Happy 16th anniversary to MOTHER 3! Today, I have scans of an interview to share that was already known, but never was scanned in full. There’s even more information than what was known too! Now, I can finally share the whole interview here with all its images and extra information. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time again for a full translation myself, but I did work on a summary of at least two pages. Hopefully I or someone else can finish more in the future!

Starting today and for the next three updates, I’ll be sharing brand new scans about MOTHER 3 to celebrate. These scans are a part of our scan series until the release of the 2022 Mother Direct, so expect more scans until then!

The following are scans of the interview with Shigesato Itoi and Satoru Iwata from the June 27, 1997 issue of Weekly Famitsu and a partial translation of the interview. These scans and their summarized translations are by Kody NOKOLO. Please credit Mother Forever and Kody NOKOLO if you report or repost these scans and translations.

Weekly Famitsu, June 27, 1997 – Pages 103-104

• Itoi mentions that Lucas’ design was redecided.

• The interviewer notices how the metallic and wood logo fits the “chimera” subtitle that was originally announced and wonders about the original subtitle since it isn’t present anymore. Iwata mentions that the word “chimera” was already trademarked, so the previous subtitle can’t be used.

• Iwata mentions that Itoi has almost completed the scenarios at this point.

• Iwata mentions that the game is already running on the Nintendo 64 Disk Drive since the game’s maps were created on the Nintendo 64. That makes it easier to play as soon as something is finished.

• Iwata says that the main gameplay loop is almost done, but battling still needs more work.

• When asked what’s left, Iwata says that it’s just putting it all together.

• Itoi mentions that the game is “interesting.” When asked what about it is interesting, Itoi answers “the story” and mentions that it’s sad.

• The interviewer says that they cried during MOTHER 2, but Itoi says that it’s not really like that. He says it’s more like, “This is terrible! Why is this happening to me?”

• When asked what distinguishes MOTHER 3 from MOTHER or MOTHER 2, Itoi responds that there are less than 100 characters throughout the game, including characters that are just a passerby. This time, each character is going to have more depth.
• Itoi’s example: “It’s like me seeing you and thinking of you one way, then your mother seeing you and thinking of you a different way. It creates a three-dimensional image of someone.”
• Itoi accidentally mentions that there are twelve chapters in the game. Iwata responds “that’s an important detail” and laughs. Itoi says “huh, I guess that’s a spoiler… damn it!” and everyone laughs.
• On the topic of the ending, Itoi hasn’t written it yet. He does know the final line of the game though, and he says very happily “that was the most fun part for me.”
• Itoi thinks making games is so interesting and might consider it then to be his main job.