======Earthbound======

Popular series of //[[Dragon Quest Series|Dragon Quest]]//-inspired RPG's, created by Japanese author and celebrity [[Shigesato Itoi]].  In Japan the series is known simply as //Mother//.  The series is known for its idyllic modern-day American setting, complete with ATMs, convenience stores, and [[character:crazy hippies]], as well as its quirky, ironic, and often postmodern sense of humor.  The gameplay itself is derivative of //[[Dragon Quest Series|Dragon Quest]]// to a tee, with a few inconsequential surface innovations.

While the series enjoys widespread and immense popularity in Japan, it has a relatively small but devoted group of fans in the US, where it is more of a cult classic.

===== The Games =====
The only game to see a US release was //Mother 2// for the [[hardware:snes|SNES]], which was released as //[[Earthbound]]//. Although its [[hardware:nes|NES]] predecessor //Mother// was localized for US release (under the name //Earthbound//), a variety of factors --- including anticipated marketing costs and the phasing out of the NES in favor of its successor hardware -- prevented its release. Around 2000, a prototype of the original NES //Earthbound// cartridge surfaced on the internet; it was quickly acquired by fans, who dumped the ROM for wide distribution.  This ROM has been dubbed by fans as //[[Earthbound Zero]]//.

Although a third game (called //[[Mother 3]]//) was planned for the [[hardware:n64|N64]]'s expansion peripheral, the [[hardware:n64#64DD]], [[people:Shigesato Itoi|Itoi]] eventually pulled the plug, citing dissatisfaction with the game's engine. Now development is more or less confirmed again for the [[hardware:gba|GBA]]; recent evidence, however, suggests its potential transfer to the [[hardware:ds|Nintendo DS]]. It is also rumored that the game is actually a [[downport]] of the N64 game to //Earthbound//'s SNES-level graphics. Though this has not been confirmed, Itoi has joked of releasing a limited run of //Mother 3// for the Super Famicom when it is completed.

===== Chronology =====
  *//[[Mother]]// (1989)
    *//Earthbound Zero// (Unreleased, 1995?)
  *//Mother 2// (1994)
    *//[[Earthbound]]// (1995)
  *//[[Mother 1+2]]// (2003)
  *//[[Mother 3]]// (2006)

===== External links =====
  *[[http://www.starmen.net|Starmen.net]]