Editing EarthBound (section)

===Sequels and rereleases===
{{Main|Mother 3|Development of Mother 3|l2=its development}}
In 1996, Nintendo announced a sequel to ''EarthBound'' for the [[Nintendo 64]]: ''Mother 3''{{r|Shacknews: EarthBotched}} (''EarthBound 64'' in North America).{{r|GameSpot: from the dead}}<!--|IGN: Retro Remix--> It was scheduled for release on the [[64DD]], a Nintendo 64 expansion peripheral that used a [[magneto-optical drive]],{{r|1UP: Vapor}} but struggled to find a firm release date{{r|IGN: M3 PUSHED}} as [[Development of Mother 3|its protracted development]] entered [[development hell]]. It was later canceled altogether in 2000{{r|Shacknews: EarthBotched}} when the 64DD flopped.{{r|1UP: Vapor}} In April 2003, a Japanese television advertisement revealed that both ''Mother 3'' and a combined ''[[Mother 1+2]]'' cartridge were in development for the handheld [[Game Boy Advance]].{{r|GameSpot: sequels}} ''Mother 3'' abandoned the Nintendo 64 version's 3D, but kept its plot.{{r|Shacknews: EarthBotched}} It became a bestseller upon its Japanese release in 2006, yet did not receive a North American release{{r|1UP: Vapor}} on the basis that it would not sell.{{r|Digital Trends: Itoi teases}} ''IGN'' described the series as neglected by Nintendo in North America, as ''Mother 1'', ''Mother 1+2'' and ''Mother 3'' were not released outside Japan.{{r|IGN: Retro Remix}}

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| footer            = Fans incorrectly suspected music licensing issues from artists such as [[the Beatles]] and [[Chuck Berry]] had impeded ''EarthBound''{{'s}} re-release.{{r|Kotaku: not music}}
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When Nintendo launched its digital distribution platform, Virtual Console, for the Wii in 2006, ''IGN'' expected ''EarthBound'' to be among Nintendo's highest priorities for rerelease, given the "religious" dedication of its fanbase.{{r|IGN: Retro Remix}} Though the game was ranked the most desired Virtual Console release by ''[[Nintendo Power]]'' readers, rated for release by the [[ESRB]],{{r|Nintendo Life: ESRB}} and able to be published with little effort,{{r|Shacknews: EarthBotched}} the Wii version did not materialize.{{r|Polygon: Quash}} Many fans believed that music licensing or legal concerns impeded the rerelease.{{r|Kotaku: Man Who Wrote|Shacknews: EarthBotched|Kotaku: not music}} English localizer Marcus Lindblom doubted that the game's music samples were an issue, since they were not a concern during development, and instead hypothesized that Nintendo did not realize the magnitude of the game's popular support and did not consider it a priority project.{{r|Kotaku: Man Who Wrote}} By 2008, it was not apparent that Nintendo of America was considering a rerelease.{{r|Shacknews: EarthBotched}} At the end of 2012, Itoi revealed that the re-release was moving forward,{{r|Digital Trends: Itoi teases}} which was confirmed in a January 2013 [[Nintendo Direct]] presentation.{{r|Polygon: Wii U Japan}}

As part of the anniversary celebrations for the Nintendo Entertainment System and ''Mother 2'' in March 2013, Nintendo rereleased ''EarthBound'' for Japan on the Wii's successor, the Wii U Virtual Console.{{r|Polygon: Wii U Japan}} ''EarthBound'' producer Satoru Iwata soon announced a wider rerelease, citing fan interest on Nintendo's Miiverse social platform.{{r|Polygon: coming to VC}} The July American and European launch included a free, online recreation of the game's original Player's Guide, optimized for viewing on the [[Wii U GamePad]].{{r|Polygon: now available}} The game was a top-seller on the Wii U Virtual Console, and both ''Kotaku'' users and first-time ''EarthBound'' players had an "overwhelmingly positive" response to the game.{{r|Kotaku: Man Who Wrote}} Simon Parkin wrote that its re-release was a "momentous occasion" as the return of "one of Nintendo's few remaining lost classics" after 20 years.{{r|ONM review}} The re-release was one ''GameSpot'' editor's game of the year,{{r|GameSpot: Justin Haywald}} and ''Nintendo Life''{{'s}} Virtual Console game of the year.{{r|Nintendo Life: GOTY 2013}} The [[New Nintendo 3DS]]-specific Virtual Console received the re-release the next year, in March 2016.{{r|3DS}} In September 2017, Nintendo released the [[Super NES Classic Edition]], which included ''EarthBound'' among its games.<ref name="supernesclassic"/> Japan's version of the console however, did not include the game.<ref name="chagrin"/>

In February 2022, Nintendo rereleased ''EarthBound'' worldwide on the [[Nintendo Classics]] service along with its predecessor [[Mother (video game)|''EarthBound Beginnings'']].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Diaz |first1=Ana |title=EarthBound will hit the Nintendo Switch on Feb. 9 |url=https://www.polygon.com/22926231/earthbound-mother-mother-2-nintendo-switch-online |access-date=9 February 2022 |publisher=Polygon |date=February 9, 2022 |archive-date=February 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210001822/https://www.polygon.com/22926231/earthbound-mother-mother-2-nintendo-switch-online |url-status=live}}</ref>