Payson Porter

Mother 1 is an experimental, unfinished mess. Earthbound is a masterpiece I respect deeply. Mother 3 is a game I didn't even think I would like much, but it's slowly become one of my favorite games of all time. The gameplay has been optimized from Earthbound, which has some qualities that have tarnished with time. It's slightly easier than Earthbound, but don't think it's a cakewalk. The barrier Trio, Masked man, and Jealous bass are all extremely challenging and rewarding to beat. You can run. Key items no longer take up precious inventory space. The main characters are actually...well...characters! An upgrade from Earthbound's cardboard protagonists. The story is deep, something I don't think Nintendo will ever top again. The music probably makes up all 100 of the top 100 GBA songs. They don't even sound like GBA songs, they sound straight from the DS. This game is dark, but somehow still hopeful. It's the same razor thin line occupied by Majoras Mask, another one of my favorites. I don't think anything I say can do justice to Shigasato Itoi's magnum opus. This game is easily the greatest GBA game, and I am hopeful Nintendo will localize it someday.