We may not be getting a Mother 4 any time soon (well, officially at least), but series creator Shigesato Itoi is still busy pumping out merchandise by way of the Hobonichi Mother Project. Of course, seeing as it’s related to one of gaming’s most absurd franchises, the latest product reveal is a little extra.
The brief ad for the project’s new Casio G-Shock watch sees professional choreographers Kasumi Sakurai and Sakurako Horikoshi recreate the touching dance scene from the first Mother game (previously referred to as EarthBound Zero outside Japan before it received an official English release as EarthBound Beginnings in 2015).
In Mother, this is the moment party member Ana professes her love for Ninten, the protagonist, after a grueling mountainous trek. The player is then given the choice to reciprocate her feelings (the right choice) or reject her (the providence of monsters and fools). Here’s how it looked on the Famicom in 1989.
As you can see, Sakurai and Horikoshi added quite a few artistic flourishes to what was a pretty basic dance number due to the limitations of the console, but I think their added steps give the performance a lot more depth. The pixelated furniture and globe make for a nice touch, too.
The watch itself is based on a 2012 Casio, bearing small accents like the Mother logo and series’ iconic “SMAAAASH!!” critical hit indicator on the face and a globe etching on the back. Casio and Hobonichi plan to sell the limited-edition timepiece next month for 23,100 yen (or a little over $200 USD). Being completely watch-ignorant, I’m not sure if this price is good or bad.
Other items previously produced through Itoi’s collaboration with Hobinichi include complete scripts for all three games in the Mother series, two collections of tribute works by popular manga artists, and various knick knacks like towels, calendars, and an adorable Mr. Saturn plushie. I guess it’s the next best thing to a new game. And, hey, at least Itoi is getting paid.