Mother/Naming differences
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[edit] Naming confusion
These are the names most commonly given as the names of the four main characters and the final boss, respectively:
- Ninten
- Ana
- Loid
- Teddy
- Giegue
Instead we prefer the following names:
- Ninten
- Anna
- Lloyd
- Teddy
- Giygas
The form "Ana" for a child born to English-speaking parents is rare, and the form "Loid" is even less common in English. We made these changes because the names would almost certainly have been localized this way. The Giegue/Giygas change is to make it clear that the alien menace in Mother and its sequel are the same. In Japanese, his name is Giigu, which might be rendered "Geeg". The EarthBound Zero prototype cartridge transliterates this as "Giegue" (still pronounced "Geeg"). When the sequel, EarthBound, was being prepared for its North American audience, he was tentatively named "The Geek", then when the game was released, the name was finalized as the more alien-sounding "Giygas" (pronounced GUY-gas).
Giygas is the only direct connection between the plots of Mother and EarthBound, so we feel it's important to cement this link. If you're playing the EarthBound Zero prototype, everywhere we write "Giygas", think "Giegue".
From the Japanese version to the English prototype, these names had been changed...
[edit] Towns
It's uncertain whether the names were changed from holiday names as a matter of NOA policy, or to make the names more plausible.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| Mother's Day | Podunk |
| Thanksgiving | Merrysville |
| Santa Claus Station | Union Station |
| Halloween | Spookane |
| Easter | Youngtown |
| Valentine | Ellay |
"Spookane" is a play on Spokane, Washington (pronounced SPOH-kan). "Ellay" is a phonetic rendering of "L.A." (that is, Los Angeles, California).
[edit] Characters
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| Gyiyg (ギーグ Giigu) | Giegue[1] |
- ↑ Later rendered "Giygas" in EarthBound; this guide uses "Giygas" to emphasize for story purposes that Giegue and Giygas are one and the same (it is to this day a common misconception among English-speaking fans of EarthBound that they are different characters, but it is clear to the Japanese that they are the same). The romanization "Gyiyg" does not occur in the game itself, but does occur in Mother 2 and is probably used in promotional materials.
[edit] Items
