fact that I've played this game once or twice a year since 1995

[liquidstatik]

..

[Esuohlim]

I'm finally warming up to it now, especially since it's progressively getting weirder.

I'm not a fan of the battle combo system though because it seems based on luck rather than keeping with the beat. I got better combos before I even knew how to get combos, since I always repeatedly press the button during battles in RPGs for some reason anyway :(

[Big McLargehuge]

me too :x

[Emu]

The combo system is extremely inaccurate because you're playing on an emulator. All of the GBA emulators experience a very slight slowdown (I know on VGBA there's a little ticker at the top that says the % speed at which the emulator is running, which varies) so when you try to do combos the game's speed fluctuates and prevents you from scoring a second hit even if you hit the beat right. The combo system becomes much easier if you're playing the game on an honest-to-God GBA.

I'm just glad that the combo system adds enough damage to make it worth doing but not enough where it becomes necessary to beating a boss or whatever.

[Zomboid]

Yeah, it's the slight emulator lag that causes that. Sometimes, if I'm pressing turbo during a battle and pressing A as usual, I get up to 10 or so without even trying.

[MarioRPG]

The most I ever got was 10 hits total. That was mostly luck.

[Zomboid]

I'm almost done, and I really don't wanna finish. This whole thing has been kinda bittersweet cause I waited for so long, and it's a great game, but they've said that it's most likely the last game. That makes me so sad :(

Also, the two seeds from the desert, on the boat ride... Fucking awesome.

[Phoenix Gamma]

Really? I'm using the PSP of all things and I can score 16 hits easy, save for one song.

EDIT: Zomboid don't forget to move the D-Pad around during the "End?" screen. I guess if you don't do it, you miss some vital shit for the game's ending. A few friends told me that they totally missed that part and pretty much hated the ending.

[Emu]

It seems to emulate perfectly if you're playing it on anything but a PC, actually. I guess it's because a PC is doing other shit while you're playing on the emulator so it's not devoting all of its attention to the game. I don't know how you put that in computer terms.

[Sam]

RESOURCE ALLOCATION

[Phoenix Gamma]

But...a PC has more processing power than a PSP, even if you're running AIM or something. My laptop rarely ever breaks double digits unless I'm playing something like the Orange Box games.

Be sure to use Vsync, set frameskip to 0, and sound to 44kbs or something.

[Zomboid]

Well, I finished it. That was a truly great game and I'm so grateful that those guys (eventually) finished the translation so that we could play it. I really, really liked it and I'm very sad now that I'm done :(

[Phoenix Gamma]

I was talking to one of my friends about Mother 3, and the topic of how the story was originally written came up. He told me a fun fact I never knew:

Kumatora was supposed to be the 7th Magypsy, not Fassad. Note her boyish appearance and similar color palette, complete with pink hair. There was supposed to be a sad scene when her needle got pulled, but this was later scrapped.

I kinda like that better, because she didn't really do shit in terms of the plot. Plus, that's a way more interesting scenario.

[Zomboid]

Yeah, I think that'd be better too. It was still a pivotal plot point, but that would've been better. Her influence was kind of understandable, but I mean, as the player, I didn't really feel any kind of connection so it was kind of meh.

[Esuohlim]

I must be the only one still playing this :(

Still on Chapter 2 :rolleyes

[MarioRPG]

Not true, I'm at the final boss. I just slowed down playing.

[Sam]

I'm not even at chapter 2 yet. :(

[10,000 Volt Ghost]

Was it worth all the wait?

[Emu]

Yeah, I only played a little last night for the first time in over a week. I don't want this game to end. :(

Just hit chapter 8.

[Guitar Woman]

I'm at chapter 5

After I stop playing this game, I always forget why.

[Guitar Woman]

Casablanca - Humphrey Bogart
Breakfast at Tiffany's - Audrey Hepburn
Plan 9 from Outer Space - some nuts

[Zomboid]

I didn't want it to end either, but I got addicted and kept playing :(. I was really sad when I finished.

[Esuohlim]

Hahaha "I got my leg caught in this stupid-ass trap".

[liquidstatik]

..

[Supafly345]

Does the game officially start at chapter 4?

[Emu]

I was so disappointed when this game ended because I was under the impression that for some reason it had 10 chapters. :(

[bigtimecow]

i'm not even done chapter 1 yet :(

i don't have time to play though, but once christmas break hits i'll have a whole month to get my mother3 on :D ;D :D

[Esuohlim]

I can't kill the Oh-So-Snake :(

[Guitar Woman]

Pussy.

The thing about this game is that status effects are actually useful, so spam Duster's thief tools, like, a lot.

Especially in boss fights; before you actually start fighting, it's good to disable the boss and then lower his offense with the scary mask.

[Esuohlim]

F you I'm completely out of items and he keeps splashing me :(

[pac-man]

I'm on Chapter 4, but I set M3 down for a while cuz skool sux.

[Supafly345]

The way to get the full ending is lame.

[Guitar Woman]

So did anyone else stop playing at chapter 5? :(

[Esuohlim]

OH-SO-SNAKE >:

Granted I've only tried to beat him about three or four times but my complete lack of motivation to play is because of it

[Guitar Woman]

You could try not sucking at games, Yahtzee

[Schimid]

I FINALLY BEAT IT.

I got stuck on a lot of parts (the volcano was brutal) and got bored at others, but it was totally worth it to finally beat the game. I cried.

Does anyone know if you get a different ending if you choose Yes or No about pulling the needle? I chose NO, just to see if it would implore me to reconsider and it didn't, I just pulled it anyway. Then the whole world got destroyed. I felt horrible.

I also did some snooping, have any of you guys seen the unused boss fight that (i think) Lucas was supposed to have? It's a nightmare wherein Claus kinda looks like Giygas, he's even naked at one point. Shit's spooky.

[Phoenix Gamma]

No, it's always the same. Then you play with the D-Pad at "THE END" and see a bunch of conversations and junk that ties the ending together, and that's it.

I feel obligated to mention that, just because I had a friend who totally missed that part. I felt bad for him because he went and fought the boss all over again :(

[bigtimecow]

i'm about midway chapter 3 and loving this. MUUUUCH better than earthbound (like, by a fucking landslide)

question though, is there any sort of money system in the game? if not, i'm actually really happy. grinding for money was never very fun

[Zomboid]

Yeah, but I can't remember how you get it. I remember buying some merchandise from ...uhh.. Whatever the runaway 5 replacement is. DCMC I think.

[Phoenix Gamma]

DP was the money IIRC. Doesn't happen till you're Lucas.

[bigtimecow]

gotcha

i've reread some of the posts in this thread, and i'm surprised by how many people are still worshipping earthbound. i used to (THANKS STARMEN.NET) but it was blind faith. after a good conversation with PG i realized that it isn't that amazing. i then replayed it (after having played through twice) and somehow missed 3 sanctuary locations/bosses. the problem is, it lacks a good direction with the story. so far with mother3 there's a very constant direction (given that you play each chapter [SO FAR] from a different perspective, that i can't see how i would get lost

oh, and i recently STOPPED playing earthbound because i was poo and for some reason couldn't get my muu training going >: >: >: so yeah fuck earthbound yay mother3

[Zomboid]

uh... there were hint booths if you got lost.

[Esuohlim]

bigtimecow you'll be bigtimedead when I'm through with you >:

I just got the Shyness book for the Tenda Village in Earthbound, so I'll be done with that game soon and I'll give Mother 3 another shot.

[Schimid]

You shouldn't worry about grinding for money in Mother 3. There was no point in the game where I didn't have enough cash to buy whatever my sweet little heart desires. You certainly don't have to be frugal.

[bigtimecow]

it's not that i got lost, because according to (in the game) everyone else i was talking to i was on the right track. the problem was i got the 1st sanctuary and the next one i got was (i think) the 4th one, and the game let me skip the 2nd and 3rd, which i later needed to go back to get. i'm just saying the game needs a bit more limitation in some areas so things like that don't happen

trust me, i like earthbound. just so far, mother3 is WAAAY better

[Zomboid]

FUCK YOU!

I never got lost in Earthbound, but maybe that's because I don't suck at it.

[Esuohlim]

Near the middle of the game where you're jumping around from Fourside to Summers to Scaraba back to Fourside, Dalaam, Scaraba etc. is the only time where I can get a little bit lost on what to do next even in repeated playings, but that's what the damn hint booths are for. >:

[Phoenix Gamma]

A good videogame shouldn't have to specifically tell you where to go. That just acknowledges the fact that it's poorly designed (see: the arrows in Perfect Dark Zero). The average person should be able to figure it out on their own. It also came with a strategy guide. It's like they weren't confident in the game at all.

I seriously doubt everyone who's ever played Earthbound always knew exactly where to go on their first playthrough. It's not a bad game, the charm's definitely there and the writing is sharp, but it's marred by design flaws that should have stayed dead in the NES era (Final Fantasy, Dragon Warrior).

Mother 3 takes the good qualities of Earthbound (writing, charm, music, no random battles) and applies modern design to make it a better game.

[bigtimecow]

A good videogame shouldn't have to specifically tell you where to go. That just acknowledges the fact that it's poorly designed (see: the arrows in Perfect Dark Zero). The average person should be able to figure it out on their own. It also came with a strategy guide. It's like they weren't confident in the game at all.

I seriously doubt everyone who's ever played Earthbound always knew exactly where to go on their first playthrough. It's not a bad game, the charm's definitely there and the writing is sharp, but it's marred by design flaws that should have stayed dead in the NES era (Final Fantasy, Dragon Warrior).

Mother 3 takes the good qualities of Earthbound (writing, charm, music, no random battles) and applies modern design to make it a better game.

YEAH

[Zomboid]

I think you both just suck at it. I showed my friend the game and he'd never played it before, but he managed to find everything no problem. Part of RPGs is exploring anyway. I don't see how anyone can miss something as important as the my sanctuary locations.

The hint booths aren't there because the game is challenging; They're there because it's kind of an intro RPG for a lot of people and not everyone understands that when characters talk about MYSTERIOUS HAPPENINGS at certain locations that you should go and see what they're talking about.

[bigtimecow]

the point i'm trying to make is that, whether or not someone sucks at it, you shouldn't be able to get the (say) 3rd sanctuary location if you don't have the 2nd. there is an order to these things, right? or are they numbered for no reason :/

[10,000 Volt Ghost]

Have you guys ever bothered to get the Sword of kings for Poo in Earthbound?

I've played through it 3-4 times and have spend countless hours killing starmen in the spaceship each time but have never gotten it. Same thing with the other 1/128 weapons. I got Paula's frying pan once by luck.

[Zomboid]

I got it one time. It was pretty awesome :O

the point i'm trying to make is that, whether or not someone sucks at it, you shouldn't be able to get the (say) 3rd sanctuary location if you don't have the 2nd. there is an order to these things, right? or are they numbered for no reason :/So your logic is that if you go ahead and get a my sanctuary location that's one or two ahead of the one(s) that you were supposed to go to, that's a bad thing? How so? If you go and do that, you realize it as soon as it plays the song and something's missing. After that, all you need to do is backtrack and find it (with the knowledge that it must be somewhere between the two places that you got your last one and your new one). None of them are even hidden.

Once again, I must theorize that you guys are just terrible gamers :(

[Phoenix Gamma]

Eh? I know you feel tough for thinking that, but being bad at it has nothing to do with it. I'm rubbish at most FPS's, but I still think Valve's game design is some of the best in the industry, FPS or not.

It's not like it's hard to advance text.

But if the game flow is so busted that I need to talk to every random NPC in hopes of finding the one that gives me some sense of where to go or what to do, well, fuck that noise. There's spelling it out like every new RPG, and there's the needle-in-a-haystack method that smarter developers dropped years ago. Mother 3 has a nice footing somewhere in the middle.

And I beat the damn game, mind you. Best rape scene in a videogame.

[10,000 Volt Ghost]

The first time I played through it the game took me like 4-5 months. But that's also renting it from Blockbuster because it was crazy expensive to buy. That's the same Blockbuster too, way before memory cards people and fancy non-cartridge save systems. If Hills didn't close I think I would still have the sucker on lay away.

[bigtimecow]

FINE I SUCK AT GAMES :'(

[Zomboid]

Eh? I know you feel tough for thinking that, but being bad at it has nothing to do with it. I'm rubbish at most FPS's, but I still think Valve's game design is some of the best in the industry, FPS or not.

It's not like it's hard to advance text.

But if the game flow is so busted that I need to talk to every random NPC in hopes of finding the one that gives me some sense of where to go or what to do, well, fuck that noise. There's spelling it out like every new RPG, and there's the needle-in-a-haystack method that smarter developers dropped years ago. Mother 3 has a nice footing somewhere in the middle.

And I beat the damn game, mind you. Best rape scene in a videogame.
I don't feel tough because I was able to beat the game without a walkthrough or anything, but you should feel like a retard for not being able to.

Really, it's not a fucking hard game. I'm amazed that you think the "game flow is busted" simply because you didn't know what to fucking do. Plenty of other people I know had no problem beating the game without getting stuck forever and then crying like a bitch.

[executioneer]

i didn't beat it but it wasn't because i was stuck, it was because i got too frustrated @ being poisoned all the goddamn time in i forget what area now, some swamp thing? idk

[bigtimecow]

Really, it's not a fucking hard game. I'm amazed that you think the "game flow is busted" simply because you didn't know what to fucking do. Plenty of other people I know had no problem beating the game without getting stuck forever and then crying like a bitch.

considering we're talking about personal playthrough experiences and basing our opinions on that, i don't see why using how other people played through it matters. do you think when critics review games they first find out how everyone else played it? they give a personal opinion based on their personal experience. if we didn't know what to do, then there is a problem

[bigtimecow]

i'm noticing now that the most serious forums here are philosophy and gaming :(

GUYS I LOVE YOU ALL, I'M RIGHT, LET'S JUST ADMIT IT AND PUT THIS PAST US

today i'm at work for basically the entire day, but something tells me i'll be taking a lot of "shits" that take "longer than they should" ;) anyone catch my DRRIIIIFT?

[Zomboid]

considering we're talking about personal playthrough experiences and basing our opinions on that, i don't see why using how other people played through it matters. do you think when critics review games they first find out how everyone else played it? they give a personal opinion based on their personal experience. if we didn't know what to do, then there is a problem
Here's the thing: you two didn't know what to do. Everyone else I know did not have that problem. You're the minority.

Here's a similar situation: 10 people are in line at a vending machine. 8 of the people go through and make their purchases, but two of the people got lost somewhere along the way and didn't know what to do. Why? Because they're retarded. They're also the minority.

There's not a problem with the gameplay. I've said all I need to say on this.

[bigtimecow]

kk

[Zomboid]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/Lucifer40/Seinfeld_s6e5.jpg

On this issue, there can be A-NO DEBATE!

[bigtimecow]

SHIT DELETE THIS

[bigtimecow]

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u10/bigtimecow/RUU_0009.jpg

[bigtimecow]

i'm in chapter 7, and just got through the volcano. i think i died 3 times trying to get through there (FUCKING MR. VOLCANO OR WHATEVER ERUPTING) and New Fassad was a total kick in the balls. someone in this thread mentioned getting through battles by the "skin of their teeth" or something like that, and i have to agree

but damn is it enjoyable

[Schimid]

That's exactly where I stopped playing for a while, the Ms. Magma and Mr. Volcano really hurt. New Fassad was rough too.

Sad to say, New Fassad is probably the last hard boss fight. But boy is it a tough one.

[BLEU]

Really? I don't think it's that hard... I might be grinding a bit, though, just because I think the battles are fun and the music is awesome.

Earthbound was pretty hard, too. I think the sequel is much easier. Better characters as well. Duster. :love

[bigtimecow]

now i'm all hopped up on mushrooms and i'm literally scared. some of these things people are saying to me are creepy as fuck, and the lines inside the mailboxes... yeeesh

just absolutely creepy writing

[Phoenix Gamma]

Don't go in the hotspring!

[bigtimecow]

i did :x and then when it changed back it did again just for kicks :x

[Zomboid]

Yeah, the mushroom sequence was really fucked up. Again, I prefer EB to this, but it's definitely a really, really solid game and it surpassed my expectations.

[BLEU]

Mother 3 exceeds EB in both music and character development, imo. I just wish it'd been released for a console (or even DS).

[Schimid]

You know what I just realized?

http://www.theoriginof.com/images/scooby_doo/scooby_doo.jpg

Take out Velma.

Holy shit.

[Guitar Woman]

:(

[Phoenix Gamma]

Velma can be Salsa or something.

[Emu]

After a 2 month delay, I finally got my Mother 3 Handbook, and holy shit was it worth the wait. I just wish I hadn't already beaten the game :(

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/ikrsez/031.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/ikrsez/032.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/ikrsez/033.jpg

[Zomboid]

Ah fuck, that is really cool.

[Schimid]

Mine shipped out Wednesday. Can't wait to get it! :O

[bigtimecow]

i just got back into playing this and am starting chapter 8. barrier trio was such a fucking ******, until i found a wonderful way to trick "him" into doing nothing. i spammed defense down with kumatora which forced "him" to defense up every turn, and just kept wailing on "him"

[maggiekarp]

Finally beat this game a few weeks ago.

Oh god Ultimate Chimera I thought you were cute at first but I was so wrong D:

[edit]Okay reading through the thread I gotta say a couple things now

Mother 3 is to Earthbound what Earthbound is to Mother 1

Also I liked that Kumatora might have been meant to be a Magypsy but wasn't, since it would have been pretty obvious. You spend the game thinking "oh god Kumatora is a Magypsy and you have to kill her and it will be sad this game is fucked it might do that D:" but then Fassad is the Magypsy, and since you hated that guy it cleanses the misery pallate for the next death.

Also now Kumatora and Duster can have babies yeaaaaaah.