I think its more about the method of storytelling than the plot itself. Video games can be a very interesting way to tell a story and Mother 3 does it really effectively. Is the story itself the best story ever? Debatable. But I think it doesn’t take itself seriously that way, which helps a lot when you compare it to something like FFVII. Even still, the story has occasional poignant moments and is often very funny.

I think since the release of FFVII, story-driven games have really taken to the mainstream, whereas it was still somewhat groundbreaking at the time. Maybe that’s what made FFVII feel so special at the time and also why so many people feel that the story in particular didn’t age well.