MOTHER Encyclopedia Excerpt Translations

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UPDATE: I've picked my translation of this book back up, starting with two new translations and one revision! The new link is here!

The Encyclopedia MOTHER (known to most fans as the MOTHER Encyclopedia... but I guess it doesn't matter either way) is a wonderful tome of knowledge and fun little tidbits of trivia that you can't find in the game. I highly recommend it for any MOTHER enthusiast, but of course, there's that nasty language barrier. Well, that's what I'm here for. I've been translating the entire book, slowly though that may be (darned other projects getting in the way). Here's what I have typed up so far... there's a whole slew of other things in my written notes, but this is the most interesting stuff I've looked over... so far.

Also, please keep in mind that these translations are pretty old (as in, 2006 and thereabouts) - they're from long before I found my "translation voice", so I am excruciatingly aware of how badly in need they are of a complete overhaul.

[OK, let's start with the story of George and Maria. This isn't the puny little three-paragraph opening we're offered at the beginning of the game; this story has meat. I think it's only fair to warn you, though: this is my earliest translation from the book, from back when I had trouble wording these things properly, so it'll be somewhat ucky on the eyes until I can revamp it.]

 

INTRODUCTION

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When the 1900's began, something happened in this town of Mothersday that has since all but disappeared from people's memory.
In this town lived a certain married couple who were on good terms with the people. The husband, George, was employed as editor-in-chief for the town's daily newspaper, The Mothersday Times, and as such gained people's trust so much that he was called "The Conscience of this Town". The wife, Maria, was a bright working man's housewife, befitting her lineage of generations of devout Protestants living in this town. To start off, the way these two met began with a single carnation.
At a young age, George lost his parents, and from the day he graduated from high school he began a job as a letter-boy for a famous newspaper publisher in a big city. Before long, he moved on to try his hand as a skilled reporter.
Despite having never gone to college, he made the ranking of newspaper reporter his own. You might say his biggest reason by far was his curiosity. He made many scoops his own. In one scoop, he exposed the dark past of the President at that time, which made him excessively famous.
However, surrounding the handling of this incident, he directly opposed the Editing Officer, and wound up leaving the newspaper publisher on his own initiative.
The next year, relying upon a help-wanted advertisement for the Mothersday local newspaper publisher, he arrived at this town. The first to welcome him was the beautiful Maria, who had been sketching a bed of carnations on the town outskirts. For some time George was fascinated, spellbound by this sketched picture.
The same day, George was singled out for editor-in-chief for "The Mothersday Times", and as a new project for the newspaper, began work on the authoring of a serialized novel on the establishment of the town up until the present day, made into one story.
Its very first illustration was decorated by a single carnation, and the hand that drew it was that of the nameless, young Maria as the artist.
Coupled with the raging interest toward the sharp-shooting incidents in the newspaper articles that George wrote, this serialization was full of enjoyment where the townsfolk, one-by-one, would become the heroes of the novel, and you could laugh and cry about it at the same time. It offered plenty of breakfast conversation at home.
Of course, it goes without saying that before long, the two received the blessing of marriage from the people at the town's church.
From an early point, it became an undying custom in their home where Maria, who had been getting accustomed to song and piano, after dinner and after cleaning up, would hold a mini-concert, with her husband George and the children as the audience.
In the house's warm garden in the afternoon sun, adoring Maria's personality, the town's housewives would gather together and slave over an enormous patchwork. This was also one of the town's long-lived traditions.
The completed bedcovers and tablecloths were given to the needy at [Maria's] husband's newspaper company bazaar, and the profits were donated to the town church, so it was a town suitable of a mother's warm love, living up to its name.
In such a peaceful town, ominous incidents broke out when a shadow like a black cloud fell upon the summit of faraway Holy Loly Mountain.
Suddenly room ornaments started flying around, and a person who had abruptly gone missing returned home the next morning with no recollection [of what had happened].
A group of the town's elementary school students who had gone hiking near the mountain vanished without a trace, and though that night the town was in an uproar, the next day all of them [the students] returned to their homes smiling as if nothing had happened. Such were the incomprehensible incidents that just kept coming.
George, who had an active curiosity from the outset, began to carefully investigate these incidents.
However, he was unable to get enough information for any use from the people involved in these incidents. They all had utterly lost their memories of the incident itself.
On the evening of the day an article of George's was published in the newspaper, in which he reported in the middle of these incidents, George and Maria vanished from the town.
The shock and sorrow of the townsfolk was immeasurably deep. The fact alone that they prayed to God earnestly was a testament of the townsfolk's trust in the couple.
Whether or not their wishes reached [the heavens], about two years later, unexpectedly, George returned to his house alone. As though he was a completely different person, his hair had turned white, and he clamped his mouth closed like a seashell and shut himself up in his house.
Even when his close friends came to visit, George would not tell anyone where he had gone or what he had been up to. Not to mention that when they'd ask about Maria, his countenance would fall and, like a bitter old man, he'd morosely chase the people back home.
And so, without coming back to the newspaper publisher, all he did was shut himself in his house, and he became immersed in researching psychic powers.
When the people saw George like this, various rumors began to fly around.
However, before they knew it, time passed, and the rumors coming out of people's mouths stopped climbing. Only, one thing that the people never forgot was that in the end, [George's] wife Maria never did return home......
The years went by, and as if to wipe out the ominous incidents, Maria and George's home was rebuilt, and now there's a boy who, you guessed it, is his great-grandson; his mother, and his twin sisters, carrying on their peaceful lives as Mothersday once did before.
The patchwork, even now, was inherited by [the boy's] mother, and the carnation bed that Maria had held so dear proudly blooms bright green in the background.
However, in 1988, the ominous black cloud that had vanished from everyone's memories has once more settled atop the summit of Holy Loly.
The peaceful town has undergone a drastic change.
In every home in Mothersday, the flowerpots and electric stands have started moving around with a clatter within the rooms.
Before his panicking mother and his two little sisters, the boy takes a pledge in his heart: "I will ascertain the cause of these strange occurences, and protect my mother and sisters!"
In this manner now begins the boy's adventurous journey.
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[Next we have the character bio pages, which I would guess are the most popular. MOTHER fans just eat this stuff up, and I was thrilled to have this info myself. They actually flesh out the characters' lives, so we know their motivations, their interests, and a ton of awesome background history on them, most of which the game itself hardly even hints at. All right, I'll shut up now and let the pages themselves do the talking.]

Before we start, here's a little color-code to help "clean up" my notes:
Red indicates a word or sentence that no matter what I tried, I couldn't figure out.
Royal Blue is for my little insert notes here and there which explain oddities, such as things that don't translate very well into English.
Orange means that, thanks to my lack of a satisfactory vocabulary, I've produced a sentence which sounds positively horrendous and nonsensical in English, and that before the translation is finalized, the wording ought to be tweaked.



NINTEN
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[Following is the basic text that goes here and there around the margins of the page as part of the book's design.]

Adults and children, and perhaps men and women, during their adventure are a single energetic boy. Just like that Indy Jones was.

NINTEN

Age-12
Height-152 cm
Weight-42 kg
Blood type-A
Hair color-Black
Defense-Light [This comment on Ninten's defense is most likely a baseball reference, since the last stat on all the character pages is actually an interesting quip that reflects their individual personalities/interests.]

[There is also a Level chart on each bio expressing which level each character should be at at which point in the game, but that's extremely straightforward, and you can see them in the scans.]

THIS IS YOU!

Mick was his first dear friend
Ninten's Growing-Up Album

"You" are a boy named Ninten (if there is another name you're more partial to being called, then that is your true name). When you, or in otherwords Ninten, were born in the rural American town of Mothersday, your pet dog Mick was one year and five months old. When he met the zero-year, zero-month old Ninten, who was raising his first energetic cries, Father and Mother nearly felt they could give God a kiss. Before long Ninten, though he would ride on Mick's back, and the other way around, got bigger. And, when Ninten was 5, his two sisters with identical faces were born - yep, Mimmie and Minnie. Immediately following that, Father would end up going to some faraway place, probably job-related. Despite this, Ninten helped out his mother (though he also caused her trouble), and grew very big. In class he was chosen as "Mr. Leader" [presumably meaning "class president"?]. He also became a regular on the Boys' Baseball team. Sometimes his asthma attacks cause his mother worry, but Ninten, brightly thinking of his friends, will go play or do something other than study, so it would seem he leads a very busy everyday routine.

When does he do homework?
A Day in the Life of Ninten

What Ninten first thinks about when he gets up in the morning is after-school baseball. Taking care not to forget Will Clark's home run he saw on TV the night before, he brushes his teeth. Then Ninten, arriving at the morning table where his little sisters have started drinking their milk, makes his mother certain promises: a single home run and lots of fine plays! At school, Ninten is popular and liked even by the honors students [this sentence was a little difficult to translate because of a tiny joke they inserted here, which utilizes Japanese sentence structure to make you believe that Ninten IS an honors student. The original-language sentence is "Gakkou de no NINTEN wa, yuutousei...... kara mo sukarete iru ninkimono da." The part just before the ellipses, if alone, could be translated as "At school, Ninten is an honors student."]. There are some girls who say he looks like Luke from "Star Wars", but it seems he himself would rather live like Captain Han Solo. Operating a kousoku-tei [which literally translates to "lightspeed ship", so I'm wondering if it's the Japanese name for the Millennium Falcon] from planet to planet...... when he thinks of such things, his science class, which he detests, ends right away. And then, the last bell chimes! The fact that he is so overjoyed that he rolls right out of his chair seems to be a popular secret of his. [yeah, I know... I'm just as baffled by that line as you are.] After school comes, of course, baseball. If it's a rainy day and he absolutely must give up on that home run, he goes straight home. Keeping it a secret from his mother, he invites Mick into his room, and playing the electric guitar his father sent him, he makes himself heard. The dinner dish that his mother prepares is her once-a-week prime rib. It's Ninten's favorite (if there is another food you'd rather eat, then that is your favorite). Come to think of it, most recently, at dinner time there have been times when the spoons would bend easily. According to his mother, that apparently means "My, what great physical power!"...... Once the meal is over, if the San Francisco Giants win (or even if they lose), Ninten's day is game-set.

MY FAVORITE THINGS

Baseball Cap

Ninten's trademark, recognized by himself and others. Except in cases where it comes off from a huge swing that misses the home run he was going for, and when he takes a shower, he almost never takes it off. It's his beloved hat he got Papa to buy for him.

GIANTS Tickets

Long ago, when Father went on a trip to Japan, he brought these back. Apparently, Ninten believes the Tokyo Giants to be the sister team of the San Francisco Giants, his favorite.

Nagashima-autographed Ball

One day, Ninten, having gone to watch a match in the Big Leagues, noticed that a Japanese baseball star was sitting in the seat next to him. It was Shigeo Nagashima, and (Ninten) had once before seen him in a special feature in a baseball magazine.

Bent Spoon

When Ninten is on his way home from school, sometimes he'll stop off at the hot dog stand. One day, it came time to eat dinner but he was full, and unable to contain himself, he took a spoon and played with it and then......!?

Penguin Toy

For as long as he can remember, Ninten has loved penguins. Having only seen them in pictures and on TV, he'll never forget the day penguins arrived at Choucream Zoo.

My roommate is also a penguin-o-phile. I've asked him what he likes so much about penguins, to get some insight on why Ninten is so crazy about them, and he simply told me "they're the coolest animal ever!"

Photo of Great-Grandmother

In Ninten's desk drawer, there is one photograph that he holds dear. The beautiful girl captured on the sepia-colored photo, which is bordered into an elliptical shape, is the youthful image of Ninten's great-grandmother. Also, the right half, which is thought to feature her husband George, has been torn off. When George, who had been missing, slipped back to his house, the only thing he carried, you see, was a picture of his wife.


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LLOYD
[Nobody can agree on the proper spelling of the Nerd's name, and here in the Encyclopedia it's written in English as "ROID". So I'm just going to go by my personal favorite spelling, "Lloyd". I know a lot of fans can't stand that... well, phooey!]
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[Following is the basic text that goes here and there around the margins of the page as part of the book's design.]

Confining oneself in the lab room certainly is an adventure of sorts, but one should try going outside every now and again. The world outside, now that's a huge lab room!

LLOYD

Age-11
Height-149 cm
Weight-40 kg
Blood type-AB
Hair color-Grey
Time spent sleeping-3 hours

[There is also a Level chart on each bio expressing which level each character should be at at which point in the game, but that's extremely straightforward, and you can see them in the scans.]

YOUR DEAR FRIEND

Always living in earnest

Lloyd's Growing-Up Album

He's worn glasses since he was born - all the people who know the boy Lloyd believe it without a doubt (even he himself!). Having been born in Thanksgiving, he most likely will never live in any town other than this one, even when he turns 94. When he was born into the world - and if he could have, he wished he could cancel having come out of his mother's tummy - he was ten days and ten hours behind the scheduled day. [Hee hee, sounds like binary to me...] Also when he auspiciously left the hospital, he didn't recognize the outside world, and he absolutely would not allow anyone but his mother to "coddle" him. In short, he's a weakling to the point of being stubborn. With Lloyd being that way, what raised his stakes a bit is accorded to his grand invention, "Bathroom TV (dedicated to Einstein)" when he was four years old. It was something where, upon using four mirrors, you could enjoy what was on the TV screen in the living room while you soaked in the bathtub. I guess you could say the words inside the parentheses are proof that he received extraordinary influence from the "Theory of Relativity" he found on his father's bookshelf when he was 3. And, when Lloyd was 8, he made an important announcement to everyone in his class: "My time machine (dedicated to Einstein) will be completed by next week!" Certainly it was fantastic determination, but since he made the proclamation while inside a polyethylene bucket so he could hide from the bullies, it seems the only person who heard him was the cleaning lady.

Afternoon is so illogical!
A Day in the Life of Lloyd

Often falling asleep while peering into the microscope, Lloyd's morning begins with the voice input from his Apple Computer which says "G-O-O-D M-O-R-N-I-N-G". Upon finishing breakfast with his father, who understands Lloyd very well and who has the same exact likes and dislikes in food, he takes his bag and heads for Twinkle Elementary School (his mother wakes up afterwards). At school, the hour Lloyd hates the most is P.E. class. When his turn comes for the vaulting-horse or the horizontal bar, everyone makes fun of him together. The P.E. teacher, who folds his arms and mumbles "Even crickets can jump, but you're just hopeless...", in Lloyd's eyes, is the enemy of science (!) He probably thinks what the teacher says has no theoretical base. However, Lloyd's redeeming quality is that he never feigns illness to take a holiday from it. He's more determined than the others. When he fixes his glare at the vaulting-horse, the Ben Hur theme, which he loves, starts echoing heroically in his head. And, when he returns home, rubbing the scars caused by the vaulting-horse, the fun science time with just he and his father begins. Until he falls asleep with the microscope as his pillow......

HIS FAVORITE THINGS

Theory of Relativity Book

Lloyd even now can't forget the paralyzing thrill that ran through his three-year old body when he saw the spine of this book. On top of that, he now seems to even think, "I am none other than the reincarnation of Einstein, the author of this book!"

Tool Set

Lloyd's very first tool set. It's also the one tool set that his mother, who feared he might take apart her brand-new washing machine for a single tiny part, didn't confiscate. Of course, for him now, it's a keepsake and not a tool.

PC Software

When a voice can be heard from Lloyd's room saying "Curse it all!" [Yeah, there was some light swearing there that I toned down so that the forum's auto-censoring system wouldn't jump in], either something went wrong with his experiments, or he was made a fool of by a PC game. The messages "ERROR" and "GAME OVER" displayed on the monitor screen got him hot under the collar.

Round Glasses
[Part of the pun on Lloyd's name, Roido, is that the Japanese term for "round glasses with thick, plastic rims" is "roidomegane". So "ROIDO no Megane", the header of this quip, could also be translated as "Lloyd's Glasses". Thanks to NESluver for alerting me to that some time ago, and thanks to Jim Breen's Online Dictionary for rocking my socks.]

The only one upon the earth who knows Lloyd's face without his glasses is Lloyd alone. That fact is also his secret pride (kind of a pathetic pride, but...). Also, it seems he himself thinks his lengthy eyelashes are right on the level. [Whatever the smell that's supposed to mean...]

Superman Doll

One of the few exceptions Lloyd makes in never acknowledging things with no scientific evidence is Superman. Perhaps he kasanatte and sees himself as Clark Kent, who puts on the everyday guise of a mild-mannered man?

Pan-American Concentration Convention: Boy's Division Championship Trophy
[Whew, what a mouthful! Anyway, "Concentration" refers to the memory card game where the faces are down and you have to match two cards at a time.]

According to the sponsor, Trump Maker, it's a convention which can't be called very famous. There, Lloyd demonstrated a memory of which it could be said it was divine possession, and won an impressive victory. The trophy he got at the time is undoubtedly treasurable in the eyes of others, but as for he himself, apparently he was happy to have gotten a mass of Cu (copper) needed for his experiments. Now only the stand remains.

You'll notice that, ironically since nerds are typically the Japanophiles, he's the only one of the four main characters who doesn't have a direct connection to Japan.


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ANNA
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[Following is the basic text that goes here and there around the margins of the page as part of the book's design.]

If possible, one should have stamina and skills. However, for adventurers, perhaps the most important thing is the power of the heart to believe in something.

ANNA

Age-12
Height-143 cm
Weight-36 kg
Blood type-B
Hair color-Blond
Zodiac-Capricorn

[There is also a Level chart on each bio expressing which level each character should be at at which point in the game, but that's extremely straightforward, and you can see them in the scans.]

YOUR FRIEND OF MIND [Engrish is funny. ]

Hymns in a cradle
Anna's Growing-Up Album

One year, on a snowy night before Christmas Eve, the bell of the Snowman church rang twice. Every person in town knew it wasn't because the pastor misread the calendar. If a boy, ring once. If a girl, ring twice. "Seems the birth was at the pastor's place, huh?" "I understand it's a girl." "At the church." "Should we go see?"...... This was the conversation of the gossipers the next morning. The girl, named Anna, grew rapidly while listening to hymns. This young lady with the golden hair, who played the organ in the light of stained glass, was the pride of the residents of Snowman. "Sounds like leisure time." "Guess so." "Why, it's at the church." "Should we go see?"...... This was the conversation of the gossipers five years later. You could probably say that Anna's straightforward and kind personality was brought up by her parents' affection and the townspeople's warmth. Before long, when Anna had reached the higher grades in elementary school, it got to where she was called the "Little Mother" by the young children in town. She would teach songs to the children who were only a little younger than herself, who would gather for Sunday School at the church, and read to them from a favorite book of hers, "The Prince of the Stars".

What is mysterious power for?
A Day in the Life of Anna

Just for today, I want to stay in bed the whole time... Anna felt so from within her heart. This was a rarity for a girl who loved to wake up early and tread the footprintless, pure-white snow. You see, today was frog dissection at school. It wasn't that she didn't have the feeling most girls have of "frogs aren't something I'll touch", but what Anna was really worried about was the frogs themselves...... That day, Anna took a break. She really did break out in a fever. The next day, when she learned of the hot topic that the school was bustling with - "The Frogs' Great Escape" - Anna was overjoyed. And at the same time, she scrutinized herself. "Oops, I did it again" [no Britney Spears jokes, please]...... she thought. A mysterious power, which if possible she'd rather not use it, somehow seems to reside in Anna. What helps a girl like her recover is music time. She would enter the music room earlier than usual, sit in front of the piano, and practice Mozart. Before long, voices of requests would rise from among her friends who had gathered, and Mozart would become Catherine Warwick. [Shameless plug for the MOTHER OST, no?] Then, before they'd know it, the teacher would appear behind them, and in answer to (his/her?) voice saying, "Now, what say we close out this recital?", Anna would stick her tongue out at (him/her?) in a raspberry. On the way home from school, Anna heard a voice from among the grass say, "I owe you one, dear Anna." Naturally (?), it was telepathy coming from a frog. "Next time you get caught, I'm not responsible," Anna answered in her heart, and hurried home at a slight kobashiri ["increased pace"?], so as to help her mother who was likely making the bed covers.

HER FAVORITE THINGS

Piano

Not long after Anna was enrolled in elementary school, she asked the teacher, who had issued composition homework, a question. "It it OK if I compose it on the piano?" she asked. The teacher's answer, of course, was "?????" For Anna, a piano's melody is another way of writing.

Bible

Ever since she was little and couldn't understand the content written in it, it seems Anna felt the purity contained in the Bible. Also, when she learned of what was written on the last page in her father's hand, "For our newborn Anna", this special piece of literature became that much more of a precious treasure to her.

Ribbon

Anna puts a hat on when it's a "special outing". Normally she ties a ribbon in her hair. Since she bundles her hair all up together when she plays the organ in the worship hall, she'll wear only one long ribbon then.

Stamp Collection

Used stamps make their way to Anna from her classmates and the kids in Sunday School. The stamps that her round candy can is filled with are put to use by assisting Anna in her volunteer activities. [...huh?]

Envelope Collection

Unlike her stamp collection, Anna's envelope collection is for herself. Of course, she also loves to send out letters to her dear friends in her favorite envelopes. Thinking of her correspondents' feelings, the time she takes in choosing the envelope and stationery actually nearly takes longer than it does to write the letter.

"I'm Home!" Record

When Anna gets home from school, she feels like listening to her Akiko Yano record that was sent to her by Yoshie, her penpal who lives in Japan. Even though she doesn't understand the words of a different country, this is one of the precious treasures of a girl who can mysteriously comprehend what the piano wants to say.


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TEDDY
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[Following is the basic text that goes here and there around the margins of the page as part of the book's design.]

Brooding over it by yourself won't solve the problem one bit. When you confide in your friends, adventurers are no longer solitary.

TEDDY

Age-Unknown
Height-188 cm
Weight-78 kg
Blood type-Unclear
Hair color-Black
Special technique-Right Hook

[There is also a Level chart on each bio expressing which level each character should be at at which point in the game, but that's extremely straightforward, and you can see them in the scans.]

YOUR BIG FRIEND

I'll decide how I live my life
Teddy's Growing-Up Album

Almost all the junkers that run through the town of Valentine have a "TEDDY" sticker on the bumper - "TEDDY" being the name of the town's only car repair factory. And, the boy who was born to the married couple who ran the factory was given the same name: Teddy. The baby who, in the future, would become the leader of the Black Blood Gang. Before long, three years passed, and both "TEDDY" and Teddy grew big. Most notably, Teddy pretending to be all grown-up amused the young repairmen. The image of him sitting down on the bonnet of a T-Bird that was in repair and wagging his finger in time with the rock 'n roll playing on the car radio could not be seen as a three-year old boy, no matter how you looked at it. Given the expression on his face when he'd pull out chocolate cigarettes from the rear pocket of his children's jeans that had a nenki (!), you could almost think of Presley as being the fairly childish one. Teddy being like that, the first time he discovered an enjoyment for fighting was when he was 5. He surpassed 170 cm in height when he was 10. The first time he went home in a patrol car was when he was 11. He was 12 when he lied and said he was nearly twice his age to take up a graveyard shift at the Live House. He was 13 when he used his wages to buy his parents a Siamese cat as a present. And, when he turned 14, Teddy became the leader of Valentine's delinquent group, the Black Blood Gang. His favorite phrase is...... superior, ain't it!? [I can only assume they mean the paragraph header, "I'll decide how I live my life"]

The hatred will never go away
A Day in the Life of Teddy

Teddy, moaning from a bad dream, wakes up. Twilight is already nigh. Sitting upright in bed, he lights a cigarette. He does not open the curtains, for he does not want to see Holy Loly Mountain. Several days before, Teddy's parents, in order to test the condition of a pickup truck that had finished repairs, headed for the Holy Loly region like they always did. Teddy knew that the drive was also doubling as a date - the couple's youth could be thought of as somewhat happy. Until seeing the pickup truck torn clean in two the next day on the TV news...... The voice of the announcer, telling of the police's viewpoint that it was an accident due to speeding, didn't enter Teddy's ears. His eyes at the time suggested he was seeing some kind of nameless monster. The sadness of losing his parents, coupled with his incomparable feeling of powerlessness, today carries his feet to Valentine's Live House. Teddy smashes a bottle of beer he had drank dry. Teddy tries to distract himself with irrational fighting. Even the Live House owner, who had known him since he was 12, can't find the words to console him with. Meanwhile, on the streets, the crowd of the Bla-Bla Gang, having lost its leadership power, are reduced to unchained mad dogs.

TEDDY'S FAVORITE THINGS

Guitar

Teddy enjoys listening to light rockabilly numbers at Valentine's Live House such as "Blue Suede Shoes", but it seems there are also times when he hums a quiet ballad while playing the guitar when he's in his room.

Cigarettes
[Hee hee, check out the accompanying photograph to this blurb on the scan! ]

It was Teddy's tenth birthday when he switched from chocolate cigarettes to real cigarettes. As for the several choco-ciggies in the cartons he had bought, "gave the rest of 'em to the high school boys." Even the young crowd that imitates his smoke-sucking is more than just a few.

Sunglasses

Once, the town eyewear shop sold a brand of sunglasses called "TeddyGlass". It was precisely since then that the store owner lost his front teeth. [Maybe it's not clear enough, so I'll explain. I'm guessing that the eyewear shop didn't sell sunglasses at first, so Teddy marched over and punched the owner's teeth out, forcing him to sell sunglasses. The owner obviously obliged, and named the product after his assailant. ]

Leather Jacket

All of the Bla-Bla Gang have leather jackets. However, Teddy never wears his if he can help it. Perhaps by nature he dislikes hanging with his homies. The leather jacket pictured is a different one from his. It's now a memento of his father......

Pet Iguana

Just barely after Teddy became the Bla-Bla Gang leader, there was a rumble with the Jet Lizard Gang (Jet Tokage?). [This is just the Japanese explaining to their readers, in their own language, that "RIZAADO" is the English word for tokage, or lizard.] Naturally, the Bla-Bla Gang secured victory. And, the defeated Jet Lizard Gang leader swore allegiance to Teddy, and as proof he offered him a live iguana. Teddy, not one to let a person's kindness go to waste, wound up raising a reptile that by nature he wasn't too fond of.

Book on E. Yazawa

The legendary autobiography of the great Japanese rock 'n roll star. Koyano, the second-generation Japanese member of the Bla-Bla Gang, sent it to Teddy. Even though he can't read Japanese, Teddy can feel full well the message from a rock 'n roller of a far east country.

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9 BYPLAYERS

9 messages to extol your courage

The adventures of all shapes and sizes that live on in history have surely had help from many people in the shadow of their success. For adventurers, there's family, who are the first and foremost to understand. There are friends, who share in various consultations. And, there's all the kind people they meet during the adventure. On your adventure, too, many notable supporting characters make their appearance. On this page, we'd like to introduce nine comments received from nine people who will support your courage. With their messages directed to you, it's a mix of such things as fair-weathered self-introductions and worried-sounding monologues. When you feel downhearted during your adventure, remember their words.

MAMA

Really, Ninten, you say "This is an important adventure!" but...... I worry. If at all your mama can be a strength to you, she can at least fix her son's favorite meal.

PAPA

Oh, Papa here. How about it, Ninten, are you venturing in high spirits? Papa may be far away, but he's always waiting for your call. Got enough pocket money? The earth's crisis will take up money, after all. After that, I trust you to look after your mama and little sisters. Knowing you, you'll be all right.

MIMMIE
It's actually spelled "Mimmy" in the book, and "Minnie" as "Minny", but for the sake of my own continuity, I'm going to go with "Mimmie and Minnie".

Big bro, hang tough on your adventure! Mimmie will stop being a crybaby, after all. Also, make sure you remember who's who of us twins. I'm Mimmie, not Minnie.

MINNIE

Big bro, hang tough on your adventure! If your pockets and hands get full, I'll keep care of your stuff. So come home every so often, 'kay?

MICK

Woof! I'm handsomer than Snoopy, don't you think? Also, my collar is turning into an antique, you know! Feel free to call me Jokester Mick. Woof!

PIPPI

I'm Pippi. Who're you? What is it you're up to? I'm off on an adventure every day. Don't think of me as boyish, OK? [Whoa, all of that rhymed! It was unintentional, I swear! Kind of reminds me of the Emily Dickinson poem I'm Nobody, though...] Oh, yes, yes, guess what my biggest treasure is? Lookie, it's the Franklin Badge, which deflects lightbeams! It sparkles and it's very pretty. But, I wonder what a lightbeam is?

QUEEN MARY

There was a world I dreamed of when I was a child. The land of Magicant, for some reason, is a lot like that dream. Why am I in this land? i can't remember anything now......

FLYINGMAN
[or FLYING MAN]

We were born here to battle the nightmares of Magicant. We know you, for Queen Mary has told us much......

EVE

01001 I SENSE YOU 11010 YOU ARE 01110 DRAWING NEAR 01100 TO ME, IT WOULD SEEM 11010 I AM WAITING

----------------------------------------------------------------

 MOTHER'S DAY

Area: 16790 square meters (about 10.43 square miles/mi(2))
Population: 31
Average temperature: 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit)
Main industries: Agriculture & sightseeing

^When you gaze at the soft green enveloping this town, you get the feeling you understand why the word "Mother" comes into the the town's name.

Mother's Day
- Formerly Bedtown, now popular as a tourist city -

[The surrounding green is a garden city?] In this town, which developed as a commuter town for people who work in the neighboring Thanksgiving, over the years, people have been increasing who visit the sightseeing and the recreation purposefully. You could probably say that the slogan the previous mayor set forth, "Let's make this a town that makes you want to whistle," had a fruitful result. Nearly reaching out to the streets are beds of red carnations, which are also a symbol of Mother's Day, and which give the people something pleasing to the eye. Also, Choux Cream Zoo and Canary Village, sitting on the outskirts, are a must-see; and as for the bright forest paths surrounding all of Mother's Day, just walking them immerses you in the [urge to have a picnic/feeling of having a picnic]. Also, another [boast/bragging right] this town has is that the prices are low. This seems to be a big point where the efforts of the residents who ask tourists to stay long, even if just one day, are concerned. For the traveler who says, "I have the time, but as for the money, well...." this can be called a welcome town. But even in a town like Mother's Day, there is a side to it that they can't be too proud of. To the point where even children use up their civility, a horrible government has been at work for about the past two years (though it may be more accurate to say that _nothing_ has been at work). Plans to construct an amusement park, and the enticement of the railroad, have been left pigeonholed since two years ago, and the management board of the community cemetery south of town is sloppy in the extreme. Also, this doesn't directly have anything to do with the government, but quite recently, large occurrences which shake the peace of this town have been happening in rapid succession. A girl named Pippi has gone missing. The animals of Choux Cream Zoo have escaped from their cages and are loitering around the neighborhood. To add to that, we don't mean to scare you, but you probably ought to know that there's a rumor that's been circulating around a portion of the residency: "Z-Z-Zombies have appeared!" Mother's Day has now fast become a place neither for whistling or for picnics. A town that you ought not to approach if you're not an adventurer and are just a regular traveler....

^When you find a signpost, be sure to CHECK it. It's a basic rule for travel.

Mother's Day Town Hall
- The center of the town administration, where three staff members, including the mayor, work -

^The town news is heard here first, but....

In nearly the center of town stands the Mother's Day Town Hall. The first floor is the reception desk, and the second floor is where you'll find the mayor's office. There have been citizens who've said "Our taxes are so that the mayor can buy, over and over, replacement high-class pillows for his afternoon nap," but if you saw the place which happens to be the mayor's private room, and that the third floor isn't a reference room, you wouldn't exactly be able to think of it as a joke (naturally, anything above the third floor is No Trespassing to anyone but authorized personnel). If, by chance, you want accurate news on the occurrences happening in Mother's Day, you should probably first visit the office. Mr. Goodman, the actual mayor, whose first term in office just might end before long; along with his assistant Mr. Abbott, should greet you in warmly. His motto is, do politics while sitting on velvet chairs. In other words, the actual thinking and doing is always the job for "those who cooperate" only. However, notwithstanding, all of the citizens, at least, know that begrudging cooperation won't improve the town one bit. The mayor's first request is asking you to go to the South Cemetery to find little Pippi, so, how should you answer? By the way, this is off-the-subject, but but the secretary at the counter on the first floor is quite beautiful. Guys who have come to [plead? propose?] have become enamored with her and, only shaking her hand, have gone home.... there are stories of that kind, it's _that_ extent. We'd like to recommend going to see her frequently to see for yourself, even if you have no errand. After all, she just might secretly tell you some bombshell news....

^This is the famous "Pigeonhole File"

^Will he be re-elected!? Mr. A. Goodman, the Mother's Day mayor.

^The beautiful secretary on the first floor was the runner-up for Miss America five years ago.

My Home, Pippi's House, To Zoo, Laura's Woods (2), To Canary Village, Franklin Woods, To Thanksgiving, Hamburger Shop, Hotel, Town Hall, Dept. Store, [Carnation Drive/Carnation Main Street], Hospital, Southwood, To Cemetery

Dept. Store
- A grand shopping center with five floors -

The building neighboring to the right of Town Hall. The sign saying "DEPT." The fact that you can thoroughly enjoy window shopping, even when there's nothing in particular you want to buy, is the fun part about the department store. Let's walk through it in order from the bottom floor. To start, the first floor. Here, you'll find not a sales counter, but a service center. Not only goods you bought at this store, but if you have stuff that you don't need anymore, you'd do well to consult this place. They'll take back almost any article at half the listed price. To the right of the counter is the public phone. One call for one dollar. You can also use a telephone card. Let your father, who prays for your safe journey and transfers you pocket money, hear your energetic voice. It's good to let your father know things like how much you've grown, having come this far in your journey. He'll likely do a proper record (Save) for you. Your father and the phone.... both are welcome, not to mention convenient. To the left of the counter is the Cash Dispenser (CD). The Dispensers in the various cities are connected online. If you insert your Cash Card, the machine will ask you if you want to withdraw money or deposit it, so if you answer with the button and input your sum, you're good to go. Since no handling fee is necessary, [use your wallet proportionately?]. "To not carry a lot of money around with you" is a solid rule of traveling (such is written in every other kind of traveling guide, not just this book). The second floor is the drugstore. Right now you're in tiptop shape, but you never know what will happen from here on out. [Korobanu saki no kizugusuri....]. The third floor is the Sporting Goods store. Even though your funds are few, you can at least buy the Worn-Out Bat. Even with the Worn-Out Bat, you can land a hit. You may not have a baseball match, but you can use it for self-defense. The Food Court is on the fourth floor. Here, the Bread is a hit product. Since "playing Ninja," where you scatter Breadcrumbs while walking so as not to get lost in the forest, is popular, it's selling like hotcakes. Of course, it's a good idea to eat it too. The Pet Shop on the fifth floor is temporarily closed. Apparently, the small animals they sell, one day just suddenly escaped. They have one remaining Canary Chick for the price of 85 Dollars, but now is probably not the time to do business.

^Even convenient CDs don't seem to be popular with old folks.

^Forget about lengthy phone calls.

Dept. Shop List

ARTICLE PRICE

5F Pet Shop -
Canary Chick: $85.00
4F Food Court -
Orange Juice: $5.00
Bread: $30.00
Sports Drink: $75.00
3F Sporting Goods Store -
Worn-Out Bat: $80.00
Slingshot: $120.00
Normal Bat: $500.00
2F Drugstore -
Antidote: $20.00
Asthma Inhaler: $148.00
Ointment: $194.00
Bugspray: $300.00
1F Service Center/Public Phone -
Cash Service

^On the first floor, returned goods are also accepted.

Hotel
- A [choukakuan] hotel popular with students and backpackers -

$39.00 Per Person Per Night

On the north side of Main Street is a small and neat hotel. I can't say it's first-rate, but it has popularity as a base for visitors of Choux Cream Zoo and Canary Village. The lodgings being 39 dollars per night per person (and the tax is included in that), it's very conscientious. Check-in procedure is at the front desk on the first floor. Also, the vacant rooms allow you to observe freely. The most important thing on your journey, even moreso than money, is the condition of your body. Since your stamina and willpower recovers through getting ample sleep, you'll want to keep an early check-in in mind when you get tired.

Hamburger Shop
- There's a beneficial feeling just from the smile of the girl behind the counter -

Directly to the left of Town Hall is the Mother's Day branch of a hamburger chain beloved throughout the world. I don't know what you think of the catch phrase, "120% Beef," but it certainly gets a full score on volume. If you buy one for takeout, no matter when, no matter where, you can enjoy an easy lunch. Even those who are broke and can't even buy Fries can probably at least buy Orange Juice. One for 5 dollars. Of course, it's not like your order will alter the smile of the girl at the counter. And finally, allow us to introduce you to this hamburger chain's low-quality TV commercial. In a forest, a man with vacant eyes stands alone. "O [Kami]! If I could have had just one '120% Beef' at a time like this, I wouldn't have passed out from starvation...." And then he hits the ground with a thud.

Hamburger Shop List

FOODS PRICE

Orange Juice: $5.00
Fries: $15.00
Hamburger: $25.00

Hospital
- There are only four beds, but the director has quite the reputation as an excellent physician -

Check-up fee (per person): $25.00
Hospitalization expenses (per person): $125.00

^With the atmosphere being so good, take care not to mistake the hospital for the hotel.

The tallest building on the south side of Main Street is the Mother's Day hospital. Go in through the entrance, and there's a counter for visitor reception. Further in is the examination room. Also, on the second floor are the sickrooms, and you could say that their system for admitting emergency patients is flawless. When possible, you don't want to receive favor from the hospital, but illness and injury are a [matter/hazard] of journeys. When the fatigue builds up, or your stamina is pulled down by a cold, hurry and get a checkup. Once you emerge from the examination room, your stamina should be recovered through-and-through. The fee for one checkup is 25 dollars. Also, you ought to know that Mother's Day and all of its neighboring towns have their own unique medical systems. Let's say a friend you've been traveling with falls into such a critical condition from a sudden illness or bad injury that that they lose consciousness.... At this time, you cannot ride with them on the ambulance that's arrived. But no need to worry. What you should do is not get flustered and lose your head, but believe in the doctor. And, after contriving your friend's hospitalization expenses, head for the hospital. Once you settle payment at the visitor reception desk, your friend should thoroughly return to health. In Mother's Day's case, the hospitalization medical expenses are 125 dollars. Furthermore, in the unlikely event that you yourself hit the critical condition of Unconscious.... it's all about praying it's only a dream.

Pippi's House
- A small suburban house right next to a flowing stream -

In the house en route the singular road that connects My Home with Mother's Day town lives the most energetic girl in the area. ["Hitosawagase na, yoi ko" no PIPPI-chan da.] She doesn't have the greatest brute force in the world, but her love of adventure and her long stockings make her just like that one famous Pippi. We'd suggest you meet her if you could, but in ill fortune, little Pippi is currently a missing person. She must have gotten lost somewhere while chasing around butterflies and lizards like she always does. Pippi's mama, the most energetic adult in the area, [shinpai no amari ki ga douten shite shimatte iru.] With you being a person who understands the mind of an adventurer, you should be able to find a little adventurer. That's right - at a time like this, your strength may be needed. The experience of rescuing little Pippi is sure to be helpful to your journey. This kind girl might even give you her precious Franklin Badge as a sign of friendship. You should certainly be able to become that kind of a friend to Pippi.

The Townsfolk
- The kind residents who warmly welcome travelers in -

The bright atmosphere that Mother's Day town overflows with, as it is, is signified by the fair-weathered personalities of the residents. When you're troubled over where you should go, just try lightheartedly asking a townsperson. In their [nosy one-step ahead?] kindness, they should politely tell you. Also, not indigenous to this town, should you find a house with a round door, you can go right in and visit. Apparently, there's a tradition that the warmly welcoming households, even to unfamiliar people, will make their doors round. Although there have been incidents happening in Mother's Day as of late, the townsfolk never lose their smiles. And you should make an effort to do the same. Nevertheless, letting your guard down is prohibited. There is, after all, news that people don't wish to believe - that a pair of resident-impersonating zombies have slipped into the streets...

^The townsfolk's smiles are the best souvenir.

Preparing to Set Out
- For people who are lost as to where to go from here -

I think I've let you know what kind of town Mother's Day is. Well, where should you go next? There's no right or wrong answer, because there isn't just one road on your adventure, you see. Upon leaving the Mother's Day Hotel, when you're lost as to whether you should go right or left, you'd do well to pull out this guidebook from your pocket and turn to the page. Canary Village. The South Cemetery. Choux Cream Zoo. There are many places you should go. Where you head first is up to you. Also, if you're thinking you'd like to explore a place that's hardly known to people, [you have a spot set aside?]. Walk due northwest from Mother's Day, and cross two bridges, and before long you'll hit a dead end encircled about by cliffs. And, there you'll find a cave.Build up courage and step inside, and.... there, waiting for you, should be a rock of a curious color and shape, which I don't think is like anything in this world. That being, you might be thinking you don't have the time to stop off at waysides where things don't make sense. You would have been just fine without taking a step out of your home, but having started this adventurous journey this way in and of itself is a largeley imposing wayside. The right wayside is sure to cause a person to grow. [When it comes right down to it?], everything that happens from here on will probably be a first-time expedition for you. In the vicinity of town are Stray Dogs and Crows who will attack you. And, unbelievably, even humans will [WAKU o furiagete].... But, they are never your enemy. They are only being controlled by some [totetsumonaku] great power. In order to protect yourself, you cannot avoid battles with them. However, I want you to remember something. That is, it's not a battle to thrash them, but a battle to save them.

^Until you make friends, you go it solo.

CHECK POINT in terms of the game system
[Play your way/Be well-informed of play] through Mother's Day and affirm the game's basic system. May nothing go unCHECKed!

Current location is affirmed by the "Map" and "Signboards"

The world of "MOTHER" has a vast map. To make sure you don't lose yourself in this world, it's important that you always affirm your current location.
To affirm your location, go to "Map -> USE" and you're good to go. Also, if you check the [roadside?] signboards, you can learn of branching paths.

SCREENSHOT: "Choux Cream Zoo: 700 meters west"
^If you find a signboard, stop off and CHECK it.

Money management is done with the Cash Card

SCREENSHOT: It's nice that they installed a machine that can withdraw savings, but, you know, inconveient that you can't make a withdrawal if you don't have a Ca-whatever Card, isn't it?

The lead character and his party use a Cash Card and make monetary transactions. The method for obtaining money is that of defeating enemies and getting a sum of money transferred from Papa that's directly proportional to your battles.
The Cash Dispenser, in most cases, can be found on the first floor of a department store.

*Beneficial* Knowledge Concerning Money
-If you lose consciousness, your cash on hand will be cut in half. Best carry as little with you as possible.
-The department store will refund your goods at half the price you bought them.

For recovering stamina and spiritual power, there's eating, sleeping...

SCREENSHOT: My, you look pretty torn up.... NINTEN, I'll fix you that OMELETTE you love.

As for methods for recovering the main character's and his party's HP and PP, some examples are (1) Eating Mama's cooking at My Home (2) Staying the night at a hotel.
In case a friend loses consiousness, visit the hospital: not for a _diagnosis_, but to _meet up_ with your unconscious friend - that's the right answer.

SCREENSHOT:
Orange juice
Bread
Sports drink

Welcome.
What can I offer you?
^There are some number of goods that will recover [HP o itteichi].

Saving your game is done on the phone!

SCREENSHOT: Let's see, to get to the next level.... NINTEN: 48 Incidentally, what do you need? >Record Nothing, really

Saving your play content is done when you contact your papa on the phone. That doesn't mean phones are everywhere, so you'd probably best be sure to save when you find one at a department store and the like.
Also, when two hours pass after starting play, no matter where you are, you'll get a call from Papa.

SCREENSHOT: Maybe I'm intruding, but how about taking a short break?
^Even in a place like this, if two hours pass, you'll get a call....

One way or another, convenient Breadcrumb-Warping

SCREENSHOT: You can eat Bread, but tear it into crumbs, and it just might mark your trail. ...Though that's rather nosy of me.

Use the Breadcrumbs, and you can instantly return to the place where you first scattered them.
You can scatter Breadcrumbs at the same number of points as people in your party, and if you have three friends, warping in various patterns is even possible. For both escape and assault, it's a convenient warp technique.

Breadcrumb-Warping Warnings

-Each person can hold only one Breadcrumbs
-You cannot warp using Breadcrumbs in sections where you ride the railway.
-It's impossible to warp between Magicant and the real world.

EVENT CHECKPOINT [make sure to put "check" and "point" together as one word]

Mother's Day is the town that will be your base when you venture the area. There are also many checkpoints in terms of the game.
Here, I will introduce these points according to the state of your game's progress.

To begin with:

[] Did you meet the mouse who gives you a hint?
[] Did you go to Town Hall and meet with the mayor?

Before you go to Canary Village:

[] Did you get the Canary Chick on the 5th floor of the dept. store?

Before you go to Choux Cream Zoo:

[]  Did you take little Pippi, who you rescued, to Town Hall and get the Zoo Key?

After the [martial law/curfew] has been lifted:

[] Do you have your Great Grandfather's Diary on hand?
[] Did you get the Franklin Badge?

How to pick up chicks

SCREENSHOT: Want to buy it? Then how about buying it for 85 dollars? So you won't have it even for free? Take it.

Even if you don't have money, at the pet shop, when you're asked "Want to buy it?" answer YES and then NO, and you will get it for free.

How to get the Zoo Key

SCREENSHOT: Right, here's the key to the zoo.

Take little Pippi to the mayor, and you're good to go. Which probably means the assistant will force (wait, what?) the key on you.

How to get the Badge

SCREENSHOT: Oh, you're brave. It would sure be nice to meet again sometime, somewhere, wouldn't it? >YES NO

In case you didn't get the Badge in the cemetery, go to Pippi's house. If you say various things there, you may be sure to get it.

Area's main enemies:
Guy, Older Man. Enemies of the Zombie variety also make appearances south of town.

YONKOMA:

MISO (Bean Paste)

1)
Mom: "I made you your favorite BEAN PASTE while I was waiting for you."
Ninten: "Yay!"
SFX: Munch munch

2)
Mom: "You're so badly hurt.... well, go on, dig in to your BEAN PASTE."
Ninten: ".....Yay"
SFX: Lick lick

3)
Mom: "Welcome home! I made a whole lot of BEAN PASTE, so eat up!"

4)
Mom: "You sure do love your BEAN PASTE, don't you?"
Ninten: ".......Why'd they have to enter 'BEAN PASTE', of all things....?"
SFX: Pufth

(N) Kazuma (L) Malt (A) Mineko (T) Dry (F) Rice

CANARY VILLAGE

Area: 4788 square meters (about 2.97 mi(2))
Est. 1907
Hours park is open: 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
No holidays all year

^The moment you get off the trackless path in this forest, there's the canaries' sanctuary. Their singing voices are so beautiful that even the other wild birds stop and listen.

Canary Village
- A paradise for canaries where you can forget the city tumult -

It's in a spot beyond the forest northeast [read: error, it's actually northwest] of Mother's Day. Admission is free. In the beginning of the 1900s, [among the chaos] surrounding the Black Cloud, there was an incident where the pets kept in households such as those in Mother's Day ran away all at the same time. IT is said that this was when the canaries who escaped at the time first made nest here and became wild. In this very quiet place, the only audible thing is the chirping of the canaries. It's popular as an [ikoi] spot, not only for birdwatching, but for family outings and lovers as well. Also, regular female canaries don't sing, but one female in Canary Village here will let you hear a melody exceptionally beautiful out of many canaries. Lots of people visit this place simply to get a glance at its rare canary, called the Songstress Laura. You should take a hamburger with.... well, to be honest, there are circumstances where we can't say that. As of late, the Songstress Laura hasn't been showing herself in front of people very often. Apparently, she's had quite the shock of some kind. There are those who say it's because her newly-born chick was taken from her by a heartless human. ....It's a forlorn thing, but it seems to be the truth. Her profound sorrow has probably spread to the other canaries as well. So now, all the melody in this paradise is lost without a trace. Do you suppose that, before long, people will totally forget about Canary Village? Do you suppose the day will never come when you hum the melody of the Songstress Laura?

MAP 1: My Home, Pippi's House, Mother's Day, Canary Village
MAP 2: To Mother's Day, Entrance, Older Man of Canary Village

The older man of Canary Village
- A naturalist who makes his living with the canaries -

With him having kept watch over the canaries for what will have been 30 years, there are surprisingly many people who consider him the Canary Village manager. In truth, and in short, he's an older man who loves canaries. It would seem that people who idolize this naturalist, philosopher, and eccentric are in number not a few.

^The nerve, taking a nap while listening to Laura's song...

The canary who forgot her song
- Laura's melody was just like a lullaby -

What can be done to have the canaries remember their song....? It's not like the people of Mother's Day have just stood by with their arms folded, either. There was a man who would play his flute for the canaries all day long. There was also a woman who would let loose her pet canary, who sang often, in Canary Village. However, it all ended in vain. Changing Laura's sorrow to joy comes first, but... (Matsu)

^Somehow she seems so sad.

EVENT CHECKPOINT

SCREENSHOT: Cash Card, GGF's Diary, Canary Chick, Baseme--, Map
Upon being united with her child, the Songstress Laura was so overjoyed she began to sing her song.

The point here is to get the Songstress Laura's melody. If you hand over (USE) the Canary Chick to Laura, who is north of the village, Laura will rejoice, and should also sing her song for you.

^There's only one way to get to where Laura is. There is a secret on the other side of this tower.

[] Did you get Laura's melody?

 

[When I put together my 2007 Starmen.net Halloween Funfest entry, a comic called "The Girl in the Graveyard," I read over the South Cemetery entry to see if there was anything that would help me flesh out the story more. Nothing absolutely blibbering, but I went ahead and typed up a translation just for the heck of it.]

 

SOUTH CEMETERY
------------------------------------------
*Area: 3402 m(2) *Est. 1864 *Population: 1
------------------------------------------

The Road to South Cemetery
--------------------------------------------
Heroes and those who aren't heroes rest here
--------------------------------------------

The Mother's Day Public Graveyard. More than half of those buried are soldiers killed in action, but among them are also graves of martyred gangsters, and the like. Proceeding in a southwest-bound direction on the road on the east side of Mother's Day is the best shortcut. Cross the bridge and walk a short distance, and the surrounding woods begin to increase in weirdness. That's a sure sign you're approaching the cemetery. For zombie-lovers and horror fans, I guess you could say the course is needless to be spoken. Oh, how dreadful......

Healer's House
---------------------------------------------
According to some religions, a person who carries out cures is called a Healer
---------------------------------------------

*******************
Concentrate - $18
Soften - $30
*******************

If you go straight on the cemetery-bound path without crossing the bridge, there's the house where the Healer lives. Using methods other than that of present-day medicine, he'll infuse humans with their "Ki", or cure Stoneification. Apparently, he charges medical expenses.

Cemetery Church
----------------------------------------------
The brightest thing in the cemetery is the blue roof of this church
----------------------------------------------

He'll open the door enthusiastically, thinking of preaching to the zombies, then reconsider - nah, even they must have their own reasons - and shut the door and pray to the Cross. The Pastor-san, who spends each pious day thus, is at this church. Amen.

Grave-markers
-----------------------------------------------
From the ones that are well-taken care of to the ones that are deteriorating
-----------------------------------------------

The day after Pippi-chan went missing, a large youth group in Mother's Day checked the area with the 131 grave-markers in the cemetery one-by-one, but didn't discover any clues. So in otherwords, if you're formulating your own "Operation: Rescue Pippi-chan", you probably ought to start from a spot other than the grave-markers.

Underground room
------------------------------------------------
There are many people who don't know that this cemetery has an underground room
------------------------------------------------

Long ago, it was built to temporarily enshrine the coffins of nameless warriors and Joe Blows. Presently, it isn't used for such anymore, but since it can be utilized as a shelter in case of emergency, it seems they haven't closed it down. Here, once again, is joyous news for zombie-lovers and horror fans. There is a rumor that the coffins of that time are still left behind somewhere in the pitch-dark underground room...... What say I whisper to you of the entrance to that room? It's the square hole made out of stone eastbound from the church. (Haizen Matsuo)

[Screenshots, pictures and captions:]

[LEFT PAGE - Opening picture of a real-life cemetery:] When you're standing in the cemetery, for some reason your feelings become serious, and probably not just because your ancestors are watching.

[LEFT PAGE - Diagram of the road to the cemetery, in order from up-to-down:] Mother's Day, Healer's House, South Cemetery

[RIGHT PAGE - Real-life picture of a church building:] The Pastor resides alone here...

[RIGHT PAGE - South Cemetery Map, random text marking different areas:] South Forest, Cemetery Church, Underground Room Entrance

[RIGHT PAGE - Real-life picture of a weedy field:] Indeed, there's an eerieness drifting around like something's going to come out.

--------------------------------
Event Check Point
--------------------------------

Saving Pippi-chan, who is in the underground room of the cemetery, is the event that takes place here. Since Pippi-chan is weak [now that's a lie if ever I've heard one], after saving her, you should probably hand her a slingshot.

*Area's main enemies: Pseudo-Zombie, Gang Zombie, etc.

CHECK
-Did you rescue Pippi-chan?
-Did you get the Franklin Badge at the time?

[Left screenshot:]
COMMAND BOX - SPEAK, CHECK, PSI, GOODS
NAME - Ninten
PIPPI'S DIALOGUE - Oh, you're brave. Wouldn't it be nice to meet again someplace? Yes No

[Left screenshot caption:] Pippi-chan is inside one of the coffins. Enemies are inside the other three.

[Right screenshot:]COMMAND BOX - SPEAK, CHECK, PSI, GOODS
NAME - Who?, Ninten, Pippi
NINTEN'S ITEM LIST - Cash Card, Map, Magic Herb, Great-Grandfather's Diary, Fries, Slingshot [selected]
ITEM COMMANDS - USE, EAT, GIVE, DROP
GAME NARRATIVE - NINTEN gave PIPPI the Slingshot.

[Right screenshot caption:] The area is swarming with strong enemies. As soon as you rescue her, give her a weapon right there.

 CHOUX CREAM ZOO

Area: 12373 square meters (about 7.68 mi*2)
Founded 1985
Hours park is open: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Park holidays: Third Monday of the month

^Even zoos, which we're allowed to enjoy all day long, have important roles in what's known as environmental protection and analytical research of animals.

The Road to the Zoo
- Whistling as you walk from Mother's Day, it's a three-song distance -

To get to Choux Cream Zoo from Mother's Day town, you have two routes. If you walk a short while due north on the road on the east side of town, you'll hit a T-intersection. If you turn west here, the zoo should come into view on your right-hand side. Another way is a route via Canary Village. If you proceed west from town and cross the bridge in front of Canary Village, head north along the river. This method, which has you crossing some number of bridges, is a shortcut, but it's easy to get lost. In any event, the area around the zoo is changing into a safari park where the escaped animals loiter around. And since you're on foot, and not in a car, you have cause to worry.

MAP 1: Zoo, My Home, Pippi's House, Mother's Day

Choux Cream Zoo
- The most popular tourist spot in the Mother's Day area -

The zoo is still new, having just been built three years ago by the previous mayor's efforts. When vacation comes around, thanks to all the people who arrive from other towns, you get to see quite the crowd. Well, that is, you _got_ to see a crowd.... This place, being no exception, is also in an awful state. The animals have gone mad and broken out of their cages, and are freely loitering outside the park. The zoo has been closed down at once, and martial law has been placed (to an extent) on the surrounding area. One of the bridges northeast of the zoo being blockaded by police is for that purpose. You've already been successful in rescuing little Pippi, so after you leave her under the charge of Town Hall, you should have your second challenge pushed on you by the mayor. Also, I believe you probably had the Zoo Key handed over to you by his assistant, Mr. Abbott. Meaning that because people forget a lot to lock it, if you have that, even the door to the famous zoo will open. It's the way the mayor always does things. However, to continue your adventure, you must do something about the zoo. Not to get credit, but to undo the bridge blockade.

MAP 2: Rabbits, Pandas, Monkeys, Penguins, Flamingos, Singing Monkey, Entrance, Administrator's Office, To Cave, To Mother's Day

The Animals
- There's sure to be an animal who looks a lot like you -

For a zoo so short on history, the different types of animals are abundant. Should there be cute rabbits, there will also be conceited gorillas. Aside from that, you've got colossal elephants, fat alligators, regular ol' tigers.... etc., etc. Particularly popular among these are the two pandas given as a gift from China. Every day in their roofless cages, they're carefree and lazy. But this zoo's biggest seller has to be the Singing Monkey. So much that, when this monkey bursts into song just once, even at the pandas' cage, the sightseeing customers are nowhere to be found. Well now, for such a heartwarming explanation to be appreciated, the animals would have to be calm and safe inside their cages. But such is not the case now. Even as you fight the carnivorous beasts, you can think about how there aren't many people who have the composure to observe the pandas rolling around as usual when [they?] see the opportunity.

^A gift given from China on Opening Day
^Please do not feed (yourself to) the animals

Zoo Administrator's [Superintendant's] Office
- The children who would like to work here in the future are in number not a few -

The cream-colored building standing near the end of the route is this zoo's administrator's office. Normally, the breeder is having tea, or a meeting is being conducted on whether or not to get a new giraffe. Also, protecting lost children and persuading them whether they'd like to become the world's best breeder, that's one important function of the administrator's office. Those who love animals to the very core were in this building. But now, they're not. In their place, crazed mice are running around on the floor. If you step inside this building, which has become a mousy-shack, you'll probably be bothered by a strange noise that will make you want to cover your ears. It's a horrible noise the like of which doesn't exist on Earth. And, I don't doubt you're aware that it's that noise which is the cause of the animals going mad. The time for a resolution is quite possibly nigh.

^The blue sea stretches out on the north side of the zoo.

The Singing Monkey
- Monkeys are animals that normally don't sing -

It's the unparalleled Singer Song Monkey! You can grab your guitar and jam along... well, okay, so he isn't exactly good enough for _that_, but he certainly sings a [isshousetsu] melody, with a beautiful soprano voice you could never imagine just from looking at his face. As the grapevine has it [or "according to the grapevine"], his mother sang the same melody. And _her_ mother before that.... Could it be that even this [isshousetsu] which appears to have been passed on through generations will die out with his era? After all, he's a popular, currently unwed monkey. You should definitely hear it at least once. He's also got that monkeyish part in him who's been known to break out of his cage a lot and steal humans' belongings (such as keys). ~Haizen Matsuo

^A beautiful voice that won't be outdone by the Songstress Laura?

-----------------------------------
"MOTHER" is sure to cause a year's delay on my first novel

Shoji Kokami, Dramatist

Today, I brought out the Famicom for the first time in a long while. So now, yet again, what job will I wave on the pole? "DraQue" caused a year's delay on my movie. I'm quite sure "MOTHER" will cause a year's delay on my first novel. But I don't regret it. Though after all, my adventurous journey has already begun.

(N) Shoji (L) Good Guy (the others are a secret) (F) Omelette
*Input names* (N) Ninten ("Me"/Lead character) (L) Lloyd (Friend) (A) Anna (Girl) (T) Teddy (One more friend - the strong one) (F) Favorite Dish
-----------------------------------

EVENT CHECKPOINT

Once you get the key from the Town Hall assistant, it's off to Choux Cream Zoo.
Given that here, you defeat the Son of Starman who's in the Administrator's Office, and after that, memorize the melody of the "Singing Monkey" who's gone back inside his cage, this will prove an important event.
Once peace has returned to the zoo, the blockade on the bridge northeast of town can be undone.

Area's main enemies: Colossal Elephant, Tiger, Gorilla, Alligator, etc.

[] Did you defeat the Son of Starman?
[] Did you get the Singing Monkey's melody?

Showdown With the Son of Starman

Use Defense Up Alpha and [ousen]. Your weapon ought to be the "Normal Bat." As for your lead character's level, 7 is preferable.

Getting the Monkey's Melody

SCREENSHOT: "The worldly-rare Singing Monkey, presently exclusive to Choux Cream Zoo." The Singing Monkey sang keenly.

Defeat the Son of Starman, and the animals who had escaped from their cages will return. CHECK the sign in front of the monkey's cage.

[Here's the next one, the Magicant entry. This also led me to wonder if perhaps the name "Magicant" is supposed to be a combination of the words "magic" and "replicant."]

 

MAGICANT
Area: Immeasurable
Population: 42
Average Temperature: Uncertain

The Entrance into Magicant
Use one-handed Telepathy on your Great-Grandfather’s Diary, and……

Having felt the heart-pounding uneasiness in the police officers’ words, and knowing you, you will decide to traverse the steep canyon and find the cave. It’s strange in there, owing to the fact that all who enter recall the kind of peace one feels while in their mother’s womb.

The Land of Magicant
This place is in someone’s dream, so where is the dreamer?

When you awaken from the dream, you find yourself standing in a world you have never seen before, one like a sea of clouds colored all-pink. The God’s Country of “Where is God’s Tail” – the strange words recorded in your Great-Grandfather’s Diary – could it be this land? And then “God’s Tail” is, no doubt, the pink rock. Such a world as this is not portrayed even in The Wizard of Oz or Alice in Mirror-Land [note: Japanese title for Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, the sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll], or for that matter, Ende’s Momo [note: Michael Ende also wrote The Never-Ending Story… yes, it did begin as a novel]. You’re probably only barely self-aware of the nostalgia you feel in the depths of your heart, the meaning of which you do not understand. While you listen in the depths of memory to the strange timbre like the tops of clouds and like the bottom of the sea, warm voices calling can’t disturb you without presage. For you, having hardened your will to fight unseen foes, this unexpected peace is, of all things, probably a great help.
There’s a sense that you have entered someone’s dream. Although entering someone else’s dream isn’t supposed to be possible, it is a land like a replicant of a dream. However, you mustn’t allow yourself to become comfortable. After all, even in dreams, there are things that vary from that which scares you to the point where you break out in a sleep-sweat, to that which causes you to unthinkingly shout for joy and awaken.

MAGICANT TOWN AREA
Area: Immeasurable
Population: 27
Main Industry: Philosophy

Magicant Town
A town both strange and safe, surrounded by twisted pickets the color of hazy water

Is it a thing of misfortune to get lost here? The answer is all around town. To start off, try walking around here and there and talking to the townsfolk and animals. The one you will meet first in this strange town is a young lady standing near the bridge. An odd girl to your eyes. And, to the girl’s eyes, you are an odd foreigner. Try putting on a casual appearance and talk to her. No need to be tense.

The Homes of Magicant
Strange pink houses which await a traveler’s knock

-Inn
On the north side of town. It doesn’t have anything that would resemble a sign, but reliably finding your instinct is one joy of traveling. You’re sure not to feel disappointment in the food cooked here, either…… Accomodation is free (plus tax).

-The Person Who Gives You the Ocarina of Hope
A virtuoso who makes ocarinas lives on the east side of town. The Ocarina of Hope, made by him, is a strange musical instrument that can be played even by those who can’t play wind instruments. Try playing a melody you know. That is, in case you happen to get it.

-The Baggage Caretaker
In this town, where strange is the normality, lives a very strange baggage caretaker. Look for a house with a blue door, in the central area of town. Things you leave in her care go to Minnie, and vice-versa. She herself might have something to do with Minnie…

-The Person Who Gives You the Big Bag
Suspicion. Deceit. Ripping-off. These three words are not in Magicant’s dictionary. Once you get that into your head, we proceed to visit the home in the southwest corner of town. A man who embraces dreams in a real world awaits you.

-Hospital
There are also dreams called nightmares. Should you dream (?) of fighting monsters outside of town and sustain injuries to your body and heart, head for this hospital. Charging nothing for treatment, a dream (?) medical system has been established. Even that cold you brought from outside your dream can probably be cured here.

Foreigner’s Gift Shop
Only at this store are dollars needed in Magicant Town

As for foreigners who have gotten lost in Magicant, you aren’t the first. Three people “yearning for earnings,” who arrived from the same world as yours, have set up dignified stores on the north side of town and do business in a sneaky fashion. You needn’t worry about goods you bought from a “yearner” disappearing.

-Coin Shop
Said to have the same effect as armor in that video game called “Dragon Something-Or-Other,” [note: they’re referencing DragonQuest here] which you were obsessed with until just before this adventure, strange coins are all lined up. It’s a strange store which charges a price.

GIFT SHOP
Magic Herb --- $30.00
Coin of Peacefulness --- $260.00
Coin of Protection ---$648.00
Coin of Tempest --- $1200.00

-Bracelet Shop
If coins are armor, the strange bracelets sold at this store are shields. It could be said of both: “If you equip it, you can cause your defensive power to go up.” From now on, if you want to enjoy your adventure just like a game, it’s important to shop here.

GIFT SHOP
Magic Herb --- $30.00
Fairy Bracelet --- $460.00
Angel Bracelet --- $825.00
Goddess Bracelet --- $1510.00

-Pendant Shop
The pendants sold by the last of the “yearner” brothers are of three brands. Each will protect you either from the heat of flame, the chill of ice, or the shock of thunder.

GIFT SHOP
Magic Herb --- $30.00
Drop Pendant --- $700.00
Flame Pendant --- $700.00
Earth Pendant --- $700.00

Queen Mary’s Spring
A strange spring which does not dry up, despite this being a no-rainfall country

The famous Queen Mary’s Spring can be found by leaving town and walking northwest. The water which this spring imparts has no lack in the townsfolk’s lives. Magic Herbs, which you might call their “bread,” are made by taking some of the Red Grass which grows in the field, and immersing it in the spring. The Helpful Old Man, nicknamed the caretaker of this spring, is always disappearing to enjoy tea-time, but he will impart strength unto troubled folk. The townspeople apparently use Telepathy when calling upon him. Queen Mary’s Spring seems to be a very important spot to the monsters of Magicant. Perhaps these monsters who swarm outside of town were just now headed for the spring, or maybe they’re on their way back.

Flying Man’s House
This means the dream of Flying Men lives in your heart…

A house stands smack dab alone on the outskirts of Magicant North. Here, there live five brothers who resemble both bird and human: the Flying Men. When you were still young, your mother, by your bedside, softly told you the story of the Flying Men. You probably don’t remember it, but that sad story was made by your great-grandmother. You ought to visit them. You ought to speak with them. For you just might recall the tale……

West Forest
A strange forest which doesn’t resemble Mother’s Day’s forest in the least

Immediately west of town is a forest. That strangeness is in abundance here as well, should now be not even the least bit strange. Even you, who were surprised at the cat who was swimming in the river that flows through town in a circle, should now be thoroughly familiar with this country. If you think of even swimming on land, you can do it. Surely you’ll think so after having seen the cat in this forest. It may be something important. A lonely guitar player who works hard to keep at it with his composing as he philosophizes is also a resident of this forest. In his words, “Come see me when you get strong.” This is, no doubt, something important. We don’t care if you soil this book, so you ought to underline his words. Here, you’ll also find the girl who gives you the Friendship Ring. Take it or leave it, that’s your choice. Moreover, you may learn from a monkey in this forest that you look like Queen Mary.

The East Well-Cluster
It seems there is no one who draws water at these strange wells

Have you ever seen a landscape with 38 whole wells before? This well-cluster, east of town, was not excavated so the townsfolk could draw water. They are provided with all the water they need to live on at Queen Mary’s Spring. Why, then, are there wells? The townsfolk apparently understand it to mean that the wells are there just to be there. More importantly, what’s strange to them (!) is a sound that can be heard from one of the wells. Although to you, it’s a noise your ears are always accustomed to -- -- the noise of the city…

---

Random stuff in the margins——

[Photo of clouds, probably taken from an airplane]
CAPTION: Like the memory of a dream, Magicant cannot be described. It’s a land where, no matter who goes there, the best they can describe it is “Magicant, the land yet eternally unseen.”

[Photo of a wooded canyon]
CAPTION: The world outside, new to you.

[Photo of what I would guess is some famous garden, with a flat horizontal structure enclosing it, but I don’t know my history well enough to say exactly where this is]
CAPTION: Queen Mary’s favorite color is gentle pink……

[Photo of some town area in the Middle East]
CAPTION: Full of things you’ve never seen before.

[Magicant map labeled with different spots to check out]
LABELS: Queen Mary’s Spring, Flying Men’s house, Queen Mary’s Castle, Guitar-playing Man’s house, Hospital, Inn, Foreigner’s Shop, Inn, Baggage Caretaker’s house, Home of the man who gives you the Ocarina, Mimicry Boy’s house, Home of person who gives you the Big Bag, East Well-Cluster

[Photo of another odd building I ought to know. Drat my not paying attention in World History.]
CAPTION: You’ll wonder just what “strange” is.

[Blurb from a Japanese literary critic… the book is littered with these fun, quick little anecdotes from famous Japanese people about their experiences with the beta version of the game, including Saori Kumi, who wrote the MOTHER novel]

Magicant is the base of my own dreams
Seiji Takeda, Literary Critic

“DraQue” [short for “Dragon Quest”] was a “classical” masterpiece that blended romanticism and melancholy, but if I were to say one thing of MOTHER’s virtues which you won’t find in “DraQue,” it would be “nostalgia.” Finding time inbetween work, I press the Start button, and most of the time I would begin from Magicant, but I’d get the strange feeling like I had returned to the base of my own dreams. It’s nice for this feeling to drift through the whole episode.

[The names which Takeda had entered for his characters:]

Me (Ninten): SHUJI
Friend (Lloyd): KISSHAN
Girl (Anna): HATORI
Strong Guy (Teddy): TOMA
Favorite Food: ONION SOYBEANS

---

QUEEN MARY’S CASTLE
Year of Construction: Not detailed
Attendants: 7
No. of Rooms: 10

Queen Mary’s Castle Entrance
Even though he didn’t say the answer, you know

When they tire of bantering with philosophical people, the townsfolk head for the castle where Queen Mary resides, whose face they have not seen for a long while now. On both sides of the straight-lined path due north, the straight row of cactus-like trees brings to mind the geometric design of a Versailles palace [thanks again, linkdude20002001.]. About the castle there spreads a grassland where the people enjoy picking medicinal herbs on their holiday. At the front of the castle walls, three distinctive gatekeepers who enjoy making sure they pose riddle-games on visitors will greet you. Even with all the townsfolk who love philosophy, there is no one who has managed to pass this gate, so you’re likely to be posed with one heck of a stumper. But considering you can read people’s minds, there is no cause to fear even that.

Queen Mary’s Castle
A castle of woes of a queen who has forgotten her song

What might this castle look like to your eyes? A soft ice cream castle, a pink-colored cloud castle, a cotton candy castle, a candle castle, an air castle, a castle like an internal organ – ten people who visit this spot will tell of ten differing imaginings. After all, I guess it’s a castle so strange it’s irritating that they’re never able to rightly communicate it through words. When they awaken, even though they know they were just there themselves, they can’t remember the image of that dream. Even though they clearly feel the dream’s touch with their whole being, when they try to visualize it, somehow everyone comes up with something different…… What could this painfully trying frame of mind known as “can’t remember,” which pours all over their bodies when they enter this castle, mean? Inside the castle, chamberlains looking oddly as though they are clothed from head to toe walk around slowly. In the transparent-emerald floor like the surface of water, sorrow sinks deep as though in a lake. The chamberlains just might whisper to you, in a low voice, the reason for this sorrow. Mary, the queen of this castle, is troubled by nighttime dreams. She’ll get mad as if scolding a naughty child, then weep out, “I’m scared, I’m scared,” and then she’ll start singing the tiniest bit of a song, but immediately agonize, “I can’t remember!!” Then she’ll awaken drenched all over in sweat, they say. Seems like long ago, Queen Mary had a pretty sad experience. Do you suppose the castle’s appearance being somehow mournful is a reflection of Queen Mary, the castle’s master?

Queen Mary’s Room
A room of mercy where even you are permitted to leave your hat on in the queen’s presence

Inside the castle, its emerald-colored rooms, where the peace of the ocean floor is concealed, are linked together length and breadth. In the room with the six present-boxes orderly lined up, whichever one of the boxes you open, all the others will turn up empty. If there are rooms where a decision is at hand for you, there also will be rooms lavish with gifts inside every box. While you’re investigating these various rooms, you’re likely to arrive at the queen’s room before you know it. Because you’re entering the room of one whom even the residents of this land are not allowed to behold the face of, you may want to take off your hat, but since you probably have a certain pride in that area, we’ll leave that your judgment call. Once inside the room, let’s first give greeting to the queen, so proceed in a straight line on the red carpet until you stand before her, and if you may, show respect by kneeling down on your right knee. Upon seeing your face, the queen bears a smile that reminds you of something out of the past, and tells you a tale which will likely let you in on a secret of your journey. And when, from her supportive mouth, you’ve heard her last words: “If you only find the Agate Fish Hook, the people of this land will welcome you anytime,” you determine to revisit Magicant, so it’s probably coming time to give the queen your parting words.

---

Random stuff in the margins——

[Photo of the Taj Mahal]
CAPTION: A dream country you can return to any time you’re suffering, just like dreaming each night.

[Queen Mary’s Castle – map of interior]
LABELS: Queen’s Room, Entrance

[Photo of a magnificent palace interior]
CAPTION: This room once echoed with Queen Mary’s beautiful singing voice.

---

MAGICANT UNDERGROUND [note: this area is known as the “Underground Stream” in the Japanese version. Why it should be called such, when there’s no water in sight, is beyond me. Perhaps it’s a sewer system?]
Area: 6026 square meters
Population: 1
Temperature: Fixed at 16.5 Degrees Celsius

The Underground Labyrinth
The base of the dream in which you will be helped along by the tragic Flying Man

Given that you won’t allow the town news to escape your ears – that is, that there is a hole on the east side of town where you can hear the sounds of another world – and that the entrance you seek is sure to be only one of many, your feet should already be headed east. Even having the tragically loyal Flying Man at your side makes your eyes light up at the sign of battle, perhaps recklessly. A cool air flows out from the countless wells surrounded by the river. After this tranquil plaza, it’s off once more to battle town, where your courage will likely be all the more necessary.
Once you find it, and head underground from there, you’ll find a subterranean labyrinth with many floors. Remembering Queen Mary’s parting words, you mustn’t forget to make a memo of your chosen route in a notebook or even in the map margins. For that reason, you’ll want the space to adopt the “shortcut principle” and visit all the rooms in the labyrinth. After all, you’ll be still more overjoyed to find so many unexpected presents at a time like this. When you’re finished giving the basement a thorough investigation and beaming with presents, you’ll likely find yourself coming out on the lowest floor before you know it – a colossal den.

The Underground Stream
In the space between this life and the next, there is a dark, deep river

A black stream, of which it is unknown where it flows from or where it flows to. In its center floats a colossal labyrinthine fortress. Mysterious apparitions fly about, and if we assume there is such a thing in this world known as the bottom, this is a bottomless loneliness that can only produce this kind of image. Most likely, it can’t help but cross your mind that maybe Queen Mary’s sadness is really this kind of loneliness.

The Forgotten Man
You can stay, in fact, I think I’d like you to stay

After managing to obtain the Agate Fish Hook from the Master of the Underground Stream [note: Japanese name for The Fish!… which makes it kind of ironic that you get a fish hook from him], another bottom-dweller of said stream, you should become aware of a nearby man loitering and avoiding your gaze. He calls himself the Forgotten Man, not the cave Socrates, and he may very well invite you to a philosophical banter.

The Magicant Exit
Like the abruptness of a dream, the other side of an exit is always a surprise

Once the world’s loneliest man disappears, a hole suddenly pops open in the wall. This, and none else, is the exit from Magicant. On the other side, battles await you in the real world. From now on, however many times you arrive at this exit, when you do, you will likely think back upon the now deceased Forgotten Man.

(Kannin Mamoto, Haizen Matsuo) [I’m guessing these are the entry’s authors]

---

Random stuff in the margins——

[Photo of a man-made cavern]
CAPTION: The past is riddled with holes, those of you who have been known to fall often……

[Magicant Underground Map]
LABELS: Box, nothing, nothing, box, box, nothing. To Underground Stream, Sleeping Dragon, Master of the Underground Stream, Forgotten Man

---

Event Check Point
————————————————

Magicant means gossip and treasure. In any case, you’ll want to talk with all the people and open all the present-boxes. Because they sell valuable goods that raise your fielding average at the shops, you’ll also want to purchase them in fast order and power up your friends.
By the way, the Dragon holds a Melody.

*Area’s main enemies: Big Woodoh, Dragon, Master of the Underground Stream, etc.

CHECK
-Did you meet Queen Mary?
-Did you meet the philosophizing man?
-Did you meet the sleeping dragon?
-Did you get the Dragon’s Melody?
-Did you meet the Flying Men?
-Did you get the Ocarina of Hope?
-Did you get the Boomerang inside the castle?
-Did you buy defensive goods at the shops?
-Did you defeat the Master of the Underground Stream and get the Agate Fish Hook?
-Did you meet the Forgotten Man (and carry the conversation well), and were you able to discover the escape exit?

[Left screenshot:]
COMMAND BOX – SPEAK, CHECK, PSI, GOODS
NAME – Ninten
QUEEN MARY’S DIALOGUE – You want to hear my song? I’m sorry. No matter how hard I try, I can’t remember it.

AGATE FISH HOOK

[Top right screenshot:]
COMMAND BOX – SPEAK, CHECK, PSI, GOODS
NAME – Ninten
GAME NARRATIVE – NINTEN opened the Present Box. Inside, there was an Agate Fish Hook.
CAPTION: It’s inside a present. You’ll get it if you defeat the Master of the Underground Stream.

PHILOSOPHIZING MAN

[Second from top right screenshot:]
COMMAND BOX – SPEAK, CHECK, PSI, GOODS
NAME – Ninten
PHILOSOPHIZING MAN’S DIALOGUE – …is an absolute secret, but when you get awfully stronger, come see me.
CAPTION: Come visit after defeating the Dragon, and you’ll get a hint about the Melodies.

SLEEPING DRAGON

[Third from top right screenshot:]
COMMAND BOX – SPEAK, CHECK, PSI, GOODS
NAME – Ninten
GAME NARRATIVE – A DRAGON is sleeping. With NINTEN as he is now, he cannot yet awaken the DRAGON.
CAPTION: He’ll awaken if the lead character’s level is at 25 or higher. Defeat him and you can get the Melody.

FORGOTTEN MAN

[Bottom right screenshot:]
COMMAND BOX – SPEAK, CHECK, PSI, GOODS
NAME – Ninten
FORGOTTEN MAN’S DIALOGUE – That’s right. You, too, hurry and ignore me. That’s right, thank you.
CAPTION: Answer “yes” to “ignore me,” and the exit the man passes through will appear.

 

 THANKSGIVING

Area: 8719 m*2 (about 5.41 mi*2)
Pop.: 57
Average Temp.: 18 degrees Celsius (64.4 degrees Fahrenheit)
Main Industries: Manufacturing & Commerce

^When you enter town, you'll feel some dustiness. I suppose that's because it's surrounded by mountain crags on three sides.

Thanksgiving Town
- A peaceful, plentiful town with its own set of city cares -

With two factories - one large, one small - on the outskirts, the town in this area is the most commerce-prosperous. Even when speaking of the town's history, one cannot leave out the name of Mr. Goldrich Duncan. In a nutshell, Mr. Duncan, who was said to have struck oil in the South, set his sights on the goodness of an area we call "along the railroad," and moved to Thanksgiving in the mid-1950s. Since then, he has used his rich funding power to begin construction on two factories to the south and north of town successively; and loaning this spending power largely to such things as the maintenance of Thanksgiving's Main Street in the middle of town, and the [fulfillment/betterment?] of medical and educational institutions, he has changed the face of what was, back then, no more than a little old hick town. This burg being called by the alternate name "Duncan's Town," you could say it's no wonder that with his long-time community standing, Mr. Duncan has more seniority than even the mayor. However, in answer to his most recent plans to build a strip theater, the townspeople are raising their voices in opposition; and this given, Mr. Duncan's power, together with his seniority, seems to be beginning to waver somewhat. So, are you for or against the building of a strip theater?

^The Thanksgiving Festival. We celebrate by eating turkey.

Big Ben Casey's Hospital
- With money-making his priority, his reputation isn't all that great... -

The sign here says "Cheap, Fast and Handsome. The One and Only Doctor, Big Ben Casey," but with his glasses and dumpling nose, we'll leave it for you to judge whether or not he's handsome; and as for "cheap and fast," that's not altogether a lie. He always tries to claim half of his patients' cash-on-hand as treatment expenses - which means if you're broke, he'll cure you for free. Treatment time lasts a mere moment. If you refuse to foot the bill, he'll curse you with "Go off and die, then. I'll phone a mortician," but given that he takes a killing from haves and makes it cheap for have-nots, you could perhaps speak surprisingly highly of his practice, unbefitting of his language.

^Be careful of the cold that's been going around.

----------------------------------------------
Hamburger Shop

Orange Juice: $5.00
Fries: $15.00
Hamburger: $25.00

Hotel

Overnight Expenses (Per Person): $65.00

Hospital

Check-Up (Cold): $Half of on-hand cash
Treatment (Unconscious): $190.00
----------------------------------------------

-------------ARTICLE PRICE-------------------

5F Variety Goods Store----
Ruler: $22.00
Telephone Card: $50.00
Shock Gun: $300.00
Rope: $600.00

4F Food Court-------------
Orange Juice: $5.00
Bread: $30.00
Sports Drink: $75.00

3F Sporting Goods Store----
Normal Bat: $500.00
Good Bat: $1000.00
Boomerang: $1100.00

2F Drugstore---------------
Antidote: $20.00
Asthma Spray: $148.00
Ointment: $194.00
Bugspray: $300.00

1F Service Center
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MAP: Santa Claus Station, To Easter, To Duncan's Factory, Pilgrim's Rock Mountain, To Mother's Day, Hamburger Shop, Big Ben Casey's Hospital, Dept. Store, Hotel, Thanksgiving Main Street, To Reindeer, Twinkle Elementary School, To Sweet Little Factory

^The beautiful school building, surrounded by green. Even at a school like this, of course, you'll find bullies and the bullied.

Tinkle Elementary School
- No. of classrooms: 12, no. of students: 20, 4 teachers, 1 janitor -

^The vast nation is jealous of this soil.

The building on the southernmost edge of town with all the elegance of ivy-entanglement is Tinkle Elementary School. It's said that this school, which nearly all the Thanksgiving residents' children attend, once prided itself on its high level of quality, together with its Child Education program, but with the recent urban development, issues of bullying and delinquency have begun to surface. So let's give a nod to the fact that those parents who are apprehensive of the factor stand at the head of an opposition movement, stating that the construction of a strip theater is only the cherry on top and "will likely disrupt the morals of the young students all the more." Only, Mr. Duncan, who is currently trying to advance construction, happens to also be an honorary member of the town's educational committee, so you could say that solving this problem will be tricky.
By the way, should you visit this school, you can't miss hearing the beautiful chiming sound of the bell that rings throughout the building and interrupts the lessons. This bell is a novelty because it was sent by the neighboring Mother's Day when the school was first established, in commemoration, and alluding to the town name, has a turkey engraved on it. Its clear tone is pleasing even to travelers' ears. Incidentally, the school's name was originally Thanksgiving Elementary School, but people started affectionately calling it Tinkle (the ringing sound of a bell) Elementary, and this, of course, is because of the bell.

^There's an atmosphere of freedom in this classroom. But can you carry numbers in subtraction?

--The Classrooms

The school interior is divided into classrooms of lower-grade students on the first floor, and upper-grade students on the second; and aside from that, there's also a library and a music room and such. As you walk around inside the building, you may be asked, "Are you a student here?" and your things may be inspected, but since that's as harsh as they check outsiders here, I'd have you make a round of each room in turn, and don't hesitate to accost the kids. If you're the one to [bu-tsu-ka-t-te-i-ke-ba; take the initiative?], they'll all open up to you.

--Janitor's Closet

Should you visit Tinkle Elementary School, by all means proceed to head up to the rooftop while you're at it. Since it's usually locked, you'll need to have the janitorial guy open it for you. Which means it's off to the first floor to inquire at the janitor's closet. However, because of his standpoint in being entrusted with the keys, this fellow won't readily open the door for a traveler like you, not even for an instant. Here, you'll have to endure something. The man will give you a long-winded earful, boasting and grumbling and such about his wife who was once "Miss Small Town," but be courteous and follow his lead. If your chat with him goes smoothly, he'll generously lead you to the rooftop.

^"Miss Small Town" looking her finest.

SWEET LITTLE FACTORY

-1 floor below ground level
-3 stories above ground level
-Est. 1955

Picture captions:

[ 1. Warning sign saying "Danger: High Voltage" in Spanish ] The skull-and-crossbones, which denotes high voltage, can be unsettling.

[ 2. An abandoned factory room, featuring a standing fan in the center of a narrow walkway between derelict machines ] Even the machines are now covered in dust.

Map:
GOAL (Bucket)

Sweet Little Factory

- A factory with a dark past that belies its cute name -

After you've finally managed to slip out of Magicant, you'll likely catch sight of a white, modern-looking building below the cliffs on your left. You'll be paying this place, which for whatever reason is known by the charming name of Sweet Little Factory, a visit shortly. After you check out Twinkle Elementary School and meet the boy who is to be your friend, and your objective of getting your hands on a Pencil Rocket becomes clear, you should brace yourself and rush in (of course, I say that, but the enemies here aren't all that tough). Incidentally, ever since the large factory to the north underwent a drastic conversion to high-tech five years ago, the small one in this valley fell into disuse, but before then, it was known as the leading missile manufacturer throughout all of America. They say that when the factory was built, our Mr. Duncan got this plot of land on the cheap from the United States government during a disposal sale, and in exchange he agreed, behind closed doors, to produce weapons; or something to that effect. What brought defense contractor and nation together may have been an ordinary thing, but can you maybe perceive such a fishy past from this factory now, where nothing happens other than mice running in and out of holes in the rusted pipes?

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DUNCAN'S FACTORY

-1 floor below ground level
-10 stories above ground level
-Est. 1969

Picture captions:

[ 1. Exterior of a very large building with reflective paneling ] A high-tech factory that boasts a majestic appearance, reflecting the white clouds to a dazzling radiance. Set one foot inside and you're greeted by a nightmarish labyrinth.

[ 2. A couple of mesas next to a highway ] This factory is here in the cliff-like hills, as if it were hiding.

[ 3. The front of a mack truck ] Watch out for trucks on the way there.

[ 4. Factory interior, a room with what I'm guessing is a massive generator of sorts ] Well, my friend, it's up to you.

[ 5. What looks like a toy airplane in mid-flight, obviously passing for a missile ] The rocket has launched. Now all that's left is to pray to God.

Duncan's Factory

- Knock, and it shall be opened unto you -

True to its name, this factory belongs to Mr. Duncan, and it should hardly take you thirty minutes to reach it, even with your feet not yet accustomed to rocky areas. If you bear left from the point where the railroad track is closed off by boulders, then proceed along the cliffs, all at once the towering sight of an enormous building with a modern exterior will meet your eyes. Few have correct knowledge of just what in the world is produced at this huge factory, which underwent a full-scale reconstruction five years back. Of course, anyone can easily guess that they're making the most up-and-coming arms and weapons, but even if you give listening to what the townsfolk have to say about it a shot, it won't seem to leave the territory of mere hearsay. Incidentally, if you visit here on holiday, you'll need an official pass. A certain terrorist organization is said to have been involved in forgery in order to gain entry to the factory, and since forged passes past their expiration have been known to be dropped on occasion, take care you don't mistake one for the real thing. Actually, with your brute strength being where it's at already, you might not need a pass.

Rocket Launching Room

- Can a kid get it to fly by tampering with it!? -

Deep in the inner area of this vast and complex factory's top floor is a rocket launching room. Why there are rocket launching pads standing in a row here is up to your unhampered imagination. Your objective for the time being is to get your machine-crazy friend to lend a hand, and aim a rocket at the boulders then launch it. Well, I say that, but like you, he's still young. His hands quiver at the sight of elaborate mechanisms he's never seen before, so only God knows where that rocket will end up.

EVENT CHECK POINT

Your goal in the factory is to launch a rocket. If Lloyd is "Unconscious," launch will be impossible, so take caution.

[ ] On your way to the factory, did you get the pass?
[ ] Did you launch the rocket?

[ _Picture caption: Screenshot of Ninten and Lloyd launching the rocket_ ] Found the rocket! Approach and CHECK it, and Lloyd will press the launch switch, and the rocket will take off on its own.

 

SNOWMAN

Inn (JACK's Store)

- What say we warm our frozen feet? -

One of a chain of small grocery stores. The name "JACK" is on the sign, but Jack isn't exactly there: a middle-aged widow who lost her husband in the war runs it herself.

 

[This next bit is something from the very end of the "Map & Guide" section.]

 

MOTHER Encyclopedia – reprint page 107

 

The Elusive Factory

Holy Loly Mountain’s hidden factory, a legend in the making

 

“Somewhere on Holy Loly is a secret factory. There, sleeps a robot named EVE. And, one day when the legend of the demon again resurfaces, EVE will awaken.” – There was once a time when people showed an interest in these kinds of rumor-stories. This was around the middle of the 20^th century. Where did the rumor come from? Did it have a basis? More importantly than that, the people had great zeal for guessing where the factory could be. There were also those who actually climbed the mountain in search of this elusive factory. There was just one spot that not a single person thought to consider: the bottom of the lake. ……Supposing the rumors were true, EVE should be awakening soon. Only, is it an enemy or an ally……?

 

Nearing the Summit

To those of you who are smack in the middle of the mysterious black cloud

 

If only you weren’t engulfed in a black cloud, the view from here would be incredible. Valentine Town, where you had your scuffle with Teddy. Snowman Town, where you met Anna. Thanksgiving Town, which you took Lloyd out of. The town where your sisters, your pet dog Mick, and your mother are waiting for you. That’s right – Mother’s Day. The summit is dead ahead. Take heart. The key words are Courage and Friendship, and the Melody of Love.

 

Pic caption: Why is it you can sense outer space ……?

 

[And now for my most recent translation, that of the MOTHER commercial article.]

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A short explanation before we get started: *CM* stands for Commercial Message (in otherwords, "and now a word from our sponsor"), and *CF* stands for Commercial Film. You see these abbreviations (especially CM) all over the place in Japanese media. Also, I'm not familiar with the "I am not dry" Suntory Malts ad or whatever this "Masterpiece Guaranteed" thing is, so let's just take the article's advice and use our imaginations!

[Page tag: MOTHER CF Discussion]

Making the "MOTHER" TV CF
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Do Commercials Deceive Innocent Children?

 

Hiroshi Ichikura
Born 1955. Copywriter for Nakahata Advertisement Works. Has done many CM productions for Tokyo Gas, Suntory, and SONY. Famous for the recent Suntory Malts’ “I am not dry.” And, of course, “Masterpiece Guaranteed.”

[The names which Ichikura had entered for his characters:]

Me (Ninten): HIROSHI-kun
Friend (Lloyd): GENIUS-kun
Girl (Anna): NATSUNO-chan
Strong Guy (Teddy): AN-chan
Favorite Food: OMELETTES [This should make us MOTHER 3 fans smile :)]

We Must Not Insult the Creative Abilities of Children

In American TV commercials, it's become unacceptable for toy robots and spaceships to fly on their own. It's improper not to clearly show that those robots and spaceships are definitely in a child's hands when they fly; that is to say, that's the way you play with them, and this is the reality: they do not move or transform on their own, let alone grow to giant-size. Surely they mean that deceiving innocent children with commercials is an unacceptable practice, but really, doesn't this horribly insult the imaginations of children? Don't you think so? When children take that small object and say stuff like "SHA-HEEEN!" and "ZA-BOOOM!" isn't it true that they can vividly see it zooming at super-speed through the stratosphere or the vacuum of space? Isn't that what's called imagination? I remember perfectly: Twenty some-odd years ago, the robot I had, which was known as Iron Man No. 28, had certainly saved the earth many, many times.

Even the Famicom is Sure to Have Masterpieces

And, this time, I tell the story of the commercial for "MOTHER." Having received commission for production from Mr. Itoi, we took the plunge and this is the sort of "world of imagination" our thoughts were drawn to. I believe "PRG" [RPG? I think this is a typo] means "a story that you participate in with your imagination," and especially in "MOTHER's" case here, after all, I felt that Mr. Itoi created it with this aspect in his mind the most. As "a story that you enjoy with your imagination," first of all, you have literature and movies, but yes, we tackled it with the intention of creating a commercial of that sort of make. Our intention, to copy off "Masterpiece Guaranteed," was to put enough into it that "although they will compare it to others of that genre, such as Dandelion Wine, The Never-Ending Story, or Stand By Me, they won't even care one bit." I believe we've already arrived somewhere around that point.

The Filming was Done With the Kids' Imaginations in Mind

 

Filming the commercial for MOTHER was fun! We the staff may all have been, as it is, middle-aged men, but in this commercial, we enjoyed making the robot move and wielding psychic powers. After all, even in America, there's no regulation that says the books of Brad Barry or Ende must indicate "This is a work of fiction." [Uhhh... correct me if I'm wrong, but fictional books ARE required by some sort of regulation to indicate so, aren't they?]

And with that, I could end the story here, but for the interested reader, I'll explain in simple terms some of the special effects techniques we used in producing the commercial in question. Or in otherwords, how the commercial deceived the innocent children. (Laughing)
First of all, the robot (R7038XX) which appears in a few shots in the first half, was the giant size of a whole 19.68 inches. (Laughing) We shot with the camera at an angle that would be looking up at it. In the case of this kind of miniature-filming, what was most vital was the movement of the camera. The slightest shake or vibration would reveal the scale, so we used a special system called "motion control." It's a system that moves the camera exquisitely and smoothly according to the readings entered into a computer.
As for the main scene, where the kids hope to reach Holy Loly Mountain, it was made by combining a lot of separate film. The portion that would become the lower picture, when speaking of how big it actually was, was a set we made about the size of a school auditorium stage. In order to bring out a sense of depth, a furthering road was created to appear to dwindle in the distance and grow hazy. The faraway Holy Loly Mountain portion was the separate film. In actuality, the mountain we made was about 3.3 feet high. The clouds were set in motion by animation, and in them we also synthesized a suspicious light.
So how about it? Do you think we deceived you well?

-PICTURES AND CAPTIONS-

[Shot of the three kid actors standing on the set]

CAPTION: It was Loid-kun whose legs trembled while on the set.

[Shot of the mountain model]

CAPTION: Holy Loly Mountain, which according to the CF production staff, was peaceful and calm before the black clouds were gathered in.

[Shot of the production staff working with the kids, showing them how to crouch for the PK attack]

CAPTION: PK Beam Omega goes like this... further down... OK, good, good.

 

[OK, so from here on out, we have some incomplete stuff... some from the Advent Desert entry, and some from the awesome articles at the back of the book. Also some material from a project I started some time ago, might not finish... that is to say, a documentation of the music from the MOTHER trilogy.]

 

MOTHER Anthropology

"MOTHER" Dialogue and Characters

Having Fun with Casting!

Asato Izumi - born 1956 in Tokyo. Real name: Izumi Asaino. After graduating from Keiou University, he served as an editor for Weekly TV Guide and Video Collection before going freelance.

As of the time I write this draft, I still haven't finished "MOTHER" (on a demo cassette loaned to me before its release). I've climbed to the vicinity of the Holy Loly Mountain summit, which (I think) is the final phase, but I can't move the rock in front of the opening.

In spite of this, I suppose I'll move that rock and go inside. Well, that probably means that by the time this article is in book form, I'll be flooded with memories of being the Guy in Front of the Opening; much like an adult who, after finding a love letter in the depths of his desk drawer which he had written in his high school days but never delivered, and re-reading it for the first time in a long time, thinks, "I was worried about a terribly ridiculous thing back then, wasn't I? I was such a newbie." - that sort of feeling.

Which means that I haven't even finished the game yet, but in spite of myself, I'm writing about "MOTHER". The theme I've been commissioned on concerns the characters who appear in the game and the dialogue they spout off.

The skillful supporting actors are a bunch of people of the sort you could find anywhere [need to fix this line so that it makes sense]

 

14. Advent Desert

Before World War I, it was feared as unexplored territory. That and the fact that during the course of one day, the difference in temperature extremes are fierce, so that if you thought to record it at 57*C at midday, at first morning light, it would drop down to 25*C below zero. It is a desert zone that repels living things and is said to have a yearly rainfall of a mere 50mm (Tokyo, by the way, averages from 1000mm to 1500mm). Perhaps because of these severe climate conditions, according to an old legend in the region, Christ will make his Second Advent in this land once in a thousand years, and it is known as the place where He will receive the penance of the Resurrection.It is told that because of this, at some point it came to be known as Advent Desert.

 

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