2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the SNES cult classic EarthBound, or as it’s known in Japan, Mother 2. With this anniversary came a fascinating museum exhibit held in Shibuya from August 1st to September 8th. The exhibit reveals development materials and secrets about the game that remained unknown until now, thirty years later. So, what might you expect to find at the exhibit? Let’s dive in and explore the secrets of Mother 2.
Mother 2’s 1994 Release
Mother 2 was released for the Nintendo Famicom in August 1994. In the United States, it was released under the name “EarthBound” in June 1995. Despite being the sequel to the lesser-known title Mother (1989), the game was understandable as a standalone story. It was developed by some of Nintendo’s biggest names, including Shigesato Itoi, Satoru Iwata, and composers Keiichi Suzuki and Hirokazu Tanaka. These talented developers dedicated five long years to the project, resulting in the game’s exceptional quality and detail.
Although the game succeeded in Japan, EarthBound sold poorly in the United States. Regardless, a committed fan community began to pop up around the title and remains dedicated to this day. EarthBound, as well as Mother 1 and 3, have found their footing amongst Western players partially due to EarthBound’s main character, Ness, being a playable character in Super Smash Brothers. In later Super Smash Bros. titles, Mother 3’s protagonist, Lucas, would be added to the fight. The inclusion of Ness and Lucas sparked curiosity in Nintendo fans, who would go on to give Mother 1-3 the love they deserved.
Revisiting Mother 2 on Display
Fast forward to today, Shibuya’s PARCO Hobonichi store is hosting an exhibit centered around EarthBound’s 30th anniversary. The exhibit is currently taking place, having begun on August 1st and operating through September 8th, 2024. It’s known that visitors aren’t allowed to take photos of everything there, but have thankfully described the collection online in detail.
Some of the interesting things on display include concept documents revealing cut content, like a fifth town for the game called Fiverent. Visitors will also be treated to concept art showcasing ideas for a tripod-like vehicle for the Mr. Saturns, some early character design, and lots and lots of unused sprites.
The exhibit’s main feature and one of the few things visitors are allowed to photograph are the original paper-clay figures of the game’s characters. Early game developers would often sculpt their ideal characters out of clay to make them easier to visualize when they created their sprites. Mother 2’s clay figures have been preserved exceptionally well, making for an incredible piece of history on display. The figures reveal details about the characters that otherwise aren’t visible in the sprite work. For instance, the models show that one of the game’s bosses, Frank Fly, actually has eyes behind his sunglasses.
This showcase is a treat for long-time fans of EarthBound and those who are curious about Famicom game development. So much work in early video games was done using pencil and paper. The promo images for the event depict stacks of binders that surely house the game’s legacy. It raises the question, should we be using more physical media in modern development?
After all, you can’t delete handwritten notes by accident. The Secrets of Mother 2 exhibit is truly a phenomenal trip through time that portrays how a few passionate developers created an iconic game from the ground up with far less technology than we have now.
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