Ness, the protagonist of Mother 2 / EarthBound.
For detailed information about this series, see: EarthBound Wiki
Mother, often referred to as EarthBound outside Japan, is an RPG video game series by Nintendo taking place in a modern-day western setting.
Each game in the series is a different story, with some recurring elements.
Video Games[]
Only three original games have been released:
- Mother (July 27th, 1989) for Famicom, Wii U Virtual Console, and Nintendo Switch Online. Initially only released in Japan, it was later released in North America and Europe as EarthBound Beginnings.
- Mother 2: Gyiyg Strikes Back! (August 27th, 1994) for SNES, Wii U Virtual Console, New Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, SNES Classic Edition, and Nintendo Switch Online. Known outside Japan as EarthBound.
- Mother 3 (April 20th, 2006) for Game Boy Advance, Wii U Virtual Console, and Nintendo Switch Online. Only released in Japan. Originally it was created as a Nintendo 64 game and would have been internationally released as EarthBound 64.
Compilation[]
- Mother 1 + 2 (June 20th, 2003) for Game Boy Advance
Publications[]
Gamebook[]
- Mother: Invasion from the Unknown (1989)
Novels[]
- Mother: The Original Story (?)
- Mother 2: Gyiyg Strikes Back (?)
Manga / Comics[]
- Mother 2: Gyiyg Strikes Back - Ness's Adventure Chronicles (September 15th, 1994)
- Pollyanna: MOTHER Official Comic (June 12th, 2020)
- Pollyanna2: MOTHER Official Comic (October 21st, 2021)
Other Books[]
- Encyclopedia Mother (1989, republished in 2003 for the release of Mother 1 + 2). Supplementary guide containing backstories and biographies for events and characters in Mother.
Board Game[]
- Slot Brothers (1994)
Links to Other Series[]
| Direction | Series | Date | Description | Type
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Pippi Longstocking | July 27, 1989 | The character of Pippi in Mother is based off of Pippi Longstocking. | 3 |
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Mario | July 27, 1989 | In the first Mother, a child talks about Super Mario Bros. 3 and the nonexisting Super Mario Bros. 7; Super Mario Maker features four costumes based on Mother characters. |
2 |
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Dragon Quest | July 27, 1989 | In the Japanese version of Mother, specifically the Famicom version, the kid in Twinkle Elementary School asks Ninten if he has played Dragon Quest IV. | 2 |
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Ben Casey | July 27, 1989 | In the Japanese version of Mother, the doctor in Merrysville/Thanksgiving is named "Big Ben Casey". | 3 |
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Donkey Kong | August 27, 1994 | In EarthBound an arcade cabinet for a game very similar to Donkey Kong can be spotted. |
2.5 |
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Xevious | August 27, 1994 | The background music in the Onett Arcade in Earthbound features sample notes similar to Xevious Arcade music. | 2 |
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Star Fox | 1994 | Mother 2: Giygas Strikes Back - Ness’s Adventure features a panel depicting characters watching Star Fox on the TV. | 2 |
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Father Knows Best | 1994 | Mother 2: Giygas Strikes Back - Ness’s Adventure features a reference to Father Knows Best. | 2 |
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Kirby | March 21, 1996 | Mr. Saturn is an obtainable "item" in Kirby Super Star. |
1 |
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Game Boy Camera | February 21, 1998 | An arranged version of the Twinkle Elementary School music from EarthBound Beginnings is featured in Game Boy Camera. | 2 |
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Super Smash Bros. | January 21, 1999 | Ness is selectable in Super Smash Bros. and returns in its sequels with other elements from the series; in Super Smash Bros. Brawl Lucas is also selectable. |
1 |
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Star Wars | April 20, 2006 | Mother 3 features a reference to the Star Wars movies. | 3 |
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The Notebook Trilogy | April 20, 2006 | The Notebook Trilogy serves as an inspiration for Mother 3, with both featuring twins named Lucas and Claus. | 3 |
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Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends | May 19, 2006 | One character from the series resemblances a similar character from the Mother series named Lucas, but the character’s name is possibly Young Man Rivers from “Neighbor Pains”, but returns in “Say It Isn’t Sew” and “Goodbye to Bloo”. | 3 |
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Scott Pilgrim | May 24, 2006 | The night club "Chaos Theatre", first appearing in Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness, is named after the concert hall in Mother 2. In Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together, Scott wears a Mother 2 shirt. | 2 |
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Aoi Sekai no Chushin de | July 30, 2007 | Masa in Aoi Sekai no Chushin de is based on the Mother series. | 3 |
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Natsu no Arashi! | May 24, 2009 | Natsu no Arashi's episode "Suit Yourself" features a reference to Mother 2. | 3 |
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A Kappa's Trail | December 9, 2009 | Ocho from Mother 3 makes a cameo in A Kappa's Trail. | 1 |
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Homestuck | 2010 | Homestuck makes a number of references to Mother. The protagonists of EarthBound appear in a secret room in Homestuck. Joey Claire has a poster for Mother 2 in Hiveswap. | 1 |
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Animal Crossing | November 8, 2012 | Animal Crossing: New Leaf features a reference to the Mother series. | 2 |
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Henry Stickmin | May 27, 2013 | There's a spoof of the battle system from EarthBound in Infiltrating the Airship. | 3 |
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Steven Universe | May 14, 2014 | The videogame "Mini Golf Quest" from the Steven Universe episode "Rose's Room" is partly inspired by Mother 2. | 3 |
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Miitopia | December 8, 2016 | Miitopia features a costume based on Ness from Mother, obtainable by scanning the Ness amiibo. | 2 |
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Enter the Gungeon | January 26, 2017 | Enter the Gungeon features a weapon called Casey that resembles Ness' most powerful weapon in Earthbound by the same name. | 3 |
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Angry Video Game Nerd | April 25, 2018 | The 156th episode of The Angry Video Game Nerd reviews Earthbound for SNES. | 2 |
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GameCenter CX | November 15, 2019 | Arino plays the GBA port of EarthBound through MOTHER 1+2 on a Game Boy Player in episodes 284, 285 and 286. | 2 |
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Undertale | June 12, 2020 | Undertale features various references to Mother. Also, there is an approved artwork by Toby Fox in the Pollyanna Mother Comic Book. | 1 |
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DBX | June 15, 2021 | Ness has been a subject for DBX. | 2 |
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Chibi Tiny Tales | February 6, 2022 | A background character that looks like Ness from Earthbound appears in "Doof Falls for Gamma". | 3 |
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Professor Chalk | September 23, 2022 | A poster for Earthbound can be found in Professor Chalk's room in the music video for A Songus Amongus. | 2 |
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The Owl House | October 15, 2022 | Ness's outfit from Earthbound can be found in The Owl House episode “Thanks to Them”. | 2 |
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Antonball | November 12, 2024 | The "Motherly" and "Bound Upon Earth" sprays in Antonblast are based on the Mother series. | 3 |
