Recently, I had a chance to meet writer and director Evan Butler while attending PAX East in Boston. Butler, who has had a creative hand in many successful projects, including the Legends Cookbook, hosted a PAX East panel where his indie film Mother To Earth: The Untold Story of Earth Bound was shown.
Butler co-directed the documentary with Joshua Bone-Christian in 2020. The film documents the mysterious case of Earth Bound, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) game that was never released for the console. The game was completely finished and was set to include “Great-Grandfather’s Diary,” a full map, and game instructions; yet after the localization was complete, Nintendo unceremoniously pulled the plug. While EarthBound (essentially Mother 2) was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), decades went by before players got to experience the original, or even to understand what had happened with its development.
“They didn’t understand the emotional connection to the audience,” Phil Sandhop, the localizing producer for Earth Bound, explains. “To [the Nintendo executives], it’s just ‘kid’s games.’ It’s a commodity.”
In many ways, the documentary is a love letter to the Mother series, exploring the impact of the SNES EarthBound, and the organic energy the close-knit community poured into rediscovering the original NES prototype. The film miraculously tracks down the whereabouts of the lost prototypes, including the infamous TK-69 cartridge, all the while entertaining with creative, hilarious and spontaneous wit that anyone who’s met Butler will recognize.
If you’re a fan of EarthBound and the Mother series, this documentary is a must-watch. Mother To Earth: The Untold Story of Earth Bound is available to rent ($2.99 USD) or purchase ($9.99 USD) on vimeo.
Tell us what you think! Will you be viewing the Mother To Earth documentary? Share your reactions in the comments below or join the conversation on Boss Rush Network’s Discord and Facebook.
Source: Mother To Earth: The Untold Story of Earth Bound
The Boss Rush Podcast – Mondays at 7AM ET
The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of Boss Rush Media and The Boss Rush Network. Each week, Corey, LeRon, Stephanie, Edward, and their friends from around the internet come together to talk their week in games, entertainment, and more while also bringing topics for conversation, answer listener and community questions, and cover major news and events happening in the video game industry. Watch The Boss Rush Podcast Monday mornings at 7AM ET on YouTube and listen on podcast services everywhere. Thanks for listening!
You can get episodes of this podcast one week early by supporting The Boss Rush Network on the Boss Rush Media Patreon.
Anchor | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | Twitch | Overcast | Pocket Casts
Follow The Boss Rush Podcast on Social Media:
Twitter | Discord | Instagram | Twitch | YouTube | Facebook Group | Facebook
Shows also available on The Boss Rush Podcast feeds:
- One V One: The Creator Interview Series (Also available on its own feed)
- Talk The Walk: The Walking Simulator and Cozy Game Conversation Show
- Boss Rush Podcast Extra
- Boss Rush Panels
Nintendo Pow Block Podcast – Wednesdays at 7AM ET
Nintendo Pow Block
Nintendo Pow Block is Boss Rush Media and The Boss Rush Network’s Nintendo podcast. Each week, Edward, Corey, and their friends from around the internet come together to talk about the week in Nintendo, including news, rumors, new games, questions, and the fan-favorite Snacktendo segment. Check out Nintendo Pow Block Live on Twitch every Monday night at 8:30PM Eastern / 5:30PM Pacific or on Podcast Services and YouTube Wednesday mornings at 7AM. If you enjoy the show, consider leaving us a five-star rating on iTunes and Spotify. Thanks for listening to Nintendo Pow Block!
Anchor | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | Overcast | Pocket Casts
Follow Nintendo Pow Block on Social Media:
Twitter | Discord | Instagram | Twitch | YouTube | Facebook Group | Facebook
Shows also available on the Nintendo Pow Block Podcast feeds:
- Nintendo Pow Block Expansion Pass
- The Nintendo Direct Recap Show
- Nintendo Spoiler Alert
- Ranking Nintendo Episodes of Standard Definition: The Retro and Nostalgia Podcast
Leave a Reply