Mother 3 Switch Icons Out Now, But They're Only Available In Japan

I'm fine with the game being Japan-only, logistical issues around it, whatever, but region-locking the icons is unfathomably stupid.

They would make a killing releasing this here

While I would be very happy to have Mother 3 localized, I've come to accept it likely wont happen, and the fan translation is excellent enough as is.

@Navi But why would Nintendo do that when they can just re-release the original Super Mario Bros. game again?

Well... Must be nice...

@Anti-Matter Why do you comment on articles regarding things you have no interest in? What does this contribute to? How does this improve anything?

Edit for context: Looks like the comment was removed.

We HAVE these sprites in the West, a lot of them are spirits in Smash Ultimate already. What is the point of this?

I know the answer is usually "money," but this has gotta be a $20 expense at MOST. I understand, but I'm also legitimately confused as to the big N's logic here.

We can buy the Lucas amiibo internationally, but paying NSO subscribers can't have a few measly icons.

Nintendo sure loves dangling that Mother 3 carrot.

Like I said. WHY does japan get all the good things?

I switched my region to Japan to buy these icons, and then I switched it back. Don’t do it! It totally broke my ability to change my PFP (or buy new ones) within the NSO app, an effect that continued even after changing my icon via the HOME Menu to one of the default ones. Now, I have to change my account region back to Japan in order to switch my icon again…

Please fix this, Nintendo. Yes, I know I cheated the system a bit, but I can’t even use the icons I previously bought anymore!

EDIT: It seems to have been fixed now. Region swap at your leisure.

Frankly, I don't understand the big to-do over icons anyway. I use my Mii from way back in the Wii days and don't think about it.

@Burning_Spear It’s pretty much just because they’re cute and you can’t really use your platinum coins on much else.

I get a heart attack every time I see a mother 3 article

Nintendo: [refuses to re-release popular games in different markets]

also Nintendo: [drums up hype for games inaccessible to many fans]

also Nintendo again: [takes fans to court for exploring ways to share these old games with others]

And unlike the game, they're inaccessible unless your JP profile is part of a family sub. Or applicable strictly to aforesaid profile even otherwise.

@LadyCharlie "also Nintendo: [drums up hype for games inaccessible to many fans]"

It's definitely not like they advertise for the existing audiences in Japan while shrugging off the inadvertently "teasing" exposure to western folks as a side effect of the internet age.😏 The one drumming up hype for us gaijintachi here is the twitter account above, not Nintendo.

I think we all knew it was coming like this, but it’s still disappointing. Those icons are language neutral.

Is anyone surprised by this? Makes sense Nintendo wouldn’t put icons in regions where the game is unplayable. I feel like that would’ve been actually worse to be able to get icons for a game you can’t play.

Now, maybe we’ll actually get an official Mother 3 translation someday…. We can dream at least

Its just an insult at this point lol

@Pho I am with you. But I do wonder if Nintendo could release it in the West, warts and all, with a disclaimer on the music (which could be considered parody) and on the stereotypes. Sort of like how Disney+ doesn’t edit episodes of the Muppet Show, but puts disclaimers and trigger warnings on episodes that haven’t aged well.

as someone who accepted the fact that we are never getting this game I think this is really funny, it would've been even more funny if the icons were available worldwide but the game wasn't

it's pointless for them to limit it this way but it's also pointless for them to have it be a fomo system in the first place. Nintendo wants to do what it wants for these icons, and for some reason they chose to make it disproportionately complicated for what they actually are.
They're just icons. If they wanted to make them an incentive to NSO subscribers then whatever, the best way to do that would be to just give us a huge menu to pick from that gets updated with new ones and leave it at that. Having to spend coins, having them rotate, and now having region-exclusive ones... it's just so many extra steps and systems and restrictions that just don't need to exist for PROFILE ICONS! It's not that deep Nintendo, you don't need to do all of this complicated rubbish for some icons. just let subscribers have the ones they want.

"Like the game, they're not available locally"
This is the very definition of it being available locally

@DwaynesGames I don't remember if it was Reggie or Bill Trinen but one of them said it was never the "controversial content" in the game that was stopping Nintendo from localizing it. It's most likely the music breaking copyright laws outside of Japan. Before you bring up Earthbound, that game's music fits in an IP law loophole.

They couldn't have predicted people doing this? As if the outcry for a localisation wasn't enough of a hint lol.

@BandeeOfTheStars so when you Switch back to Japan, are you not able to access any of your old icons at all?

Some more salt in the wound. Thanks Nintendo!

Well that's sad. It would have been super funny to have the icons available in the west while the games toils forever in Japan land.

Yeah there's some obscure ip law and there's also content issues keeping these icons from being released elsewhere. It doesn't apply to Earthbound and Mother 1 though, trust me.

Who knows when, but I do believe one day we will get this game in the west. There’s too many people that want it. I need to play thru earthbound snes. I’ve dabbled and it was good, I just got distracted. I’d be happy to play 3 to. Maybe one day.

Who’s the vomiting unfrosted giant pop tart icon you get from mother 3?? I want that one.

@Waluigi451 Yeah, like how it made sense to add a Famicom system, controller, and its accessories as icons through the NES grouped icons right? Because they were totally sold internationally, wait...

What's next, will they start programming out the existence of Mother 3 in later Smash Brothers iterations through chatacters, stages, trophies, and spirits in international versions? I'm sure they would if they could. So asinine of Nintendo, region exclusive icons.. Didn't stop them from releasing Famicom icons everywhere.

@TYRANACLES
The pop tart is named Negative Man. he's a unique enemy that appears in a lategame cave and has absolutely no plot relevance. All he does during battle is mope and whine and maybe inflict 1hp of damage occasionally. You can defeat him and it does not accomplish anything.

So, I have three accounts on my switch. Two NA and one Japanese, that I use to play a few NSO games. All on the same family account.

I like to theme our three icons, and I’d like to do the Japan exclusive mother 3 icons for the Japanese region account on my switch.

Is that the app breaking thing, or is it if I try to change my NA profile to Japanese to get icons for it??

@AlexanderDaniels You realise that did actually make sense.

Those icons were part of the "N.E.S nintendo switch online" & all Icons were related to the content of that app in someway.

Famicom & Famicom disk system exclusive games are included in that app. They are also labeled in the details as famicom/Famicom disk system exclusive games. So makes sense to show you what the famicom/famicom disk systems are.

As for the accessories, the ones shown were used/compatible in some of those japanese only games. e.g. the tape recorder & keyboard were used for the creation content in "vs excitebike".

Not surprised, but still disappointed

Wouldn’t giving other regions these icons be a decent way to get a feel for the Western demand for Mother 3? Maybe ignorance is bliss for them, though.

@Chibi_Manny Presumably, I’d still be able to swap the region back to Japan to switch my icon, but I never did. No matter now, though; the problem seems to have been fixed, and I can now switch in and out of Mother 3 icons in the North American app.

@PipeGuy64Bit Yeah. I actually haven’t played it, but I listened to a compilation of the musical references. The old, classical music wouldn’t be a problem. The Batman TV theme reference, for me, would be parody. But yes, the more modern songs would need to change.

Ok, this is just cruel. I would've loved to use that Boney icon.

And Nintendo just gave us 14 free days of Online, too :0

Too bad I have no other use for their Online service... -_-

@BandeeOfTheStars I'm sorry to bug, but chasing more context. You said things seem to be rectified — so you redeemed the icons, have swapped back to your original region, and can now change your icon again as well as use the Mother 3 stuff without going back to Japan?

@Mario_maniac Yes. This is correct. Just make sure you have no unused eShop balance; you can’t region swap otherwise!

Just checking this website out and saw Mother 3 in this article and got very excited. Earthbound was the first time a video game made me feel, and it is a core memory of my early days playing video games. I still chase the emotion I felt in the final boss battle to this day. I shed real emotional, soul-cleansing tears and did not expect that to happen.

I actually laughed out loud when I saw yet another article about something Mother 3 that we could not have. It's comedy at this point. I'm over it.

shame. I wanted duster as my icon

@Pho Actually, it will most certainly happen!

Nintendo, do you like the taste of Earthbound fan's tears?