Welcome to the Starmen.net Mailbag! The mailbag is your chance to sound off on various topics and ask the questions you want to know about the site and other happenings in the EarthBound world. Updates are made every week so check this space to see if your letter was posted! Before you submit make sure to read the submission rules.

Have no fear, the mailbag is still here. This week we have some spoilerific letters on Mother 3. So if you haven't finished the game, read on at your own risk. But do write in for next week!

Next Week's Topic:
Site performance. There's been some talk about the site not "being what it used to be". Well here's your chance to sound off about it! Do you like what SM.net is currently doing? What's good and what should change?

Mother 3, Mother 3, hoo boy. I remember the petition(s). The long, agonizing nights, crying alone, longing for a new EarthBound to comfort me in the darkness. The terrible dispair as it seemed our collective hopes were dashed.

Then, a glimmer of hope. Mother 3 was released. The clouds parted and an angelic chorus played kazoos to old Beatles tunes as a GBA cartridge descended from the heavens.

Then this cartridge landed in Japan and gave America the finger.

More lonely nights for a broke college student without enough money for an import and without enough time to sit down and translate every. single. bit. of dialogue on my own.

That is how I feel about Mother 3. No, I obviously haven't finished it, but yes, I can say that I am disappointed and no, I don't think it was worth the wait.

Back to crying myself to sleep,

-TAFKATAFKA Crono

I haven't finished the game but I spoiled myself nonetheless. What I don't like is how not only Claus but Flint as well are not controllable throughout the majority of the game like the 64 version implied. Maybe there'd be more Flint fans if he was controllable for more than the first chapter. I also don't like uh......(oh god, how do I bring this up without blowing any big important things away?) what happens in the end, let's say. No problem with the ending itself but rather the "moment" before the ending.

So what DO I like about it? Practically everything. The main characters stand out more and have much more creative abilities and personalities and aren't silent through most of the game like Mother 2's were. I also dig how instead of aliens, we fight mostly cyborg animals and mixed-up chimera things too. I even like the Pig Army.

And the battle system is the icing on the cake. One of things that turned my friends off from this game was the old-school first person fighting system that was starting to become obsolete. Now, thanks to the combo system, it gets a little more fun an enjoyable. Plus, I can't think of any other RPGs where listening to the cool music actually plays key into combat situations.

And it's pretty much got more things to make you go WTF than anything else Nintendo's made.

- Lordofthesuplex

Yeah, I was also pretty dissapointed that you could only use Flint for one chapter, and I was also dissapointed that Claus was never a playable character.

And people might call the music combo system a gimmick, but I think that's one of the best parts of the game

- EBounding

Well, the game was pretty good overall. It kinda dissapointed me that Nintendo didn't think to add a foriegn character that no one understood. One that spoke English, and would send a message to all the people that imported the game or something. I really liked the fact that that stinky pig (you know who I'm talking about) showed up again. And the only thing I could really hope for now would be an English release. Because English is the language I speak.

Also, large new masses of information are being gathered. Meditate on that truth.

-TreLantana

English is guud.

- EBounding

Don't expect to be able to make much sense of the game, because its in Japanese. However, the plot is makes it a great game. The characters are great, even the dog, but the easy part is, the main character does not need much weapons, so that means not much training will be needed to get him lots and lots of money.

The story itself is fresh and brand new, nothing re-done, except for its famous all round greatness. The Psi has not really changed to much, if anything has got better. Also, there isn't anymore "Fuzzy pickles" luckly, because that got on my nerves like when my boss talks,

Another thing, the battle music has improved, famously. No longer is the music from the 80's or 90's, no this music is brand new. The sprites have also improved, however only by a little.

The saving system also improved vastly, no more phones, now its animals, so its much better.

This one gives it a 9/10.

- Rusty

Erm, in case you didn't know that there is an SSB3 (Super Smash Bros.: Brawl) that has been released. And some confirmed new characters. None are from EB yet. Maybe they'll announce one later. For future reference you can visit the SSB:B site at: http://www.smashbros.com/en/main.html

That is all, Bobbin

It seems like it's going to be a pretty big game so I'm sure we'll see at least Ness again. Maybe Lucas as a Ness clone?

- EBounding

The part in ?Chapter 7? where you are stranded with 1 hp and you need to eat the mushrooms to survive, and you get hiiiiiiiigh as a kite. That was the schizznat.

-Roland 0f Gilead

Your letter would win Mailbag Letter of the Week, if such an award existed.

- EBounding

Hi, I just wanted to say, if anyone's seen my dog, Bananas, please let me know. Thanks.

- DJ Gear