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Nintendo and Namco discussed a potential EarthBound game for the GameCube, concepts shown

Deleted member 10737

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https://nintendoeverything.com/nint...thbound-game-for-the-gamecube-concepts-shown/

Baten Kaitos director Yasuyuki Honne, a former developer at Namco who is now with Monolith Soft, has revealed an interesting piece about EarthBound. Honne shared the news in light of an upcoming book – currently exclusive to Japan – which will be all about the life of late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata.

Honne states that Nintendo and Namco discussed potentially making an entry in the EarthBound (or Mother) series for GameCube. He met with both Iwata and EarthBound creator Shigesato Itoi all of those years ago. In sharing his story, Honne went as far as to upload concepts that were previously unseen.
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"I'm looking forward to the forthcoming book about Iwata-san. I met both Iwata-san and Itoi-san at the same time – it was back in 2003 when there were talks between Namco and Nintendo about a GameCube version of Mother. I was happy to come up with a visual concept, and when I went to Aoyama Iwata-san was also present. Itoi-san didn't seem very interested; he felt it was a little strange, and yet we continued talks. Itoi-san said, 'I wonder if Iwata-kun has any ideas?' He seemed flabbergasted, he had an aura of something akin to 'Aw jeez.' In the end nothing came of it, but Itoi-san enjoyed the felt-like recreations of 1980's America that I had come up with. Here are some images that I didn't think I'd show off more than once. Ah, memories of the summer of 2003."
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earthbound-11mk1e.jpg


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EDIT: Honne's tweets:


 
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NeonBorealis

NeonBorealis

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Jan 10, 2018
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It would have been cool to have this game.

Then again, dunno if it would have ever left japan.
 
RochHoch

RochHoch

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May 22, 2018
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Those bastards. Don't tease us with someone amazing that never was and will never be.
 
Enduin

Enduin

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Oct 25, 2017
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Ha he used that clay look in Baten Kaitos Origins years later for the town of Sedna. Definitely a strange look, but interesting. Would be pretty wacky and maybe cool for an Earthbound.
 
Kouriozan

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Oct 25, 2017
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That would have been amazing, and also would be better to never know this, now we're doomed to suffer even more.
 
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inner-G

inner-G

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Oh my god, it looks amazing...

The mishandling of this series has been epic and cruel to the fans.
 
JangleLuke

JangleLuke

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Well, Itoi clearly wasn't interested, and Mother 3 was still in development hell...

I don't think this ever had much of a chance.
 
Nanashrew

Nanashrew

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I really dig the art style. The world needs another Yasuyuki Honne game with his unique art direction.
 
TreIII

TreIII

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I could have gone the rest of my life not knowing about yet ANOTHER Mother game I will never have. And would've been happier, too.
 
Harpoon

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Oct 27, 2017
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An Earthbound game by Monolith Soft is certainly something I never would have considered to have ever come close to reality.
 
V_ac

V_ac

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This was pre-GBA Mother 3, right? Would make sense why it never happened if so.

Wait nevermind just saw the 2003. Yeah, N64 Mother 3 would have been relatively fresh so I can totally see Itoi not wanting to go through a console Mother game development yet at the time.
 
Dice

Dice

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Oct 25, 2017
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Namco would later get their chance with clay Monolith/Crescendo in..Baten Kaitos Origins!

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AhAn9wd.jpg


Edit: Acutally maybe not. Ah well. This was used for a bogus village anyways. It's a cool look, but eh... Not sure what EarthBound gains from it.

Bard said:
Considering the fact that he seems completely uninterested in ever returning to it, I think the term for it would be dead.
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What a shame. Does he work on anything these days??
 

FormatCompatible

One Winged Slayer
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Oct 25, 2017
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While I think it the felt art style looks super cute and inventive, Itoi clearly being uncomfortable with the whole thing means that it would pale in comparison to any other entry in the series.
 
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