Nintendo will bring Mother 3, the Game Boy Advance sequel to EarthBound, to its Virtual Console platform this December — but only in Japan.
Mother 3's Wii U Virtual Console release was announced during the Japanese Nintendo Direct today. The game will hit the Wii U eShop on Dec. 17 for ¥650 (about $5).
Developed by HAL Laboratory and Brownie Brown, Mother 3 was released in Japan in 2006, and fans of EarthBound (and its Famicom predecessor, Mother) have clamored for the game to be officially localized. While Nintendo has never committed to bringing Mother 3 to North America and Europe, there may be hope: Nintendo finally released the original Mother as EarthBound Beginnings for Wii U Virtual Console earlier this year.
The star of Mother 3, Lucas, came to Super Smash Bros. earlier this year as downloadable content. Nintendo will release a Lucas amiibo figure in January.