New Book Compares Earthbound With Mother 2

Clyde Mandelin, a professional translator who runs the excellent Legends of Localization, has released a new book entirely about quirks and cool little features found in Earthbound, AKA Mother 2.

It’s the second book he’s done with Fangamer. It’s an extremely in-depth comparison of the Japanese and English-language versions of the game, showing where their localisation efforts differed, and even explaining a lot of the little in-jokes and cultural touchstones that are present in both editions.

Rather than coming from Mandelin’s website, the book is mostly original work including new interviews and topics. We have a copy in our New York office — it’s extraordinary.

I like what’s been done with the presentation here, with everything laid out nice and clear. And while it has a gorgeous hardcover (that inlaid Japanese text is lovely), it isn’t some coffee table book that you flick through to look at the pictures; this is very much something to sit down with and read cover to cover.

The book is $US36 ($48), and is available from Fangamer.