2,1,3 was the order I played. I think 1,2,3 is ideal for people that have experience playing old school RPGs, but for a wider audience the order I played feels more natural.
This is pretty accurate because all I play is retro jrpg/srpg games and I played Mother(Earthbound Zero) first and it's my absolute favorite. The graphics, the grind, long gameplay ugh it's so good. The important part is to play the Japanese translation of Mother the graphics are even more pixelated.
I played 2, 3, and then 1. All three games have their charm. I like 1 and 2 location settings. I found the first two games more charming than Mother 3. Mother 3 is a great game, but it personally didn't like its story much. I recommend playing either 1 or 2 first and if you like them, play 3.
I played the order the same as you but I found mother 3 good but not better than earthbound. And then I played Mother 1 and I personally didn't like it cause of the artwork and storyline. I LOVED porky/pokey storyline in mother 3
I played them 3 2 then 1. All the games made me cry. I have a twin brother and a pretty rough childhood in a small community, so they resonate with me on a different level. These games are my favorite for sure.
I played them in the order 2 - 3 - 1, and I feel like that is a good order for me. I was able to get past the grindy parts of Mother 1 because I was used to how the gameplay worked.
I think Mother 1 is a bit underrated (I actually prefer it to 2) so I always recommend 1,2, 3 - I do think there's story progression that's a bit underappreciated due to the Mother 1 pushback (not helped by the fact that the official English release is technically a beta, so the final boss has the wrong name, etc.) That being said, 1, 2, 3 is prolly more suited for like 1. it's someone already committed to playing all three anyway or 2. Someone you know isnt squeamish about older games like that ( I mean for some folks even Mother 2 is too archaic :^p) There's also always the option of Tomato's translation of the Mother 1 GBA port, which is a much more faithful script and has an easy mode! Ultimately tho, regardless of preferences, to most crucial thing is to be nice and respect one another ✌
I’d agree with it being underrated. When I was looking into playing the series, I was told on more than one occasion to skip Mother 1… glad I didn’t! Great points, especially that last one, and to that point - play the games in whatever way you can!
I played them in reverse order 3, 2, 1. I originally tried to start with 2 but there were so many clunky aspects that eventually, I just couldn’t get through it stopping well before half way. Eventually I played 3 which solved all the problems and was incredible in every way. From here I was better able to go into the past to play earlier games and know what I was playing was worth it.
I played in the reverse order and it was great. But i undestand the point of starting with the best one, on the other hand, I believe that if I had started with Mother 1 I would hardly have finished it.
The best order is ABCABACBA where A is the most replayable game and C is the least replayable game. Since it allows you to experience all six possible orders and ensures that the most replayable game gets replayed the most.
My boyfriend and I just had so much fun playing earthbound together and taking turns playing it. Definitely need a walkthrough. We spent way too much time wandering around.
@LPsLPs I wasn't even born when the game came out and never even played through the whole game completely but it still gives me this deep hit of nostalgia that I really can't explain
2, 3, 1. I actually think Mother 1 has a lot of charm. But I'm the sort of person who fixates on a retro RPG once every few years. I like the pace of retro RPGs as an occasional indulgence. I couldn't stand playing them all the time, but just the grinding and exploring just scratches an occasional itch. Also, since there was less info about Mother 1 online at the time, it felt like there were truly surprises waiting for me.
That makes sense to me. It definitely seems that retro RPGs like Mother 1 are better for a certain type of person. What other retro RPGs are of those you enjoy?
@@LPsLPs final fantasy 3 (the original NES version, not the 3D remake) final fantasy adventure, and the final fantasy legend series pokemon gen 1 (as much as those can be considered retro rpgs) dragon quest (of course) but especially dragon quest monsters I haven't really played that many since I only play a new one every few years, as I said. so its mostly just The Classics TM. I got really into Guardia Quest as well (a modern retro RPG throwback featured in Retro Game Challenge for the Nintendo DS).
There is continuity, Giegue was a mistranslation of his Japanese name: Gyiyg. But they were about to release Mother in the US, (by the name of Earth Bound, with a space) they decided not to release it because the SNES was right around the corner and RPG’s didn’t really catch on in the Us yet. When EarthBound came out, Gyiyg was still the villain but they _chose_ the name Giygas for him. In 2016, (I believe) they released Earth Bound (but renamed it to EarthBound Beginnings) on the Wii, and didn’t bother to change Giegue’s name to Giygas. Pokey from EarthBound and Porky from Mother 3 are also the same character, Pokey was also a mistranslation of Porky
Hey that’s fair! I should say, not MAJOR continuity between the plots. Not a whole lot of references to what’s been done before or anything like that. Not a bad thing!
@@LPsLPs There’s a event in Japan called “The Secrets of Mother 2” right now and it gives a lot of stuff such as early things about the game. If EarthBound hadn’t gotten changed a lot, it would have had a lot of connection between the first game
I went with “Earthbound, Earthbound again, Earthbound once again, and then once it came to Switch Online, Earthbound Beginnings- NAH screw this, I can’t handle this game, Earthbound again, and only THEN MOTHER 3” 😂 (I only learned how to emulate recently, evidently lol)
Update: I gave Mother 1 another shot, and I’M IN LOVE WITH IT!!! I just needed to print out a guide and follow along, but the game is genuinely beautiful
Im currently in the middle of my first earthbound playthrough. I LOVE this game and look forward to the others. I will probably play the games in the 2,1,3 order.
2,3,1 was the way I did it when I first played them. I never had the intention of playing the first one until I found out about the easy ring. When I play all 3 now, I do 1,2,3.
Although I did 2,3,1, I do indeed recommend 2,1,3. Gameplay wise, Earthbound is on par with Mother 3, but Mother 3’s ending is absolutely suited for it as a final game to play rather than a first. And playing Earthbound will teach you a lot of stuff that can help in Beginnings, as well as being very familiar. Alternatively, play them at the same time! No one ever mentions this, but I also think people should try playing some of the games simultaneously. Specifically, play 1 and 2 at the same time, at about the same pace for both, and because you’ll likely finish 2 before 1, play some of 3 every now and then to help keep you feeling refreshed as you play through 1. But definitely beat 1 first, then 3. Not sure how good of an idea it is, but I feel like people should certainly try it.
Great comment! That’s a very interesting idea, playing simultaneously but I can absolutely see how that would work. I wish I would have thought of that :p
For me, it's 2->1->3. Earthbound made me get a hang of the game mechanics and the universe. Then I went to play Mother 1 and I probably wouldn't recommend playing it first, it can be unfriendly to new players. And then Mother 3, as a conclusion to the trilogy.
I actually played 3, 1, 2. I played MOTHER 3 because as a kid, I heard how people talked about it, and I just wanted to play that super special game and make it a childhood experience for myself, and I succeeded. It means a lot to me. Personally, I found it was really hard to go to EarthBound after MOTHER 3 though-- at least immediately. Things like the lack of the rhythm mechanics, the choppier rolling HP, the crunchier graphics, and the lack of the sort of narrative flow that MOTHER 3 had made the jump a bit hard. Years went by, and I decided to play MOTHER 25th Anniversary Edition. I had attempted the original over these few years but never found myself very successful due to the game's difficulty. With this rom hack though, I was eventually able to do it. Finally, this year I played MOTHER 2, and it was much easier to go from MOTHER into MOTHER 2 because it prepared me for what to expect a lot better. I had an absolute blast with M2 and I love this franchise. It will always have a very special place in my heart, like UNDERTALE which it inspired.
its a game all of us earthbounders have to play at some point. i would highly recommend it, it will just be a thorough treat. you should avoid spoilers if you can :))@@LPsLPs
I played it like... Up to Threed in M2 on a crappy flash website emulator on my chromebook at our school, then all of M1, then started over all of M2, and finally beat M3, from what I can recall. I also played like a solid chunk of M3's chapter 1 somewhere near my beginning, lol.
@@LPsLPs Yeah, haha. Nowadays, I'm a huge fan. I own an authentic copy of EarthBound on SNES, and have repros of Beginnings and 3 so I can play all of them on original hardware! I was actually looking into getting a Famicom copy of the first game since I love that one of all them so so much. A month or so ago, I finally hit Level 99 in the Switch version of EBB/M1, in fact. It took sooo long XD
How I just checked this video now? It's very good. I also wanted to tell my story about this franchise. My main was always Ness in the Smash games and when I knew that his origin game was coming to the Switch I just had to try it out and it became my favorite game of all time! The characters, the story, the humor, the battle system, the music, everything's perfect! Now I'm currently playing Mother 1 and it's getting harder and harder but I'm enjoying it so far. Dunno if I'll play Mother 3, I would like to hear your opinion tho.
Thanks man for your opinion man. Maybe I'll play it, I finished Mother 1 yesterday and it had a pretty wholesome ending but I think, even when I play Mother 3, Mother 2 will still be my favorite overall
My personal order was 2, 3, 1 (I started 3 but didnt finish it before 1 though so its kind of 2, 1, 3 in terms of actually finishing it) but I always recommend 2, 3, 1 because 2 and 3 are the most connected in the series, and EarthBound won't rip out your heart and tear it to pieces (I cried a little bit at 1 at the scene with Queen Mary remembering the melodies)
I see all of these orders as reasonable approaches but the way I played was, like you metioned, 1-2-3. I also reccomend this method unsuprisingly. Since the time I first discovered the series I had no clue what I was in for when I decided to play the first game. Heck, I didn't even know there were the two other games besides Mother 2! Being said, it was a wonderful and weird experience being thrown head first into a series with the first game you don't know anything about except for the background information you had on the second game. I literally went off of the story and mechanics of Mother 2 to help me figure out the game. As for the gameplay, I didn't complain. I thought it was alright for an RPG made for the NES. And for Mother 2 and 3, they were amazing, they always had suprises. Even if I knew everything and even knew what happened next there was always something new to discover. I'm actually thankful that Mother 1 was my introduction and I can't think of how I would've gotten into the series without playing it first. Sorry for the long read lol.
As someone who is new to the series, I think an interesting order would be 2,1,2,3. In this way you can experience both earthbound for the 1st time with no context of Giygus backstory, and with context on your 2nd playthrough- while also allows you to go into 3 with no expectations outside of the teaser of porky at the end of 2.
It also makes you rediscover and discover new things in earthbound you hadn't seen or forgotten about, for example, even tho I check everything every game I play, in my 1st mother2 playthrough I somehow missed or maybe forgotten the cave in the dinosaur area that leads to the game's final area, so when I found it in my 2nd playthrough I was very shocked
I originally went from 2, 1, 3, mainly because availability I only could play earthbound and can't experience 1 or 3 but then I have the ability to play 1 so i think I'll go with 1, 2, 3, because it's natural. Who plays a second game before a first? This video actually really helped me decide I want to see how the game evolved not a degrade then a major upgrade
i played it 2,3,1. (spoiler alert) I believe that was the best order as i feel like it makes the emotional beats hit harder. playing earthbound first allows you to start on the most upbeat game in the series, which makes the events of mother 3 hit harder. Alongside that, the imagery in mother 3 calls back the most to mother 2, from the theater, to porky himself, to even the hall of memories. This allows the player to have an immense emotional reaction to those moments, while being left in the dark for the musical and thematic references to mother 1 such as the music leading to the boat ride, to the 16 melodies, to even to the importance of mother earth in the intro and outro. Finally mother 1 should be played last in my opinion, as its music and other aspects will act as a point of reflection for those that have played its sequels. Alongside that, i feel like the ending of mother 1 emotionally feels a bit similar in a way to mother 3 in some aspects, to even the way the ending credits loop back to the title screen, depicting a natiral mother earth, an image that is seen corrupted in mother 3, which is eventually healed. This also makes it so once you beat mother 1, you will think back to the hallway in mother 3 when the mother 1 credits loop back to the intro.
Think I did 2-1-3, which I would recommend. 3 works so well as an endcap, and 1 is the best one, but it's hard to get through stuff like its dungeon design without being familiar with the pedigree established by 2.
For me, my order was 2, 3, 1. I did begin Mother 1 before beginning Mother 3, but finished 3 before 1. So I count my order more as 2, 3, 1 for completion.
@@LPsLPs It was a a bit different experiencing Mother 1 and 3 around the same time, considering how I was seeing the beginning and end of the series pretty much at once. I felt that Mother 1 was a bit too difficult for me at the time, and decided to finish 3 first so I could get more experience with the series.
2,3,1 was my order. By the end of Mother 3 I was so invested in the series I had to know how it all started. I recommend a guide though, do not go it alone there's to many quirks and moon logic unfortunately but it was a neat little story,although it is weakest episode in a fantastic trilogy .
I played Mother 2 first technically, but didn’t go past the first few minutes just played til the dog ran away. As far as actually playing through one, I played Mother 3 first, and it made me cry too. Edit: currently playing Earthbound
2 for the layout, 1 for story, Then Replay 2 to warm up and then play 3, Then go outside and take a deep breath cuz you just played 3, Then 2 because you just played 3
So far, I've completed none of them, but i am currently playing mother three and plan on playing earthbound next. Maybe after I'll play mother one, but im not so sure as the game doesn't really intrest me
I think 2, 3, 1. 2 is an introduction to the game. You learn the battle system, the mechanics, and you aren’t bombarded with fights constantly. 3 is the same way, but you should play it after 2, for story and reference purposes. 1 should be played last. It is tough. It is very grind-y. If you liked 2 and 3, then why not have 1 as a final touch?
From a solely plot focused angle: 1 > 2 > 3 All the stories & plots are connected. It has been theorized that Mother 1’s Ninten is Earthbound’s/Mother 2’s Father, and Ana is Ness’s Mother. This would also make George and Maria (the two humans that raised an infant/child Giygas before he went back to his home planet/race) his Great-Great Grandparents. Giygas is also in both Mother and Earthbound as the antagonist and mastermind behind everything. Porky (Pokey) Minch, Ness’s neighbor in Earthbound, becomes Giygas’s second in command through the story in Earthbound. He finds a way to travel through time, and ends up in the future during the time of Mother 3, setting the stage for that game’s plot. One game may be a better entry point for new gamers for the series, sure. But, once you know your way around, and the story has you hooked, it may be cool to go back and play them in order to find out why Giygas is doing what they are doing, etc.
i feel dumb... i played them all at the same time just playing what ever one i felt like at the time bu i finished mother 3 first earth bound second a while later and beginings like a whole year later
I played 3, 2 and have yet to play 1, to me it's the ideal order, i started off with the strongest game that made me nearly cry at times and will finish with the first one just to see how was it in the beggining, of course before playing 3 i already played 2 but i was much much younger and yeah i wasn't playing the ideal way lol
I finished Earthbound But i think i should play the first mother game and then mother 3 Cause when you finish those 2 games it would make sense to make 3 the final one
Played and finished 2, grabbed 1 for 5 minutes and put it down due to how frustrating and obfuscating it was. Played 3 recently, I still have not finished it but it is the best game of the 3 for sure and one of the best games in general
3 2 1 (Gotta Blast!) Into the stars Fueled by candy bars Rides a kid for knack for inventions (Ahh) With a superpowered mind A mechanical K-9 (Bark Bark) He rescues the the day from sure destruction This is the theme song of Jimmy Neutron
I played it 1, 2, 3. But play however you want. I think Mother 1 has an amazing story and to me it's somewhat the most realistic of those three games (saving the world from alien invasion, and unlike Earthbound and Mother 3, we meet the original villain), the only problem is how it's full of unexpected enemy encounters everywhere but that's ok (since it is pretty old game).
Played 2 then 1 as well. Mostly because when I played Earthbound, there was no easily accessible way to play either of the other 2 games. Still haven't played Mother 3, but I will someday. Hopefully when it is released internationally, but I will play it one way or another.
2,3,1 was my order, just because I played earthbound first, found out about the other 2 games second, and was more interested in 3. I do think mother 1 is a good NES game, but I can't really recommend it to anyone who isn't craving more mother after finishing 2 and 3.
I played them in 2,3, 1 order. I really enjoyed this order because after the ending of Mother 3 I was really sad. The one glimmer of hope I had was that there was still 1 more game to enjoy, albeit it was the worst one in the series lol. I still really appreciated mother 1 though.
That’s completely fair! The end of Mother 3 is definitely a bit emotional overload, so having something to fall back on after would probably be helpful
2,1,3 is legit the order I played In I loved earthbound so much that I tried to find other games similar to it and found earthbound beginnings it was not very good but I wanted more and learned about mother 3 I bought the fan translation GBA cartridge and loved it I’ve beaten all 3 games but my favorite was earthbound, then mother 3, and last being earthbound beginnings recommend all games just thought I would share my love of these games ❤😅
2, 1, 3 is the most ideal order to me. Mother 2/Earthbound is first and foremost every English speaker's first experience of that game's world and is the most readily available iteration to play. The main character, Ness, and his inclusion into Super Smash Bros. was the catalyst for many fans' first discovery of this previously overlooked gem. It's the most entry-level experience the franchise has to offer. Mother 1 is best experienced second. It has many similar beats in terms of character and story to what one may have already experienced with Earthbound/Mother 2.......but, it's noticeable how much darker and sinister the tone of Mother 1 is compared to Morher 2. There's a lot more there in regards to more mature themes like death, injury, abandonment, bullying, corruption, criminality, loss of parents, and so on which are only briefly glimpsed in passing in Earthbound. Mother 1 is also a much harder game. enemy encounters are harder, more random and unavoidable. More aimless grinding is needed to reach an acceptable level to progress the story. It's also, as pointed out here, a much older, less appealing and, frankly somewhat ugly looking game. In many instances, it was my prior experience with Earthbound and all the things Mother 1 shared in common with it through a datker lens which compelled me to play it to completion. Finally, playing Mother 3 last is a no-brainer. It's the final heartfelt farewell to the series and much of the experience of this would be sorely lost without having already played the other prior two Mother games.
I just finished Earthbound and I am only planning Mother 3,honesty Mother 1 seems so outdated and not so smoothly, I only want to play when the remake made by the fans come out
2 - 1 - 3 personally. I loved Earthbound, so it made learn the mechanics for mother 1. Tho, it took me a long time to finish mother 3 because the introduction took a really long time until psy mechanics, money, and even fully playable lucas. Mother 3 was still worth it to play, but the pace felt a bit too slow
2.3.1 i would do. 2 is the best then 3, but 1 i just don't want to play the worst in the series because of limitation. if it get a remake. i woulda play mother 1 first. or when mother encore get done ill play that game.
I just finished 1 and started 2. I have to say I would not have been able to play 1 after playing the sequels. The best part about these games is the charm and writing. If you already experienced it with 2 and 3, 1 has very little to offer. The technical limitations are painfully obvious and the only thing that kept me going was knowing I had 2 and 3 to look forward to. If you know for a fact you're going to play 1, start there. Otherwise just skip it altogether.
2,1,3 was the order I played. I think 1,2,3 is ideal for people that have experience playing old school RPGs, but for a wider audience the order I played feels more natural.
That’s fair!
Im gonna do the same i played 2 im currently playing 1 and in like a month im gonna play 3
This is pretty accurate because all I play is retro jrpg/srpg games and I played Mother(Earthbound Zero) first and it's my absolute favorite. The graphics, the grind, long gameplay ugh it's so good. The important part is to play the Japanese translation of Mother the graphics are even more pixelated.
2,1,3 for me aswell
I played 1 and 2 at the same time
And now in both 1 and 2 i haven't beaten giygus
For mother 3 rn i'm in chapter 3
1-2-3 is the way to go for me, seeing the series evolve over time is lovely and adds to the experience
Well put :)
I played 2, 3, 1
After playing 2 and 3 you fall in love with the series and you don't care about the graphics but the story
That’s a very reasonable way of looking at it!
I played 2, 3, and then 1. All three games have their charm. I like 1 and 2 location settings. I found the first two games more charming than Mother 3. Mother 3 is a great game, but it personally didn't like its story much. I recommend playing either 1 or 2 first and if you like them, play 3.
That’s fair! I can understand not loving 3’s story. It did feel significantly more linear to me, which I didn’t love
I played the order the same as you but I found mother 3 good but not better than earthbound. And then I played Mother 1 and I personally didn't like it cause of the artwork and storyline. I LOVED porky/pokey storyline in mother 3
I played them 3 2 then 1. All the games made me cry. I have a twin brother and a pretty rough childhood in a small community, so they resonate with me on a different level. These games are my favorite for sure.
That’s touching dude, thanks for sharing :)
I played in 1,2,3 order but I always go back to 1 for it's relatively short length, and after a couple of playthroughs its my favorite of the three.
I’d like to replay 1 again now that I’ve made my way through the series, your comment helped me realize that! Thanks!
5:32 i wont spoil anyting. Video:
Spoiled or teased? :p
:l
thank you, this comment advised me to click off of the video.
@@BakeDaPie what can i say except your welcome!
Didnt even remember i made this comment
I played them in the order 2 - 3 - 1, and I feel like that is a good order for me. I was able to get past the grindy parts of Mother 1 because I was used to how the gameplay worked.
That makes sense, and you’re definitely not alone there I’m sure!
I think Mother 1 is a bit underrated (I actually prefer it to 2) so I always recommend 1,2, 3 -
I do think there's story progression that's a bit underappreciated due to the Mother 1 pushback (not helped by the fact that the official English release is technically a beta, so the final boss has the wrong name, etc.)
That being said, 1, 2, 3 is prolly more suited for like
1. it's someone already committed to playing all three anyway
or
2. Someone you know isnt squeamish about older games like that ( I mean for some folks even Mother 2 is too archaic :^p)
There's also always the option of Tomato's translation of the Mother 1 GBA port, which is a much more faithful script and has an easy mode!
Ultimately tho, regardless of preferences, to most crucial thing is to be nice and respect one another ✌
I’d agree with it being underrated. When I was looking into playing the series, I was told on more than one occasion to skip Mother 1… glad I didn’t!
Great points, especially that last one, and to that point - play the games in whatever way you can!
I played them in reverse order 3, 2, 1. I originally tried to start with 2 but there were so many clunky aspects that eventually, I just couldn’t get through it stopping well before half way. Eventually I played 3 which solved all the problems and was incredible in every way. From here I was better able to go into the past to play earlier games and know what I was playing was worth it.
That’s a good way to go about it!
I played in the reverse order and it was great. But i undestand the point of starting with the best one, on the other hand, I believe that if I had started with Mother 1 I would hardly have finished it.
Fair enough! Thanks for weighing, I haven’t met too many people with that experience! Did you play the translated or Japanese version of M3?
I player the translated version. Its still makes me sad thats has never being localizated
The best order is ABCABACBA where A is the most replayable game and C is the least replayable game. Since it allows you to experience all six possible orders and ensures that the most replayable game gets replayed the most.
This is the correct answer, I like it
Never played but I watched your let’s plays in the 1, 2, 3 order and I enjoyed that! Great video!
That works haha, glad you enjoyed :)
That mallow is so cute :3
@@maskachegumer1976 oh thank you thank you ❤️
My boyfriend and I just had so much fun playing earthbound together and taking turns playing it. Definitely need a walkthrough. We spent way too much time wandering around.
That's the cutest. I love it!
Damn that mother 1 theme song hits me right in the feels every damn time!
It’s so good :)
@LPsLPs I wasn't even born when the game came out and never even played through the whole game completely but it still gives me this deep hit of nostalgia that I really can't explain
2, 3, 1.
I actually think Mother 1 has a lot of charm. But I'm the sort of person who fixates on a retro RPG once every few years. I like the pace of retro RPGs as an occasional indulgence. I couldn't stand playing them all the time, but just the grinding and exploring just scratches an occasional itch.
Also, since there was less info about Mother 1 online at the time, it felt like there were truly surprises waiting for me.
That makes sense to me. It definitely seems that retro RPGs like Mother 1 are better for a certain type of person. What other retro RPGs are of those you enjoy?
@@LPsLPs final fantasy 3 (the original NES version, not the 3D remake)
final fantasy adventure, and the final fantasy legend series
pokemon gen 1 (as much as those can be considered retro rpgs)
dragon quest (of course) but especially dragon quest monsters
I haven't really played that many since I only play a new one every few years, as I said. so its mostly just The Classics TM.
I got really into Guardia Quest as well (a modern retro RPG throwback featured in Retro Game Challenge for the Nintendo DS).
@@WannabeMarysueHave you tried the 7th saga? I have a hunch that it might be for you.
Defo gonna play it from 1-2-3, experiencing these games evolve is extremely satisfying
Love it, I hope you enjoy the experience!
same,i ordered a nes cart from aliexpress,gonna play it the way it was intended,on a nes and a small CRT tv
There is continuity, Giegue was a mistranslation of his Japanese name: Gyiyg. But they were about to release Mother in the US, (by the name of Earth Bound, with a space) they decided not to release it because the SNES was right around the corner and RPG’s didn’t really catch on in the Us yet. When EarthBound came out, Gyiyg was still the villain but they _chose_ the name Giygas for him. In 2016, (I believe) they released Earth Bound (but renamed it to EarthBound Beginnings) on the Wii, and didn’t bother to change Giegue’s name to Giygas. Pokey from EarthBound and Porky from Mother 3 are also the same character, Pokey was also a mistranslation of Porky
Hey that’s fair! I should say, not MAJOR continuity between the plots. Not a whole lot of references to what’s been done before or anything like that. Not a bad thing!
@@LPsLPs There’s a event in Japan called “The Secrets of Mother 2” right now and it gives a lot of stuff such as early things about the game. If EarthBound hadn’t gotten changed a lot, it would have had a lot of connection between the first game
I went with “Earthbound, Earthbound again, Earthbound once again, and then once it came to Switch Online, Earthbound Beginnings- NAH screw this, I can’t handle this game, Earthbound again, and only THEN MOTHER 3” 😂
(I only learned how to emulate recently, evidently lol)
Ha! That works, I love that
"2, 2, 2, ', 2, 3"
Update: I gave Mother 1 another shot, and I’M IN LOVE WITH IT!!! I just needed to print out a guide and follow along, but the game is genuinely beautiful
Im currently in the middle of my first earthbound playthrough. I LOVE this game and look forward to the others. I will probably play the games in the 2,1,3 order.
Heck yeah! Glad to hear it dude :)
I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying the Mother series! The other two games are so worth playing once you get to them if you haven't yet done so.
2,3,1 was the way I did it when I first played them. I never had the intention of playing the first one until I found out about the easy ring. When I play all 3 now, I do 1,2,3.
What’s the easy ring?
@@LPsLPs It was added to the translation of the GBA version as an optional piece of equipment that increases experience and cash given by fights
I played 3, 1, 2, I think it was the worst order to play this games
Why is that?
i played 1, and i love! besides the odds or to be dated, i think the game is great and was a very fun time too!
Completely agree!
Just always make sure to play 3 after 2, or you wont get some stuff in 3, even if 1 is in the middle
That’s fair!
Although I did 2,3,1, I do indeed recommend 2,1,3. Gameplay wise, Earthbound is on par with Mother 3, but Mother 3’s ending is absolutely suited for it as a final game to play rather than a first. And playing Earthbound will teach you a lot of stuff that can help in Beginnings, as well as being very familiar.
Alternatively, play them at the same time! No one ever mentions this, but I also think people should try playing some of the games simultaneously. Specifically, play 1 and 2 at the same time, at about the same pace for both, and because you’ll likely finish 2 before 1, play some of 3 every now and then to help keep you feeling refreshed as you play through 1. But definitely beat 1 first, then 3. Not sure how good of an idea it is, but I feel like people should certainly try it.
Great comment! That’s a very interesting idea, playing simultaneously but I can absolutely see how that would work. I wish I would have thought of that :p
For me, it's 2->1->3. Earthbound made me get a hang of the game mechanics and the universe. Then I went to play Mother 1 and I probably wouldn't recommend playing it first, it can be unfriendly to new players. And then Mother 3, as a conclusion to the trilogy.
I played it in 1, 2, 3 but the positive it's that you can catch the references, character origins and mostly the story of Gygas
I actually played 3, 1, 2.
I played MOTHER 3 because as a kid, I heard how people talked about it, and I just wanted to play that super special game and make it a childhood experience for myself, and I succeeded. It means a lot to me.
Personally, I found it was really hard to go to EarthBound after MOTHER 3 though-- at least immediately. Things like the lack of the rhythm mechanics, the choppier rolling HP, the crunchier graphics, and the lack of the sort of narrative flow that MOTHER 3 had made the jump a bit hard.
Years went by, and I decided to play MOTHER 25th Anniversary Edition. I had attempted the original over these few years but never found myself very successful due to the game's difficulty. With this rom hack though, I was eventually able to do it.
Finally, this year I played MOTHER 2, and it was much easier to go from MOTHER into MOTHER 2 because it prepared me for what to expect a lot better. I had an absolute blast with M2 and I love this franchise. It will always have a very special place in my heart, like UNDERTALE which it inspired.
Love this! I definitely still need to give Undertale a play myself. Maybe soon..
its a game all of us earthbounders have to play at some point. i would highly recommend it, it will just be a thorough treat. you should avoid spoilers if you can :))@@LPsLPs
I play in orders 1,2,3 because Mother 1 is my favorite game, and it's the first rpg game that I completed
That’s a good call! I like your reasoning.
The whole last part of Mother 3 feels so Goddamn rewarding if you play 1-2-3
You’re absolutely right! It made me cry
I played it like... Up to Threed in M2 on a crappy flash website emulator on my chromebook at our school, then all of M1, then started over all of M2, and finally beat M3, from what I can recall. I also played like a solid chunk of M3's chapter 1 somewhere near my beginning, lol.
Sounds like as good of a Mother-venture as any :p
@@LPsLPs
Yeah, haha. Nowadays, I'm a huge fan. I own an authentic copy of EarthBound on SNES, and have repros of Beginnings and 3 so I can play all of them on original hardware! I was actually looking into getting a Famicom copy of the first game since I love that one of all them so so much. A month or so ago, I finally hit Level 99 in the Switch version of EBB/M1, in fact. It took sooo long XD
How I just checked this video now? It's very good. I also wanted to tell my story about this franchise.
My main was always Ness in the Smash games and when I knew that his origin game was coming to the Switch I just had to try it out and it became my favorite game of all time! The characters, the story, the humor, the battle system, the music, everything's perfect! Now I'm currently playing Mother 1 and it's getting harder and harder but I'm enjoying it so far. Dunno if I'll play Mother 3, I would like to hear your opinion tho.
Thanks dude! I absolutely think you should play Mother 3. In my opinion it’s more intuitive than 1 and it has an excellent story
Thanks man for your opinion man. Maybe I'll play it, I finished Mother 1 yesterday and it had a pretty wholesome ending but I think, even when I play Mother 3, Mother 2 will still be my favorite overall
Played 3 first but now I am gonna go back and do the 1, 2, 3 order.
Nice! I hope you have a great time
My personal order was 2, 3, 1 (I started 3 but didnt finish it before 1 though so its kind of 2, 1, 3 in terms of actually finishing it) but I always recommend 2, 3, 1 because 2 and 3 are the most connected in the series, and EarthBound won't rip out your heart and tear it to pieces (I cried a little bit at 1 at the scene with Queen Mary remembering the melodies)
Mother is simpler but definitely still has some heartstring pullers for sure!
I see all of these orders as reasonable approaches but the way I played was, like you metioned, 1-2-3. I also reccomend this method unsuprisingly. Since the time I first discovered the series I had no clue what I was in for when I decided to play the first game. Heck, I didn't even know there were the two other games besides Mother 2! Being said, it was a wonderful and weird experience being thrown head first into a series with the first game you don't know anything about except for the background information you had on the second game. I literally went off of the story and mechanics of Mother 2 to help me figure out the game. As for the gameplay, I didn't complain. I thought it was alright for an RPG made for the NES. And for Mother 2 and 3, they were amazing, they always had suprises. Even if I knew everything and even knew what happened next there was always something new to discover. I'm actually thankful that Mother 1 was my introduction and I can't think of how I would've gotten into the series without playing it first.
Sorry for the long read lol.
No need to apologize! I enjoy reading the anecdotes, so thank you for sharing! Sounds like we have similar experiences and opinions :)
I'm playing Mother(Earthbound Zero) on my SP. My favorite game in the series and top 3 of all time.
It’s underrated!
As someone who is new to the series, I think an interesting order would be 2,1,2,3. In this way you can experience both earthbound for the 1st time with no context of Giygus backstory, and with context on your 2nd playthrough- while also allows you to go into 3 with no expectations outside of the teaser of porky at the end of 2.
That is an interesting order! I like your reasoning behind it, good idea!
It also makes you rediscover and discover new things in earthbound you hadn't seen or forgotten about, for example, even tho I check everything every game I play, in my 1st mother2 playthrough I somehow missed or maybe forgotten the cave in the dinosaur area that leads to the game's final area, so when I found it in my 2nd playthrough I was very shocked
I only got the 1st one on Wii U.
Beginnings.
It’s still a great game! Though it is dated
Just beat 2 for like the 100th time. You’re selling me on starting 3 again and never playing 1. Lol.
Haha I don’t mean to dissuade you! Mother 1 is a good experience and something I think people - especially Mother fans - should play!
I originally went from 2, 1, 3, mainly because availability I only could play earthbound and can't experience 1 or 3 but then I have the ability to play 1 so i think I'll go with 1, 2, 3, because it's natural. Who plays a second game before a first? This video actually really helped me decide I want to see how the game evolved not a degrade then a major upgrade
I think you’ve got the right idea!
i played it 2,3,1. (spoiler alert) I believe that was the best order as i feel like it makes the emotional beats hit harder. playing earthbound first allows you to start on the most upbeat game in the series, which makes the events of mother 3 hit harder. Alongside that, the imagery in mother 3 calls back the most to mother 2, from the theater, to porky himself, to even the hall of memories. This allows the player to have an immense emotional reaction to those moments, while being left in the dark for the musical and thematic references to mother 1 such as the music leading to the boat ride, to the 16 melodies, to even to the importance of mother earth in the intro and outro. Finally mother 1 should be played last in my opinion, as its music and other aspects will act as a point of reflection for those that have played its sequels. Alongside that, i feel like the ending of mother 1 emotionally feels a bit similar in a way to mother 3 in some aspects, to even the way the ending credits loop back to the title screen, depicting a natiral mother earth, an image that is seen corrupted in mother 3, which is eventually healed. This also makes it so once you beat mother 1, you will think back to the hallway in mother 3 when the mother 1 credits loop back to the intro.
Great write up! Thank you for your thoughts :)
Think I did 2-1-3, which I would recommend. 3 works so well as an endcap, and 1 is the best one, but it's hard to get through stuff like its dungeon design without being familiar with the pedigree established by 2.
That’s good reasoning! Makes sense dude
Playing earthbound (2) first on the switch. If I get through it probably go 1 then 3 because of accessibility.
Makes sense! Really wish they’d help out western consumers with a localization….
I did 1, 2, 3 because I like to see entries in order, and because I knew I wouldn't play 1 after seeing 2 or 3 lol
You and I are alike!
For me, my order was 2, 3, 1. I did begin Mother 1 before beginning Mother 3, but finished 3 before 1. So I count my order more as 2, 3, 1 for completion.
That’s fair! I appreciate the simultaneous approach there with 1 and 3. Was that weird to experience at all?
@@LPsLPs It was a a bit different experiencing Mother 1 and 3 around the same time, considering how I was seeing the beginning and end of the series pretty much at once. I felt that Mother 1 was a bit too difficult for me at the time, and decided to finish 3 first so I could get more experience with the series.
Why i think 1 should be at last because it will probably throw you off as it is grinding
That’s completely fair!
2,3,1 was my order. By the end of Mother 3 I was so invested in the series I had to know how it all started.
I recommend a guide though, do not go it alone there's to many quirks and moon logic unfortunately but it was a neat little story,although it is weakest episode in a fantastic trilogy .
That makes sense! Sounds like something I’ve heard from a few people
I played Mother 2 first technically, but didn’t go past the first few minutes just played til the dog ran away. As far as actually playing through one, I played Mother 3 first, and it made me cry too. Edit: currently playing Earthbound
I hope you’ve enjoyed Earthbound!!
My order was 3, 2.
I have not played beginnings
You should consider it!
2 for the layout,
1 for story,
Then Replay 2 to warm up and then play 3,
Then go outside and take a deep breath cuz you just played 3,
Then 2 because you just played 3
Perfect! Especially the trip outside after 3. I needed a big hug too
I Love The Earthbound Series.
Top tier series no doubt!
So far, I've completed none of them, but i am currently playing mother three and plan on playing earthbound next. Maybe after I'll play mother one, but im not so sure as the game doesn't really intrest me
That’s fair! Either way, you’re playing some really good games in Mother 3 and Earthbound, I hope you enjoy them!
I think 2, 3, 1.
2 is an introduction to the game. You learn the battle system, the mechanics, and you aren’t bombarded with fights constantly.
3 is the same way, but you should play it after 2, for story and reference purposes.
1 should be played last. It is tough. It is very grind-y. If you liked 2 and 3, then why not have 1 as a final touch?
That’s completely fair and good advice!
@@LPsLPs Thanks :D
From a solely plot focused angle: 1 > 2 > 3
All the stories & plots are connected. It has been theorized that Mother 1’s Ninten is Earthbound’s/Mother 2’s Father, and Ana is Ness’s Mother. This would also make George and Maria (the two humans that raised an infant/child Giygas before he went back to his home planet/race) his Great-Great Grandparents.
Giygas is also in both Mother and Earthbound as the antagonist and mastermind behind everything.
Porky (Pokey) Minch, Ness’s neighbor in Earthbound, becomes Giygas’s second in command through the story in Earthbound. He finds a way to travel through time, and ends up in the future during the time of Mother 3, setting the stage for that game’s plot.
One game may be a better entry point for new gamers for the series, sure. But, once you know your way around, and the story has you hooked, it may be cool to go back and play them in order to find out why Giygas is doing what they are doing, etc.
I like your thoughts! Thanks for sharing alongside the context
i feel dumb... i played them all at the same time just playing what ever one i felt like at the time bu i finished mother 3 first earth bound second a while later and beginings like a whole year later
no need to feel dumb! That's actually a neat way of doing it!
I played in this order: *2-1-3* :3
I played 3, 2 and have yet to play 1, to me it's the ideal order, i started off with the strongest game that made me nearly cry at times and will finish with the first one just to see how was it in the beggining, of course before playing 3 i already played 2 but i was much much younger and yeah i wasn't playing the ideal way lol
Makes sense! Mother 3 definitely is a tear jerker, and I love it for that
I finished Earthbound
But i think i should play the first mother game and then mother 3
Cause when you finish those 2 games it would make sense to make 3 the final one
I think that's a great idea!
Played and finished 2, grabbed 1 for 5 minutes and put it down due to how frustrating and obfuscating it was. Played 3 recently, I still have not finished it but it is the best game of the 3 for sure and one of the best games in general
Ha! Can’t blame you there
You look like a millennial version of luigi
That’s because that’s exactly who I am
I feel like you have to play Earthbound and Mother 3, You can skip Mother 1 if you want.
Many people seem to share this sentiment, I dunno, I enjoyed Mother 1!
So I'm kinda new in the Mother fandom and... I'm playing the three games at the same time :)
Hey now that’s talent!
@@LPsLPs thaanks! ^^ I'm really enjoying this trilogy, is so good!
3 2 1
(Gotta Blast!)
Into the stars
Fueled by candy bars
Rides a kid for knack for inventions
(Ahh)
With a superpowered mind
A mechanical K-9
(Bark Bark)
He rescues the the day from sure destruction
This is the theme song of Jimmy Neutron
I love this even if only for the Jimmy Neutron theme. Peak Nickelodeon
Im going to play mother 1 and then 2 i cant play 3 only cause i dont know where to find it do you if you do can you tell me
If you have a GBA you can find fan translation copies on the internet! That’s what I did.
I played it 1, 2, 3. But play however you want. I think Mother 1 has an amazing story and to me it's somewhat the most realistic of those three games (saving the world from alien invasion, and unlike Earthbound and Mother 3, we meet the original villain), the only problem is how it's full of unexpected enemy encounters everywhere but that's ok (since it is pretty old game).
I agree with all points! Especially play however you want. Experiencing it at all is the goal :)
2,1,3 is a good one. That's the order I played them.
You’re not alone!
This game is good I never played 3 so I played 2 than 1 but never 3
Played 2 then 1 as well. Mostly because when I played Earthbound, there was no easily accessible way to play either of the other 2 games. Still haven't played Mother 3, but I will someday. Hopefully when it is released internationally, but I will play it one way or another.
I still hold out hope for a localized M3, c’mon Nintendo! The GBA on NSO is a perfect opportunity…
@@LPsLPs yes I totally agree!
2,3,1 was my order, just because I played earthbound first, found out about the other 2 games second, and was more interested in 3. I do think mother 1 is a good NES game, but I can't really recommend it to anyone who isn't craving more mother after finishing 2 and 3.
One more vote for 231!
I like 3 the best, and also 2 3 1 is the best order. And there is continuity, but only between 2 and 3 because of Porky.
The plot of 3 does it for me
2, 3, and 1 is my opinion on order.
I played them in 2,3, 1 order. I really enjoyed this order because after the ending of Mother 3 I was really sad. The one glimmer of hope I had was that there was still 1 more game to enjoy, albeit it was the worst one in the series lol. I still really appreciated mother 1 though.
That’s completely fair! The end of Mother 3 is definitely a bit emotional overload, so having something to fall back on after would probably be helpful
@@LPsLPsfacts! In a way mother 1 was therapy. I mean just that Intro theme, gives me goosebumps.
Already started 2.
I hope you have a great time!
@@LPsLPs thanks, its a pretty good game hoenstly
Why is Luigi ranting about Mother
I would recommend 2,1,3 (I never played mother 1)
fair enough!
I played Earthbound, Earthbound Beginnings and Earthbound 2
All great games and a fine order!
2,1,3 is legit the order I played In I loved earthbound so much that I tried to find other games similar to it and found earthbound beginnings it was not very good but I wanted more and learned about mother 3 I bought the fan translation GBA cartridge and loved it I’ve beaten all 3 games but my favorite was earthbound, then mother 3, and last being earthbound beginnings recommend all games just thought I would share my love of these games ❤😅
Thank you for sharing! Beginnings is definitely a simpler game, so I can see why you like it least :p
2, 1, 3 is the most ideal order to me.
Mother 2/Earthbound is first and foremost every English speaker's first experience of that game's world and is the most readily available iteration to play. The main character, Ness, and his inclusion into Super Smash Bros. was the catalyst for many fans' first discovery of this previously overlooked gem.
It's the most entry-level experience the franchise has to offer.
Mother 1 is best experienced second. It has many similar beats in terms of character and story to what one may have already experienced with Earthbound/Mother 2.......but, it's noticeable how much darker and sinister the tone of Mother 1 is compared to Morher 2. There's a lot more there in regards to more mature themes like death, injury, abandonment, bullying, corruption, criminality, loss of parents, and so on which are only briefly glimpsed in passing in Earthbound.
Mother 1 is also a much harder game. enemy encounters are harder, more random and unavoidable. More aimless grinding is needed to reach an acceptable level to progress the story. It's also, as pointed out here, a much older, less appealing and, frankly somewhat ugly looking game. In many instances, it was my prior experience with Earthbound and all the things Mother 1 shared in common with it through a datker lens which compelled me to play it to completion.
Finally, playing Mother 3 last is a no-brainer. It's the final heartfelt farewell to the series and much of the experience of this would be sorely lost without having already played the other prior two Mother games.
2, 3, 1
I played the games in this order and even if i enjoyed Mother 1 i think it's my least favorite out all of the games beacuse of the difficulty
That’s fair! It’s a very different experience, and it can be quite frustrating!
I played 3, 2, 1
The reverse order!
I played like you MOTHER 1 and 2 never played MOTHER 3 people say that you will cry so i will 100% play it this weekend
Haha! Best of luck, and you may cry but you will absolutely have a great time
@@LPsLPs start playing it already cried when lucas's mom died but i will rate it 10/10
*No problem here*
Perfect!
I just finished Earthbound and I am only planning Mother 3,honesty Mother 1 seems so outdated and not so smoothly, I only want to play when the remake made by the fans come out
It’s true, mother one is… dated
i think you should follow the traditional order, i think its just the right way to do it
I’m right there with you!
2, 1, 2 (again because it's that good), and then 3
Ahhh well played
I played it 2,1,3. I think it’s a pretty good order to play it though 1,2,3 is probably the best.
I agree!
Mother 1 should be remaked thb
I agree!
@@Cambuddyyes I know. I was thinking something like link's awakening or mother 3 tribute
How to get me to sing “Mother” by Danzig
Perfect!
Honestly I skipped 1, I agree with your opinion
Great minds think alike!
2 - 1 - 3 personally. I loved Earthbound, so it made learn the mechanics for mother 1. Tho, it took me a long time to finish mother 3 because the introduction took a really long time until psy mechanics, money, and even fully playable lucas. Mother 3 was still worth it to play, but the pace felt a bit too slow
There are a bunch of mods for mother 1 that inprove the game a bunch.
Interesting! I’ll have to look into that
Love that shirt LP!
Thanks dude! Courtesy of my awesome Syriena
On the GBA, do 1,2,3 (1 is easier on GBA)
On traditional: do 2,1,3
Fair enough!
3,1,2 makes sense in lore
Just play Mother 1 via the 25th Anniversary Edition patch.
3, 1, M:CogDis and 2. (I know cogdis isnt a offical Nintendo game)
I’ve never played cogdis but now I feel I should
Do it.
It's between M1 and M2
2.3.1 i would do. 2 is the best then 3, but 1 i just don't want to play the worst in the series because of limitation. if it get a remake. i woulda play mother 1 first. or when mother encore get done ill play that game.
A remake is a fantastic idea, I would love to see that
@LPsLPs if a remakes do exist then I would done 1,2,3
2 1 3
Its because u can play the good one first then have mother 1 as a treat then 3 last because its more expensive
I'll do 2,3 and skip 1.
Fair enough!
1,2, and 3 for me
I just finished 1 and started 2. I have to say I would not have been able to play 1 after playing the sequels. The best part about these games is the charm and writing. If you already experienced it with 2 and 3, 1 has very little to offer. The technical limitations are painfully obvious and the only thing that kept me going was knowing I had 2 and 3 to look forward to. If you know for a fact you're going to play 1, start there. Otherwise just skip it altogether.