What version of Earthbound (NES) should I be playing? The original

>>4075098
>What version of Earthbound (NES) should I be playing?
None of them.

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>>4075098
>patched mother 1+2 rom
https://nicoblog.org/gba-roms/23/
>color restoration patch
http://www.mediafire.com/file/6k02mgzj501on8a/

No, the nes prototype has a dry translation and censorship. This is the gba version from mother 1+2, above is a already patched rom. This version has a better translation however due to inferior hardware does have problems such as inferior sound and screensize. Overall this is still the best version. Color was also affected however a patch to fix the color exists, I also put this above. You will have to patch this in yourself though.

Every version of Mother 1 will have some problem, just deal with it. Don't listen to idiots who say to play the 25th anniversary hack or the EBZ version.

The Japanese one.

>>4075121

What's wrong with the 25th anniversary hack?

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>>4076275
Looks like absolute shit. I admire what the makers were doing but it just looks shitty honestly.

>>4075098
Play the unmodified prototype, there's no reason to play the 'zero' version in current year. >>4075121
is right about avoiding the 25th Anniversary hack, because it's trash, but I don't agree that the GBA version is good, and it still has all the censorship.

>>4076323
>and it still has all the censorship
I'm okay with you disagreeing but this is wrong. Crosses and refrences to religion were added back and the enemy sprites with blood or cigarettes are kept.

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>>4075230
This, original dungeon designs with more dead ends and no extended ending so that you think Teddy actually died, it's the pure hardcore player version.

>>4076330
Were they hacked back in? Everything is censored the same as the NES version in the JP release of M1+2

>>4076335
While the actual M1+2 cart had censorship the fan translation added anything removed back in.

>>4076349
Fair enough. Still a really brutal port, despite an improved translation.

>>4076369
As I posted in >>4075121 a color restoration patch does exist so that can be remedied. Sadly no screen size patch and more importantly no sound patch has been released. Sadly the gba version had to be used as the nes/famicom version had a much more limited script size.

To me the scripr is more important, also the sound on the gba version is nowhere near as bad as the script of the nes prototype. The nes prototype is a product of its time and just ruins the experience in my opinion.

>>4076386
The sound really kills it for me, and the gameplay and exploration are more important than the translation as well. The NES just does better job on all fronts, and the story is just as good, it's just told differently.

>>4076391
>and the gameplay and exploration are more important than the translation as well
I agree but in this case both game are the same gameplay wise. Technically you could argue both the prototype and fan translation have some dungeons edited to be easier.
>and the story is just as good, it's just told differently
While technically true there still are a lot of details lost or altered in dialouge. Mother as a series is about the sum of it's parts, this is why I consider npc dialouge is important.

Tomato (who did the translations of M3 and M1) published this article that relates to your view, a petson sent him an email about why they don't like his translation. I don't know if this will change your mind but I think you'll find it interesting at the least.
http://earthboundcentral.com/2013/03/some-mother-1-and-earthbound-zero-text-differences/

>>4076423
I don't have any issue with Tomato's translation at all, but I don't think it's 'better', just different. That post on his blog makes me feel even more strongly that way. I respect Tomato a lot, his blog is great, his work is great, I've obviously played his M3 patch many times. In this case I agree with the guy who wrote the email to him, Earth Bound just didn't need any fixing, it's basically a perfect NES RPG.

>>4076464
>I agree with the guy who wrote the email to him
The guy who can't speak Japanese but assumes Tomato hates Mother because he criticized the original translation?
>Earth Bound just didn't need any fixing
Tomato agrees. He gave Mother 1 a more accurate translation, plus an OPTIONAL item that makes it more accessible. He didn't try to fix it or change the game.

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>>4076304
That looks pretty alright though. Would have preferred if the title just said MOTHER without the extra fluff, however. I would honestly recommend it to people who don't like old, grind heavy JRPGs since the worst part about MOTHER 1 is its gameplay.

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>>4077027
Tomato criticized the game in general, not just the translation. Regarding the 'optional' item, he states in the official FAQ for the translation that everyone should use the easy ring because the game is too hard; he did indeed think the game needed 'fixing', which is what I take issue with. I don't have an issue with the translation itself, or that he did it, and as I've stated before, I really respect the guy and having several options for playing a game is fine. I just take issue with the fact that redditors, starmen.netters, and for some reason /vr/ have the attitude that the game is too hard and too 'NES-like' and would rather play a vastly inferior version of the game, even going as far as to recommend people don't play the official version at all. It's canon, it's been released by Nintendo, and I don't think you can just write it off because it's a product of its time. Play Tomato's translation, but don't fall for the 'GBA version is superior' meme, because it is extremely compromised. A subjectively better translation doesn't fix the absolute mess that port is.

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>>4077740
>A subjectively better translation doesn't fix the absolute mess that port is.
fixes it for me

>>4077740
From the QnA.
>Added a gift box with an "Easy Ring" to Ninten's room for those who don't like to grind for experience and money.
Fuck off. He added it just to help shitters if they needed it. He never said you should use it, just that it's there.

>>4077740
>Tomato criticized the game in general
Nope.
>he states in the official FAQ for the translation that everyone should use the easy ring because the game is too hard
No
>he did indeed think the game needed 'fixing', Nah.
>autistic screeching
>It's canon, it's been released by Nintendo, and REEEEEEEEE
lol this was so much better than I had hoped.

>>4075098
>Earthbound (NES)
It's called Mother.
Also you should play the translation of the GBA version with the easy ring. That's if you play it at all, the sequels are infinitely superior.

>>4079407
>Earthbound (NES)
>It's called Mother.
Mother is the original Japanese name, Earth Bound is the name used for the prototype that never got an release until 2015, when it became EarthBound Beginnings.

Wait how the fuck is Mother 1 hard or too grindy? It's literally baby's first 80s jrpg, and pretty fucking accessible compared to literally anything else from that era too. Phantasy Star 2 came out the same year, for reference.

>>4079463
Because 80's RPGs are now too hard and grindy. Also, most people equate "random battles" with "grinding" for some reason I don't really understand, so any game that has RBs now is suddenly really grindy unless the battles are really spread apart.

>>4079710
>unless the battles are really spread apart.

Well there's your issue. NES era JRPGs are a fucking pain to play because you get a random battle every couple of seconds. It's not like they knew better at the time, but it's actually a terrible, terrible design choice. There's a reason that more modern JRPGs with random battles have them reasonably spaced out. It's the most frustrating thing ever to be trying to explore a dungeon, but being waylaid at every step and forced through yet another identical battle sequence. You could argue that it's a problem with the genre in general, and it is, but actually spacing out the battles so the player can explore with relative freedom is an example of good pacing and really helps alleviate the repetition.

I swear to god, some of you people will defend the very worst aspects of old school game design just to be elitist.

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>>4077861
>He never said you should use it
try again
>>4079132
>No
you too, pic related. At least read the actual website for the patch if you're going to shill this fucking hard.

>>4079728
I wasn't defending shit, faggot.

I was saying they're retarded for thinking random battles equate to grinding.

>>4079463
I never understood the argument that EB:B was hard in any way; it's a 20 hour game you beat at level 30.
>>4079728
>NES era JRPGs are a fucking pain
>it's a terrible, terrible design choice
You're not going to get any upvotes for saying RPGs are too hard on /vr/.

>>4079740
>"maybe if I sound confident then it'll sound like I'm right"
All he does is list what it does, he never says you need to use it. Maybe try to learn how to read.

>>4079765
Well, if it feels like a grind...

>>4079775
I'm not even saying they're hard. I'm saying they're fucking annoying. I know this board is filled with sadists who can't tell the difference between an enjoyable challenge and an irritating chore, so I probably shouldn't even bother.

>>4079775
>you beat at level 30
Last run I did was at level 18-20. It's really not that hard at all.

>>4079783
>Well, if it feels like a grind...
It's still not grinding, faggot. The original point was people saying it was too hard or grindy. You went off on some faggoty crusade against people on this board in general nobody gives a fuck about while completely not addressing jack shit. Fuck off.

>>4079805
Level 18-20? That sounds a bit extreme anon, maybe mid 20's at best.

In my personal experience I have found there are four crucial points of grinding in the game that, when done, make it perfectly passable.
>Ninten leaving his house for the first time
>Ninten entering Magicant for the first time
>Loid joining your party
>Ana joining your party
I find that after grinding Ana once you get her the game becomes perfectly manageable. I don't think people realize how to properly use the resources are. I sometimes hear people call Loid and Ana dead weight but both are extremely helpful. Loid's offense can typically be on par, sometimes even greater then Ninten's. Once you get to Valentine you can even grind multiple flamethrowers for him making him overpowered. Ana has some pretty powerful psi too. PK Freeze γ instantly puts a enemy in the critical status, PK Beam γ instantly kills an enemy, and PK Fire Ω kills all enemies on screen. More then the other two games psi is busted here.

>>4079887
To be fair, I was rushing the game a bit last time I played.

It was probably close to 18-26, with Ninten being 26 and Ana being 18. I want to say Loid was like 23-ish, but I can't remember. I know the weakest member was only 18, though.

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>>4079776

>>4080021
Doesn't say you need to, just lists it as a feature. Listen I don't know why you need to keep sucking Sandhop's dick but Tomato's patch is better. Your acting as if he says you need to, quit with the autism and accept your wrong.

>>4080048
my wrong what?

>>4080053
Your wrong opinion.
>trying to dodge my argument because of a grammar mistake
Holy fuck are you desperate.

>>4075098
"Oh, Giegue. How I loved him! I loved him as if he were my own child. He was always wagging his tail... Just like a pup..."

>>4080056
>5 FanGamer™ Bucks have been deposited in your account! Thanks for your continued patronage!

>>4080065
>0.05 nintendo bucks were deposited into your account
I have to ask, did you cry when you bought the wii u port of mother 1 and realized the translation was shit.

Anyway I'll end it here, I don't know if sandhop sucks you off every night or something but you have a bias that can't be changed. Just know you are in the minority and most people prefer the tomato translation now.

>>4080082
I had played the prototype as my first Mother game before that around 2005, and then happily purchased it legitimately years later because it's one of my favorite games. As an actual fan of M1, and not someone who hopped on the train after getting 'woke' to M2 via reddit or YouTube, the GBA port simply sucks way too hard to be considered definitive. As I said before, I don't have an issue with the translation at all, but the GBA version of the game fucking sucks. That's my hang-up.

>>4080128
So now you're going for the "TRUE FAN" fallacy for why somebody should play the version with the objectively worse translation.

wew lad.

>>4080143
>being a bandwagon redditor
>valuing a lightly modified script over gameplay

>>4080164
Explain the gameplay differences then. Sound isn't gameplay either.

>>4080164
>valuing anything over story in a story-based game
>implying the port ruins the gameplay
how can you be this dumb?

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>>4080175
>>4080176
>>4080176
It's ridiculous how triggered you shills get every single time anyone disagrees with your zealotry, and I will be here whenever this question gets asked to do it again. Keep up the good work, I'm sure you'll get Reddit Gold™ when you go back to /r/earthbound to tell everyone about how crazy your 4chan 'raid' was.

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>>4080197
>i-i was just trolling guys ha ha
>i-i-i-im n-not stupid, y-y-you are
>are you m-mad yet guys?
pretending to be stupid is still being stupid, anon

>>4080203
Why would I be trolling?

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>>4080197
You know I think if you're the minority it's because you're wrong.

You still haven't explained, how is the gameplay different? Or you don't, do you? You can just admit we're all right and we can end it right here.

>>4080217
>I absolutely prefer that people play and support the official release and not my silly little hobby project. -Tomato

Removal of tile-based movement (this completely changes the feel of the game), neutered soundtrack, inaccurate color, and a decreased screen-resolution all compromise the gameplay experience. There's a whole list of changes on the EB wiki, and most of the changes are not good things.

http://earthbound.wikia.com/wiki/Mother_1_%2B_2

Are the GBA ports of all those classic NES games the definitive versions? No, they're widely regarded as compromised for a variety of reasons, several of which I listed above. This one game isn't an exception.

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>>4080246
Okay, thanks for actually at least proving you aren't a troll.
>removal of tile-based movement
Sounds like a improvement. Mother isn't like the famicom DQ or FF titles, it has a isometric perspective.
>neutered soundtrack
The only real point you have.
>inaccurate color
http://www.mediafire.com/file/6k02mgzj501on8a/
Not a problem, patch exists. Do your fucking research.
>decreased screen-resolution
I can understand this one but is this really a problem in this case.

>Are the GBA ports of all those classic NES games the definitive versions? No
None of those are rpgs where text is important and the other English option is shit.

>>4080246
>Removal of tile-based movement (this completely changes the feel of the game)
Improvement for the better.

>neutered soundtrack
Not that much worse

>inaccurate color
fixed in a patch

>a decreased screen-resolution
Barely noticeable, especially during your first time.

Also ignoring the few graphical improvements (things like the battle swirl), and the L button quick select, on top of the much better translation.

Seems definitive to me.

EarthBound megafan here. I've played all three games and the first is my favourite. Play the original prototype ROM, it is fine. People say a lot about it, but I have the feeling only 1% have actually finished it. You will not need to grind if you fight every enemy you encounter and you actually explore and enjoy the game. If you cheat and use a walkthrough and run from enemies, you are cheating yourself out of a great game experience and will struggle with the endgame stuff. Just play it raw without looking things up. Make maps for yourself while you play. The game will be a pleasant memory when you're done. Also the alternate translation is not better, don't even bother with it.

>>4080548
normal people can pretty much give up at mt itoi and watch the ending on youtube, tryhards will grind and finish it

>>4080252
Thanks, I swear I'm just really passionate about the original, may have been a dick, but genuinely not trolling. I truly love that game. I'm really surprised to hear that you and >>4080274 both prefer the changed movement, I thought it was very, very weird. Anyway, it's been years since I've tried the translation; I'm going to give it another shot on my Wii so I can either re-enforce my feelings, or, change it. Sorry for being so autistic, I just get really heated about like, only this game, and think at the very least the original should also be played, not completely ignored.

>>4080575
I'm the one quoted dude. I'm just not a big fan of tiled movement in general. I suppose you could make an argument that all movement is tiled in smaller increments, but I think you get what I mean.

>>4080598
That's fair, I always just felt like I was ice skating around the map indiscriminately.

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>>4080575
Original guy who posted >>4075121

Listen, I can't tell you how much the mother series means to me. It been a big influence in my life. I literally have a 4000-4500+ folder of fanart for the three games. I genuinely just feel that the more accurate writing is more important then the flaws in the gba version. The prototype is fine for a late 80's/early 90's translation job, if released at the time it would be pretty serviceable, but I find it to be too much of a product of it's time. I find the subtleties of Itoi's writing is lost there, as expected of the game considering the time period.

I was under the impression you were trying to start conflict here just for the sake of it. I respect your opinion, I really do, but I can't say I agree at all. At the least thank you for acting respectful and more genuine now. I would much rather have a proper debate then starting flamewars where nothing gets across.

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>>4080692
>4000-4500+ folder of fanart for the three games.
Do you mind uploading that one day?

>>4080021
It's advice, retard. Do you think you had to use it? You can just not, you know.

>>4080692
Agreed, and again, while I end up turning to shit-flinging, I am truly genuine in my opinions about this game. I love talking about M1, it's my favorite in the series and probably in my top 5 games ever, and it just gets so much hate, especially the original. I get pissed when it seems like no one is even willing to play the NES version. I'm playing the GBA version as we speak, so I'm honestly giving it another shot. Sorry for being a dick, I'd rather talk about MOTHER than shitpost about it anyway

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>>4080704
One day. Sadly it kind of is scattered and unorganized at the moment. I began trying to organize it by game but quit for awhile. Also some of it is scattered across a few flash drives. One day I swear I'll organize all one day, when done I do plan to upload it for other fans. Another problem is a bit of it is a few images that make up a comic, I want to compile those into a single picture. Also I probably should scale some stuff down a bit, this pic for example was too big to upload in it's original state and is downscaled.

Also I have never seen that pic before, just saved it. Thanks anon.