One of the coolest aspects behind EarthBound (also known as Mother 2) and its prequel, Mother, is that the in-game sprites were recreated from clay figures that were molded into shape ahead of time. These figures would form the basis of the marketing for the Mother series, which followed through all three games and have become iconic in their own right. While longtime fans already know this, they likely haven’t ever had the chance to see these figures in person. That’s about to change as Nintendo has announced a new event scheduled for the summer set to take place in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.
Called “The Shape of Mother,” all 180 clay figures created for Mother and EarthBound are set to be displayed on the 8th floor of the Shibuya Parco mall. The event will run for three days, starting on Friday July 25th, 2025, and running until Sunday July 27th, 2025. Reservations will open on the official website for the event starting July 1st, 2025, at 11 a.m. JST. You will need a Hobonichi Store account to apply for the raffle and reservations cannot be made outside of Japan.
People know the Parco as a haven for video game enthusiasts because it hosts not only the Nintendo Tokyo Store, but also The Jump Shop, a Pokémon Center, and the Capcom Store. It can become very crowded during busy hours, so make sure to pick an earlier time if you’re able to attend the event. The website says admission is generally free, but they’ll hand out numbered tickets if it becomes overcrowded.
While I wish I could attend this just for the novelty of seeing some behind-the-scenes magic, it’s not likely I’ll be able to fly out to Japan in a month’s time for a single event. There’s a possibility this will be held again in the future, but diehard fans of Mother will want to be there to see their favorite characters in-person.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
