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[JB2448]

Edit: Here's kirbyfan407's thread for the full interview. Per ReyVGM's suggestion and as an excuse to post the full, official translation of the interview, here's the specific line:

Sakamoto: It came out quite a while ago. (Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School was a software title for the Family Computer Disk System. It was released in 1987). But when the decision was made to go forward with development, the president at the time, Hiroshi Yamauchi, told me that if I was going to work on that kind of game I should ask Mr. Itoi for his opinion. And you came all the way to Nintendo to visit. I was in charge at the time.

Itoi: You were in charge of that game!?

Sakamoto: Yes (laughs) Then, you told me a lot of your opinions, and at the end when we were done you said to me "actually... there's this thing..."

Itoi: That was "MOTHER (EarthBound)".

Sakamoto: Yes. You showed me the plans for MOTHER.

Itoi: That's right, that's right. At the time the name wasn't "MOTHER". We were using the provisional title "ESP1."

From https://yomuka.wordpress.com/2016/0...tle-while-reminiscing-with-miitomos-producer/, an excerpt of an interview between Mother/EarthBound series creator Shigesato Itoi and Miitomo (and Super Metroid) producer Yoshio Sakamoto. Another interesting tidbit from this excerpt:

Itoi: That was my very first time going to Nintendo. By the way, did you happen to know why Yamauchi told you to call me over?

Sakamoto: No, I don’t.

Itoi: I only heard about it later, but there was a feature about video games on the late-night show “11PM.” It was a time when video games were under a great deal of scrutiny and viewed much more negatively than they are now. I happened to be on that episode, and I was defending video games. I talked about the way college students used to be criticized for reading manga, and how over time manga was given a right to be a part of society. “Games are criticized the same way now,” I said, “but it’s really no different.”

Yamauchi just happened to have seen the episode, and he said [mimicking Yamauchi] “Damn right!”

 

[Krammy]

While it's hard to imagine the series by another name (aside from Mother and Earthbound), ESP1 sounds really cool!

 

[djtiesto]

There's quite a number of Japanese games and anime from the 80's where ESP was an important part of the storyline or gameplay - Esper Dream, Mother series, even ESP Ra.De. I love that stuff, wish the ESP theme would make a bit of a comeback.

 

[Thud]

Based Yamauchi.

 

[Torokil]

I imagine Yamauchi did a 180 when Itoi revealed that he wanted to make a game in the dreaded JRPG genre.

 

[Breads]

I guess Yamauchi didn't know Itoi was a depressed gamer who likes to sit alone in his dark room and play slow games.

 

[SenorArdilla]

I guess Yamauchi didn't know Itoi was a depressed gamer who likes to sit alone in his dark room and play slow games.

Money is money.

 

[Onaco]

How do you go from Super Metroid to Miitomo?

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

How do you go from Super Metroid to Miitomo?

Sakamoto's team made a Hamtaro game on the Game Boy which lead to them developing Mii which lead to them developing Tomodachi Life which lead them to developing Miitomo.

 

[BGBW]

How do you go from Super Metroid to Miitomo?

That team is also responsible for Wario Land, Wario Ware and Rhythm Tengoku series.

If anything, Metroid is the odd one out.

 

[AntMurda]

That team is also responsible for Wario Land, Wario Ware and Rhythm Tengoku series.

If anything, Metroid is the odd one out.

Card Hero DS also. But NES/GB Sakamoto made a lot of strange dark games that didn't sell as well as the colorful pop hits his teams have mainly undertaken last two generations.

 

[Peltz]

How do you go from Super Metroid to Miitomo?

I could see an artist or creative type not wanting to stick to any one particular genre. Personally, I think Miitomo is a very admirable concept, even if it doesn't hold my attention, personally.

 

[ReyVGM]

Uhh... Shouldn't the OP have the ESP1 quote posted instead?

 

[MrSaturn99]

That sounds like a name for a TV channel. Glad he stuck with "Mother"; such a warm vibe to it.

That site has some really fascinating translations. This roundtable between Itoi, Iwata and Miyamoto on EB64's cancellation has some honest lessons that I imagine remain relevant even today.

How do you go from Super Metroid to Miitomo?

I think it was in an Iwata Asks where he mentioned he would be sticking with projects like Tomodachi Life from now on. I imagine the reception to Other M really burned him out regarding ambitious projects.