This interview (originally dated April 15, 2003) was taken from Shigesato Itoi's website, Hobo Mainichi. A big thank you to Masada for the translation!
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Hobonichi
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So, we hear that "Mother 3" is currently in development.
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Itoi
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Well, yes. However, as far as game development is concerned, I have a "criminal record", so to speak. So in making this announcement, I'm somewhat scared that I will repeat the same mistake I did in the past. As such, I'm trying to be extremely cautious about this. In fact, it's almost as if I'd like to delay this announcement until after the game is actually completed. But, with the release of "Mother1+2", I know people are going to ask me questions like: "When is "Mother 3" coming out?" And in response to these questions, I don't want to have to lie and say, "Well, no it's not coming out." So, to get that out of the way, I would like to inform everyone that, "Yes, it is currently in development."
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Hobonichi
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Please tell us your initial thoughts in regards to this decision to release the, once cancelled, "Mother 3".
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Itoi
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As someone who has disappointed so many people, I know that I may receive a lot of flak for saying this, but personally, I'm just delighted that it's coming out. It's a project I really wanted to release and share with everyone, so for me, just the fact that it's coming out has me overjoyed. And of course, if it hadn't been for the previous cancellation, I would probably feel a lot more comfortable in making this announcement, but how should I put this: I still feel a certain degree of apprehension about all of this.
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Hobonichi
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Regardless, I'm sure this is good news for all those who have been faithfully waiting for this game.
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Itoi
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And I would like to thank those people, as their support is very reassuring. But, as I was trying to say, I don't want this announcement to be accompanied by too much hype or fanfare. My initial plan for this series of interviews was to talk about "Mother" and "Mother 2" before moving on to "Mother 3". But, I guess I'll just have to get this out of the way before we move on.
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Hobonichi
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I'm going to go through these questions one at a time. First off, it's being released for the Gameboy Advance, am I correct?
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Itoi
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That's right. And of the people who have been patiently awaiting this game, I know that there may be those that will wonder exactly how we plan on fitting "Mother 3" inside of a GBA cart. And that's understandable, because originally, I didn't envision "Mother 3" being released on a platform of this size. There were initial talks of making a book or a movie adaptation, but as I played with these ideas, I realized that they were all implausible. The "size", or the "scale", so to speak, didn't feel right, and in the end, I turned down all of these offers.
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Hobonichi
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So why the GBA? I think that's something we'd all like to know.
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Itoi
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To put it bluntly, someone came to me wanting to know whether it would be possible to make this a GBA title. Since that was something I had not even thought about, all I could say at the time was, "I don't know." In all honesty, I didn't know. So I carefully thought it over and came to the realization that I was trapped in the mindset that everything I made had to be epic and grandiose. At the time, I would approach all of my work with shoulders tensed, and how should I put this... Put simply, my attitude was: "I want to shock the world!" and "I'm going to squeeze everything I can imagine, all of my creativity into this one project." As if I was working on my magnum opus. In other words, I was trying to give everyone a work of epic proportions and that's where I failed. But recently, I've started to feel that perhaps there's a different niche I can fill. And this realization, while not the sole reason, is among the reasons why I chose the Game Boy Advance for "Mother 3".
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Hobonichi
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Was there any particular event that brought about this change in your thinking?
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Itoi
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There were many, but if I were to name just one, I think it was when I was testing "Mother 1+2" on the GBA. I felt that, even without all the 3D images, or intricately designed graphics, I would still be able to convey what I wanted to express. In that sense, I feel that the GBA's strengths as a console and the mood that permeates this new era of gaming also had an affect on my decision. I believe that the days of taking time off work to play games, and pulling all-nighters to make progress in a game are pretty much over. What's most difficult for everyone nowadays, me included, is getting someone to spare their precious time on something they've made. That's why we decided to make it available on a console as convenient as the GBA, so that you can play it a little bit everyday; that's the kind of game we're aiming for. This change of heart, in a nutshell, is what prompted us to revive "Mother 3".
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Hobonichi
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Are there any more specifics you can give us about Mother 3?
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Itoi
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Well, the plotline is based on a script that I wrote, and the actual development is moving along at a steady pace. The first time around, we approached this project like it was the game seven of the Japan Series, but this time we're going to take it easy and treat it like the season opener. What we're aiming for is the kind of game where the player can say: "Today I'm going to go this far, and get some sleep," taking it a little bit at a time. Ultimately we hope the player can say, "Hey, this is pretty fun." I would be extremely grateful if you can wait for it patiently, and accept it for what it is. And I know there are going to be people out there who will hear all this and be like "Awww man." And I know that's inevitable. But in response to that, I'd just like to point out that both "Mother" and "Mother 2" had some of the same unencumbered qualities. So once "Mother 3" is completed, I want to be able to laughingly say, "Don't expect too much." I want this game to fun in that way. I know the very next questions will be, "So when is it coming out?" and "But what kind of game is it exactly?" But I'd like to refrain from going any further, because it's still in development. I'll probably go into more detail about the game later on in this series of interviews, so I would appreciate it if you would take the time to read those too. And that's pretty much it, in regards to what is definite about "Mother 3".
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Disclaimer: This translation is provided "as is". It was done as a voluntary effort, and the translator cannot accept any responsibility, as to the accuracy of the translation.
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