The game that started out as Mother 4 and was meant to be a fan-made spinoff of the EarthBound series has now been renamed Oddity, with a new trailer that promises that the game is still in development after over a decade. The original Mother trilogy (localized as EarthBound outside of Japan) are quirky JRPGs that were developed for Nintendo systems, but series creator Shigesato Itoi has repeatedly said that he has no plans to make Mother 4.
The Mother series might be over, but that hasn’t stopped attempts by other creators to continue the franchise. Concept art for an EarthBound title on the GameCube that would have been developed by Namco has been revealed, while several indie developers have created games that were heavily inspired by EarthBound, with Undertale and the Lisa trilogy being the most prominent examples. Nintendo barely references EarthBound outside of the Super Smash Bros. series, with the 30th-anniversary celebrations for EarthBound consisting of an event in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
In 2008, a fan group decided to develop their own version of Mother 4, which was originally made using RPG Maker XP. The game was meant to be a separate entity that wasn’t directly connected to the stories of the original trilogy but would use similar characters, gameplay styles, and locations. It was revealed in 2017 that the project would be renamed in order to prevent any possible DMCA action from Nintendo in the future, but the new name wasn’t revealed at that time. A new trailer for the game formerly known as Mother 4 has been uploaded to O197X’s YouTube channel, where it’s now called Oddity.
Oddity is an RPG that is set in the ’70s and follows a group of ragtag kids who are trying to uncover the mystery of people disappearing in the country of Pleiades. The combat system is reminiscent of Mother 3, with timing minigames being used with each attack, while the rolling HP meter from the Mother series also makes an appearance. The characters are also using a mixture of conventional items as weapons alongside psychic powers to defeat their enemies, which is another staple of the Mother series.
The decision to rename Mother 4 to Oddity was a wise one, considering how Nintendo has treated similar fan projects in the past. There has been speculation that an EarthBound collection could be released for the Nintendo Switch at some point, which would finally bring an official English version of Mother 3 to the west. There is also the growing relationship between Undertale creator Toby Fox and Nintendo, as he was worked on both Little Town Hero and Pokémon Sword & Shield for the Nintendo Switch. Fox composed music for Pokémon Sword & Shield and created a remix of “Megalovania” for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, so it wouldn’t be too shocking to learn that Nintendo would want him to continue the EarthBound series after he is finished with Deltarune. Oddity now has a chance to stand on its own and bring in a fanbase without fear of Nintendo’s lawyers crushing the project at the last minute.
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Source: O197X/YouTube
