Key Takeaways
- Nintendo has shown off a pair of 30th anniversary Earthbound Converse All Stars.
- The sneakers have been created to celebrate 30 years since the release of Earthbound, or Mother 2 as it’s called in Japan.
- The shoes will be available to buy at Mother’s Bazaar in Japan from January 9, 2025.
Mother, or Earthbound as the series is known outside of Japan, might not get as many games as some of Nintendo‘s bigger IP, but it has a dedicated fanbase ready to pounce on anything officially connected to the series. In 2025, that will include an official pair of Earthbound Converse All Stars, revealed this week and releasing early next year as a part of the next Mother’s Bazaar.
The new sneakers were revealed by Hobonichi Mother on Wednesday and are part of Earthbound’s 30th anniversary celebrations. This is where things get a little confusing as is often the case with Mother/Earthbound. Mother was originally released in Japan in 1989, and then its sequel, Mother 2, launched five years later. It’s the 30th anniversary of the sequel that Nintendo is celebrating with the release of these themed Converse All Stars.
Related
Four New Mother Plushes Have Been Revealed To Celebrate The Series Turning 35
More Mother plushes, but still no Mother 3 outside Japan.
Not that confusing so far, but it’s the series’ Western releases that make Mother’s history a little harder to follow. The original game wasn’t translated into English and officially made playable in the West until it was ported to the Wii U in 2013. However, since Mother 2 had been released outside of Japan under the name Earthbound in 1995, the original game was given the alternative name, Earthbound Beginnings.
Earthbound Now Has Its Own Converse All Stars
Getting Your Hands On Some Might Be Easier Said Than Done, Though
Back to the sneakers. The Earthbound Converse All Stars are black and white with images of Mr. Saturn printed all over them. Even if you haven’t played Earthbound, you may well be familiar with Mr. Saturn’s design. The character has been an item in Super Smash Bros. games for as long as Mother’s Ness has been a playable character, so starting from Melee up to, and including, Ultimate. The Converse logo is also incorporated into the sneakers’ design, as it is with almost every pair of All Stars Converse.
The only potential stumbling block for these shoes will be getting hold of them. Nintendo released a set of Mother 3 plushes earlier this year and it was possible to get them shipped to the US. However, despite being announced via the same site, it appears the Converse will be exclusively available in-person at the Mother’s Bazaar taking place in Japan from January 9 through January 15, 2025.
Even though Nintendo gave Mother fans the opportunity to buy its Mother 3 plushes, the wait for the third, and so far final, game in the series to be released outside of Japan continues. Launching in Japan in 2006, it’s starting to feel like Mother 3 will never find its way to the US. Hey, it took the original game 24 years to make that leap, so I guess you never know.
EarthBound is a legendary RPG originally launched in 1994, and continues the Mother series. As Ness, you must team up with three friends to defeat Giygas, a world-threatening alien.
- Released
- June 5, 1995
- How Long To Beat
- 28 Hours