EarthBound (universe)

EarthBound (universe) Mother (universe)
Developer(s)	APE Inc. HAL Laboratory Brownie Brown
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Designer(s)	Shigesato Itoi
Genre(s)	Role-playing
Console/platform of origin	Famicom
First installment	Mother (1989)
Latest installment	Mother 3 (2006)
Article on WikiBound	EarthBound (universe) Mother (universe)

The EarthBound universe (MOTHER, Mother, see below) refers to the Super Smash Bros. series' collection of characters, stages, and properties that hail from Nintendo's cult-classic trilogy of Japanese role-playing games titled EarthBound (Mother in Japan). The second game of the series, EarthBound, stars Ness, a child who was granted special psychic powers, while the third game in the series, Mother 3, stars Lucas, who similarly was granted psychic powers. The series was created by Shigesato Itoi, and the franchise's symbol is the Earth, which itself is a recurring motif in the EarthBound series.

Franchise description

An influential Japanese television personality and copywriter named Shigesato Itoi took a foray into the Nintendo-dominated video game market of the late 1980s, and designed and directed the Japan-exclusive RPG Mother, which was partially developed by the Nintendo subsidiary Ape (which would later be rebranded as Creatures). Released for the Famicom in July 1989, it was a very unusual take on the primarily sword-and-sorcery-themed RPG genre in that it was set in a humorous rendition of contemporary America, had the player assuming the role of a neighborhood boy with psychic powers, featured modern objects such as baseball bats and yo-yos as stand-ins for weapons that could be equipped, and featured a variety of bizarre and comical enemies such as possessed automobiles and crazed animals. It also featured a very odd blend of simplistic character designs and dark and brooding themes and undertones. The game sold very well in Japan, and an English localization immediately began, with an intended for a fall 1991 release date and with Earth Bound as the intended Western title. However, marketing executives anticipating the mid-1991 release of the Super NES decided that the prototype NES game would be too expensive to produce and market, and the localized product was shelved until 2015 when it was released on the Wii U Virtual Console service as EarthBound Beginnings, in honor of its sequel's twentieth anniversary in the United States.

Itoi designed the first sequel for the Super Famicom, Mother 2, though the title's development was troubled and stretched across five years until Satoru Iwata joined the development team, making the Mother 2 project now a joint effort by Ape and HAL Laboratory (HALKEN at the time), separate studios based at separate locations (employs would regularly have to travel between studios to work). It was released in August 1994 in Japan and, unlike its predecessor, saw a Western release the following June, under the first public occurrence of the name EarthBound. However, while the game's Japanese sales figures were relatively close to the original's, it sold poorly in the West because American audiences were largely indifferent to JRPGs at the time (this would only end with the 1997 release of Final Fantasy VII, which brought the genre to the mainstream). Critical retrospectives, however, portray it as not only one of the best RPGs in the 1990s, but also one of the most original, both in its approach to established JRPG mechanics and in its uniquely quirky humor, storyline (which is comparatively more light-hearted than its forerunner), character, and bizarre psychedelic aesthetic, as well as its many parodies of American culture and JRPG - and science fiction - storytelling conventions. Some publications have named it the ultimate example of a cult classic, with substantial fanbases in both Japan and North America.

More development and release-date woes awaited the Mother franchise following EarthBound. Itoi immediately began development of the series's second sequel for the Super Famicom in 1994, which was then moved to the Nintendo 64DD add-on for the Nintendo 64, popularized by the media as the then-upcoming EarthBound 64. When the ill-fated disk-drive peripheral was met with commercial failure, the game was cancelled and restarted its development cycle on the Nintendo 64 itself, where it was initially expected to be a launch title for the console's Western release. But Itoi's development team was inexperienced with developing three-dimensional titles and the Nintendo 64 hardware itself, and the project remained unreleased even as EarthBound was included by Masahiro Sakurai as a surprise contending franchise in the Super Smash Bros. crossover fighting game. Itoi eventually announced the official cancellation of EarthBound 64 in August 2000, citing that he did not want to make anything other than "something truly special" in addition to the project becoming too complex with its interest in three-dimensional graphics. Shigeru Miyamoto subsequently became interested in finding ways to salvage some of the work, though this had to be put on hold because the Mother 3 development team was put on Nintendo GameCube projects. Meanwhile, the translated prototype of the Western version of the NES game was discovered and purchased by a fan translation group, which was modified, retitled "EarthBound Zero", and distributed through the Internet as a ROM image.

Itoi eventually decided to rerelease both EarthBound games in Japan as ports compiled on one Game Boy Advance cartridge, Mother 1 + 2, which was released in June 2003 in Japan and included all of the enhancements the English prototype had made to the original Mother; to the dismay of fans, this was never released in the West either. However, Itoi realized he would once again be pressured into reviving Mother 3, an idea he was initially opposed to, but encouragement from fans led to his decision to restart development for the game for Game Boy Advance, which he approached as though he were developing his magnum opus. Mother 3, essentially now a Game Boy Advance recreation of EarthBound 64, was finally released in Japan in April 2006, twelve years after development began and over a year after the launch of the Nintendo DS successor portable. This Game Boy Advance title returned the series to a two-dimensional formula, but had kept the game's story largely intact and unique enough to distinguish it from past entries. It was released to critical acclaim that praised its new rhythm-based but otherwise simple approach to JRPG combat, and most significantly, tragic storytelling and characterization that achieved a rarely seen degree of depth in titles in the genre.

Unfortunately, Nintendo of America would once more decline to localize the game for Western audiences, once again apparently because of fears that its inconvenient timing at the end of the commercial lifespan of the platform it was based on would negatively affect its sales. The fansite Starmen.net made headlines in October 2008 when it released its own English translation patch that could be applied to a copy of the ROM image of Mother 3, and the patch received over 100,000 downloads from the website in the first week of its release. Despite the project not being completely legal, it became one of few unofficial video game localization projects that officials in the video game industry did not formally object to and expressed admiration for. In the meantime, EarthBound has regularly appeared in every subsequent Smash Bros. game to date, including Mother 3 being focused on in 2008's Super Smash Bros. Brawl, though Itoi has announced that he has no plans to direct a fourth Mother game and reaffirmed this statement several times.

Eventually in July of 2013, Nintendo released EarthBound on the Wii U Virtual Console in all Western regions, nearly two decades after its initial release for Japan and North America only. Later on, in June 2015, Nintendo released the original Mother (entitled EarthBound Beginnings) for the first time in an official English release to commemorate its sequel's 20th anniversary overseas. Finally, Mother 3 was announced in a Japan-only November 2015 Nintendo Direct to be on the Wii U Virtual Console by mid-December in conjunction with the Japanese release of the Lucas amiibo, though this release is exclusively in Japan. This makes Mother 3 the only game in the series to not have an international release on the Virtual Console as well as during its initial launch.

Each of the Mother / EarthBound games are relatively loosely connected stories set on a fictional rendition of Earth, with the setting and scenario being different each game:

Mother / EarthBound Beginnings: In 1988, a 12-year-old American boy named Ninten, living in a town literally named Podunk, discovers that an alien race is invading the world, and is then warped to the surreal world of Magicant, where its amnesiac queen tasks him to go on a quest to collect pieces of her favorite lullaby, the Eight Melodies, and play them for her. Ninten's quest eventually leads him to a confrontation with the original incarnation of Giygas (whose appearance closely resembles the design of Mewtwo from Pokémon; this is not a coincidence, for one of the developers of Mother, Ape, became permanently involved in the Pokémon franchise as Creatures, Inc.)

Mother 2 / EarthBound: In the 1990s, a 13-year-old resident of the fictional country Eagleland, Ness, is told by a tiny bee-like alien from the future, Buzz Buzz, that a hostile alien named Giygas is fated to dominate the universe in the future, and Ness must go on a quest to visit eight sanctuaries to unite his own powers with the Earth and gain the strength required to confront Giygas in the past. But along the way, Ness is repeatedly harried by his obnoxious next-door neighbor, Porky Minch (rendered as "Pokey Minch" in EarthBound), who is eventually revealed to have become Giygas' right-hand man and a willing believer that the universe should be destroyed. Ness and his friends' infamously disturbing final battle against Giygas - who has long since been driven incoherent and physically rendered into a visually frightening, gaseous form by his own boundless power - comes to demonstrate that Ness' quest to hone his power is insufficient to win (referencing a theme of the previous game that "brute force is not enough"), and so the heroes can only fall back on praying for spiritual help from everyone they know (and some they don't).

Mother 3: In an unknown time period long after the events of EarthBound, a resident of a rural, egalitarian village in the Nowhere Islands, Lucas, and his father Flint, tragically lose his mother, Hinawa, and his brother, Claus, as a result of the arrival of an army of pig-masked soldiers. In a story told from multiple perspectives, Lucas is eventually thrust into a quest to pull out seven special needles spread out across the island before the Pigmasks and their mysterious masked field commander can do the same, for the world would be destroyed if the needles are pulled by those of evil intentions. It is eventually revealed that the "King" of the Pigmasks and author of the plot to have the masked man destroy the world is Porky Minch, having traveled in time to the present and having been rendered immortal by the effects of time traveling. Lucas's quest ends at the capital of Porky's invasive, hedonistic, and industrious society on the Nowhere Islands, New Pork City, where he fights both Porky in his last stand and the masked man himself, who turns out to be none other than a brainwashed Claus, in front of the final needle.

In Super Smash Bros.

EarthBound is one of the "bonus franchises" in the original Super Smash Bros., for it contributes one unlockable character, and a song (his victory theme). There are no stages based on EarthBound in the game, so Ness instead has to be fought on Kirby's stage in order to be unlocked.

Character

• 
  Ness: A boy living in the town of Onett, Ness is gifted with psychic powers. He is chosen by a little alien named Buzz Buzz to save the world from Giygas, a malevolent entity which is causing the citizens and animals of his town and others to become hostile. To do this, he must first travel to eight sanctuaries and record the Eight Melodies in his Sound Stone (given to him by Buzz Buzz), then he must combine those melodies and make the "Sound Stone Melody", which will give him the power of the Earth necessary to defeat Giygas at the end of the game. (The second half of the melody comprise Ness' fanfare in the Smash series.) All of Ness's special moves (PSI Magnet, PK Fire, and PK Thunder) were used by Paula, not Ness, in EarthBound. Ness is currently in bottom tier, sitting at 10th out of 12 on the tier list.

Music

• 24: The victory fanfare of Ness is an orchestrated version of the last several notes of the Eight Melodies (not to be confused with the separate Eight Melodies from its predecessor, Mother) that Ness collects throughout his journey at the eight "Your Sanctuary" spots in EarthBound. This incarnation of the Eight Melodies also appears in EarthBound as part of "Smiles and Tears", which also appears in remixed form in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

EarthBound is a franchise whose representation in the Smash series is quite expanded upon in Super Smash Bros. Melee, with one character, two new stages, a new item, and many new trophies.

Character

Lucas was supposed to replace Ness in Melee but, due to the cancellation of EarthBound 64, Ness was kept in.

• 
  Ness: Ness is still the only playable EarthBound character in the game, but with a new PK Flash chargeable attack as his new B move. As a result, his previous B move, PK Fire has been moved to his Side B. Despite his flaws in Super Smash Bros. like his recovery, Ness has suffered a nerf overall, countering most of his buffs & is currently ranked 23rd out of 26 in the tier list, similar to his Smash 64 tier placement.

Stages

Melee is the first game to introduce stages for the EarthBound series.

• 
  Eagleland: Onett: The quaint suburban hometown of Ness, its citizens and animals become hostile under Giygas' otherwise invisible influence. The red spherical meteor on the hilltop in the background is the alien Buzz Buzz's spacecraft and, when Ness investigates it, he is instructed by Buzz Buzz to go on a quest to save Onett and the world from Giygas' influence. This stage takes place on and around houses and a drug store whose balconies serve as battling platforms. The road in front of the characters on the ground has speeding cars on it, and cars zooming past characters on the ground will almost definitely KO them.
• 
  Eagleland: Fourside: The New York City-inspired urban metropolis in EarthBound manifests as a battle-on-skyscrapers-in-the-nighttime stage for Melee, and it can be said that this is the spiritual successor to the Saffron City Pokémon stage from the first Super Smash Bros. The layout of the stage allows for bottomless pits in between buildings, so this is the most conceivable stage where the Wall jump technique can be used to save oneself from a fall. In addition, from time to time a UFO piloted by a henchman of Giygas called a Starman (not to be confused with the Mario powerup of the same name) will materialize above the city and serve as an extremely slippery platform. This stage is banned by many tournament legal standards.

Item

Melee introduced another item for the series as well:

• Mr. Saturn: A race of odd little creatures with big noses, whiskers, and the ability to talk, Mr. Saturns are encountered as friendly NPCs by Ness in EarthBound. They make their home in an area of Eagleland called Saturn Valley, and when they speak the text in the game is presented as hard-to-read kindergarten scrawl, and they often mix the words "boing", "ding", and "zoom" into their speech for unknown reasons. As a Melee item, a Mr. Saturn is an intentional "dud" item. It walks around on its own, and it can be picked up and hurled at opponents for minor damage, but it can be reused this way because it does not disappear after one use. In addition, a thrown Mr. Saturn does 21 shield damage in this game, and several bonuses are available based on the usage of these creatures.

Music

• 19: Mother: Despite being known as "Onett" after Melee, it is not actually heard in EarthBound for SNES, which is the origin of the town of Onett. It is actually a combination of three tracks from the original Mother for Famicom, the first track being the song Bein' Friends, the overworld and town song that plays when Ninten (the main protagonist of Mother) has at least one other character in his party, the second being the Eight Melodies that Ninten collects throughout the game, and the third being a clip from the title theme (which would later be the shared victory theme for Ness and Lucas in the third Super Smash Bros.). The music also ends with an enemy encounter tune, which appears in both Mother and EarthBound (albeit only for bosses in the latter). It is heard in Onett.
• 20: EarthBound: Synthesized music heard prominently in EarthBound, this is the official theme for the city of Fourside in both the game and in Melee's Fourside stage, with the first half of EarthBound's Eight Melodies inserted at a point (the last several notes of the original version, incidentally, are used as Ness's victory fanfare).
• 35: Mother 2: The song's real title is Pollyanna. This quaint soft rock is a remix of a track first heard in the original Mother as the typical overworld music that plays when Ninten is the only character in his own party. A remix also appeared in EarthBound whenever Ness returns to his house during his quest, with the intro to the original version also being used in that game in Onett when the sun rises. It also appeared in Mother 3. It is heard as a secondary track on Onett.
• 47: Ness's Victory: The victory fanfare of Ness is an orchestrated version of the last several notes of the Eight Melodies that Ness collects throughout his journey.

Members of the Runaway Five before Ness teleports in

Full Trophy List

• Ness' three game trophies
• Paula Polestar
• Jeff Andonuts
• Poo
• Mr. Saturn
• Starman (EarthBound)
• UFO

Movies

Onett sign with the Runaway Five

Two members of the Runaway Five appear in the introduction movie in Onett. There is also a sign showing a picture of the same two people that may have been planned for a beta version of the stage. In the retail version of Melee it is replaced with a different sign and moved further to the right of the stage.

Sound effects from EarthBound can be heard in the beginning of the Special Movie.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

The content from the EarthBound franchise have been given a major representation since Melee with two total playable characters and another item in Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Characters

• 
  Ness: The protagonist of EarthBound was confirmed to be returning in Super Smash Bros. Brawl by the opening sequence of the game and by the official Dojo on February 1st, 2008. He has been slightly buffed from Melee while still retaining his old moveset and voice clips. He gained an additional 10 frames of lag when grab released, making him extremely vulnerable to infinite grab-release follow-ups. Thus his tier placing is currently 26th, being a mid-tier character rather than a bottom tier character in Melee.
• 
  Lucas: The protagonist of Mother 3 and the most recent hero of the series is a newcomer to Brawl. Although his special moves are similar to Ness's, Lucas's standard moveset is largely different. Some similar moves between the characters differ in function, i.e. whereas Ness would have an attack that deals one solid hit, Lucas has one that deals multiple small ones and vice-versa. One of Lucas's alternate costumes makes him look like his twin brother from Mother 3, Claus. He is currently ranked 30th on the tier list, being lower than Ness and also the lowest of the newcomers in Brawl and at the very bottom of the lower-mid-tier. He shares the same problem with Ness, having an additional 10 frames of his grab-release animation that leaves him prone to grab-release follow-ups.

On the final character select screen (after all characters are unlocked), the EarthBound characters occupy the eighth column alongside the Fire Emblem characters (both of these series were originally Japan-only RPG series that later saw at least one entry released in the West).

Boss

• 
  Porky Minch: Porky appears as a boss in Brawl's Subspace Emissary mode. Porky's supposedly robotic statue form chases Lucas around The Ruined Zoo. Ness retaliates against the giant statue and uses a PK Flash to destroy it. When the statue crumbles, a mechanized spider-looking machine appears with the body of Porky in the center.

Assist Trophy

• Jeff Andonuts: Jeff uses his bottle rocket launcher and launches homing missiles at all opposing characters.

Stages

• 
  New Pork City: An enormous stage akin to Melee’s Temple stage. Based on the locale from the Japan-only Mother 3, a beast known as the Ultimate Chimera makes an appearance here.

• 
  Melee Stages: Onett: One of the stages that returns from the previous game, it only has a few minor differences such as a the addition of My Music, as well as the knockback from the cars having been significantly lowered.

Items

Two items are in the game:

• Mr. Saturn: Mr. Saturn is mostly unchanged from his Melee appearance: minimal damage when thrown, but now does 43 shield damage, one more than twice as much its Melee shield damage of 21.
• Franklin Badge: This equip-able item from Mother and EarthBound is an item in Brawl. In Mother, it could reflect the Gamma-level PK Beam attack, while in EarthBound, it reflects electricity-based attacks back at the attacker; in Brawl, it is worn by a character for a short while, making him or her immune to all projectile-based attacks which get reflected back in the direction whence it came.

Music

See List of SSBB Music (EarthBound series)

• Porky's Theme - The theme of Porky, main villain of Mother 3, and his Pig Mask Army. This remix is taken directly from the Mother 3i soundtrack (with the Log-O-Type part of the song taken from another remix in the Mother 3i soundtrack). It is used on the New Pork City stage.
• Unfounded Revenge/Smashing Song of Praise - A remix and combination of the two boss-battle songs of the same name from Mother 3. It is used on the New Pork City stage.
• Mother 3 Love Theme - Taken from Mother 3, this song is a remix of the "Theme of Love" song from the Mother 3 and is the main theme of the game. It is used on the New Pork City stage. This song also plays during Lucas's Classic Mode credits.
• You Call This a Utopia?! - The background music of New Pork City from Mother 3, which is another remix of Porky's Theme. It is the theme of the New Pork City stage.
• Humoresque of a Little Dog - A whimsical song taken from Mother, the Drug Store theme from EarthBound, and in Porky's jukebox in Mother 3. It is used on the New Pork City stage.
• Snowman - A cover of a song that plays in every single EarthBound game. It is very similar to the Mother 3+ soundtrack's version (minus the chanting and added instrument after first loop). It is used on the New Pork City stage. This song also plays during Ness's Classic Mode credits.
• Mother (Melee) - An arrangement of Bein' Friends from Mother, taken directly from Melee. It is used on the Onett stage.
• Mother 2 (Melee) - An arrangement of recurring series theme Pollyanna (I Believe In You), taken directly from Melee. It is used on the Onett stage.
• Mother (EarthBound) Series Victory Theme - Lucas and Ness's victory theme. Taken from the title song of Mother.

Hackers have found unused music in the game. This series has more cut out music than any other series.

Trophies

• Lucas
• PK Starstorm (Lucas)
• Ness
• PK Starstorm (Ness)
• Mr. Saturn
• Franklin Badge
• Jeff
• Porky
• Pig King Statue (Known as Porky Statue)

Stickers

• Ninten (Mother)
• Ana (Mother)
• Lloyd (Mother)
• Teddy (Mother)
• Little Saucer (Mother)
• Mad Truck (Mother)
• Devil Car (Mother)
• New Age Retro Hippie (Mother)
• Ness (EarthBound)
• Paula (EarthBound)
• Jeff (EarthBound)
• Poo (EarthBound)
• Porky (EarthBound)
• Starman (EarthBound)
• Master Belch (EarthBound)
• Mr. Saturn (EarthBound)
• Lucas (Mother 3)
• Claus (Mother 3)
• Kumatora (Mother 3)
• Duster (Mother 3)
• Boney (Mother 3)
• Salsa (Mother 3)
• Hinawa (Mother 3)
• Flint (Mother 3)
• Pig Mask (Mother 3)
• Mr. Saturn (Mother 3)

In Super Smash Bros. 4

The EarthBound universe is once again represented in Super Smash Bros. 4. Both characters return, with Lucas returning as a downloadable fighter.

Characters

• 
  Ness: a small-town boy from EarthBound who saves his world from an alien invasion. He returns as an unlockable character in the 3DS version, but back in starter form in the Wii U version. His appearance and proportions are closer to his original game; he has a thinner body and his clothing has much brighter colors. Some of his new alternate costumes also hold references to key characters from EarthBound. Overall, most of his moves are buffed, whether they are faster or stronger, making him more viable than the past three games. Interestingly, some of his custom moves are taken from Lucas's special moveset. Ness is one of the few veterans to be given new voice clips.

• 
  Lucas: the timid protagonist of Mother 3 who fends off Porky's Pigmask Army. He returns as a downloadable character that is available for purchase starting from June 14th, 2015. Like Ness, he now has brighter-colored clothing, proper body proportions that match his debut title, and constantly wears a smile. And like Ness, some of his new alternate costumes make references to other important characters from Mother 3. Despite being slightly nerfed in transition from Brawl to SSB4, he has indirect buffs from the nerfs of other characters that counter him, which makes him play relatively better against the rest of the cast than in Brawl.

Mii Costumes

Mii Brawlers wearing the Flying Man set next to a Mr. Saturn.

Costume

• Flying Man Outfit (Brawler): this outfit is based on a Flying Man, a yellow-and-red birdman from EarthBound who resides in Magicant. Pixelated, two-dimensional Flying Men appear on the Magicant stage in the 3DS version as hazards, but one of the Flying Men was originally going to have a three-dimensional model. This was ultimately scrapped, but the assets used to make the 3D Flying Man were re-purposed for this outfit. The outfit was released with a corresponding hat in the Flying Man's likeness on July 31, 2015 as downloadable content.

Hat

• Flying Man Hat (DLC)

Items

• Mr. Saturn (throwing): a bow-wearing being from EarthBound. It can be picked up and thrown as a bouncy projectile that does enough shield damage to cause an instant shield break. Otherwise, Mr. Saturn walks harmlessly around the stage.
• Franklin Badge (status): a badge from the EarthBound series. It reflects projectile attacks when equipped.

Assist Trophies

Bold italics denotes an Assist Trophy new to the Smash Bros. series.

• Starman: an extraterrestrial monster from Mother and EarthBound. It teleports around the stage and attacks opponents with PK Beam. Opponents can attack and ultimately launch the Starman if it accumulates enough damage. It does not attack the summoner. It also appears as an enemy in Smash Run.
• Jeff: a bespectacled friend and ally of Ness's from EarthBound. He attacks opponents with a bottle rocket. He does not harm the summoner.

Smash Tour items

• Mr. Saturn (Red): a bow-wearing being from EarthBound. The user can break an opponent's shield more easily.
• Franklin Badge (Red): a badge from the EarthBound series. The user starts battle with the badge equipped.
• Porky Minch (Green): Ness's neighbor and a major antagonist from EarthBound and Mother 3. The user steals an opponent's Tour Items.
• Ultimate Chimera (Red): a toothy monster from Mother 3. The user takes two fighters from the last opponent KO'd instead of just one. It will activate even if the user did not place first in the battle.

Enemies

Smash Run enemies

• Starman: an extraterrestrial monster from Mother and EarthBound. It teleports around the stage and attacks opponents with PK Beam. It also appears as an Assist Trophy. Its PK Beam can be reflected and absorbed only in Smash Run.
• Devil Car: a pyscho car from Mother and EarthBound. It attacks opponents by spinning doughnuts and running over them. It has a lot of HP and armor, making it difficult to launch. It cannot be grabbed.

Smash Tour enemies

• Flying Man: a yellow-and-red birdman from EarthBound. In Smash Tour, he aids the first player who bumps into him and travels along the board. He launches the next opponent he crosses paths with. He also appears in the 3DS version as a hazard on the Magicant stage.

Stages

for Nintendo 3DS

• 
  Magicant: staged in a dreamy realm from Mother and EarthBound. Its appearance primarily derives from Mother, though some elements are from EarthBound. A Flying Man will sometimes appear on the right side of the stage as a hazard. If a player touches one, he will fight along side them like an Assist Trophy. The Flying Man can be launched and defeated by other players. Should one be defeated, another Flying Man will spawn on the same right-side platform. After five Flying Men have been defeated, they will no longer appear in the rest of the match. Characters from EarthBound - the Mobile Sprout, Dungeon Man, and Sky Runner - cameo as platforms. Occasionally, a "rip" in sky will open in the background and shows moments from Mother and EarthBound. Many characters make cameo in this rip, including Ninten, the protagonist of Mother. This is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 5 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Ness, who is also unlocked on this stage. Its Ω form is a floating platform like Final Destination.

for Wii U

• 
  Onett: staged in Ness's hometown from EarthBound. Various vehicles drive on the road in the foreground and will hit grounded opponents. The colors of the stage are more pronounced than they were in Brawl and two mailboxes have been removed. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 3 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Ness and it is large enough to accommodate 8-Player Smash. Its Ω form is columnar and staged on top of the Drug Store.

Music

Original tracks

Arrangements and remixes unique to SSB4.

• Magicant / Eight Melodies (Mother): an arrangement of "Magicant" and "Eight Melodies" from Mother. It plays on Magicant and Onett.
• Onett Theme / Winters Theme: an arrangement of "Theme of Onett (from "Let the Adventure Begin")" from EarthBound and "Snowman" from Mother. It plays on Onett.
• Smiles and Tears: an arrangement of the ending theme "Smiles and Tears" from EarthBound. It plays on Magicant and Onett.

Returning tracks

Arrangements and remixes from previous Smash titles.

• Pollyanna (I Believe in You): an arrangement of "Pollyanna (I Believe in You)" from Mother similar to a vocalized arrangement of the same piece from the 1989 Mother album. This piece was abridged in Smash for Wii U. It plays on Onett.
• Onett: a medley of pieces from Mother, including "Bein' Friends", "Eight Melodies", and "MOTHER Earth". It plays on Onett.
• Snowman: an arrangement of "Snowman" from Mother similar to its arrangement from Mother 3. It plays on Onett.
• Porky's Theme: an arrangement of "His Highness' Theme" and "LOG-O-TYPE" from Mother 3. It plays on Onett.
• Unfounded Revenge / Smashing Song of Praise: an arrangement of the boss themes "Unfound Revenge" and "Smashing Song of Praise" from Mother 3. It plays on Onett.
• Mother 3 Love Theme: an arrangement of "Mother 3 Love Theme" and "Mom's Hometown" from Mother 3. It plays on Onett.

Victory fanfare

• Victory! Ness: a flourished arrangement of the first few bars of "MOTHER Earth" from Mother at a faster tempo. It is sourced from Brawl.

Trophies

Collectible trophies that appear in both the 3DS version and the Wii U version.

Ness Ness (Alt.) Lucas Lucas (Alt.) Mr. Saturn

Franklin Badge Starman (EarthBound) Jeff Flying Man Lucas

for Nintendo 3DS

• Devil Car
• Magicant
• Sky Runner
• Dungeon Man
• Porky Statue

for Wii U

Only one Trophy Box appears in the Wii U version. It is titled "Mother Series".

• PK Starstorm (Ness)
• PK Starstorm (Lucas)
• Porky
• Ultimate Chimera

Masterpiece

• EarthBound (SNES)

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The EarthBound/Mother universe returns in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, with both characters returning and a new item in the form of the Ramblin' Evil Mushroom.

Characters

• 10.
  
  Ness: Ness returns as an unlockable fighter. Poo and Paula now perform PK Starstorm alongside Ness.

• 37.
  
  Lucas: Lucas returns as an unlockable fighter. Kumatora and Boney now perform PK Starstorm alongside Lucas.

Assist Trophies

• Jeff: One of Ness's party member in Earthbound. He launches bottle rockets at the opponents.
• Starman - Extraterrestrial entities that first appeared in Earthbound Beginnings. They teleport around the stage and shoot PK Beams at opponents. The Starman can be KO'd.

Items

• Franklin Badge - A badge that has appeared in all three Earthbound games. When equipped, it will reflect projectiles.
• Mr. Saturn - An entity that first appeared in Earthbound. They do minimal damage when thrown, but can break a full shield.
• Ramblin' Evil Mushroom - An enemy that first appeared in Earthbound, acts as a spraying weapon that reverses the opponent's controls.

Stages

All EarthBound stages from previous titles return.

• Onett - Based off of Ness's hometown in Earthbound. This stage is similar to its previous appearances, although the colors stand out more.
• Fourside - One of the cities that Ness visits in Earthbound. Its nightly appearance is based off of Moonside, an illusion created by the Mani Mani Statue. The stage is darker than its Melee counterpart, and the colors stand out more.
• New Pork City - The last city Lucas visits in Mother 3, and also the location of the final needle. The Ultimate Chimera roams around the city, and fighters who hit it get instantly KO'd. The colors now stand out more, and the city walls are shaded purple instead of cream.
• Magicant - Based off of a mystical realm in both Earthbound Beginnings and Earthbound. The colors and background are much more clear than it's 3DS counterpart, and the background has been significantly updated to closer match the layout of Earthbound Beginnings's Magicant.

Mii Costumes

Costume

• Flying Man Outfit (Brawler)

Hats

• Flying Man Hat
• Mr. Saturn Hat

Music

Original Tracks

The EarthBound universe received 2 new remixes.

• "Magicant": a synth-heavy rock remix of Mother's Magicant theme, sampling some 8-bit sounds from the original game's version.
• "Fourside": a fast-paced rock and trumpet-centric remix of Fourside's theme, also known as Because I Love You, that also incorporates EarthBound's Eight Melodies similar to Melee's remix.

Returning Tracks

• "Bein' Friends": This track was originally known as "Mother" in Melee then "Onett" in Smash 4
• "Pollyanna (I Believe In You)": This track was originally known as "Mother 2" in Melee.
• "Fourside": This track was originally known as "EarthBound" in Melee
• "Porky's Theme"
• "Unfounded Revenge / Smashing Song of Praise"
• "Mother 3 Love Theme"
• "You Call This A Utopia?!"
• "Snowman"
• "Humoresque Of A Little Dog"
• "Magicant / Eight Melodies"
• "Smiles and Tears":
• "Onett Theme / Winters Theme":

Victory fanfare

• Victory!: a flourished arrangement of the ending of "Eight Melodies" from Mother at a faster tempo.

Spirits

Absolutely Safe Capsule Ana Boney Buzz Buzz Claus Dungeon Man Duster EVE

Flint Flying Man Hinawa Jeff Kumatora Lloyd Lucas Masked Man

Master Belch Mr. Saturn Ness Ness's Father Ninten Paula Poo Ramblin' Evil Mushroom

Salsa Starman Teddy Ultimate Chimera

Games with elements in or from the Super Smash Bros. series

Mother / EarthBound Beginnings

• Items
  • The Franklin Badge originated from this game

• Stages
  • The background and other aesthetics of Magicant takes inspiration from the titular place in this game

• Music
  • The overworld themes Pollyanna (I Believe In You) and Bein' Friends were from this game.
  • Snowman, the theme that plays in the titular town, also originated from this game.
  • Humouresque of a Little Dog, the recurring shop theme in the series, originated form this game.
  • / Both versions of Magicant, along with the 8 melodies in Magicant/Eight Melodies, also originated from this game; both are themes that are played in the titular area.

• Assist Trophies
  • The Starman, a recurring enemy in the series, first appeared in this game

• Stickers
  • Ana, Devil Car, Little Saucer, Lloyd, Mad Truck, New Age Retro Hippie, Ninten, Teddy

• Spirits
  • Ana, EVE, Flying Man, Lloyd, Ninten, Starman, Teddy

• Other
  • The special moves PK Fire, PK Freeze, PK Thunder, and PSI Magnet, first appeared in this game. Neither Ness or Lucas were able to learn these moves in their respective games however.
  • Flying Men originate in this game, meant to represent the courage of the protagonist. They appear on Magicant as a stage hazard, and serve as a DLC alternate costume for the Mii Brawler.

Mother 2 / EarthBound

Main article: EarthBound (game)

• Playable Characters
  • Ness, the main protagonist of the game, is a playable character in all of the Smash Bros games to date. Several of Ness's costumes also originate from this game.

• Items
  • Mr. Saturns, docile creatures who reside in their namesake valley, make their first appearance in EarthBound.
  • Ramblin' Evil Mushroom is a common overworld enemy in this game. It has a chance to mushroomize Ness and his party members

• Stages
  • Onett, Ness's hometown, has appeared in every Smash game since Melee.
  • Fourside, the largest city in Eagleland, appears in Melee and Ultimate
  • Some elements of EarthBound's Magicant appears in Magicant, such as the Sky Runner and the Octopus statue.

• Music
  • / both versions of Fourside originate from the titular city in this game
  • Onett Theme / Winters Theme has themes from both Onett and Winters (which is based off of the Snowman theme from EarthBound Beginnings)
  • Smiles and Tears is the theme that plays during the end credits of this game

• Assist Trophies
  • Jeff, one of Ness's party members, is an assist trophy in Smash. His bottle rockets also originate from this game.

• Bosses
  • Porky Minch was Ness's obnoxious neighbor and secondary antagonist in this game

• Stickers
  • Jeff, Master Belch, Mr. Saturn, Ness, Paula, Poo, Porky

• Spirits
  • Buzz Buzz, Dungeon Man, Jeff, Master Belch, Mr. Saturn, Ness, Ness's Father, Paula, Poo, Ramblin' Evil Mushroom

• Other
  • PK Flash and PK Starstorm originate from this game. Ness can learn PK Flash, but neither him nor Lucas can learn PK Starstorm
  • Paula and Poo, two of Ness's party members, appear alongside him during PK Starstorm in Ultimate
  • Ness himself, his party members, two of the Runaway Five members, Frankystein Mark II (a mini-boss in the game), a Mr. Saturn, and three UFOs can be seen in Ness's congratulations screen from Super Smash Bros.
  • EarthBound itself is one of the playable Masterpieces in Brawl (Japan only) and Smash 4.

Mother 3

• Playable Characters
  • Lucas, the main protagonist of the game, has been a playable character since Brawl and was planned in Melee to replace Ness. Some of his costumes originate from this game, too.
  • Ness's white costume is based off of Fuel, a character from this game.

• Stages
  • New Pork City, the final area of the game and the biggest city on the Nowhere Islands, is a playable stage in Brawl and Ultimate. The Ultimate Chimera, a hazard on this stage, is an invincible enemy that originates from this game, too.

• Music
  • Porky's Theme incorporates may themes from this game that relate to the Pig Mask Army and Porky Minch.
  • Unfounded Revenge/Smashing Song of Praise takes two themes from this game, the former plays during the fight with the

Fierce Pork Trooper, and the latter plays during the fight with the Forlorn Junk Heap.

• • Mother 3 Love Theme is the main theme of this game and is played during many cutscenes. This rendition also includes the theme of pre-modernized Tazmily Village.
  • You Call This A Utopia?! is the the theme that plays in New Pork City

• Bosses
  • While Porky first appeared in EarthBound, his design, mech, and certain attacks originate from this game
  • The Porky Statue also originates from this game. It's a statue that can only be destroyed by either the New Year Eve's Bomb or, in rare cases, PK Flash.

• Stickers
  • Boney, Claus, Duster, Flint, Hinawa, Kumatora, Lucas, Pigmask, Salsa

• Spirits
  • Absolutely Safe Capsule, Boney, Claus, Duster, Flint, Hinawa, Kumatora, Lucas, Masked Man, Salsa, Ultimate Chimera

• Other
  • When Lucas does PK Starstorm in Ultimate, Kumatora and Boney, two of his party members, appear alongside him.

Trivia

• The copyright for Shigesato Itoi/Ape Inc. isn't listed in the title screen of Super Smash Bros. and the back boxart for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, possibly due to Ness being an unlockable fighter in both games.
  • Additionally, the copyright isn't listed in the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U eShop copyright listings without including the page of DLC.
• EarthBound, Final Fantasy, and Persona are the only universes that do not have a character from their original installment playable in Smash Bros.
  • Subsequently, Earthbound is the only Nintendo series with this distinction.
• EarthBound is one of four character-based series not to have a home stage for a fighter in the installment it was first included in, the other three being Fire Emblem, F-Zero, and R.O.B.
• The EarthBound universe is one of two universes introduced in the original Super Smash Bros. to have no playable characters appear in the World of Light trailer, the other being Yoshi.
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate marks the first time both Earthbound characters share the same availability.

External links

• WikiBound