2023 April Fools Article
We have a special treat for you all today! This rare interview with Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aimé was initially featured in the January 2007 issue of Gaming Fools, a short-lived magazine lasting from January 2004 to November 2007. Translated into English using harmless AI technology, this candid chat gives us insight into the development of Mother 3 (マザースリ) — both on the GBA and Nintendo 64. It has been slightly edited for improved readability.
An Interview With Reggie Fils-Aimé (January 2007, Gaming Fools Magazine)
Gaming Fools: Good evening, Reggie. Thank you for joining us today. We’d like to ask you a few questions about the highly anticipated game, Mother 3.
Reggie Fils-Aimé: Thank you for having me.
GF: First off, can you tell us a little about the development of Mother 3?
R: Absolutely. Mother 3 was a highly ambitious project that started development in the early 2000s. The development team at Brownie Brown, which is now known as 1-UP Studio, worked tirelessly on the game for several years.
GF: What was your role in the development of Mother 3?
R At the time, I was the President of Nintendo of America. My role was to oversee the localization of the game for the North American market. We wanted to ensure that the game would be enjoyed by as many people as possible.
GF: How do you feel about the completed translation of the game?
R: The translation of Mother 3 was truly remarkable. The localization team did an incredible job capturing the essence of the game and bringing it to life for a new audience. I’m very proud of the work that was done. It’s a shame the game will never be released in North America after all the hard work put into it.
GF: So there’s no chance that we’ll see a release of Mother 3 in North America?
R: Unfortunately no. There are a lot of factors that went into that decision. One of the biggest concerns was the age of the game. Mother 3 was released in Japan back in 2006, and the market has changed a lot since then especially as the Game Boy Advance is pretty old hardware at this point. We weren’t sure if there would be enough demand for the game to justify the costs of releasing it. We also simply don’t feel it will sell well as the Mother series really never had much of a fanbase to begin with. I mean did you see how poorly Earthbound for the SNES sold? And we really pushed that game hard with those wonderful scratch-and-sniff cards. In the end it’s a decision that we didn’t make lightly, but ultimately we had to consider what was best for the company and our fans.
GF: Are there any other reasons why we won’t see a release of the game?
R: Well, there were also concerns about the content of the game. Mother 3 deals with some heavy themes, such as death and grief, that might not be suitable for all audiences. We wanted to make sure that we were making the right decision for everyone involved. We also think most players would have a hard time understanding the battle system with the timing of the musical notes.
GF: That’s understandable. Is there anything else you’d like to add about Mother 3?
R: Just that it’s a truly remarkable game that deserves to be played by as many people as possible. It’s unfortunate that we won’t be able to release it in North America. Much like the unreleased Mother 64 which I happen to have a copy of sitting in my office the prototype in Nintendo of America’s offices will likely be locked up forever. Maybe at some point we’ll figure out a way to release these titles but in the near future I just can’t see it happening.
