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1!'''Fridge pages are Administrivia/SpoilersOff. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned!'''
2----
3'''Mother Series'''
4
5[[AC:FridgeBrilliance]]
6* '''All the final boss fights.''' In each of the games, despite the fact that you pretty much beat the crap out of all your enemies prior to the final boss battles with baseball bats, guns, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking frying pans]], and PsychicPowers, the actual final boss usually isn't like that at all.
7** To elaborate, starting off with ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings'', when you fight Giygas, you don't just throw all of your attacks at him and have an [[EasternRPG epic turn based battle.]] In fact, you don't throw any punches at all. You're not ''supposed'' to, anyway. What you '''are''' supposed to do, is sing the "Eight Melodies" you gathered on your journey to Giygas, the one that Maria, the "Mother" who raised him, sung to him as a baby. He constantly interrupts you, but the intervals at which he cuts you off come later and later until you finish the song and, overwhelmed by his emotions of abandonment and love for his mother and his duty to his race, he decides to run away.
8** In ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'', Andonuts sends the team back to the past where [[EldritchAbomination Giygas]] was launching his attack... [[RealRobot in robots]]. The start of the fight involves you fighting Pokey instead of Giygas. Pokey later turns off the "Devil's Machine", which ramps up the horror level of Giygas. This is where you start putting to use Paula's "Pray" ability. It gets to a point, though, that Giygas essentially '''EATS PAULA'S PRAYER'''.
9--->''"Paula's call was absorbed by the darkness."''
10*** Even then, it only happens once, and then the damage from the prayers starts ramping up to '''five'''-digit figures. ([[BreakingTheFourthWall She even asks YOU, the player, for your prayers.]]) '''[[CombinedEnergyAttack This]]''' is what ultimately kills Giygas.
11** The final boss battle of ''VideoGame/Mother3'' (and even the penultimate boss battle) do not definitively end with Lucas and the gang beating the opponent. When you fight Porky (aka the same Pokey Minch that fled via time travel in ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'', after taking enough damage, he ends up locking himself in the Absolutely Safe Capsule. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin It lives up to its name]]. And the '''final''' boss battle against the Masked Man (aka Claus) isn't quite a boss battle. The Masked Man fires an intense bolt of lightning at the gang, which knocks out everyone except for Lucas, only because of the recently polished Franklin Badge. Lucas can't will himself to attack at all up until the point where the Masked Man fires PK Love at him... [[HeroicSacrifice and their father keeps BOTH shots from hitting Lucas.]] Meanwhile, you have Hinawa's ghost trying to bring Claus back to his senses, and she fails the first couple of times. Until she succeeds, the Masked Man is pretty much [[CurbStompBattle kicking your ass]], with the only thing you can find yourself able to do is block and heal yourself. Claus comes to his senses, dealing lower and lower damage until it becomes pitiful single-digit damage. [[HeroicSuicide Finally, before he sinks back into his brainwashing and realizing the gravity of what he's done, as well as the desire to be with his mother again, he shoots at Lucas, knowing full well that his Franklin Badge is going to reflect it full force back at him.]] [[FakeUltimateHero Truly, the protagonists never actually defeat]] the FinalBoss -- the FinalBoss either gets killed from a CombinedEnergyAttack, or are defeated by their own emotions.
12** Furthermore, in a way, ''Mother 3'''s final boss mirrors the boss in the other two games. Because Giegue...
13*** :...'s mother has died.
14*** Is out to destroy planet Earth.
15*** At one point in time turned into an EldritchAbomination
16*** And is defeated by his emotions.
17* People like to say that these games are very emotional, but they usually only mean that they're sad. What they don't realize is that the games are emotional in more ways than just that. True, this series has its fair share of [[TearJerker Tear Jerkers]], but it also has a lot of SugarWiki/FunnyMoments, SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments, DarthWiki/NightmareFuel and even [[ThatOneBoss frustrating]] [[DemonicSpiders moments]]. All those inspire emotions, right?
18* So, that weird line, right? "Who has lost his tail? The ship of the one who forever sails the cosmos." What's it mean? Let me break it down: The "one who has lost his tail" is obviously Giygas, we know that much. Now, what do you do when you lose something? You try and find it, right? So, Giygas is trying to find his "tail", i.e chasing it. He's going mad trying to get something he can't get to. But what is this "tail"? His END. It's the person the Apple of Enlightenment said would eventually destroy him. When Giygas found out he'd be destroyed, he lost his tail, and began to go mad trying to find it. So if you're following, Ness is the "tail" that he "lost". And here's the kicker: That "tail"? [[http://walkthrough.starmen.net/earthbound/image/screens/43/edententacle.png You see it.]] ''In Magicant, the world of Ness's subconcious.'' Itoi, you brilliant, brilliant man...
19** Alternatively:
20---> "He was always wagging his tail... just like a pup..."
21* [[WorldOfSymbolism Yet another subtle bit of symbolism I noticed]]: In the first game, Giygas is a humanoid alien that could well be described as resembling a mammalian embryo. In the second game, much more infamously, he takes on a form with imagery symbolic of a fetus. And, by game three, his evil has manifested itself in Porky, a human child.
22* This is most likely unintentional, as it's unlikely that Itoi could have planned ''that'' far ahead, but you never know: The slogan for ''Mother'' is "No Crying Until the End". The game is emotional for an NES game sure, but still, it can feel a little out of place. But maybe, just maybe, it's referring to the end as in, ''[[VideoGame/Mother3 the end]]''.
23** It may not be neccessarily unintentional, you gotta remember, ''Mother 3'' was originally supposed to be on N64, as ''Mother 3: Fall of the Pig King'', which started development only 2 years after ''[=EarthBound=]'', in 1997, so Itoi could've potentially planned that far ahead given how it started development very soon after.
24* In all three games, the final boss "themes" are [[DroneOfDread jarringly minimalistic and dissonant]], [[HellIsThatNoise to the point they can be hardly described as music.]] In a series in which music plays such an important if not overtly central role, what better way to present the worst kind of evil than with the absence of any melody?
25* The last song that plays in ''[=EarthBound=]'', "Smiles and Tears", has a single spoken line in it; "I miss you." The song is a remix of Eight Melodies from the first game, so there are many ways that line can be interpreted. It could represent Giegue saying a final goodbye to Maria, his foster mother and where the whole series started. It could be The Chosen Four in ''[=EarthBound=]'' saying goodbye to each other as they go their separate ways once the adventure is over. It could be Ninten and Ness' feelings of missing their own mothers while out saving the world. It can even apply to ''Mother 3'' with Lucas missing his mother after she passes away.
26----
27'''[[Fridge/EarthboundBeginnings Mother / EarthBound Beginnings]]'''
28
29[[AC:FridgeBrilliance]]
30* And in the original ''[=EarthBound=] Beginnings'', I still feel that it's an example of ThePowerOfLove. Most examples turn "love" into magic sparkles or beams made of hearts in a very cheesy way, but in this game you ''literally defeat your enemy with the actual feeling of love.'' You short-circuit Giegue's KillAllHumans programming by reminding him of the human who loved him as her own child. And in case you haven't noticed, that is also why the game is called ''[[TitleDrop Mother]].''
31* Here's one that applies to the first two: Take a look at the names of the female leads. Now put them together. Paula-Ana. Pollyanna is the main theme of the series!
32** Polly is a common nickname for Mary or Maria.
33* I initially wondered why an Earth served as the logo of the series, since it seemed rather dissimilar to the title of the series (which may have been why it was called ''[=EarthBound=]'' elsewhere). Then I realized it was very obvious -- Mother Earth! What could possibly be a better symbol of nurturing, life, and maternal themes?-Blueflame724
34
35[[AC:FridgeHorror]]
36* At first, you're thinking, Hey, Maria's not dead after all! In fact, she's been Queen Mary all along, everything's gonna be alright. But then you realize oh, wait -- she was kidnapped and placed in a completely remote, barren area for supposedly the rest of her life with only her imagination to keep her company.
37** It's even worse, as it is heavily implied in the original version that Giygas himself killed Maria after freaking out because of her song, and imprisoned her mind within Magicant, probably believing that to be an act of mercy on his behalf.
38
39[[AC:FridgeLogic]]
40* How could George and Maria have had a kid anyway? By the time George returns to Earth, Maria has already been sealed in Magicant, and the prologue makes no mention of them having children.
41** They had a child before the aliens took them away, and he or she just went unmentioned.
42*** One fancomic offers the situation that their child was simply staying with his aunt at the time and was raised by her after the fact, thereby avoiding also being abducted.
43* How does Ana manage to wear short sleeves in such a snowy place as, well, Snowman?
44* If Podunk, Merrysville, and Ellay were originally called Mother's Day, Thanksgiving, and Valentine, then why weren't the towns of Reindeer, Spookane, Snowman, and Youngtown also named after holidays? Or should I ask why the former three were in the first place?
45** [[http://forum.starmen.net/forum/Games/Mother1/Japanese-names Spookane was named Halloween in the original Japanese, and Youngtown was named Easter]]. Reindeer and Snowman are probably named for the Christmas icons, as Union Station was originally Santa Claus Station.
46----
47'''[[VideoGame/EarthBound1994 Mother 2 / EarthBound]]'''
48
49[[AC:FridgeBrilliance]]
50* Did you think Buzz Buzz was just some random joke character? [[https://opinionerded.wordpress.com/2022/01/05/ninten-is-indeed-in-mother-2-earthbound/ Think again.]]
51* The Happy Happyist cult's obsession with the color blue makes sense when one considers that it's actually the most common choice for a favorite color in [[{{Eagleland}} North America.]]
52* How is Ness's father able to add so much money in Ness's account during his journey? Remember when Porky's father loaned Ness's father a hundred thousand dollars? That's where the money came from.
53** Also a pretty good {{Deconstruction}} of the RPG genre in general. The only way Ness can afford to save the world is because he's basically getting a trust fund from his dad.
54* The only way that I can truly appreciate the FinalBoss fight of ''[=EarthBound=]'' (at least in terms of plot) is as a partial {{Deconstruction}}. Essentially, Giygas has become a CosmicHorror. Physical attacks don't work on him. While Paula's Pray command appears to be effective, not even [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve the entirety of Eagleland's Power Of Love]] is enough to destroy him. Ultimately, there is only one reason that Ness and them are able to defeat him... He's the final boss of a video game. Giygas loses so that the player can win. --Tropers/FalconPain
55** By extension, it could even be said that it takes divine intervention (which is to say, the will of the player -- a being who exists outside of, and controls, the reality in which these events are occurring) to finally take Giygas down. --@/TheHeroHartmut
56** One better -- the term DeusExMachina means something along the lines of "god from the machine," but here it's the other way around. The "god" or source of divine intervention is the player, who is ''outside'' the game machine. An interesting reversal. --Tropers/DominusTemporis
57*** [[GratuitousLatin Deus Extra Machina]]?
58** Another bit of genius about this, is that as the player, you've probably been nervous about fighting the final boss. Who wouldn't be? So when the situation is looking hopeless for your party, you probably ARE praying at that point for your party to win. You don't wanna lose the game and have to start over from the last save point. You wanna win. Of course you're gonna be praying to win.
59** Another possibility? [[HumansAreCthulhu It takes an equally incomprehensible being to defeat one.]] Paula calling you for help is bringing in a being that is even MORE "beyond" the game's world than Gigyas is- in short, you Bigger Fish Gigyas.
60* Meanwhile, I wasn't able at all to appreciate the game the first time I played it. It felt like it was taking the "children saving the world" thing way too far. It wasn't until later that I realized that the game was thematically about CassandraTruth, the loss of innocence, and the consequences of abandoning one's humanity. It's now one of my favorites. --[[Tropers/ThirtyTwoFootsteps 32_Footsteps]]
61* Another consideration about the FinalBoss; the first form of Giygas is a sphere with Ness's face on it. It's odd why it's like that; is it a psyche out? Instead, I then realized who's standing right next to him. Porky has been by his side for a long time, probably ranting and complaining the whole time about Ness. Giygas is evil, and he's heard so much bad stuff about Ness that he can't help but see that as the appropriate Face of Evil.
62** Adding on to that, with all the conflicting statements Porky says, alternating between claiming to be Ness's best friend and trying to make his life miserable, it helps explain Giygas's decent into madness. His constant cries of "Ness..." his moans of pain, claiming it feels good, he's taken Porky's confused mind as his own. Pleasure is pain, enemies are friends... It's almost a FridgeHorror...
63** Giygas became truly evil after he was separated from Maria, but the pain of her memory still exists in him. What if it's the opposite? What if deep down he still wants friends and to be loved? What if, when mimicking Ness' face, he was just trying to say hello?
64** Alternatively, it's the face of [[VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings Ninten]].
65* The leader of the Happy Happyists is a lightning-shooting painter-carpenter. I thought this was just pretty random. Then I remembered BoltOfDivineRetribution. And then I remembered a [[UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} certain religion]] started by a [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} carpenter]]...
66** The Mani Mani Statue may be a reference to the golden calf. A gold statue of a false idol that ended up guiding people towards sin.
67* The first time you fight Master Belch, you can (and must) use "Fly Honey" to distract and defeat him. Later, he comes back for a rematch as the bright pink Master Barf, and "Fly Honey" no longer works on him. In the same area as the rematch, you can find Demonic Petunias, which both in and out of battle greatly resemble a Rafflesia, or corpse flower. These flowers smell like rotting flesh to attract flies in order to exchange their pollen amongst each other. They also happen to be a bright red color. That's why Master Barf is immune to "Fly Honey;" he's been gorging himself on the source of the stuff. --Tropers/Altimadark
68** Could be Fridge Logic as well though, since Master Belch is first fought in a factory where he forces Mr. Saturns to make Fly Honey, so he'd be just as near to a source of his addiction in both situations.
69*** Maybe rafflesia fly honey is higher-quality than the stuff from his factory? Alternatively, having the crap beaten out of him while he was gorging on it may have caused him to develop an aversion.
70* When Porky gets hired by the Happy cult and Monotoli, it doesn't add up. Why would they hire a little kid? Because they both were brainwashed by the statue that serves Giygas, and Porky serves Giygas.
71* I, like several others, was annoyed by the camera man and his apparent uselessness in the plot of the game. Then I realized that it's yet another of Nintendo's jabs at video game tradition. ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'' is famous for these, like the bathrooms that are always full making fun of the lack of bathrooms in video games, or the characters who actually call our heroes out if they act like [[KleptomaniacHero kleptomaniac heroes.]] In this case, the reference is to all those games where the end credits include several pictures or videos of what was going on during the adventure, with no explanation. ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'' is showing us how those pictures came to be, and how annoying it was for the heroes to have to constantly pose for them just to make your end credits more enjoyable. Considering Ness doesn't seem to mind posing for the pictures, [[HeroicMime though it's hard to tell,]] and [[TheScrappy all the hate the camera man receives,]] maybe this game even reverses the roles.-- Gamer4
72* In the Dusty Dunes Desert, you can encounter an enemy called the Criminal Caterpillar that gives a lot of exp. when defeated. I wondered why a silly caterpillar would give so much experience, especially since it's one of the easiest enemies in the area (although it runs away quickly, making it difficult to catch). Then I found out the enemy's name translates literally as "Wanted Bug". "Wanted", in an area that's basically an expy of the Wild West? The bug is on the lam and is wanted by the law, which is why it runs away from you and gives a big reward (it makes sense that the reward is in experience and not money, given that money is not really in short supply in the game).
73* The Guardian Diggers all claim they're the third-strongest of the group. They're all exactly the same strength, so they're all the strongest... and the weakest... and all of the other positions in the group of five, so they are actually all the third-strongest!
74* Alternatively, the Guardian Diggers claim that they're the third strongest because [[https://earthboundcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/QoAR4hd.png they challenged each other in individual combat]]. Each of them won against two moles and lost against the other two. Hence, third place.
75* When the Onett Theme plays for the first time, it starts off with a sample of "[[BootstrappedTheme Pollyanna]]" as the sun rises. ''"I believe the morning sun is always gonna shine again"!''
76* Diamond Dog, the second form of the Fire Spring boss, is a pretty clear reference to the 1974 Music/DavidBowie album of the same name; he comes right after his first form, Carbon Dog, when you do enough damage. And how is carbon converted into its diamond form? When it is placed ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtrEN-YKLBM under pressure.]]''
77* One may wonder why it is an EldritchAbomination such as Giygas starts to become static, an obviously artificial display perceivable by the human eye, upon its defeat. Well, that's because the static isn't evidence of ''his'' death. It's because the robot bodies that are perceiving the dying abomination are falling apart as well, and their vision is shorting out.
78* Another observation regarding the robot bodies the Chosen Four occupy. During the final boss fight, Giygas' battle music is more or less [[HellIsThatNoise static]] that is even more distorted as the fight progresses. Given the above example, it can also be interpreted as the audio input in the robot bodies picking up whatever bizarre signals Giygas gives off and outputs that into what we, the player, are hearing through the characters. It makes sense that during the beginning of the fight, we hear beeping. The second and middle sections when Giygas starts to undulate can be interpreted as an increase in signals, hence more chaotic than the incomprehensible droning. The last section of the fight is even more [[SoundtrackDissonance ear-splitting]] both because Giygas is lashing out and the robot heroes have taken heavy damage.
79* After seeing the final anti-piracy measure put in place, the exact timing of the event becomes all the more awesome. Why does the game freeze after beating Pokey, and not before or after the fight? Because this is the point when Pokey turns off the ''Devil's Machine''. Nintendo and Ape are taking one last jab at piracy, and have turning off the in-game "Devil's Machine" at the same point as the outside world's "Devil's Machine", i.e. the pirated cartridge. As with Giygas' Devil's Machine, it doesn't seem to turn back on (hence the file deletion).
80* There are invisible walls in Moonside because it's actually a storage room, meaning that you're still confined by the bounds of said room. This means that the Warp Men aren't actually teleporting you, just altering your perception of Mani Mani's illusion.
81* Buzz-Buzz being able to single-handedly take down Starman Junior, but be effortlessly crushed by Lardna Minch seems like a tragic yet silly way of removing Buzz-Buzz from the party. But in reality, it makes perfect sense when you realize Starmen ''can't move their limbs''. Zero Starman enemies have a truly physical attack (the closest being firing a beam), and only move via teleportation. Buzz-Buzz was only prepared to defend himself from PSI attacks exclusively, and wasn't prepared for someone simply swatting him.
82* The Happy Happyists' Ku Klux Klan-inspired garb makes a lot more sense when you realise [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything they're obsessed with the superiority of a given color and wish everything was colored that way.]]
83* During Poo's introduction, before he can join up with Ness, he has to unlock his PsychicPowers through meditation. Given that this meditation is called "Mu Training" ("mu" meaning "nothing" in Japanese), and he has to suffer temporary spiritual death as part of it, it's clear that the purpose of his training is to clear his mind of all distractions and impure thoughts to access his abilities. This foreshadows that Ness himself has to clear his mind of his own darkness to unlock his full potential, even if he goes about it differently.
84* The eight bosses that guard the ''Your Sanctuary'' locations might be thought of as lackeys sent by Giygas to hinder the progress of Ness and his friends. However, Shrooom! will not attack Jeff and Bubble Monkey when they travel through the cave containing the Rainy Circle, saying that only Ness can absorb its power. The bosses guarding the sanctuaries aren't there to hinder the party, they're there to test you and make sure you have what it takes to beat your inner darkness and defeat Giygas!
85* Over the course of the game, Paula is targeted for capture by Giygas's minions three times throughout the game, while Ness is only captured once; even then, Ness is still captured alongside Paula. It may seem strange that Paula is put in distress so many times when it is Ness who is TheChosenOne destined to receive the blessings of the eight sanctuaries. However, the final phase of the fight with Giygas has Ness forced to play support while Paula is the one uniting their friends and family in prayer to hurt Giygas. Given that Giygas is essentially the universe's most powerful psychic and/or uses the Apple of Enlightenment to see the future, it's possible that Giygas knew that Paula is the true keystone to defeating him rather than Ness, explaining why Giygas goes to greater lengths to have Paula separated from the rest of the heroes.
86* Ness completes his journey through Magicant, frees his mind, and unleashes his full potential. What does he need to do with all of the absolutely raw power he obtains? ''Protect'' the physically weakest party member during her GondorCallsForAid moment to truly defeat Giygas. The lesson to be learned is true strength comes from far more than just having raw power.
87* Giygas is actually in the distant past, directing his invasion of earth in the far future from there. This would actually be an ideal location if he can do so since it's unlikely most beings could even get to him much less destroy him, Ness included. More importantly, if Giygas managed to destroy the earth in the distant past, he'd prevent Maria from ever existing, along with Ninten, while as a being not native to earth wouldn't wipe out his own existence in the bargain. Destroying earth in the past would remove all the sources of Giygas' trauma in one fell swoop, preventing him from becoming the EldritchAbomination that he is now and end his suffering.
88
89[[AC:FridgeHorror]]
90* The ChurchOfHappyology characters being named the "Happy Happyists" can be a bit less funny if you consider that Scientology used to own a facility nicknamed "Happy Valley" near San Jacinto, which was used for their slave labour [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rehabilitation_Project_Force The Rehabilitation Project Force]]. (The site was sold in 2002 to the Soboba Band of of Luiseño Indians, whose reservation was nearby, and it's been converted into [[http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7ACPW&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=Soboba+Band&fb=1&gl=uk&hq=Soboba+Band&cid=0,0,8940059801974363159&ei=RFNyT8b3Gcun8gODocBB&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&ved=0CAsQ_BI a casino]]).
91* In Japan, the default name for Ness's special PK attack is PK {{Kiai}}. This gives the impression of Ness shouting "HI-YAH!" at his opponents in order to damage them, like a SuperScream. ''[[HellIsThatNoise Now imagine what happens when Giygas uses it.]]''
92** That's not the worst part. You see, Giygas can only use Rockin'/Kiai Alpha and Beta, which aren't very strong. Ness's Nightmare can use Rockin'/Kiai Omega. '''Imagine now his nightmarish yelling when attacking with an ultra-powerful psychic power.'''
93* How does Giygas communicate in his mindlessness? Is he speaking aloud or, more likely, through PSI? This means, to Ness, it's either the raving of a lunatic or a constant barrage of mental screams to go along with the physical pain Giygas inflicts on him and his friends.
94* Perhaps it's more like Fridge Depressing, but ''Mother 3'''s [[AfterTheEnd backstory]] makes it clear, if you think about it, that the world didn't just live happily ever after the end of this game, [[ApocalypseHow far from it]]...
95* After Giygas's death, his race makes no further attempts to invade earth, unless, what if after becoming the [[EldritchAbomination swirling red abomination he is now]], [[GenocideFromTheInside he murdered his own species?]]
96** The alternative to this is that his race is still out there, and given that they were the ones who ordered or encouraged him to invade Earth in the first place, they may send someone else later to finish the job. So neither possibility is very nice.
97*** Or perhaps they knew that [[PassingTheTorch Giygas's evil influence was imparted on Pokey]] and are content with [[GreaterScopeVillain sitting back and watching Giygas's right-hand man finish the job for them.]]
98*** Or maybe, if we're willing to be charitable, his people [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone saw and rejected the evil in themselves after being confronted with how they functionally made one of their own into the god of evil, over a kind petty feud.]]
99* More a bit of brain wonderings that anything that actually bugs me... But, during the Giygas battle "music", which is more background noises than anything, features electronic, machine-breaking type noises, right? And during the final battle the Chosen Four are in robot bodies, right? What if these noises aren't the Devil's Machine (like I first assumed) but [[FridgeHorror actually the noises of Ness and Co.'s robot bodies being torn apart by Giyga's attacks?]]
100* Why did Pokey turn from a timid and insufferable coward that talks big but will suddenly beg and grovel for help at the first sign of trouble, to an egotistical and condescending douchebag who willingly chose to serve the ultimate evil?
101** Pokey's abusive parentage eventually caused him to become jealous of Ness, who obviously had a much more fortunate childhood than him.
102** When Buzz Buzz told Ness of the prophecy that he was destined to save the world, Pokey was scared to death at first about having that overbearing responsibility being put on his spineless shoulders. However, that fear then became twisted into even more jealousy towards Ness as he was going to become a hero.
103** Being brought back home to a spanking/yelling from his father, Aloysius, was the last straw that pushed Pokey's mind to the breaking point. After recovering from the shame, Pokey convinced himself through his moral myopia that it was Ness's fault, and he would now go to any length to hinder and hurt Ness in a personal war of revenge against him.
104** All of the above factors made it pitifully easy for Giygas influence to take root and blossom inside Pokey's mind to make him the most spiteful and dangerous traitor of humanity to have ever existed.
105
106[[AC: FridgeLogic]]
107* When Ness goes into his new robot body, he puts on his cap. But when he gets back, he has it back.
108** Triplicate on this page! Since the cap is an IconicItem, who's to say Dr. Andonuts didn't make the robot's head in the shape of Ness's cap? The third one comes because things that are appropriate multiple times over usually create FridgeBrilliance. Well played.
109----
110'''VideoGame/Mother3'''
111
112[[AC:FridgeBrilliance]]
113* I was kind of surprised to see that Nintendo, a company that sells modern technology to people to entertain them in exchange for money, would create a game that had such a strong anti-money/modern technology message... until I realized that that was never one of the game's messages at all. The message is instead an anti-''immaturity'' message, which ties in with the previous games' messages about growing up. Porky, the main villain, is a [[PsychopathicManChild kid in an adult body]], and the problems he causes stem from his immaturity. He's either never learned or refuses to learn several things that all adults are expected to learn: be patient (he's arrived at a time when civilization just started rebuilding and thus doesn't have many of the things a kid of his age and home time period would enjoy), accept when things change (he has a hard time accepting that humanity went back to square one), and don't force things on other people (he attempts to force money and modern technology onto people when they aren't ready for them; had the Nowhere Islanders developed the same things he developed by their own consent and standards, they probably really would have been "happy boxes"). That explains why New Pork City is [[NostalgiaLevel full of so many references to previous games]]: Porky refuses to grow up!
114* In the Lyrics for the Love Theme, which are implied to be sung by Hinawa herself, she says "No matter where I am, I'll still be your life. I want to show you warm moments and dreams. I can see the small child smile, when I close my eyes. If I call out, he'll turn around. Give light to the small one who walks his path alone." Most people might assume she's referring to Claus, who's been alone ever since he set out on his path to avenge his mom and got turned into a Cyborg, and she's trying to bring him back from Porky's control. But, if you think about it, the last verse can apply to Lucas just as much. He may not have been alone on his journey, or even when he was grieving prior to the timeskip (thanks to Boney), but asides from Claus, Lucas still suffered the most out of anyone in the game by far. Even if he had friends by his side and supporting him, he still had to shoulder all of that pain and sadness he's experienced on his own, as no one else had suffered to the same degree that he has or lost as much he has to truly emphasize with what he's going through and give him the kind of support/reassurance he needs to truly heal. This especially becomes painfully clear on the trip to Tanetane Island, when most of the hallucinations are based on his own fears/trauma, while very few haunt Duster and Kumatora. This isn't even mentioning the fact he has the weight on his shoulders as the only one besides his brainwashed brother who could pull the last needle and remake the world into one without evil and suffering. Hinawa isn't only singing about her trying to save Claus, she's also trying to give her strength and love to her other son, the one who's been through so much pain and has been so strong to keep going and do what's right, despite the terrible things that have happened to him. - Spiderfreak1011
115* Towards the end of Chapter 1, when Flint and Alec meet the Magypsies and they tell them that Claus showed up not too long earlier, and they directed him to where the Drago Plateau was, Aeolia mentions how they taught him a "very powerful PSI Technique" before he left, and that he wouldn't be able to use it very easily. Now, upon replay and knowing that Claus after this becomes the Masked Man who can use PK Love and pull the needles, you might be inclined to believe this very powerful PSI technique Claus learned was PK Love, since it's a very strong move and something only he and one other person can use. But if you think deeper into it, Ionia and the other Magypsies made a big deal about the fact that Lucas could learn PK Love to begin with, as not even they can use that PSI technique, and they realized it signaled that people who could pull their needles had finally appeared to fulfill the prophecy. Yet, Aeolia says it very casually, as if what she taught Claus was something that any of the Magypsies were capable of. So, what other PSI does he have later on that is known for being very powerful? He has his infamous One Hit KO Thunder attack, which is something not even Kumatora was taught. (It's implied with Kumatora that extremely powerful PSI techniques like that were not taught to her because they were dangerous and difficult to master.) And like Aeolia said, the technique Claus learns is something he wouldn't be able to use very easily, and was something they were able to teach to him and unlike Kumatora, didn't have any qualms about doing so, as they clearly didn't care for his life and how he was so willing to throw it away for revenge. So, it's not a stretch to say that the move that Aeolia taught Claus and by extension, The Masked Man, was his powerful Thunder technique.
116** Further evidence to prove this is, when Lucas has his PSI awakened in Chapter 4, Ionia never teaches him how to use PK Love, Lucas just automatically unlocks the capability to use it once he awakens to his power. So, if the way Claus learned PK Love was similar to Lucas's, then he would've automatically unlocked the power of PK Love once he was awakened to his psychic potential as well, and wouldn't have been something that Aeolia could've taught to him. Which only leaves the Thunder technique as for what she could've taught Claus.
117* At the end of ''Mother 3'', you get another "The End?" before getting a definitive "The End". It strikes you then that the "The End" at the end of ''[=EarthBound=] Beginnings'' and ''[=EarthBound=]'' wasn't referring to the ''game's'' end -- but the ''franchise's'' end!
118* In the same vein, it occurred to me (in part thanks to comments on this wiki) that the plot of the sequel, ''Mother 3'', concerns a villain who ''refuses'' to lose his childhood innocence and lets it become twisted into a self-absorbed fantasy that he forces on the rest of the world. In the end, he's forced back into an artificial womb, where he stays forever.
119** And that leads to another realization: It's hinted that he is, in fact, happy about being trapped in that capsule for eternity, all by himself. He's so childish that he chose to become an unborn infant again. Technically, you only begin to grow up after you're born, which he didn't want. So, he stays as childish as possible, both mentally and metaphorically.
120*** Not to discredit the previous troper, but given that Porky sounds uneasy during the event and that [[DidntThinkThisThrough he doesn't exactly think things out in the long-term]], it's pretty clear that he's locked himself in a horrid little hell.
121*** I've been reading quite a bit about this situation with Porky (never played the game, sorry), and being locked in an indestructible and inescapable capsule sounds agonizingly boring, but for the longest time, I thought that he could still keep contact and control of his army and/or servants. But then it occurred to me that for the Absolutely Safe Capsule to be absolutely safe, it must also be air- and water-tight. He can't even speak to anyone else, and can't hear anyone else. He will live in constant silence, and will see everything there is to see, and not be able to interact with it in any way. Forever. - Battery1320
122*** And why can't he just have an escape switch installed inside? For it to be "absolutely safe", whatever goes inside can never be hurt again. If he were to ever escape, his safety would be compromised. BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Porky...
123*** The only person Porky actually tried to ''replace'' in his life was Lardna. Ness and company were enshrined, but there's an entire restaurant full of Lardnas -- which is in itself a testament to how screwed-up Porky is, that he built a robot duplicate of his mother that only existed to take orders and serve food. But remember that Lardna was always self-absorbed and horribly, horribly negligent; the robot Lardnas were probably more motherly than the real one. Returning to the "womb" provided by the absolutely safe capsule may have made him happy just because it was the closest thing he's ever really had to a motherly influence.
124* Related to Porky: Most players are confused upon starting to play ''Mother 3'', mostly because the soundtrack isn't as similar as ''[=EarthBound=]'''s. At least not until Chapter 4, where the town has been modernized, and plenty of songs from ''[=EarthBound=]'' start popping out, such as the Hotel's Theme in Yado's Inn, Summers' Theme in Tazmilly's Beach, etc. Now, what's one of Porky's main characteristics in this game?
125* Another Porky one, but more related to gameplay. He constantly brags about his immortality during the battle with him. If you use cheats to fight him outside of when you're supposed to, he will never die, no matter how many times you use PK Love Omega, Starstorm, or Ground.
126** No. The scene with Porky escaping into the Absolutely Safe Capsule is a special event in the game. If you fight Porky when you're not supposed to, this event isn't triggered properly and Porky can't be defeated. This also happens with the second Masked Man battle.
127* Not much of a brilliant observation, but I realized Claus and Lucas were anagrams of each other several months ago. -CandyEntrails
128* The film in Porky's theater became one for me when I realized that ''nobody was following Ness and his friends with a camera!'' And since nobody even remembers them anymore, Porky must have personally sat down and created the entire script. That's... a powerful image. -- Canonier.
129** Nobody following Ness with a camera??? Do the words "Fuzzy Pickles" mean anything to you?
130** That's a photo camera, though.
131*** Did it look animated?
132*** None of the images in the movie were where the Photo Man took pictures, though.
133*** What was the Camera Man doing when he WASN'T taking those nifty pictures?
134* After the final boss fight of ''Mother 3'', Lucas talks to you, the player, and tells you that you can see him again whenever you like, which of course is meant to imply that you can see Lucas and company again whenever you feel like playing the game once more. However, this troper realized that this means pulling the final needle to destroy and recreate the world leads to a sort of reset on the entire universe of ''Mother 3''. Claus and Hinawa and everyone else are all brought back to life and when you play through the game a second (or third or fourth, etc.) time, the events repeat themselves, eventually culminating in yet another reset of the world of ''Mother 3''. Each time you decide to play again, Hinawa is killed and Claus dies and is reconstructed. Which, I suppose, could also qualify this as FridgeHorror. --Tropers/EtherealZephyr
135* In ''Mother 3'', Duster's weapon list includes a Rope Snake, and Wall Staples. It's just a pun on the board game, Snakes and Ladders!
136* The Absolutely Safe Capsule that Porky hides in seems flawed at first, since it is inescapable. Then you realize how the name of the Capsule and think about how crazy Porky is, and realize. The Capsule isn't meant to protect Porky, it traps him inside, keeping everyone absolutely safe from HIM!
137* Kumatora is a tomboy because she was raised by the Magypsies. And she's a princess because she was raised by ''drag queens''.
138* That Dr. Andonuts would be kidnapped and forced to make the chimeras makes more sense when you remember he already had experience doing that in ''[=EarthBound=]''. Dungeon Man was his first mechanical chimera, followed by the chosen four's robot bodies. Of course, those subjects were willing...
139* The people who formed the population of Tazmily Village originally went to Nowhere Islands to escape [[ApocalypseHow the end of the world]]. They escaped the destruction of everywhere... by hiding in literal nowhere.
140* A blunt one: after going through the game, we discover that the Egg of Light is a device meant for [[LaserGuidedAmnesia taking away]] or giving back people's memories. Which Duster stole in Chapter 2. Following the TimeSkip, he has amnesia. Nay, it likely wasn't caused from a simple bump on the head; Duster had likely unwittingly activated the Egg in his escape. This is supported when he gets the Egg back in Chapter 5, after which his memories quickly return.
141* During the TimeSkip, lightning has managed to strike pretty much everywhere around Lucas and Flint's house, even getting as close as the farm, but it never actually destroys the house. That's because Flint left the Courage Badge there, which is later revealed to be the Franklin Badge. Stopping all that lightning for three years is probably how it lost its shine as well, before it was polished at least.
142* The first time we meet Kumatora, she's caught in a bear trap. "Kuma tora" literally means "Bear tiger".
143* During the final battle, as Claus is dying in Lucas's arms, text describing the scene says that "Lucas remembered Claus' smell". This is Lucas realizing his brother is about to die and getting just a tiny amount of sensory input from his body, just before he dies and they're gone forever. [[TearJerker It's a poignant and disturbingly accurate depiction of grief]], as this game is so well known for, but for a while I couldn't understand why his smell, of all things, was what Lucas remembered. Why not his face or the sound of his voice? Well, it turns out that smell is [[http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/human-biology/smell3.htm one of the best senses we humans have for attaching and recalling memories]].
144* Why did the Pigmasks assume that Lucas was The Masked Man? Because they've never seen him without his mask. They just assumed from Lucas' similar build that he was their commander in his casual uniform.
145* The identity of the BigBad is revealed rather anticlimactically. It's pretty casually revealed that he's Porky, and the party members aren't really shocked or anything. This is because, unlike the players, they wouldn't know anything about Porky's life prior to leading the Pigmasks. It's [[WildMassGuessing entirely possible]] that they already knew his actual name; there's no reason for him to make it a secret, but he just preferred "King P" and let that spread. If so, this would be an inversion of DramaticIrony; the characters know full well information that would seriously affect the players.
146** Arguably, this is also the case for the revelation of Claus. Lucas clearly recognizes ''something'', perhaps subconsciously.
147* When Duster attacks, the sound that plays is a bass guitar. When he plays in DCMC, he actually plays bass.
148* How was Fassad easily able to see through Lucas' disguise in The Tower of Love and Peace when none of the Pig Troopers could? He spent the first part of the game putting up his own façade! Of course he'd know when someone else is! The clue's in the name!
149** A much simpler explanation is that Fassad would have spent far more time with the Masked Man than low-ranking Pig Troopers, so he'd recognize him better. And he'd be more likely to know that he has a twin brother.
150* ''[=EarthBound=]'' subverted the MoneySpider RPG trope by having Ness's dad give him money instead of directly relating it to fighting enemies, but ''Mother 3'' seems to play it straight, right? But because the concept of money was essentially reinvented thanks to Porky, and because Porky is a twisted jerk who screws with people, why ''wouldn't'' he make it so that the best way to make money is to fight dangerous chimeras?
151* The Pigmask Army are the ones to introduce money and the modern economy to the world. You know, capitalist pigs.
152* Why do you only get Kumatora's PK Ground at level 60, after a ton of level-grinding? Because you ''ground'' her up to that point.
153* Why is The Masked Man's battle background the same as Evil Mani Mani? Because they both have one thing in common: corruption. Evil Mani Mani spread Giygas' corruption, and ultimately led to Pokey/Porky's rise to evil. The Masked Man, however, is a '''victim''' of corruption, having been brought back from near death, reshaped into an emotionless cyborg with barely a sliver of Claus left inside.
154* While the soundtrack borrows tunes and riffs from all sorts of sources from past games and beyond, there's exactly one song from outside the world of ''Mother'' that's totally unchanged from its source: "Leder's Gymnopedie", which plays over the story of how humans left the outside world behind and came to the Nowhere Islands, as told by the only person left who remembers that outside world.
155* At first glance, it might seem odd that someone as obviously powerful as Fassad would have a monkey do his fighting. However, there's several reasons why he might prefer it that way. First, he's trying to appear harmless to get the villagers to buy into his schemes. Second, prior to his being turned into a cyborg, he doesn't have a huge amount of personal power -- except his psi-powers. But the only people in the setting who have psi-powers are those connected to the Magypsies, so using those would give away his identity, which -- given his conventionally-male appearance and apparent identity -- he's either rejecting, actively trying to conceal, or both.
156* It seems that, at first, the game breaks from tradition by [[AbsentAliens having non-alien antagonists.]] But Porky, [[Main/AdvancedAncientHumans originating]] from the [[UsefulNotes/TheNineties Eagleland of the 90s]] is [[{{Ultraterrestrials}} essentially an alien to the Nowhere Islands,]] and by the time he actually appears in-game, is [[Main/AmbiguouslyHuman hardly human.]]
157* It also seems that the game breaks away from, ironically, the {{Eagleland}} trope it named. But if you consider [[FantasyAmericana Tazmily's appearance]], Flint's general {{Cowboy}} get-up, and the dynamics [[CloseKnitCommunity of the town,]] it's really a homage to the arcadian image of TheWildWest without a set time period or [[UnfortunateImplications associated problematic tropes.]] The reduction of Tazmily into a GhostTown and the introduction of New Pork City as the BigRottenApple also parallels the real phenomenon of urbanization in the 19th century of the United States. It also evokes the slow urban decay of the [[DyingTown Rust Belt]] and ''especially'' [[EvilColonialist some intances of forceful American annexation.]] If the first two games were a [[VileVillainSaccharineShow mostly]] cutesy send-up of Americana as perceived by a foreigner, ''Mother 3'' stands as a {{deconstruction}} of that-- just what's necessary to have that zany, but pleasant {{Eagleland}} in the first place, after all?
158* Some fans have accused this game of [[CapitalismIsBad demonizing capitalism]] while [[ChummyCommies celebrating communism]]. If you take a deeper look, you'll see that the game is criticizing both.
159** As mentioned above, the game deconstructs the {{Eagleland}} setting that the last two games had. As Tazmily embraces the more modern style of society, they start to lose their sense of community. Instead of having jobs that focus on their crafts most of the townspeople take a train to do grueling work at a factory. Once they get home all they want to do is lay around at home and look at the happy box. The older citizens have been shoved into a retirement home that's falling apart. There's a little girl who would rather stay home and watch the happy box then go to the beach with her grandpa. Abbot and Abbey have filled their home with all the latest, expensive appliances and rub it in Lucas' face. The message is pretty clear. The people of Tazmily have become distant from one another. They've become self-absorbed, no longer engaging with the community or showing any concern for their struggling neighbors. Another thing to point out is that everyone is living this way by choice. No one has forced this kind of lifestyle on them. Fassad only introduced the idea and gave them the option. Some of them even complain about how hard the work is, but then in the same breath criticize Lucas for not embracing this new way of life.
160*** New Pork City also deserves a mention. It dazzles the people with its spectacular buildings and attractions. However, many of the people don't notice how hollow the city is. Some of the buildings are just cardboard stands. The restaurants serve unhealthy overpriced food. The apartments underneath are rundown and covered in garbage. Porky, the city's ruler, lives in a massive tower filled with abundant luxuries at the expense of everyone else. Everything that can be wrong with a large city is on full display.
161** The way the game criticizes communism is mainly how fragile it is. At first this kind of society was working for Tazmily, but they were in a very specific situation. They were completely isolated on the Nowhere Islands with only about 50 people living in the town. Just enough for everyone to know each other on a personal level and no outside forces to worry about. As soon as an outside force did show up, it did not take long for the villagers to start abandoning this way of life. The Pigmask Army could have easily invaded the town and destroyed if they wanted to. They didn't have to, all Fassad had to do was market the idea of working for money and buying things. We later find out that the people who founded Tazmily had their memories taken away. While this did help them establish the community, without the knowledge of what happened in the past they became doomed to repeat the same mistakes.
162** Perhaps the message isn't that either way is necessarily better or worse than the other, but that both have their pros and cons. Tazmily was successful early on with a well knit community who supported each other and led happy lives. The towns we saw in the last ''Mother'' games were also able to build their own communities without becoming isolated from one another. It's possible for both to work, however their weaknesses need to be kept in mind and efforts must be taken to keep the community from falling apart.
163* Through the entire final battle Lucas is completely incapable of harming the Masked Man, knowing that it is his brother Claus. The one exception to this is the turn after Flint is hit by the Masked Man's PK Love. Twice. [[BewareTheNiceOnes Not even a sweet kid like Lucas is immune to blowing up after something like that.]]
164* In "16 Melodies (Beginning)", the credits theme, the last part of ''Mother'''s 8 Melodies is repeated a second time, the only part of either of the two 8 Melodies to be repeated. ''Mother'''s has lyrics- and what were the lyrics for that last section? [[ArcWords "Love, ]][[ThePowerOfLove oh love"]].
165* Boney is the fastest party member. He does have four legs after all.
166
167[[AC:FridgeHorror]]
168* Here's some FridgeHorror for ya: ''[=EarthBound=]'' is obviously a direct sequel to ''[=EarthBound=] Beginnings'', having similar themes and carrying on the story of Giygas. ''[=EarthBound=]'' takes place only a few years after ''[=EarthBound=] Beginnings''. However, ''Mother 3'' seems to be in a very different universe with different themes and styles and the only recurring element is Porky. However, doesn't ''Mother 3'' take place AfterTheEnd, when the world was reset and everyone's minds were wiped?
169** By that same token, that would mean that what Ninten, Ness, and their friends did to stop Giygas and save the world was AllForNothing, as while Aliens didn't end up conquering the world, the people our heroes were protecting, ''Humankind'', destroyed the world instead. Even worse, promo art from ''[=EarthBound=] 64'' shows a ruined Onett and Fourside, and given the story seems to be largely the same between the 64 version of ''Mother 3'''s final version, there's a very likely possibility that the end of the world happened within the lifetimes of Ninten and Ness, meaning that they and their friends most likely died when the world ended like most of Earth's population.
170** ''[=EarthBound=]'' and ''Mother 1'' are actually several decades apart. Regardless, they both evoke timeless nostalgia despite the theme of coming of age and the "danger" of loss of innocence. ''Mother 3'' could be seen as the uncertainties of the future and the very real dangers presented by modernity as the world becomes less and less recognizable to those who came before. So yes, AfterTheEnd both chronologically and metaphorically.
171** ''[=EarthBound=]'' and ''[=EarthBound=] Beginnings'' actually are NOT several decades apart. The Japanese (and therefore, truly canon/original) version of ''[=EarthBound=] Beginnings'' states that the game takes place in 1987 specifically. Meanwhile, ''[=EarthBound=]'' in both Japanese and English states that the year is 199X. So even if we take the conservative estimate and believe ''[=EarthBound=]'' takes place in the last year it possibly can, 1999, that means the time gap between the two games would be 12 years at best. So the original post stating that Ninten and Ness could've died around the same time when the world ended is still very plausible.
172* The end of ''Mother 3'' when Claus dies, is very emotional. Then it becomes a whole new level of disturbing when you realize it was child suicide...
173* [[AfterTheEnd After the end]], everyone seems alive and well, and they're all in the same place. All of them. Every NPC, every playable character (except the ones who were already dead), and, most likely, every one of the Chimeras. Every. One. Of. Them. The Pigtunias, the Cattlesnakes, the Kangasharks ...and the Ultimate Chimera. Let me rephrase this: EVERYBODY IS IN THE SAME PLACE WITH THE ULTIMATE CHIMERA. Worrying about their safety yet?
174** Unstoppable force (Ultimate Chimera) meets immovable object (Absolutely Safe Capsule). What would happen?
175*** Considering it only got out of its cage because Salsa unlocked it, unstoppable might be a tad hyperbolic.
176** Not really. I assume that the dragon "reset" all of the chimeras, breaking them down to their original beings. The only thing to be terrified of is whatever made the Ultimate Chimera that vicious in the first place, and even then, it may not even be mad after being separated.
177** Didn't Dr. Andonuts say that the button was the Ultimate Chimera's ONLY weakness? Considering that he built an Absolutely Safe Capsule, it stands to reason that the Ultimate Chimera is still out there.
178* In the Empire Porky building, there is a room dedicated to Porky's "biggest fans". Most people who are old enough to play this game can tell that this is obviously a RoyalHarem in anything but name, filled with scantily clad women who dedicate all their time to giving their king his royal treatment. However, we find out only a few rooms later that every single citizen of New Pork City has been brainwashed to love Porky, do whatever he wishes, and be happy about it. Putting two and two together, this means that, on top of all the other horrible things Porky has done, he is also a rapist.
179** Probably not. If the whole point of Porky is that he's really immature and refuses to grow up, he probably has no sex drive. All those girls probably kiss him, maybe give him massages, and feed him, but what he does with them is likely a child's understanding of having it all, rather than actual sex.
180** In addition to the above, his body is old and decrepit, and doesn't seem to be in any shape for that sort of physical activity. Then again, [[{{Squick}} if he]] ''[[{{Squick}} does]]'' [[{{Squick}} use them for that purpose]], that may make him as Nintendo's most vile villain of all time, a title that he already isn't too far from getting.
181** Furthermore, all he instructed was to think of ways to make him happy. Essentially, that would mean that wearing almost nothing around him was their own decision, and there is nothing implying that all those people in general were ''forced'' into the tubes in the first place either.
182* The fact that Dr. Andonuts was kidnapped by Porky and taken an unspecified amount of time into the future means that Jeff was separated from his father after they were finally reunited.
183** [[FridgeBrilliance Which would explain why he's agreeing to work for Porky; he's being forced away from his son as blackmail.]]
184* Probably also counts as FridgeBrilliance. Why did the Dark Dragon destroy the world? Because that's what Lucas wanted him to do. He just witnessed his brother commit suicide and his world has basically been ruined by the Pigmasks. Lucas thinks it's better this way.
185** We don't ''know'' that the Dark Dragon destroyed the world; the ending is deliberately designed to be ambiguous.
186* Since Porky is trapped in the Absolutely Safe Capsule, won't he eventually starve? Dehydrate? Urinate or defecate himself? Get sick and die without access to medicine? Bet Porky didn't think this through, did he?
187** Considering the fact that the Absolutely Safe Capsule is supposed to, y'know, keep you safe forever, I'm sure it has some sort of internal homeostasis that keeps its occupants alive and healthy.
188** Porky is, sadly, immortal. He can't age due to time travel abuse and that spider mech he lays on is probably "feeding" him.
189* Just... What did Porky do to brainwash Claus into becoming the Masked Man? And it apparently was so bad that he had to kill himself in order to be free. Or he was thinking, "MyGodWhatHaveIDone". What makes this even worse is that this happens to a KID WHO'S NO OLDER THAN 13!
190** Considering that Claus was basically turned into a cyborg, it's possible that he was simply programmed into obeying Porky's command unconditionally, erasing any memories of his old life in the process.
191* More of a Fridge TearJerker, but imagine how Kumatora must feel when her parental figures, the Magypsies, all fade out of existence one by one due to either Lucas or the Masked Man pulling their needles and she even having to assist Lucas in this quest. We can even see a bit of sadness from her after Ionia is gone.
192** Then imagine the shock and terror when Kumatora learns that Fassad, the cruel, abusive, manipulative mastermind that was killed just a little bit before, turns out to be a traitor, too. His true identity is revealed to be Locria, the last Magypsy, and one of Kumatora's caregivers as a child. Imagine not only the sadness, but the betrayal she must have felt after all that.
193* The young but powerful psychic Lucas lost his mother and was all but abandoned by his father in favour of reuniting with his other child - just like ''Giygas'', and we all know what that trauma did to him...
194* Remember the bells in Tazmily Village, and how they prevented the villagers' memories of the old destroyed world from reverting? Well, Leder isn't ringing the bell anymore. All those memories are coming back. And if you've read ''Literature/TheGiver'', you know what that's like.
195* Just like in the first two games, you can find random objects that have been given life, such as the Jealous Bass. Usually, this wouldn't be too surprising in the ''Mother'' series - until you remember that the only person shown to cause this phenomenon ''is a certain cosmic destroyer...''
196* Flint's mental breakdown upon finding out Hinawa was killed makes more sense once you find out the inhabitants of Tazmily Village had given up their memories and started living in a utopia. It was the first time something this bad had happened to them ever since they left the White Ship; they were unprepared for something that tragic.
197* The entire final fight is incredibly painful for Lucas - not just emotionally, but also physically. In terms of battle mechanics it might be shown as simple damage numbers, but think of what is actually happening story-wise. Lucas is constantly slashed, stabbed and shot, while only being able to heal himself. His allies are unconcious, he's completely alone, with no one to help him. He can't stop the pain in any way. Even after mending his wounds, Claus attacks again. He can't give in and collapse either, as it would mean the end of everything. All he can do is endure it, over and over again, hoping his brother will come to his senses. This game is not kind to Lucas.
198* Kumatora hating every minute of her time working as a waitress at Club Titiboo, aside from the fact that [[UnwillinglyGirlyTomboy she has to wear what she describes as a "crappy girly outfit" and be forced to compile with rules such as giggling at the end of every phrase]], could also be a result of the fact that she doesn't appear to be any older than sixteen and, if some NPC dialogue is anything to go by, she has to constantly put up with being catcalled by men who are way older than her.
199
200[[AC:FridgeLogic]]
201* Okay, since this is ''[[WorldOfSymbolism Mother]]'', this could very well be under FridgeBrilliance depending on how you look at it, but it'll be put here for simplicity's sake. So, the dragon? The gigantic, world-defining dragon resting underneath the Nowhere Islands? It's got the needles stuck in its hide, right? Well, the final needle is underneath New Pork City. And New Pork City is on a chunk of rock suspended several hundred feet above the ground. There's no way that needle could still be touching the dragon at that altitude.
202** It's not unreasonable to think the dragon may exist in more than 3 dimensions in the TropeNamer series for YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm.
203** It's also not clear [[IFellForHours how far they fell.]] They could've fallen back down to the surface and beyond, right down to the Dragon's neck.
204** New Pork City being a mass of floating rock is only shown in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''. It's shown in-game that NPC rests in a mountain.
205** The final needle was probably deep under the mountain that New Pork City was built on.
206* How exactly is Porky bringing people from other time periods? Didn't Dr. Andonuts say that life was destroyed in the process of time travel?. Even in the improved one Porky was using, it still left his body a barely-alive, immortal wreck.
207** I'm fairly sure that it was after continual use that he was rendered immortal and messed up, during the fight with Giygas in ''[=EarthBound=]'', so it's probably safe to assume he's not hopping all over the place with them.
208** Also, keep in mind that the idea that life is destroyed in the process of time travel is almost immediately contradicted by Porky's own presence in the past to fight alongside Giygas. Clearly Dr. Andonuts' time machine was imperfect and that life being destroyed by time travel was a limitation that Giygas and thus Porky surpassed.
209* How did Claus know to conceal a file in an apple to break Flint out?
210** It's possible they have other criminals in the Nowhere Islands, considering there's at least one jail in-game, so it's entirely possible he saw movies that involved a prison breakout. Alternatively, [[FridgeHorror during Halloween, it's a common occurrence for adults to put razor blades and other sharp objects inside fruits or candy for children...]]
211*** Do you ''really'' think that would happen in a society as utopian as Tazmily?
212*** And it's not even a common occurrence, just a crazy UrbanLegend.
213*** Isn't it explicitly mentioned that Flint is the first person to have ever been put in the jail?
214*** Not to mention Claus has never seen a television at that point, so it's not possible for him to have learned it from a movie. Either way, the concept of smuggling breakout tools to a jailed friend isn't exactly rocket science. Claus is bold and clever, he doesn't really need to have learned something so simple from anywhere in particular.
215*** Still, how ''would'' one manage to conceal something so long into such a small, compact object as an apple?
216* So did pulling Locria's needle give Lucas another PK Love? What comes after Ω? PK Love ψ perhaps?

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