Did Nintendo Almost Release MOTHER 3?

Reggie is coming out with a new book and already there are several interesting things he's said in the material from this release. One of these things is a statement about Mother 3 and the fact that there was talks about releasing it with Iwata. But hey, those conversations at least gave us the first game in the series, so that's something.

[@Megatron9000]

Mother 3 would be awesome to see released with an official English patch. As far as hype goes, I think it's enough that Ness and Lucas are in the Smash Bros series as recurring characters, and powerful ones at that, giving them fresh exposure to a modern audience each console generation. The Mother franchise has been represented in the Smash Bros series since its very first installment.
Smash Bros is one of the biggest franchises of all time, and fans of Nintendo are very familiar with its roster and know it's home to many iconic characters in gaming history. There are a huge number of characters from some of the best video games out there, both Nintendo and non-Nintendo, yet Ness and Lucas haven't gone anywhere. Maybe that's because of the way the Smash Bros roster has evolved generation to generation, being largely additive rather than subtractive, but beneficially it's helped keep these characters and the stories they espouse in the collective consciousness.
So to respond to Reggie's comment that it's just a small number of fans asking for Mother 3... Specifically my takeaway from what he’s saying is that he seems to think efforts to market the game wouldn't be worth it, and that it wouldn't be worth it to create a new translation (and anything else involved, which I don't claim to be an expert about, but I think can safely assume isn't a lot. Obviously the game is finished). If Nintendo marketed things the right way, there could be a lot of hype, or at minimum enough to turn a profit considering the low cost of bringing the game to English speaking territories. The Switch is already home to tons of classic games, including many from classic consoles that are multiple generations old, and many are from before the 3D era. Fans of the Switch are often fans of gaming history. (Speaking of which, is Star Fox 2 on the eShop? That's another conversation lol).
Maybe the concern he's relaying is that it would be too out of the ordinary to localize a game from such a long time ago- it's not the way things are typically done and it would be taking a much less measured risk. Maybe the underlying assumption is that the English version of Mother 3 would have to be put on the same monthly subscription service as other SNES games, not bringing in much more profit, if any, making it not worth it. Maybe they're anticipating fan backlash if they try to sell it as a standalone title on the eShop, when the expectation is bundling it with other titles due to its age. Maybe they don't care to put money into the project because fan translations are already out there, playable on any computer or smartphone (though we all know an *official* translation is typically the best).
When marketing Mother 3, what they have to be able to do is talk about it as a classic, an important piece of gaming history, and maybe as a game that is an essential experience. What if Mother 3 isn't all that good though? What if the real reason it hasn't been translated officially is because it hasn't stood the test of time like its predecessor? Maybe that was the real answer all along... I don't know, but I hope not.
Now imagine if they came out with a modern sequel like they did with Kid Icarus a decade ago on the 3DS, updating things for a modern audience (March 23, 2012 is Uprising’s original release date, which feels unreal to me). A new Mother game could happen. I’m familiar with Earthbound, so speaking from that context, its mechanics are already pretty timeless, being a turn-based RPG that relies more on text and menus than other games from the era. With very few tweaks to the gameplay they could have something modern in their hands. Maybe they go the route of Octopath Traveler, being a retro-modern hybrid, featuring pixel graphics used to the fullest of their potential (with modern lighting, shadows, fog, transitions, etc), and cleaner, more modern menus. Maybe it goes the route of Final Fantasy 7 remake, with full 3D graphics and a brand new action combat system (or they can explore something similar to Kingdom Hearts' action command system, which also is not turn-based). Maybe they do something like what they did to Pokemon Diamond/Pearl or The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, where both games rely on classic systems with a modern graphical sheen. Who knows? Video games have evolved in so many ways over the years.
Also... Nintendo gave us Star Fox 2 not too long ago, finally completing and delivering it. I know it was to push the SNES Classic, but come on, Nintendo! How much more work was that than translating Mother 3 would be?

[@RFMITCH11]

Hey, BBD do you ever stream on Twitch anymore?