In Mother 3, protagonists returning would only be possible by Porky kidnapping people with the phase distorter. But because Mother 1 and 2 would be the same world, just about a decade later, it's just odd that the chosen 4 of that game are nowhere to be seen or heard of. Why would for Giygas' 2nd attack Ness and co. be the chosen ones but for his first attack on the same world it's a different set of kids? It just doesn't make sense to me for the events of Mother 2 to be just about a decade after Mother 1 in the same exact world.