Earthbound 64
Earthbound 64 returns to show itself with an unreleased video that shows game sequences never seen before for this elusive RPG that should have been released ona> Nintendo 64 and represent the third chapter of the series, or the original Mother 3 before the total reworking of the project.Of Earthbound 64 we have seen different materials over the years, but this video in particular, published by Zen64 on YouTube, is particular because it is the complete and original video that was shown at Spaceworld 1997 and allows, albeit in a few seconds, to see several new elements of the game.
In the 25 seconds of video it is possible to see a remarkable variety of game settings and situations, obviously quite crazy as befits the series in question, as well as various characters and aliens. The footage comes from a CD-ROM of a Nintendo report dated 1998, which Zen64 won at auction and which contains various vintage materials including the Earthbound 64 video in question.
The game was supposed to be Mother 3, or the third installment of the series that should have continued the adventure after the legendary Earthbound for SNES, with development then moved to 64DD, Nintendo's proprietary disc drive released only in Japan, only to be completely canceled in this form in 2000.
Nintendo decided to redo everything and develop Mother 3 on Game Boy Advance, the format on which the title was then released but without ever reaching the West: the game remained exclusively linked to the Japanese market, despite numerous appeals from fans to officially take it abroad.
Curiously enough, even Terry Crews has recently spent his time on the cause by asking Nintendo to bring the game to the West.
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New Video of Cancelled Earthbound 64 Has Been Found
The last two decades have been frustrating for Mother fans. Known in America as Earthbound, the series’ first two titles for the NES and SNES are regarded as cult classics, with the protagonist, Ness, appearing in every Super Smash Bros. title. Mother 3, also known as Earthbound 64, was about 60% finished when it was canceled in August of 2000 as part of staff reprioritization in the lead-up to the release of the Nintendo GameCube.
A Japanese auction popped up recently that was offering a CD-ROM titled “NINTENDO CORPORATE REPORT 1998,” and Zen was the winner, purchasing the item for $357 USD. The disk contained a trailer for Earthbound 64 that was originally shown at Spaceworld 1997, among other trailers that have since been posted online.
Screenshots and videos of the ambitious title have been relatively scarce in the years since. As the development of the game progressed, the project was moved to the Nintendo 64DD, and once that platform failed, back to a cartridge for the Nintendo 64. Financial troubles at HAL Laboratory prevented the studio from hiring trained employees, and they eventually borrowed members of the Pokémon Stadium team to help with 3D elements.
The title was originally reworked into Mother 3 for the GBA, released only in Japan. Incredibly well-received, the clamor for proper localization to other countries has not died down since the 2006 release. As of yet, Nintendo has no announced plans to bring the Game Boy Advance title overseas, so fans must satisfy their curiosity with a (fantastic) fan translation.
The 25-seconds of silenced footage may not seem like much, but to those that see Earthbound 64 as their Holy Grail, this latest discovery is a huge moment. Perhaps one day a playable build will come to light. If not, at least we have another small peek behind the curtain.
If you’d like to see what else was on that CD-ROM, Zen has been kind enough to dump the entire contents, which includes trailers for a dozen other Nintendo 64 games.