Mother (released internationally as EarthBound Beginnings) is a turn-based role-playing game developed by Ape Inc. and published by Nintendo for the NES/Famicom, created by Shigesato Itoi. Set in a late-20th-century America rather than a fantasy world, the boy Ninten uses PSI psychic powers to fight animated objects, aliens, and brainwashed foes, collecting eight melodies to confront the alien Giegue.
How To Play Mother
Control
Action
D-Pad
Move on the overworld; move the cursor in menus
A Button
Confirm; talk, check, and select battle commands
B Button
Cancel / back
Select
Secondary options
Start
Open menu / status
About Mother
Release date
Famicom (JP): July 27, 1989 · Worldwide (as EarthBound Beginnings, Wii U): June 2015
Developer
Ape Inc. (with Nintendo Tokyo R&D Products)
Publisher
Nintendo
Platform
NES / Famicom; later Game Boy Advance, Wii U
Genre
Role-playing (turn-based)
Series
Mother / EarthBound (first entry)
Modes
Single-player
Also known as
マザー (Mother) · EarthBound Beginnings · EarthBound Zero
Sheldon has spent over a decade immersed in retro gaming, from NES classics to arcade gems. He's deeply passionate about preserving gaming history and helping others rediscover these timeless titles. When he's not gaming, Shaun writes about the evolution of video games and their cultural impact.
