This stunning 3D Mother 3 fan tribute video from Curiomatic (formerly Smashified) will blow you away, even if you’ve never touched the original game. It’s easy to call the footage a lively recreation of some of the RPG’s original highlights, but it’s so much more than that. Classic characters like Lucas and Kumatora have a claymation-like style as their 3D models trot around familiar locations. Even the combat has been given a colorful facelift, with battle themes and animations that are more vibrant than ever. See how Curiomatic reimagined Mother 3 in its 3D fan tribute video below.
It’s a magical tribute and, sadly, nothing more. Curiomatic’s loving project is an impressive five-minute trip down memory lane but nothing you can actually play. Curiomatic specializes in visual experimentation in the gaming space, and it says its 3D Mother 3 tribute video has been in the works for more than two years, calling the project its most ambitious yet. It exists to commemorate the YouTube channel’s seven-year anniversary.
Although it would be nice to say the video is part of some official Mother 3-related celebration, many gaming fans have yet to experience the original classic. Mother 3 released exclusively to the Game Boy Advance more than 15 years ago and is only available in Japan, though a professional-level English fan patch is available. Although Mother 2 came West as EarthBound and Mother 1 eventually arrived as EarthBound Beginnings, Nintendo has never done anything to suggest it is planning to localize the third entry, despite Mother 3 protagonist Lucas appearing in several Super Smash Bros. entries as a playable character.
In related news, Nintendo recently announced that EarthBound and EarthBound Beginnings have joined Nintendo Switch Online’s SNES and NES libraries.