4/20 is a day with a multitude of very dank meanings, but in the world of video games, it’s the anniversary of some very notable and influential titles indeed – which is to say, it’s once again Fire Mother-kami day, wherein we celebrate the anniversaries of Fire Emblem, Mother 3, and Ōkami, which all released on April 20th.
Fire Emblem is the oldest of the bunch, debuting with its first title a whole 33 years ago on the Famicom – its most recent title, Fire Emblem Engage, is only about three months old, and we loved it to bits. Ōkami celebrates its 17th anniversary, debuting in 2006 for the PlayStation 2, and so does Mother 3, which came out on the exact same date. Mother is the only series here with proper celebratory fervor, as art from Hobonichi reveals:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 4月20日は『MOTHER3』の誕生日です！『MOTHER3』のアートディレクターを務めた今川伸浩さんに『MOTHER3』のキャラクターが大集合したグラフィックをつくっていただきました。スマホのホーム画面やロック画面にどうぞ。みんな、お誕生日、おめでとう！ pic.twitter.com/V15eo2jygV
— ほぼ日MOTHERプロジェクト (@hobonichimother) April 20, 2023
Hopefully at least one of these games or franchises is dear to your heart – lord knows they all are to me. There’s not much connecting any of them besides a coincidental release date, but each has proven to stand the test of time, and will be remembered for decades to come, and that’s something special.
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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.
