New Japan Pro Wrestling titan Kenny Omega is a pretty well known gaming enthusiast. He incorporates a number of game references into the name of his moves (including a finisher called the “One-Winged Angel”), and worked with Toby Fox to create an Undertale-styled wrestling promotional video for one of his many bouts. But in a recent Kotaku piece where they caught up with the Omega Man at E3, he revealed his most beloved gaming franchise – and it’s one that’s strange, funny, and heartrending.
“The Mother series is my favorite series of all time… I played [EarthBound] and something struck a chord with me and it captivated me. And I played it over and over and over again. My friends and I would try to speedrun it, and we never got sick of it. From then on, I was bit by the RPG bug and loved all things JRPG.
I would play Mother 2 and 3 at least once every year. And I still find something new to enjoy about it. It still speaks of today’s culture in the West and of the East and sort of how they contrast with one another, how one’s perception of the other is kind of comical. I don’t know if you’re an emotional guy, but I can be. I still cry every time I play Mother 3.”
What can we say? He has excellent taste. Let’s hope he can pressure NoA into localizing the final entry in the series with sheer charisma – or at least a suplex.
Written by Amelia Fruzzetti
A writer and Nintendo fan based in Seattle, Washington. When not working for NinWire, she can be found eating pasta, writing stories, and wondering about when Mother 3 is finally going to get an official localization.
