Why EarthBound might be gaming's most important story about motherhood

The concept of motherhood in gaming has changed drastically over the past few decades, but especially in the last two, the industry entered what it dubbed the “dadification” era of gaming around 2010, and it's still holding fast to it. Since then, mothers have either been absent, or their role has changed to something almost the opposite of what is expected of a mother. The latter is an example Clair Obscur: Expedition 33which adopts the “grieving mother” trope and ultimately makes her the antagonist, while the father in the story, though initially portrayed as a villain, wants nothing more than to save his family from themselves. Like games The last of us and god of war (2018) largely removed mothers from the picture to focus instead on fathers. All this in retrospect EarthboundToday's legacy is very important.

on the surface, Earthbound It may seem like nothing more than an old-school RPG with all the wonderful SNES charm of the games of its time, but on a much deeper level, it offers a retrospective look at how motherhood was portrayed even within the gaming industry. At a time when video game dads are stealing the show as single parents, their violent and damaged selves ultimately humanized through their relationships with their children, moms in gaming have become either background noise or antagonists. By making Ness's mother present, recognizing the immense value of the ordinary mother, and portraying her as a place of comfort and support, Earthbound Motherhood remains one of gaming's most important stories.

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Earthbound presents motherhood rather than tragedy

Earthbound is now 30 years old, so, naturally, a lot has changed in the gaming industry since its 1994 release. Today, fathers like Joel Miller and Kratos take center stage, while mothers rarely come out from behind the scenes. However, in days EarthboundAnd like games Pokemon RedVideo game mothers were a failsafe support system that the characters, and the players controlling them, knew they could count on.

Scratch and pick

Identify the cover art while scratching off as small a foil as possible.

Scratch and pick

Identify the cover art while scratching off as small a foil as possible.

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It's not that motherhood is completely absent from the picture in modern gaming, though it certainly is in some cases. Instead, the mother's role is changed to better accommodate the story. Many games only make mothers narratively useful after they're gone, whether they're dead or simply absent. Like other games Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Silent Hill: Origins Turn mothers into monsters and villains, usually out of unchecked grief or a desire for revenge. Very rarely, if ever, is a modern video game mother just – mother.

right there Earthbound Really stands out, because it shows the difference between where the idea of maternity gaming is today and where it used to be. in EarthboundNess's mother is alive, present, and always accessible. He is not put into the story to die, haunt him, or explain his trauma. She's there because Ness is the baby, and she's his mother. It's as simple as that, and today, video game moms like her are largely unheard of.

Earthbound understands motherhood through the simple

That doesn't make one version of motherhood in gaming better than another, though. Instead, it only shows what has changed, and perhaps what has been lost, as the storytelling has evolved. The death or absence of a character's mother can make for a compelling story, and it can be just as compelling when the mother, who is usually seen as a reliable, dependable giver of life, turns into a cold-blooded killer. however, Earthbound Shows how a story can be so powerful when a mother's ordinary presence is treated meaningfully.

Instead of turning the concept of motherhood into an explosive story hook, Earthbound Leaning on the mother's domestic details, showing her cooking Ness food, being at home, answering the phone, letting her rest, and play exist as structures of suburban childhood. She is not important because the plot spotlights her dramatically. Because they are important Earthbound It's one of those rare games that understand normal motherhood that can still contribute so much to a story that defies thought.

Earthbound Shows how a story can be so powerful when a mother's ordinary presence is treated meaningfully.

Whereas the “dadification” era of gaming has seen male protagonists learn how to be fathers again or for the first time, female characters seem to have forgotten how to be mothers, or simply aren't given the chance. EarthboundOn the other hand, it remembers that motherhood does not need to be differentiated, removed, or dramatized. In a game where the child finally confronts the cosmic evil, she has one of her usual maternal presences. EarthboundThe most memorable ideas.

Earthbound turns homesickness into a real deterrent

Earthbound Ness's mother isn't just treated as a character, as it puts her at the center of the game's recurring mechanics. There is a random chance (depending on his level) that, after winning the battle, Ness will become homesick, which is announced via the message “Ness is homesick”. When home sick, Ness is “thinking about his mother” or “missing his home.” To cure it, players can either call Ness's mother on the phone or talk to her in person.

Such a mechanic was not heard until a few years later, when the 10-year-old coach left his mother at home Pokemon Red and the blue Don't look back in 1998. Essentially, in a homesick mechanic Earthbound A human element was added to the game that emphasized Ness' youth and the fact that he was going on a long, dangerous journey. somewhere, Pokemon Treat 10-year-olds as being capable of making adult decisions and not thinking twice about being alone. Earthbound Acknowledge the child's need for comfort that only a mother can provide.

Interestingly, Earthbound is the American title for the Japanese game Mother 2 and is the second entry in the series directly inspired by the creator's lack of a mother during his childhood after his parents' divorce. In a Hobonichi conversation where producer Shigesato Itoi was asked directly about the relationship between mother And motherhood, he said he longed for motherhood, then explained that because his parents were divorced, he felt “weak” in relation to his mother and spent his life practicing how to live. He then says that because of this, he is consciously and unconsciously drawn to that world and still carries it as a theme in the work he does.

somewhere, Pokemon Treat 10-year-olds as being capable of making adult decisions and not thinking twice about being alone. Earthbound Acknowledge the child's need for comfort that only a mother can provide.

In light of this, it makes sense Earthbound There will be a mechanic that ultimately stems from the protagonist's longing for his mother, much like the game's creator's desire. Ness's homesickness isn't just a cute quirk or a clever way to interrupt combat, but a reflection of something much deeper within the series' identity. Earthbound On the surface it may be strange, funny and real, but underneath it all is a story that understands how powerful a mother's presence can be, especially when it is felt most strongly in her absence.

EarthBound knows why moms matter

Exploring the Beach on EarthBound (1995)

This is the reason after all Earthbound It still feels important, especially as modern games continue to find new ways to complicate, eliminate or obscure the role of mothers in their stories. None of them are inherently wrong, and gaming's most powerful stories have come from those choices, but Earthbound A reminder that motherhood doesn't always have to be sad.

At times, the most powerful mother in the story is the one who answers the phone, makes dinner, lets her child rest, and is a constant source of comfort as the world outside becomes unfamiliar and dangerous. In that sense, Ness's mother is memorable not because she breaks from what motherhood should be, but because she reflects it well.