I think it also has something to do with changing Ness's age from 12 to 13 and the American "redesign" wanted to reflect that. You know, a boy entering puberty.
The shoes are because kids in the early 90s were freaking obsessed with shoes. It was a whole thing, and a lot of companies tried to capitalize on it with weird gimmicks. Remember like LA Lights, or the shoes with that squishy goo in them? And when characters had distinctive shoes, like Sonic and Tails, they would talk about it a lot. NoA was probably trying to tap into that here.
I think people were still obsessed with shoes in the 2000s. I should know because I was one of those shoe fanatics. I liked flip flops in particular but I can remember a time as a kid when I wanted Sonic's shoes. lol
I like both the designs but I feel the Japanese model is way more iconic. And that’s definitely due to smash brothers. And I also think the concept of Ness starting as this chubby kid is a very cute and good concept.
The idea that you mentioned of the Japanese design of Ness representing his design in the beginning of the game and the American design representing him towards the end of the game is my new headcanon now. Love this.
Since Jeff and Poo don't come from America-like locations they probably thought they didn't really need to change them. Jeff is practically the same minus some minor changes, but Poo is a little different in terms of position, I can't really show images (UA-cam let us show images in comments grrrr) but just google up the differences and you'll see it
Only Monkey The Ness could make a "JP Ness V.S US Ness" video. While it's ultimately more like a funny fact than something to seriously debate over, I feel like I get what US Ness was going for, I like how he looks but for me he's still no more than an extension of the Ness we know. Both are Ness, I like Ness.
I'm always skeptical about newer MOTHER-tubers. Sometimes it feels like the series has been deconstructed and analyzed to death. I've watched a handful of your videos and your insights feel fresh and new, like you is contributing new perspectives to the discourse. Good job. Thanks for doing this.
@@marsybarz I remember they did an interview with the dude that made the MOTHER 1 translation, and he named it "Earth Bound" to highlight the game's alien invasion plot and "otherworldly nature". Then they reused that name in the MOTHER 2 translation to, yes, pay homage to the (then still unreleased) translation of the first game.
I always assumed it was because Earthbound's setting as a fictionalized Earth was relatively rare for gaming back then. Most games, esp RPGs were often set in fantasy worlds and the like
My theory is Mother 1 didn't got an official localization at that time so if it's title Mother 2 the players might wonder why they didn't see Mother 1 if this is a sequel game. And also TheRedCap's reply made definitely sense, when I heard EarthBound for the first time I also thought about planet earth being under alien invasion since it's sounds like it came from a sci-fi movie.
As someone who is much more familiar with Ness’s Japanese model, it’s so weird to look at the American model because, in my mind, it’s wildly different than the one I’m used to. I do enjoy it’s whole aggressive 90s charm, but the redesign makes him look too much like Ninten for my taste. I wish whoever was translating Ness’s design for a Western audience had just kept the original Japanese model from the get-go. I feel that Ness’s whole “American boy from the lens of someone who is not American” aesthetic oozes more charm than “American boy made by average Americans”. That all aside, awesome video!! I just discovered your channel and really like it. :)
I like how each character has a different background in most every way. The way their parents treat them is different for each character, Ness had more generic parents that were willing to let their kid accomplish his destiny, Paula had parents that were way to loose and trusted in her safety on a hunch, Jeff had no parents to speak of while growing up, and Poo had more strict parents because of the whole “being a prince” thing.
(0:15) The American localization name for MOTHER 2 comes from the name of the cancelled localization of MOTHER 1. After MOTHER 1 released in Japan in 1989 with huge success, Nintendo decided to localize the game for the western audience. Phil Sandhop the man who previously worked on Final Fantasy's US Localization helped worked on MOTHER 1's as well. Phil knew no American would buy a game called "MOTHER" as the name sounded too girly and cheesy, so they decided to rename the game something that sounds more mature and masculine. They came up with name "EARTH BOUND" (2 separate words) as there is an Earth in MOTHER's logo and you are literally bounded to earth in game, so put 2 and 2 together then *BOOM!* You get the name "EARTH BOUND" Unfortunately, even though MOTHER 1 was already completely translated into English and ready for a June 16th, 1991 American release, the localization got canned as the SNES was already out at the time and Nintendo of America didn't want to spend loads of money trying to market a 8 bit game in the 16 bit era of gaming, not to mention at the time JRPGs didn't sell that well in America to begin with so why bother marketing a game that will probably only sell decently at best in the US.
@@MonkeyNess I mean to be fair, they had to rename the game anyways as America didn't get MOTHER 1 like it was supposed to and renaming MOTHER 2: Gyiyg Strikes Back into simply "MOTHER" in America would of caused loads of confusion within players and the fanbase. (Not like there isn't already confusion in the naming scheme of all the MOTHER games to begin with lmao, this is why I just refer to all the games by their Japanese names to try to cause less confusion)
i kinda prefer the name EarthBound for Mother 2, I’m indifferent with Mother 1/EarthBound Beginnings, but EarthBound 2 will NEVER be an acceptable name for Mother 3.
I mean, every single game except EarthBound is Unplayable. Why? Beacause the protagonists don't have baggy shorts. Does Mario have baggy shorts? I don't think so
Hey MonkeyNess, are you familiar with the EarthBound Handbook by Fangamer? They use a handmade Ness model based on the Japanese clay figure and take some amazing photographs with it, recreating all of the "Your Sanctuary" locations! The book takes the official Nintendo guide's charm and expands on it tenfold, from mock-up Mr. Saturm movie posters to retro-styled advertisements for restaurants & stores from the game. Having just watched your Player's Guide video too, I think this would be a fun one for you to explore; there's so much love and detail in every page!
@@MonkeyNess it's pretty good The art for the " your sanctuary " locations is amazing because to me look it the clay models and the handbook looks like a brochure for a vacation
*Fun Fact:* From Smash 64 to Smash Brawl, Ness' designs was actually a mix of his Japanese and American designs put into 1. He had the more short chubby statured body structure of his Japanese design mixed with his American design color scheme which his blues where replaced with more of a violet color. Smash 4 and Ultimate made his appearance more 1:1 with just his Japanese design by making his color scheme contain light blue instead of a more violet color of his American design. Smash Melee even has an alternate trophy that gives Ness his more Japanese design with his bright blue color scheme: *Main Ness Smash Melee Trophy:* oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/apis.ign.com/super-smash-bros-melee/e/ee/Ness_trophy.jpg *Alternate Ness Smash Melee Trophy:* gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/screen/full/1/9/8/1474198.jpg
i never actually thought about how it's implied ness is thinner and taller by the end of the game. it obviously isn't the intent, but it's definitely a cool headcanon to consider US ness as a "post-game" ness.
ive always seen ness as that one kid who everyone talks about as being cool and chill but when you actually get to know him you realize hes kinda weird and goofy. not in a bad way, it suits him well and hes still a good friend but it isnt what you were expecting yknow? if anything too that vibe adds to his relatability, im sure plenty of people know at least 1 person like that
MonkeyNess I really like your videos. They are always entertaining and I’m glad there’s still a thriving UA-cam community for EarthBound. Keep up the good work!
Honestly American Paula always confused me more than American Ness. Like they straight-up just removed her bow even though she's very clearly still wearing it in-game. (Although, I guess you never see Ness with a flipped hat and they still did that for some reason.) Unless the models were prevalent in marketing it just seems kind of pointless.
Appreciate little bros like you still talking about this game. I tried getting my 10 year old (he is 14 now) we got past Belch factory and he just couldn’t do it anymore. I wanted to ground him but I just finished the game myself with the wife watching and asking me wtf am I playing
Wasn't expecting a body positivity speech in my EarthBound video. It was nice And we all know "Bad Boy Ness" is Ninten's son and "Chubby Ness" isn't. Obviously Mother 2 and EarthBound exist in a multiverse
Both are great, Japanese Ness is iconic and what I think of generally when I think of just Ness but American Ness is so tied to Earthbound itself in my eyes, he’s the Ness I picture when thinking of Earthbound specifically.
Thanks to Smash Bros., I feel the chubby Japanese version is far more well known these days. I feel the only people who even remember the American redesign are older fans who had the Player's Guide.
3:19 why did this make me laugh i genuinely wanna see what the hell MatPat has to say about Ninten just to laugh about it anyway yeah american ness imo is alright, but i think ill always have a place for japanese ness in my heart, even if he looks a little awkward
The only time I have seen the American render for Ness was in a video game magazine showing the unlockable characters in Smash 64. I eventually found out what game he is from years later all because of Smash.
There was a localization planned for Mother 1 (known as EarthBound Beginnings when it was ultimately released worldwide), titled "Earth Bound". I think that's where "EarthBound" came from. Still don't know where "Earthbound" came from, though. EDIT: Just realized that the tip of Ness' hat was changed from white to yellow.
3:52 Ik this is super nitpicky but Ness is an *anagram* of SNES, not an acronym. An anagram is a word made from rearranged letters, an acronym is a word where each letter is short for another word (SNES is an acronym for Super Nintendo Entertainment System)
How'd they manage to change it? Was it through Photoshop? For some reason, I can't imagine that being done so well in the 90s. I was genuinely convinced that they made a new model by hand.
6:20 i think ness and paula are more marketable in a cynical 90s buisness man sort of way. like theyre the main boy and girl, and marketers were really adimant on gender rolls at the time. have the main girl look pretty so the girls will wanna play it, and have the main boy be cool so the boys'll wanna play it. idk could be wrong, but its what i assumed.
Think you’re onto something but idk if I’d describe Paula as depicted in any of the promotional material as “pretty” lol, they all still look pretty weird haha
American Ness looks so much cooler, even though I still love the original Ness design. I feel like Ness would start to look more like his American version by the end of the game, since the game dialogue already throws hints like Ness getting taller/thinner (i.e losing his babyish features and going through puberty) and even Jeff is told that he's gotten taller.
Listen, i love these videos but the THX theme killed me. I have a *huge* fear of that sound. I got jumpscared by it- I'm sorry for making it seem like hate-- it isn't just know i have a fear of loud sounds so like- yeah 😔
i will never understand why people hate this specific design, but i can understand that it takes off Itoi original ideia and kinda changes Ness as a character, even if in game his sprite stay the same lol, i personally love how cool Ness looks, like, it's not super over 90s cool thing like the American Sonic design, Ness just looks older and more "brave", i really like that, shame that the fandom sometimes just hate it.
I like both designs. The Japanese is definitely more "early game" chubby Ness, and the US one is definitely cooler looking. When I draw Ness I generally combine the designs. With that said, if the US version was try to give Ness some 90s attitude, I personally find that funny because while he isn't a 'wimp' like Lucas, he never really seemed too "attitudey". He always seemed a little more dorky or oblivious when I played. Just my personal take.
3:50 Actually, I was weirded out by Ness's name as well so I looked it up. Believe it or not, this is the answer I received: Ness is a real name people can give their children, and apparently it's a *gender neutral* name so a girl or boy can have it. The name "Ness" is of *Scottish origin* and means "From the headland". It could have been derived from the Ancient Greek name *Nestor* , meaning "Homecoming" or "to return safely". Its other origins: *German, Greek, Scandinavian* This is a pretty nice fun fact, I honestly didn't know that Ness was a real name, let alone was a name that can be given to a boy or girl 😅
Poo was a mistranslation (or more likely an intentional change to make his name look less foreign to the American audience while also going with the whole 90s gross-out thing) from the original Japanese version name of “Pú”
@@MonkeyNess Do you know anyone who is? Last I checked, on April 1st they announced it was cancelled in favor of Undertale Encore. On April 2nd, they announced that Mother Encore isn't cancelled and Undertale Encore was. I went into the Discord and some random person said that Mother Encore was cancelled and Undertale Encore was cancelled. I DON'T KNOW WHO OR WHAT TO BELIEVE!
@@MonkeyNess I confronted the people in the server about it. Some random person said that it is legitimately cancelled. I don't know if I should take their word in that but I just feel extremely confused by the entire situation.
Honestly it allways puzzled me as to why they opted to call the games Mother in the first place. I mean it does make some loose sense in the original because the twist in that game is that Giegue was raised by humans although not exclus6a mother and while Lucas's mom doesn't have much to do in mother 3 at least her death is one of the reasons the plot begins in the first place but mother 2 has no reason to be called mother. Ness's mom contributes almost nothing to the plot and she's really only useful as hospital at the very start of the game your sister is more helpful hell you never get to see what Ness's dad even looks like but at least he contributes to party
The title "Mother" is more thematic than it is literal across the games. Itoi selected it due to the game's (Mother 1's) sentimentality and more emotional nature than other contemporary RPGs.
I wish we got a Ness mii swordfighter skin with his hat in Smash. His "sword" could just be a baseball bat. Would technically have the American redesign in the game
Maybe as a surname, especially if you’re a character in The Untouchables, but not really as a first name, whereas the name “Poo” is ostensively a joke.
I never thought the original Ness looked fat. He just looks like a kid to me, his clothes are baggy and his body is mostly concealed, Apple Kid is the real fat boy lol. Ness's look allows people, thin and fat, to see themselves in him. No hate to american Ness either, he's cool too, it's fun to think maybe he's end game Ness like you said.
I think it also has something to do with changing Ness's age from 12 to 13 and the American "redesign" wanted to reflect that. You know, a boy entering puberty.
OKAY- Ness smash bros
Yeah. I remember when my neck sprouted at the tender age of 14.
I'm still short as heck.
us ness looks like he’d call you a slur
"PK fire!"
"PK FUC-"
@@CEORabbid That would change a lot depending on who you use it on 😵💫
@@JapanimatorGD WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT WA-
True
@@JapanimatorGDwhat would it be like if ness used it on paula
Ness: "I like baggy shorts! They're comfy and easy to wear!"
Ness being chubbier could also help him relate to Porky at the beginning of the game.
Totally agree with this! The ending even serves as a contrast to this, with Ness being thinner!
The shoes are because kids in the early 90s were freaking obsessed with shoes. It was a whole thing, and a lot of companies tried to capitalize on it with weird gimmicks. Remember like LA Lights, or the shoes with that squishy goo in them? And when characters had distinctive shoes, like Sonic and Tails, they would talk about it a lot. NoA was probably trying to tap into that here.
Good explanation! Makes sense, and I'd guess at least partially true.
Nah jit still obsessed with shoes lmao
@@MonkeyNess also Japan ness is ninten
@@polishcow4013 Not necessarily, Itoi leaves that purely to the interpretation of the player!
I think people were still obsessed with shoes in the 2000s. I should know because I was one of those shoe fanatics. I liked flip flops in particular but I can remember a time as a kid when I wanted Sonic's shoes. lol
I like both the designs but I feel the Japanese model is way more iconic. And that’s definitely due to smash brothers. And I also think the concept of Ness starting as this chubby kid is a very cute and good concept.
I never actually thought of Ness as a chubby kid I thought it was just the art style
@@PhantomOfficial07 Same. I just thought that everyone in earthbound was short and wide, kinda like in early animal crossing.
I don’t like either render personally. The chubby one is weird and the American one is derpy. I prefer their ingame look the best.
@@minixlemonade I'm pretty sure the Japanese one is supposed to be a clay model version of the ingame look, not a new take on Ness's design
@@PhantomOfficial07 several characters in-game call him chubby
The idea that you mentioned of the Japanese design of Ness representing his design in the beginning of the game and the American design representing him towards the end of the game is my new headcanon now. Love this.
Original Ness: Okay
American Localization Ness: *Something cool and edgy that all the 90's kid would relate to*
Both. Both is good.
@@poweroffriendship2.0american style is better
Here’s the real question:
Why were Jeff and Poos American clay models stay unchanged unlike Ness and Paula
Since Jeff and Poo don't come from America-like locations they probably thought they didn't really need to change them.
Jeff is practically the same minus some minor changes, but Poo is a little different in terms of position, I can't really show images (UA-cam let us show images in comments grrrr) but just google up the differences and you'll see it
Jeff is british and Poo is chinese.
@@ThatMemePerson i think dalaam is more like india
@@ThatMemePerson poo is based on a monk so most probably Nepal or possibly india
@@waffleboywonder8868 I think Poo is based on Shaolin monk which is originated from China.
Only Monkey The Ness could make a "JP Ness V.S US Ness" video.
While it's ultimately more like a funny fact than something to seriously debate over, I feel like I get what US Ness was going for, I like how he looks but for me he's still no more than an extension of the Ness we know.
Both are Ness, I like Ness.
When I read “JP Ness”, I pronounced it like “Japyness” for some reason.
@@reformedorthodoxmunmanquara Japaness
Yeah I like both designs equally
I'm always skeptical about newer MOTHER-tubers. Sometimes it feels like the series has been deconstructed and analyzed to death. I've watched a handful of your videos and your insights feel fresh and new, like you is contributing new perspectives to the discourse. Good job. Thanks for doing this.
I really appreciate that, I try to make that a priority for my videos.
My guess as to why it was changed to EarthBound is because it could be seen as a similar title to Mother, being Mother Earth.
Ooh, interesting theory!
i swear i remember hearing somewhere that it was to pay homage to the planned english release of MOTHER
@@marsybarz I remember they did an interview with the dude that made the MOTHER 1 translation, and he named it "Earth Bound" to highlight the game's alien invasion plot and "otherworldly nature". Then they reused that name in the MOTHER 2 translation to, yes, pay homage to the (then still unreleased) translation of the first game.
I always assumed it was because Earthbound's setting as a fictionalized Earth was relatively rare for gaming back then. Most games, esp RPGs were often set in fantasy worlds and the like
My theory is Mother 1 didn't got an official localization at that time so if it's title Mother 2 the players might wonder why they didn't see Mother 1 if this is a sequel game. And also TheRedCap's reply made definitely sense, when I heard EarthBound for the first time I also thought about planet earth being under alien invasion since it's sounds like it came from a sci-fi movie.
As someone who is much more familiar with Ness’s Japanese model, it’s so weird to look at the American model because, in my mind, it’s wildly different than the one I’m used to. I do enjoy it’s whole aggressive 90s charm, but the redesign makes him look too much like Ninten for my taste.
I wish whoever was translating Ness’s design for a Western audience had just kept the original Japanese model from the get-go. I feel that Ness’s whole “American boy from the lens of someone who is not American” aesthetic oozes more charm than “American boy made by average Americans”.
That all aside, awesome video!! I just discovered your channel and really like it. :)
I like how each character has a different background in most every way. The way their parents treat them is different for each character, Ness had more generic parents that were willing to let their kid accomplish his destiny, Paula had parents that were way to loose and trusted in her safety on a hunch, Jeff had no parents to speak of while growing up, and Poo had more strict parents because of the whole “being a prince” thing.
(0:15) The American localization name for MOTHER 2 comes from the name of the cancelled localization of MOTHER 1. After MOTHER 1 released in Japan in 1989 with huge success, Nintendo decided to localize the game for the western audience. Phil Sandhop the man who previously worked on Final Fantasy's US Localization helped worked on MOTHER 1's as well. Phil knew no American would buy a game called "MOTHER" as the name sounded too girly and cheesy, so they decided to rename the game something that sounds more mature and masculine. They came up with name "EARTH BOUND" (2 separate words) as there is an Earth in MOTHER's logo and you are literally bounded to earth in game, so put 2 and 2 together then *BOOM!* You get the name "EARTH BOUND" Unfortunately, even though MOTHER 1 was already completely translated into English and ready for a June 16th, 1991 American release, the localization got canned as the SNES was already out at the time and Nintendo of America didn't want to spend loads of money trying to market a 8 bit game in the 16 bit era of gaming, not to mention at the time JRPGs didn't sell that well in America to begin with so why bother marketing a game that will probably only sell decently at best in the US.
Was familiar with this story actually! Sad to hear it was changed (like I speculated) because it sounded "stupid," or whatever.
@@MonkeyNess I mean to be fair, they had to rename the game anyways as America didn't get MOTHER 1 like it was supposed to and renaming MOTHER 2: Gyiyg Strikes Back into simply "MOTHER" in America would of caused loads of confusion within players and the fanbase. (Not like there isn't already confusion in the naming scheme of all the MOTHER games to begin with lmao, this is why I just refer to all the games by their Japanese names to try to cause less confusion)
@@flippant_foe I’m with you!
i kinda prefer the name EarthBound for Mother 2, I’m indifferent with Mother 1/EarthBound Beginnings, but EarthBound 2 will NEVER be an acceptable name for Mother 3.
@@cowboyluigi5275 I'd say a good name for a localized MOTHER 3 would be something like "EarthBound: Rise of the Pig Tyrant"
This guy is the Cybershell of Mother/Earthbound content
this video is giving me Cybershell American vs Japanese Sonic vibes
Very much inspired by it! Even credited it in the description!
I mean, every single game except EarthBound is Unplayable.
Why? Beacause the protagonists don't have baggy shorts.
Does Mario have baggy shorts?
I don't think so
Hey MonkeyNess, are you familiar with the EarthBound Handbook by Fangamer? They use a handmade Ness model based on the Japanese clay figure and take some amazing photographs with it, recreating all of the "Your Sanctuary" locations! The book takes the official Nintendo guide's charm and expands on it tenfold, from mock-up Mr. Saturm movie posters to retro-styled advertisements for restaurants & stores from the game. Having just watched your Player's Guide video too, I think this would be a fun one for you to explore; there's so much love and detail in every page!
I'm familiar with it, though I'm yet to experience it myself. I'd love to make a video on it a some point!
@@MonkeyNess it's pretty good The art for the " your sanctuary " locations is amazing because to me look it the clay models and the handbook looks like a brochure for a vacation
Its gonna be so cool when your channel becomes huge and I can say that I have been here since 1k. Keep up the great content!
He's already on his way to 2K.
In just a little more than a weekend! My boy is growing and I'm so fucking happy
*Fun Fact:* From Smash 64 to Smash Brawl, Ness' designs was actually a mix of his Japanese and American designs put into 1. He had the more short chubby statured body structure of his Japanese design mixed with his American design color scheme which his blues where replaced with more of a violet color. Smash 4 and Ultimate made his appearance more 1:1 with just his Japanese design by making his color scheme contain light blue instead of a more violet color of his American design. Smash Melee even has an alternate trophy that gives Ness his more Japanese design with his bright blue color scheme:
*Main Ness Smash Melee Trophy:* oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/apis.ign.com/super-smash-bros-melee/e/ee/Ness_trophy.jpg
*Alternate Ness Smash Melee Trophy:* gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/screen/full/1/9/8/1474198.jpg
You’re like the Cybershell of Earthbound! Love the commentary and the occasional sarcastic remark, always lookin forward to new content❤️
i never actually thought about how it's implied ness is thinner and taller by the end of the game. it obviously isn't the intent, but it's definitely a cool headcanon to consider US ness as a "post-game" ness.
Japanese Ness: Nice young boy
American Ness: Young strapping Lad
ive always seen ness as that one kid who everyone talks about as being cool and chill but when you actually get to know him you realize hes kinda weird and goofy. not in a bad way, it suits him well and hes still a good friend but it isnt what you were expecting yknow?
if anything too that vibe adds to his relatability, im sure plenty of people know at least 1 person like that
MonkeyNess I really like your videos. They are always entertaining and I’m glad there’s still a thriving UA-cam community for EarthBound. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much, a lot of work goes into these videos and it's nice to know it pays off!
@@MonkeyNess I can tell a lot of work goes into these! I can’t wait for the next upload!
Honestly American Paula always confused me more than American Ness. Like they straight-up just removed her bow even though she's very clearly still wearing it in-game. (Although, I guess you never see Ness with a flipped hat and they still did that for some reason.)
Unless the models were prevalent in marketing it just seems kind of pointless.
Appreciate little bros like you still talking about this game. I tried getting my 10 year old (he is 14 now) we got past Belch factory and he just couldn’t do it anymore. I wanted to ground him but I just finished the game myself with the wife watching and asking me wtf am I playing
i hope someday they make a 3d version of the mother games using the claymation style
Legend of Earthbound: Ness' Awakening
I want to see my nigga big ninten
Ness is still canonically taller than Mario I guess
IMO Ness looks like he's about to do some dance with these arms
I'm glad to see your channel is starting to gain traction! Your subscribers are going up significantly!
Wasn't expecting a body positivity speech in my EarthBound video. It was nice
And we all know "Bad Boy Ness" is Ninten's son and "Chubby Ness" isn't. Obviously Mother 2 and EarthBound exist in a multiverse
Man, congrats on the 1k subscribers, i've been watching you since that "Earthbound is cancelled" video. Keep up!
Thank you for following for so long, glad to have you here!
No problem man!
Almost at 2k subs! Keep it up!
WOW! im only now realizing you upload DAILY!!?
DAILY EARTHBOUND IS A DREAM TO ME THANK YOU FOR EXISTING!!
American Ness looks like Japanese Ness’s older brother
cool. however, consider the third option. p ness
I like to think that ness does that pose because he saw the starman jr doing a similar one, and he wants to look strong and intimidating like it
American Ness for the win because I love a good neck
0:53 if ness wasn't wearing converse, he'd be the worst character in video game history.
Both are great, Japanese Ness is iconic and what I think of generally when I think of just Ness but American Ness is so tied to Earthbound itself in my eyes, he’s the Ness I picture when thinking of Earthbound specifically.
I like American ness design more then the official design.
Thanks to Smash Bros., I feel the chubby Japanese version is far more well known these days. I feel the only people who even remember the American redesign are older fans who had the Player's Guide.
I personally love the eyebrows, something about them scream 90s tude
3:19 why did this make me laugh
i genuinely wanna see what the hell MatPat has to say about Ninten just to laugh about it
anyway yeah american ness imo is alright, but i think ill always have a place for japanese ness in my heart, even if he looks a little awkward
this is probably the most baggy shorts video
I love ur vids pls keep going
God this channel is TOO underrated
American ness loos like he’s in high school
3:44 not my last name being Ness
The only time I have seen the American render for Ness was in a video game magazine showing the unlockable characters in Smash 64. I eventually found out what game he is from years later all because of Smash.
I think the name Earthbound was meant to convey the game's contemporary setting? Or something? Idunno, it sounds cool.
For those of us that played Earthbound when it was new, American Ness is our Ness.
There was a localization planned for Mother 1 (known as EarthBound Beginnings when it was ultimately released worldwide), titled "Earth Bound". I think that's where "EarthBound" came from.
Still don't know where "Earthbound" came from, though.
EDIT: Just realized that the tip of Ness' hat was changed from white to yellow.
I've been Ness for halloween practically every year since I was 13... '_'
3:52 Ik this is super nitpicky but Ness is an *anagram* of SNES, not an acronym. An anagram is a word made from rearranged letters, an acronym is a word where each letter is short for another word
(SNES is an acronym for Super Nintendo Entertainment System)
Appreciate it!
How'd they manage to change it? Was it through Photoshop?
For some reason, I can't imagine that being done so well in the 90s.
I was genuinely convinced that they made a new model by hand.
I always just though Ness had his hands on his hips
2:27 DAMNIT HOW'D YOU KNOW I WAS ALWAYS DOING THAT SHIT IN ELEMENTARY
Great video!
Thanks!
1:34
Ness, hero mode
Im not sure if its just how its scanned , but ness in the us version seems to be much more purpley. Which matches up with the sprite a bit more.
I like both designs.
It’s me Ness
6:20
i think ness and paula are more marketable in a cynical 90s buisness man sort of way.
like theyre the main boy and girl, and marketers were really adimant on gender rolls at the time.
have the main girl look pretty so the girls will wanna play it, and have the main boy be cool so the boys'll wanna play it.
idk could be wrong, but its what i assumed.
Think you’re onto something but idk if I’d describe Paula as depicted in any of the promotional material as “pretty” lol, they all still look pretty weird haha
Baby-shaped Ness will forever be the better Ness
I have never seen that model of Ness before, where did it came from?
American Ness looks so much cooler, even though I still love the original Ness design. I feel like Ness would start to look more like his American version by the end of the game, since the game dialogue already throws hints like Ness getting taller/thinner (i.e losing his babyish features and going through puberty) and even Jeff is told that he's gotten taller.
og ness looks (thwomp urgh sound effect)
Listen, i love these videos but the THX theme killed me. I have a *huge* fear of that sound. I got jumpscared by it- I'm sorry for making it seem like hate-- it isn't just know i have a fear of loud sounds so like- yeah 😔
i will never understand why people hate this specific design, but i can understand that it takes off Itoi original ideia and kinda changes Ness as a character, even if in game his sprite stay the same lol, i personally love how cool Ness looks, like, it's not super over 90s cool thing like the American Sonic design, Ness just looks older and more "brave", i really like that, shame that the fandom sometimes just hate it.
4:52 this
I like both designs. The Japanese is definitely more "early game" chubby Ness, and the US one is definitely cooler looking. When I draw Ness I generally combine the designs.
With that said, if the US version was try to give Ness some 90s attitude, I personally find that funny because while he isn't a 'wimp' like Lucas, he never really seemed too "attitudey". He always seemed a little more dorky or oblivious when I played. Just my personal take.
the title is inspired by Cybershell?
Yes! Even acknowledge this in the description!
3:50 Actually, I was weirded out by Ness's name as well so I looked it up. Believe it or not, this is the answer I received:
Ness is a real name people can give their children, and apparently it's a *gender neutral* name so a girl or boy can have it.
The name "Ness" is of *Scottish origin* and means "From the headland".
It could have been derived from the Ancient Greek name *Nestor* , meaning "Homecoming" or "to return safely".
Its other origins: *German, Greek, Scandinavian*
This is a pretty nice fun fact, I honestly didn't know that Ness was a real name, let alone was a name that can be given to a boy or girl 😅
Heard of it more commonly as a last name, didn't know this!
Wait, is the change only for promotion materials?
Yes, and the strategy guide.
@@MonkeyNess but is his sprite unchanged in game?
@@rawrdino7046 yes
I'm not sure how Poo is a passable name... I know there's the name Pooh, but the extra "H" gives it a different impression.
Not necessarily as an actual “name” but more so understandable to an audience, like definitely as a joke, but is at least more than Ness, IMO.
Poo was a mistranslation (or more likely an intentional change to make his name look less foreign to the American audience while also going with the whole 90s gross-out thing) from the original Japanese version name of “Pú”
how come nobody calls the series Motherbound?
Because it’s not called that..? Lol
So is Mother Encore cancelled?
I wouldn’t know, I’m not working on the project!
As far as I know, it's not cancelled. I think they have a discord server actually, you can find it at their twitter.
@@MonkeyNess Do you know anyone who is? Last I checked, on April 1st they announced it was cancelled in favor of Undertale Encore. On April 2nd, they announced that Mother Encore isn't cancelled and Undertale Encore was. I went into the Discord and some random person said that Mother Encore was cancelled and Undertale Encore was cancelled. I DON'T KNOW WHO OR WHAT TO BELIEVE!
I believe that was an April Fools' Day prank...
@@MonkeyNess I confronted the people in the server about it. Some random person said that it is legitimately cancelled. I don't know if I should take their word in that but I just feel extremely confused by the entire situation.
Why isn’t the title “JapaNess vs. American Ness”
Had a couple ideas for titles.
"American Ness" -- was one, as relating to this study in Americanization of a Japanese property.
You sound exactly like cybershell
Japanese ness' build kinda reminds me of Babe Ruth
I thought Ness WAS a teen, though...(technically in the American version, he's thirteen, which is in the range of teen ages)
didnt know they had beef
I like the chubby ness hhhhh
It gives him more
Character
Literally
2000 subs :D
Honestly it allways puzzled me as to why they opted to call the games Mother in the first place. I mean it does make some loose sense in the original because the twist in that game is that Giegue was raised by humans although not exclus6a mother and while Lucas's mom doesn't have much to do in mother 3 at least her death is one of the reasons the plot begins in the first place but mother 2 has no reason to be called mother. Ness's mom contributes almost nothing to the plot and she's really only useful as hospital at the very start of the game your sister is more helpful hell you never get to see what Ness's dad even looks like but at least he contributes to party
The title "Mother" is more thematic than it is literal across the games. Itoi selected it due to the game's (Mother 1's) sentimentality and more emotional nature than other contemporary RPGs.
They gave him a neck?!
Ness' pose only works if you have bony hips like me and you rest your hands on those pot handles just under your waist
I wish we got a Ness mii swordfighter skin with his hat in Smash. His "sword" could just be a baseball bat. Would technically have the American redesign in the game
One thing you forgot to mention is that the American Ness stinks.
his north american artwork not as bad as it looks, but it does look fine to me, it's just not how ness is known to look like.
1:57 Do you realise this graph is more depressing than anything
"Mothearthbound"
EarthBouther
Ness is an actual Given and Sirname so its perfectly passable.
Maybe as a surname, especially if you’re a character in The Untouchables, but not really as a first name, whereas the name “Poo” is ostensively a joke.
I never thought the original Ness looked fat. He just looks like a kid to me, his clothes are baggy and his body is mostly concealed, Apple Kid is the real fat boy lol. Ness's look allows people, thin and fat, to see themselves in him.
No hate to american Ness either, he's cool too, it's fun to think maybe he's end game Ness like you said.
Giygas is pronounced like "Geek-gas".
Ness is not abstract that's a real name!! Mitchel & Ness is a baseball cap brand!
Wait... ninten and ana got together gave birth to ness ness and Paula got together than.. gave birth to lucas