MOTHER 3 MENU PATCH
Last Updated: 12:00 AM 11/8/2007

WHAT'S NEW: Fixed some rare bugs, added translated deposit/withdraw graphics, added chapter title graphics

Download Menu Patch v1.5 (NOTE: This is NOT the full translation patch!!!)

What is this?

This patch for MOTHER 3 translates basic things like enemy names, item names, menu text, naming screen text, item descriptions, PSI descriptions, character names, etc.

What about the main script and battle text?

This patch DOES NOT translate the main text or battle text.

Why not?

Because this patch is not meant to be a full translation patch.

What does that mean?

This patch is meant for people who want to play the game in Japanese using a walkthrough. Having menus, items, etc. translated into English is very useful for people like this.

Why would anyone play MOTHER 3 like that?

Many, many people already have played it that way, actually.

Then why release this patch now?

Because in February, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is going to come out, and it will spoil parts of MOTHER 3 for those who haven't played the game.

People who don't want to get spoiled by SSBB can use this patch to help them get through the Japanese version of MOTHER 3 before then.

What?? I thought you were going to release a full translation patch before SSBB so people don't get spoiled?!

That was our goal, not a guarantee.

So what the heck's going to happen with the full translation?

It's still progressing as it has these past few months.

Why don't you release a partial patch of the full translation instead, then?

Because as of right now, it's not in an enjoyable state, and will crash, delete saves, etc. Here is a video showcasing just a few of these issues.

Also, releasing a partial version of our patch would mean that most people would play that version, but then when the finished version comes out, only a fraction of the original players would try out the polished patch.

On top of that, we'd like our full translation to be as good as it can be from the very first patch release. We're sticklers for quality.

WTF this sucks, and you guys suck!

There are a few options to pick from:

If you don't care about Smash Bros. spoilers and just want to play MOTHER 3 in English, then please wait until our final, full translation. We don't know when it will be done. Sorry.
If you REALLY, REALLY don't want Smash Bros. to spoil any of the game for you, download this menu patch and play through MOTHER 3 with a walkthrough.
If you absolutely do not want to play through the game in Japanese, but REALLY don't want to be spoiled by SSBB... then it's up to you to avoid those SSBB spoilers when they come out. If you can somehow manage this until the full translation patch is complete, you win 90 awesome points.

You guys really let me down.

We're working hard to make sure the full translation patch is as high-quality as possible. Rushing the patch might ruin the game as much for people as spoilers. We also do this in our spare time and sometimes work later into the night than we should. Give us a break and let us have some sleep :(

Why are all the names squished and ugly-looking?

Because this patch is exactly like the Japanese version - all the text is in 16-bit. Which means that space is very tight. In our full translation patch, everything will be in 8-bit format, meaning that names and all other text can be twice as long.

Why isn't the EarthBound font in this patch?

This patch uses the default Japanese font, which had English letters in it. The EarthBound font stuff will be found in the final, full translation. This patch was literally made in 5-10 hours from absolute scratch. It has no assembly hacking done to it whatsoever. Only text data has been changed.

Why does the naming screen look so ugly? Why aren't the window colors translated?

The naming screen and window color text is all stored as graphics, and it's a pain to edit them to look nice, especially in the space allotted. As this patch isn't meant to be super pretty or anything, please forgive these tiny things for now.

OK, OK! Where's the patch?

It's here.

How do I use the patch?

You will need a PPF patch program. You can download the PC Version of PPF-O-Matic here. If you're on a Mac, try Gumby. If you're using Linux or if neither of those work for you, look or here for some other versions of PPF-O-Matic.

(If anyone has suggestions for better/other PPF patch programs, please let us know!)

Note that it's VERY important that you keep a backup of the original, clean ROM! When the full patch comes out, you're going to need to apply it to a clean ROM, so make sure you always have a backup of the original ROM lying around.

Anyway, if you're using PPF-O-Matic, where it says ISO File, click the disk icon and then select the MOTHER 3 ROM. Where it says Patch, click the disk icon and select the menu patch file. Now hit the Apply button and you should be all set. The ROM should be patched now. It is now ready to be played.

Why is it in PPF format? Why not IPS?

The IPS format has inherent limitations - it can only work on files 16 MB or smaller. MOTHER 3 is twice that size, so a different format needed to be used. For now, we're using the PPF format, which is normally used to patch extra-large ISO files.

How do I play this translated ROM?

Use a Game Boy Advance emulator. Virtual Boy Advance is very good. There are many others, though. Using a search engine should net you a few good ones.

Where can I get the original Japanese ROM?

Sorry, this steps VERY clearly into piracy land. Use a search engine or ask your friends or something.

What walkthroughs do you recommend?

There are a number to choose from. They all have their pros and cons.

Tomato's Spoiler-Free Walkthrough - This is a bare bones walkthrough that only lists each step to get through the game. There are no spoilers in it, so accidentally reading ahead won't cause TOO much mental anguish.
Starmen.Net MOTHER 3 Walkthrough - This only goes through the first 1 to 2 chapters. But it's useful, and doesn't have TOO many spoilers. Just be careful not to browse any other sections of this site, mainly the enemy/boss lists.
SpookyChee's Story Translation Guide - This is what you want if you want to enjoy the story as you play. Naturally, don't look ahead of where you are :P
MBRocket's Translation Walkthrough - Also good, and very in-depth.
DBM11085's Walkthrough - Also good.

What many people have done in the past is set the font size to these FAQs really low, then print them out and stick them in a binder. It makes playing the game and going along with a walkthrough a lot easier. Give it a shot.

I can't save my game!

This is an emulator/flash cart issue, and there a few different causes for it. If you're using a flash cart and you're having crashing/saving problems, see this thread. If you're using an emulator and you can't save your game, see this. It's probably just a setting you need to change in your emulator.

WTF I found a bug in the patch!

I (Tomato) tested the patch through the first chapter and through various other parts of the game. I haven't tested it through the entire game in one playthrough. But there *shouldn't* be any problems. This patch is basically almost 100% text replacement. But if you really have encountered a bug of some sort, please let me know here and I'll look into it when I get the time. Be sure to give lots of specifics about how you got the bug to happen.

NOTE! There's always a chance (however small) that the patch could have some bugs, so it'd be a good idea to check back here every so often to see if any new bugfix versions of the patch are released.

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