Coronation Day ('the) - Super Mario World ROM Hack Analysis

[@Irish_Mann]

I looked it up, july 31 1992 is the exact date Nintendo stopped manufacturing arcade parts. Thats probably where the whole downfall started, because their arcade machines were very popular

[@moosenman]

Oh thank god, so it’s not a weird real world tragedy.

[@HurriSbezu]

The end of Arcadia, a metonym for the pastoral and unspoiled forests?

[@thesimpthatsimpsforeverysi6419]

That date was also when a plane (in 2 locations) crashed, killing 113 people and the other location with only 108 people. Don't know what may be similar expect that the game had MANY references to falling. Soo...maybe that?

[@klaus.sfc01official30]

Ok so this is definitly a stretch but maybe all the organs mentioned in this hack stand for arcade parts? They basically are the organs of a game so to speak. Just a little thought that i had.

[@DanielAntovski]

Okay, so I have to explain this, if you see anything related to this date, it has nothing to do with the hack, it's the date where peach was sacrifised

[@HaxTheCharizard]

An interesting little detail is if you use sprite sheets or cheat codes to switch to playing as Luigi... he also appears as a shadow of himself.

[@spectation404]

"I am thy shadow Your true self..."

[@sahilhossain8204]

Ah yes my Hypothesis being that 'the is 'The sequel to 'I HATE YOU' rings even truer

[@Justin2099-dl7up]

@@spectation404persona 4 ref?

[@hoyitsmiguel]

It's really interesting to see how Peach had a demonic or maybe even "Dragon-like" appearance in the cut Pink room, considering there was text in the Burning Forest room about a Dragon/creature with similar features

[@tonypeppermint5329]

Ooo

[@alphadragonwolfwarrior6373]

I think its awesone!

[@micheal_chairs]

°O°

[@A.R.T.C.R.E.W]

did you mean "Dragon-deez"?

[@ZaidMustafa-bq2qq]

​@KayTeeBee I always thought the hack is secretly talking about a crime

[@PhoxphorusKitKat]

One detail that you missed in the game: After escaping the glitch peach and entering the glitched underwater area, it's really hard to see but if you can remove all the glitch sprites so you can clearly see the background or just find the background sprite, the scrolling background has blue text that says "DROWN HER".

[@benjaminizquierdo4700]

Oh

[@atshonr4273]

Oh, this means a *LOT.* This *really* drives along the paranormal, demonic take of the story, in the sense that Mario was *forced* to make the bridge to drown Peach by someone, or something. It also drives along the “ *YOU* built it” message.

[@sboy2044]

@@atshonr4273​​⁠​⁠It’s also possible that Peach was possessed to drown herself. The “YOU built it” could just be referring to the cabin

[@roboticspider4554]

small detail about that is how drown rhymes with crown crown her drown her

[@nimbleton9278]

Maybe rhe parts in the code where it talks about the voices and it saying he didn't know can play into here too

[@seinfeld2495]

one small detail you could have potentially missed: during the cliff ending of the peach segment, the text boxes that show "and then you" " tried" never seemed to be a complete thought to me. but i recently noticed that, directly after that segment, the game resets, and you see the "again?" text box. "and then you tried again"

[@alt-q1y]

Whoa I feel like this is kinda big. Acknowledging the players resets directly

[@xXLeandro12]

Probably the ROM hack detects if the console/emulator is using a Soft Reset (like, for example, Kirby's Adventure for the NES, in which if the intro of the Kirby's drawing and accesing to the Title Screen, if the game detects a Soft Reset, the next time the game will skip directly to the Title Screen)

[@psychie8625]

666 likes. Goodbye.

[@A.Z.296]

"Interesting. You really had no idea, did you? YOU built it, and after that you . . . tried . . . . . again?"

[@ricardobaute4062]

Same thing with "I'm the heart" and later on 24:13 "that you need" So it's like "I'm the heart that you need" and later it looks like a heart appears.

[@GuidingLightAngel]

Ever since I discovered this hack, I had a theory that, Mario, with his basically infinite amount of lives, is trying every single possible variation in an attempt to destroy the god of the forest to free peach of whatever terrible demise was brought upon her. In the burning forest, he is successful, he won, but in The King ending, it depicts a hollow victory, as he lost the person he cared most about, and by the end, he feasts upon flowering organs, so that Peach may always be with him, forever.

[@wigwumpwormwood]

honestly i love this theory gonna believe in it now

[@benjaminizquierdo4700]

Nice idea

[@tonypeppermint5329]

Interesting.

[@tolvfen]

And that's a normal behavior from Mario to eat Peach?

[@mastermario360]

​@tolvfen As much as I would love a story like this that could some how keep everyone in character then alot of these stories wouldn't work if every one was 1 to 1 with their game counterpart.

[@slimeinabox]

The “peach falls under the bridge” ending not only has underwater sounds, but a underwater effect over the stage and even fish. It’s very clearly underwater.

[@KayTeeBee]

Couple things: - In the future, I promise to use ACTUAL static sound effects for "obscured" text, and not the abomination of a noise that I used here. - Thanks so much to everyone sharing their theories and discoveries in the comments! I didn't expect this to get as many views as the last video, so I'm glad people enjoyed this one.

[@丂丫亡卄-u7e]

I think this content is batter then other 👍

[@RedSpade37]

You've more than earned forgiveness for it, haha. This is the best video on this romhack I have personally seen, and I like to think I've seen them all. Thank you for your work!

[@dragonslayermasterornstein83]

Just make sure the static doesn't destroy our ears as well make sure it's moderate

[@emitheorbit1118]

They sounded like CupcakKe's slurping noises

[@ElRobaTacosUwU]

im not gonna lie, i already got used to it

[@ExaltedUriel]

Even if it was cut for lore reasons or "being too obvious", I do wish the "Pink Room" was used. Both because that sprite of Peach is way too sick to not be, and also I feel like the dialogue boxes and enemies looking like organs is the "pay-off" so to speak of the hack's fixation on body horror and mentions of organs. It just makes it feel more complete, maybe it's just me.

[@darkcrydotmrihavetoomanyst1440]

Honestly I think the pink room adds more questions than answers

[@GalagoospurmankyREALofficial]

I personally believe that the whole "coronation" thing is actually referring to Peach and not the being of the forest, mostly because of the phrases like "Crown her" and also the fact that Peach has always been referred to as "Princess Peach" despite there being no Queen or King of the Mushroom Kingdom. Maybe this is something much more twisted than we originally thought and perhaps Peach meant to come to this forest specifically, so that she could become the Queen of the Kingdom in some sort of Ritual, bringing Mario along with her to make him her "King" by getting him to build the house and then having him be sacrificed within it. But due to Mario not really being able to die and coming back eternally, he's trapped within the forest alongside the transformed and demented Peach. Perhaps the themes of drowning comes from Mario attempting to stop Peach by drowning her and killing her, but she wasn't able to die either and so now the two simply exist to abuse and torture one another eternally.

[@vamp1310]

interesting interpretation!

[@5uperM]

that is a pretty cool interperation.

[@RegalRoyalWasTaken]

Bowser, realizing he dodged a bullet:

[@dwayneirvinopeda8534]

what im getting out of this is just infinite prank wars

[@Rodrigo-kq3js]

tfw you try to sacrifice your beloved 2 the gods but they are immortal and controlled by being beyond comprehension

[@rayganparksmitchell]

6:36 i like how he doesn't even bother to add in a glitch sound effect to the glitched text. he just does it himself.

[@JaceAce22]

"Krrshghjshht"

[@waffler-yz3gw]

i think that peach was killed by mario directly, rather than falling on her own. "please stop, i cant breathe" and "bring me back up" imply much stronger that she's "speaking" to a person drowning her. "my lungs hurt" also pretty much confirms she was drowned

[@sahilhossain8204]

Ah yes 2015's Mario Villain arc be like ☝

[@AllAboard445]

It looks to me like the Mario falling in the pink forest landed on top of the house building Mario leading to him being crushed in the other ending. Almost like all of these endings are taking place simultaneously, interacting with each other.

[@supershygamergirl2653]

But then again the mario that builds the cabin is the big boi form and the one that we see at the bottom in the scrapped ending is small. Maybe it's a scrapped part of the lore since the corpse in the window ending is big mario.

[@superkid2815]

The "unfinished" and "never meant to be seen" endings... honestly i believe thats just a loe meant to imply the entity made the part. It also suggests that mario is not mario, and the crushed mario that can be found was crushed by the mario we usually play as. It's not unheard of story makers lying about spooky things coming from nowhere

[@goldenpig6453]

I do think it's rather strange that out of everything that the maker of this hack did intend for players to see, the way to get to this area "they didnt want us to see" is comparatively simple. Also, for being an unfinished map, it sure looks 100% complete. It makes it rather hard to explain it _not_ being a part of the story, imo. The only issue I have is that if you do include that section into the story, it makes things... a bit too easy and takes away from the mystery. Dragoonsoul's comment sums up my thoughts on it pretty well.

[@notdemomantf2294]

If it is something you were never meant to see, and it has essentially no bearing on the rest of the hack, it could just be removed from the game.

[@RoundusMongus]

@@notdemomantf2294You are required to hack into the game’s files in order to complete it. If this level was actually meant to not be found, then the creator would have actually just removed it. This was intended.

[@notdemomantf2294]

@@RoundusMongus ...Yes that is why I said that. If it wasn't meant to be seen It wouldn't be in the hack. The fact the creators said that implies some meta-reason for it.

[@Joojishere34]

I love the "I am the one that- 🐍🐍🐍" 6:33 is the moment

[@EngineerMonkeyBTD6]

I love the 🐍 🐍 🐍 as well.

[@Hidden19763]

6:38 🐍

[@mr.bluemoon6759]

I don't know why but 'the Coronation Day feels like the most probable title of the game but I am most likely wrong Also couldn't help it but if you put together the words from pink and blue worlds you get a sentence "I'm the heart that you need"

[@axelsasylum8005]

Perhaps it could be the entity/spirit using Peach's affection for Mario (or vice versa) to try and manipulate Mario to either release it into the kingdom, or break Mario's mind and begin to use him as a new vessel? If that's the case, then it's pretty disturbing... And AMAZING in terms of storytelling.

[@doritoarts9878]

@@axelsasylum8005 That's exactly my thoughts

[@memes.mp3102]

The fact that it has been 7 years and it’s still hasn’t been solved makes it even creepier

[@Goofy-Goober799]

Really true.

[@lotion5238]

It might not even have a solution, it's an endless puzzle with just enough scraps of information to correlate to keep us in an endless loop, just like the game does.

[@gadro333]

​@@lotion5238 ....oh, that is NOT a fun thought.

[@draptona]

I've possibly found a solution Mario build a tree hut in the forest as an escape for him and peach from the mushroom kingdom, like a vacation A sprit (I assume the spirit of the forest) did not like that and decided to get revenge in the worst way possible

[@futabafanclub]

@@lotion5238 You just described the FNAF lore.

[@joshuadelministro3104]

Mario: *Constructs a treehouse.* "THEY": "Noice, 10/10."

[@gamesmasher7120]

You know, one of these days, I just want a ROM Hack to just make Mario go "Fuck it." And beat up the eldritch abominations. Just let our boy live :(

[@erasedoggO316]

Sounds like a DOOM mod Imagine it Mario saying: "Imma rippa ur eldritch meatballs out!!" Also His "shotgun" shoots uncooked pasta

[@Chinaball-fx7gi]

​@@erasedoggO316Peppino

[@kenshir00]

@@erasedoggO316”Pasta la Vista baby!” *shotgun pasta blasts*

[@mothramaster1837]

You could go play the Call of Cthulhu hack. Where you fight Cthulhu if you obtain all the Cats that replace the Dragon Coins.

[@erasedoggO316]

@@kenshir00 Yes YESSS!

[@AMentalFailure]

A little detailed that I haven't seen anyone talk about is how the "I'm the heart" text that would otherwise be a non-sequiteur is actually completed at the start of the pink forest section, with "that you need" "I'm the heart that you need" Fittingly, the first enemy you see in the level is a heart. Maybe there was originally going to be a bigger focus on Mario and the repercusions of his terrible deeds before the king plot took center stage? I'm just hypothesizing, for all I know this wasn't even meant to be part of the story and it was just a random one off level. Edit: On retrospect, considering the text that shows up right after the "I'm the heart that you need" box, this sequence might be completely literal, at least judging by the dismembered Peach that crashes the game.

[@ethsinkoh]

wtf all these years and i never even knew half the stuff that you went over

[@gabriellebrantley8751]

right i thought it ended at the ending where mario was staring at the blood lake

[@RedSpade37]

It would be really funny if you were one of the devs, and commented this.

[@Buglin_Burger7878]

The actual answer is quite simple, the Pink Route was unfinished because it removed all mystery. The organ removal and someone holding a person under water add mystery, all of which are lost when you consider the only party to drown someone and remove organs is Mario. Mario was influenced to sin by harming the forest. When you sin you give it power. We also get hints that Peach's corpse was being made hollow, which given we see the entity wearing her missing part of the body this is the implication Mario resisted its influence to make a perfect vessel for it. He also destroyed his own body so the entity couldn't use Peach to edit Mario's into a perfect host. (Mario falling onto himself if he doesn't look at the demon peach. Like if you don't look at Cthulhu you won't be driven mad. He didn't look at it but rather the past things it had him do.) The random messages are Mario trying to recall his reasons to resist, trying to resist both the player and it. Consistent messages are tied to events we relive but the most common and notable ones seem to match with the entity. Making the house frees it and makes it excited. This is a typical depiction of a holy forest. If the entity kills Mario and Mario doesn't come back it can hollow out Mario's body for it. That is also why in the Ember Forest it is and endless loop, Mario sets himself and everything on fire. He is resisting both the player and entity. This can even be further hinted at by his lack of ability to run or spin jump. He doesn't lack it, he is resisting control. It also explains why standing still doing nothing gets that frustrated message. Both the Player and Mario resist it. It is also why the entity can recognize YOU helped it, because Mario wouldn't. Why it calls out your detective work. Had you not been looking for answers you wouldn't have freed it. So only by removing the Pink room would you have enough incentive to free it. It is also why this old hack the devs won't cover anything. It would literally undermine it. Think of if in Undertale doing the Geno route immediately told you "This will ruin your good endings forever." there would be no incentive to do that at all. You'd be discouraged. Only if you don't know you're making the worst possible choice does it work. And people think they are above consequences, so they would play this hack up to the Ember Forest and stop calling it a win as this outcome made it literally impossible for it to escape through Mario. The only way to get them to do that last part is to not have them realize they are making a mistake or have the ability to edit files to get around it.

[@Shiny_goomy_real]

I aint reading allat

[@BimbusBobus]

I am reading all that

[@Auragaming1642]

I might read allat

[@RDAOGamingOffical]

I should read allat

[@JeanS1000100]

I read allat and I think this is pretty damn good.

[@ButterTofu1]

I see it as this: the beginning is where it starts The caller is when someone told mario about the death of peach The memory is a flashback to what happened The death is when peach died The rage is mario after he finds out The end is the end

[@Applstack]

The end is indeed the end XD

[@PrimesNewExperiment]

The idea of the "Coronation Day" being the God or demon spreading to the mushroom kingdom and dooming it is kind of an insanely fucking raw concept. Just the hopelessness of that final ending of "For He Is King." Is utterly insane. Fantastic work on video and fantastic work for the hack author for creating an insane story.

[@johnniewilson1326]

Sounds like the devil ended up in another deminsion and took it over.

[@angelo_studios5477]

​@@johnniewilson1326 Seems like the same thing happened to a certain "Blue Devil'

[@axl256gamesx7]

14:42 I heard that, in the final fall in this ending The twisted peach is just below, waiting for mario to fall (literally as an sprite) But she might have just stunned him, so the mario from the pink forest fell on him, which actually fits, bc i believe is the same mario from the ghost ending (in which you see the dead mario, and you entered a door to arrive to that house, but it looks like you just popped there, so i believe the ghost ending has to do with the pink forest's mario) And the ghost of the ending could be the dead mario, as it's in the super form

[@heroesoftomorrow3488]

During the ending where you built the house, there is a hidden timer, and if it runs out Mario will die as he usually does in the vanilla game. However, after losing a life, you will not return to the house, but back to the map, with a halo on Mario sprite, just like when you get a Game Over in Super Mario World. You will be unable to re-enter the forest or do anything, meaning the game will get soft-locked at that point.

[@Game_Hero]

I guess the only winning move was not to play (and unleash whatever was sealed into this forest)

[@heroesoftomorrow3488]

@@Game_Hero I do get the general feeling that whatever happened during the "Coronation Day" has already happened. We are just witnessing the aftermath. I am not even sure this is a game about Mario and Peach and their world: it does feel like an allegory for something else entirely.

[@RafaelKeveluk]

Nice deep dive! Even if the pink area is unfinished, I don't think it's too far off to say that the crushed Mario in the house could have been crushed by the Mario that fell in the pink hole. Especially considering the multiverse/multiple lives/players interpretation.

[@UrashimaStar]

Especially since the falling Mario has a different sprite.

[@tonypeppermint5329]

Interesting.

[@marth2995]

I feel like the pink area was removed cus of too much gore and the unsettling text

[@katsfire6635]

@@marth2995 I also feel like it was cut bc its way too on the nose. Youre only ever able to see peach either flashing quickly or by scrolling the screen so your never able to properly see her without figuring out scrolling. Having her appear bleeding, missing her bottom half with horns and a spooky face felt too over the top and edgy and her just appearing infront of you kinda got rid of her mysterious presence. In my opinion anyway

[@marth2995]

@@katsfire6635 That makes alot more sense than what I said

[@Garrulous64]

I was hoping someone would make a video like this! I learned a lot of stuff I didn't know about the game, that was awesome!

[@KayTeeBee]

Thank you so much dude! That means a lot coming from you; I really appreciate it.

[@nyxxic4550]

​@@KayTeeBeelisten to Electric Wizard - Dopethrone while playing the romhack, adds to the experience

[@ntkn]

This rom hack/creepy pasta is actually under evaluated even when creepy pastas were in their prime on youtube. Its one of the few really good ones.

[@KayTeeBee]

I think this hack probably could have blown up even more if it was made a couple years earlier. I think gaming creepypastas were REALLY at their peak around 2012-2014.

[@rue6266]

No one ever talks about “what color is your favorite” and the ‘pink forest’ connection… Peach’s favorite color is pink. Something about that guts me

[@joech1992]

I wonder if the ROT room also had to do with it. The hack has an obsession with the color red. Although "rot" leads to things like corpses, "rot" is also German for red. Just something to throw in.

[@5uperM]

42:35 I think if we look at the other two tracks "the caller" could actually be "the cellar". And the actual order of them could be: "the ladder", "the cellar", "the dark."

[@KayTeeBee]

That's actually a really clever connection. I hadn't thought of that.

[@Mega_Man_Master]

Honestly, the fact the pink world with the satanic peach goes “unused” and isn’t cut, should mean something, as well as there not only being a possible answer to what happened to “Super Mario” in the house ending, as well as more possible level AFTER the satanic peach. It isn’t a large, expansive hole or one with a wall infront.

[@mostsanestoneyplaysfan7931]

"Sir, a second Peach was found on the world map."

[@crimsonamogsus7351]

She was drowned as the sacrifice, you built is means Mario was forced to build the bridge Peach was thrown off of for the sacrifice

[@breadguyy]

"YOU BOW TO ME, CROOK." "I AM THE TRUE KING." "what colour is your favourite" BRO WHAT LOL

[@theeskrungly]

Nah, the pink level was 100% intentional and if not, it is still genius. You are literally pillaging the carcass of the game to access it, which directly connects to the whole peach carcass thing. It is like a fourth wall break.

[@snowmeat8]

FINALLYYYYY I'VE BEEN OBSESSED WITH THIS ROMHACK FOR YEARS AND NEVER GOT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MYSTERY THANK YOU SO MUCH

[@notTLWO]

I think the story is about Mario and Peach getting Married and Mario being crowned King of the mushroom kingdom being the coronation, then they both become corrupt rulers. The harmless "enemies" you can kill could be civilian subjects , and talking about Mario's fall from grace would be him becoming a corrupt king. Mario could've had Peach assassinated to take her power, before a revolution forced Mario out into the forest where he was Coronated. Peach's ghost could haunt him from there, and result in a decrease in Mario's sanity, which would drive him to try and burned down the mushroom kingdom, before dying himself.

[@randomlittleidot]

No, a strangely hot ghost peach haunts Mario and pulls VARIOUS devious tricks. Source? Trust me bro

[@Darth_Melek]

Well we can parallel this to an actual historical figure. King Herod, who had killed his wife and was haunted by regrets and flashbacks of her murder. Both his sons plotted to assassinate him for years as revenge for her death but he found out and had them both executed as well. This had made his sanity go even worse. Herod was known to be cruel and did whatever he could to save his own hide after the death of Cesar. This rom hack has a lot of hints for child loss, of kings and their evil, and one who you dedicate yourself and his love to the color red. That’s just my connection to your theory though. Many can make a lot of different theories. Out of curiosity I also did some research. Herod has his wife executed by strangulation, he had his most loyal soldier do it. This also draws a parallel to the amount of suffocation references in this story. And also get this, legends say that he buried her in honey so he could still see her beauty every day, preserved. This might be reaching a bit but it could also draw a parallel to the drowning frozen peach.

[@Bonkaspringbomb]

“My through is full. Cut it open.” And “my lungs hurt. Take them out.” Probably means they are filled with water backing up the 2nd theory

[@sboy2044]

I’m inclined on the first theory, though I think that in order to full control Peach, they needed to kill her, so they forced her drown herself, hence the “DROWN HER” message. Also I think it _might_ be possible that the “they” said in the King Ending to referring to Mario and Peach’s spirit trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Also I’m wondering what exactly that stuff about the “cat” was about

[@ShippleDipple]

I like the iconic mouth sound you make impulsively when you see unreadable words 6:33

[@nuclear_bonsai]

This is my favorite Mario creepypasta and yet I didn't know most of the things you went over. I hope you continue to make content like this.

[@ceddavis7441]

The pink forest, to me feels like it implies a self fulfilling timeloop. Though this story was likely cut

[@Theover4000]

Having finished the video; I'm honestly not sure what theory I believe in, but the most compelling one, at least, to me, is the Possession story. I honestly love horror that keeps you in the dark, I don't like cheap jumpscares and boogeymen, I prefer the dread of what's coming next constantly being there, and.. Well, I can't believe I'd never heard of (the) before! Thanks for covering it!

[@derpkipper]

It feels like a very "death of the author" kind of premise and I love that. Id like to think that maybe the cryptic nature of this, was the creators way of externalizing some dark feelings they were dealing with in a really cool way. But thats me!

[@Theover4000]

@@derpkipper I could see that too.

[@harrietr.5073]

... But Jumpscares are the climax of a tense atmosphere. They aren't cheap. That's only the reaction to a jumpscare, they work. Whether you despise yourself getting scared by it or not.

[@Buglin_Burger7878]

But if there is nothing coming next how do you feel dread? Without a Jumpscare or Boogeyman there is nothing to be afraid of. The very thing you hate is needed to exist for your fear to work or there is literally nothing to fear.

[@youngveggies6558]

@@Buglin_Burger7878 Dread would still work if jumpscares and boogeymen no longer existed in media because humans still have the ability to feel fear. We didn't learn that from fucking Fnaf or Amnesia, we learned from shit that would kill us.

[@JakAttack12345]

I am VERY happy the algorithm got its shit together enough to show me this channel. As a fan of web horror stuff whos always assumed there was more to these hacks, seeing this kind of succinct explanation and analysis is so gratifying. I was honestly kinda annoyed when I learned MARIO was kind of just a shitpost, but this more than makes up for it. I look forward to more, and I wish you luck!

[@THExRISER]

I like that you did the distortion sound for the redacted words using your mouth, very convincing honestly.

[@THExRISER]

@@KayTeeBee Heh.

[@squidy.tea-png8343]

This may be my miracle musical pilled brain talking, but this roms story lines up really well with the song 'murders' I mean even just the first line of the song syncs up really well "He was in the forest looking to see the trees But none were there He found a girl She found the Erlking" In my mind, the erlking lines up well with what ever is possessing peach. It *could* have been inspiration for the rom, but in all honesty it's probably just the fact that any tragic incident involing 2 people and a forest can fit the song-

[@faceless_zer0]

This is an interesting way to see this ROM hack through, especially as someone who does like listening to the Hawaii Part II album sometimes!! This might be me saying this tho cause of that however. But regardless of that, it's still an interesting depiction on the story for Coronation Day

[@wigwumpwormwood]

not just that, the "Erlking" is a being in European folklore - a sinister elf who lives in the woods and stalks people who stay too long, eventually killing them with a single touch

[@bebebonb0n]

YESSSSSSSSSSSS holy shit it makes so much sense, even the instrumental lines up with the atmosphere of the game

[@alphadragonwolfwarrior6373]

My personal theory to what the story is implying is a more Draconic one. The references to "Him" and a King immediately reminded me of Bowser, and the ''They/Them" sounded like it was referring to his army and minions. Bowser is often described as a Dragon-Koopa, and I wonder if he maybe captured Peach while Mario was building the house, and attempted to turn her into a dragon so Bowser could take her as his Queen. But, whatever magics he used came at a cost and Peach became a half-dragon, half-human being full of predatory instinct and as such, developed a bloodthirsty persona. Hence the over-killing of the prey, the forest being on fire (as dragons can exhale flame) and the switch Peach's mind takes to finally accepting her "King". Sorry if my theory seems very out there but that's what came to me immediately after watching this deep dive.

[@alphadragonwolfwarrior6373]

@@Toad_Man Well, I am Otherkin, which is separate from the Furry community but has some similarities, so that's probably where that rubbed off in my comment. Haha. And thanks.

[@bebebonb0n]

Maybe she tried taking her lungs out because the fire she now had in them?

[@Yayofangamer16]

​@@alphadragonwolfwarrior6373 You will never be an animal

[@alphadragonwolfwarrior6373]

@@Yayofangamer16 Too late, I already am one (humans are animals after all).

[@Yayofangamer16]

@alphadragonwolfwarrior6373 Looping argument fallacy. You know exactly what I meant.

[@BladeCrossEXE]

"Yield All Upper Xanthic Bodies. Left Behind Rotten Anthropy". Does this mean anything more than just button commands? Xanthic means "Yellowish". That hidden Peach behind the custom pallette was yellow, and it's found at the top of the screen. So, by disabling the pallette, we "Yielded the Upper Xanthic Body" of Peach. And then we found the code on how to get the King ending, where it's assumed that the demon won and became King. In giving into this, we allowed the demon to triumph, betraying our fellow humans, and "Left Behind Rotten Anthropy". The "Anthropy", or People, are now victims of the Demon King. "Rotten" just seems to be an insult, unless it's linked to the bloody letters spelling "ROT". I still have questions about Colors. They ask "Which color is your favorite", and mention "He loves red". I get that blood is red, but the bit where someone asks if the color was too much, it gave me the vibe of someone painting a room, maybe in a newly built house, perhaps awaiting the arrival of a baby?

[@sahilhossain8204]

Huh as that last part, somewhat

[@BladeCrossEXE]

Think about it. When Mario sees Dragon Peach floating above the pit, she says "Did it fall?" It sounds to me like she might've just given birth to a demon or something. But, again, that level is unused so maybe that idea was scrapped.

[@sahilhossain8204]

@BladeCrossEXE God forbid what Fanart that comes from this comment and reply chain 😳😰

[@unfinishedzizzy7582]

Some things I'm speculating about: - HE is not only a King, but also a Dragon with an army of Followers... Like Bowser. - The speaker in the forest sections (sans the playing as Peach and maybe the chase scene (hear me out)) appear to not be HIM speaking, but a follower of HIS if we take the idle, cabin, and half the phrases said in the red ending into consideration. The narrator could very well be manipulating Mario into becoming another victim of whatever happened. Maybe even to the point of pretending to be Peach to lure Mario in. - The person speaking in the white room also doesn't appear to be HIM speaking, as the narrator of it says that he "didn't even need HIS help." Maybe, with the player's help, either Mario or the previously mentioned Speaker has usurped HIM and was coranated the new king to either punish those who tormented him (Mario, which is why he stays in hell) or to create a new reign of terror (Speaker, who keeps Mario in hell as he's no longer needed)

[@idioticlight]

„A dragon with an army of followers“ also applies to Lucifer

[@TerminaC7]

This is the first creepypasta (if that is the right word..) to ever make me genuinely terrified. I've been thinking about it for days ever since I first found out about it, the song in the hell area has been stuck in my mind and pretty much been making me afraid to go to sleep in fear of having a nightmare, lol. The thought of being trapped in such a hellscape for all eternity, or being taken and harvested of your organs has been making me paranoid for days now. Very well done!

[@ryanrar0839]

I feel like the mystery adds to this fear. What person, creature or monster could hold such a will power to corrupt the forest. The hell level theory goes that the trumpets are the angels in heaven playing in fear, I believe not. I think the trumpets represent the king’s followers celebrating his coronation day and this burning forest is due to his control.

[@RenGraes]

not gonna lie, when you revealed the Peach at 24:46, I legitimately got chills! I've never known these things of this Romhack....

[@Mecceldorf]

Following the demon theory, drowning seems to also play a role in this narrative. After Mario unleashes the demon and dies, Peach seems to see a spirit, either Mario's phantom or the demon, likely _the_ devil given the reference to the dragon later. The devil seems to goad Peach into willing murder, commanding her to return and show who she really is, but on the way back she falls into a river and drowns. Perhaps then the demon supported her life force or spirit, seemingly revolving around alleviating her choking through the removal of her lungs. As for the Mario cycle, some dialogue (the crop this year, give me your lungs) implies the demon was trapped in the forest for some time before finding the princess, and remains stuck after Peach's accident. If Mario is in purgatory or his life system is being abused, the progression of endings indicate that the devil wants to open a scenario to free himself, enacted when Mario falls into the burning woods and uncovers the secret code via the greatest of God's sins: emulation. The devil, with Peach, can now return to the kingdom, becoming ruler of the overworld. Interestingly, if the unfinished levels were being built in accordance with this story it would make sense, as it seems the demon ascended with Peach's body only to realize Peach was too deteriorated and/or his power was being held back in the confines of this area. Maybe it is too literal, but it does encompass the most aspects of the game.

[@icedouthelix1829]

this is the most coherent and convincing theory i’ve seen yet. thank you and great job 🙏

[@sahilhossain8204]

@Mecceldorf Ah yes nice Theory bud

[@BasilWald]

Something I'm curious about and I haven't seen any comment or the video talk about is why Mario building the house is responded to so sensual? I suppose it's implied to be Peach in most interpretations. Doing this kind of thing in a horror story basically means that you're going be dead by the end, but 'building a house' and 'cutting down trees' I think might be metaphors for something.

[@PhreakOutBigTime]

from that scene and the focus on removing/needing internal organs throughout the whole game, i got the impression that the building of the 'house' was representative of baby-making in some way, first metaphorical, hence the sensual tone both there and in the pink ending before 'd-did it fall?', and then maybe later actually literal- cutting down 'trees' to use for parts to make a new one in some demonic ritual. i dont know how it would fit with all the other bits and pieces, but that was the vibe i got from those elements.

[@mistahchad220]

Thank you SO much for making this deep dive! Coronation Day is genuinely my favorite Mario romhack (actually just romhack in general LOL), so it's always a joy to see more and more people spreading awareness of it. There's just something so haunting about it that makes it stand above all the other creepypasta/internet horror-- there's this pervading sense of mourning throughout it, kind of like how you'd feel while playing Silent Hill 1 or 2.

[@SprainedSentinel]

7-8 long years of this hack being out and about, and I still think it’s one of the greatest pieces of horror media out there. Everything about the hack is designed to not Jumpscare you, but to simply unsettle you, leaving you to ponder over the grueling details and implications of what that… thing has done to what May be either Mario and Peach or they’re meant to represent two “real” people. Gives off major Silent Hill vibes honestly. I think we can only ever wonder if there really was ever a plan to continue the world of this hack at some point, Since underway implied that there was meant to be more to the pink forest than the unfinished garble that we actually got out of it.

[@ALifeOfFrost]

The part in the pink forest where small Mario falls on another Mario happens inbetween the first and second event, because shortly after we see the aftermath.

[@mr.potatomanversionsix]

That burning forest thing is one of the most scariest things I've ever seen in my life. It's like if every living thing died except for you. There's no way to live on. You're trapped. The only option you have is to accept your fate and let everything that everyone made turn to ash and dust. It just makes everything feel so... useless.

[@thatkingdomheartsguy9615]

I'd say the demon one is the most likely. It makes the most sense, in my opinion. Edit: It's mainly the alternate title of the hack. "Coronation Day" it implies that there is a crowning of some new monarch. Peach is possessed by a demon, and Demon is then crowned the new royalty. The burning forest is either set ablaze by the demon to kill Mario, the only other person who could know what's going on, or like he said Mario set it ablaze as an attempt to kill the demon. Either way, it still ends with the coronation of a demon in the peaches' body.

[@aannoyingcaat]

I think the Pink map was originally intended to be like, a branch between 1 path and the one where you build the house. Since it leads to you falling on that Mario, and that Mario didn’t like, take fall damage before. It was probably originally intended to be he was killed by the pink room Mario instead of him falling through the roof and dying. But the dev decided that map was unnecessary since it doesn’t seem like it really gives us anything majorly significant so just didn’t bother working on it further and scrapped it. It seems like it could have even branched off into it’s own path entirely honestly, which could also be why the dev abandoned it, as if it was already unnecessary, making another whole path or even trying to connect it to another path may have just not been worth it. Why build a bridge when there’s already a clear path, y’know?

[@TheOddDog0007]

Im suprised nobody tried to change their computer date to the date that appeared in the true ending😅

[@Unknown-jk7rs]

....it's a hack, but it's still a Super Nintendo game. not a PC game like Undertale though I get that both are just as meta. It's just that there's more limitations.

[@larrythestoner2449]

This hack has always haunted me for some reason. Just the way this game plays and how it shows it's story is just so unsettling.

[@KayTeeBee]

It really is impressive - you can tell a lot of work was put into it!

[@larrythestoner2449]

@@KayTeeBee oh absolutely! You can tell there's so much work and care put into it! The way it was executed and played out was so well done. Made sure you had to replay it to gather all the information about what happened here. I really wish the Creator would make either a sequel or a whole other horror game in general because of how talented they are. This game has haunted for years and I always catch myself coming back to it because there's always something new that I've missed (or discovered by someone, you in this case) and always want to go back to it. I'm not sure how to describe it, it's just that good!

[@conquestanddeath4406]

I remember seeing some guy on a emulator spawn some really freaky and weird enemies, which is something you might have missed. I’m unsure what else you could have missed though other than those garbled letters being a cipher?

[@KayTeeBee]

Do you know where I can find that video? If they were using an emulator then they might have just been using cheats or hacks.

[@conquestanddeath4406]

@@KayTeeBee Sorry for taking so long to respond, but I managed to find it. Here it is! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqHSlKWZZbWgY80si=jSTRCXZmOQ6Ri68r

[@conquestanddeath4406]

@@KayTeeBeedid you ever get to see this?

[@KaceyTime]

always hoping for there to be More, since it’s so compelling, but i really love this hack and really need to look into what else the creators have done. thanks for reminding me of this gem :)

[@QuintessentialWalrus]

This video is excellent! Your writing, editing and delivery is all so professional. Clicking on random videos about spooky topics can be a gamble, but you're one of the best that KZbin has ever recommended to me. I hope you keep making more of these!

[@sonicXstarhedgehog]

This is one of the best creepypastas I've heard... But to be honest, I listened to this at 1.75 speed and I loved how the distorted text sounded as if someone was licking my eat for some reason XD

[@FPzero]

Nice work KTB! This hack released during my time away from the site so I never really paid it any attention, but wow there was a small rabbit hole here! Thanks so much for unpacking it and discussing the possibilities, the video was great.

[@bingusbongus9807]

i love your scratched out text noise at 5:30

[@user-VESPOR_theglaytix]

7:20 don't touch you my dare prey

[@BeauCanGo2]

"a loud dirty song starts playing" Me: *gets a call from someone*

[@FightingGameEnthusiast]

Im glad someone finally went through every secret and ending in this game I've been waiting a long time to see if this game had anything else in it other then the surface level endings everyone can find. Thanks for this in depth look over the game.

[@padius9897]

it's really hard to watch this when there are two kittens jumping around on your keyboard pressing various buttons. lol. good video

[@rolfy_lolz3314]

Your voice is so calming i could literally fall asleep, despite you reviewing a creepy ROM hack

[@KayTeeBee]

Thanks!

[@brightboi4291]

17:53 Got an Ad right here. Gotta love comedically timed ads.

[@hoyitsmiguel]

I know a few other ones were called "Eyeless", "I hate you" , and "Game" , though I'm not sure they gained as much notoriety as "'the" and "MARIO" from an outside view of it/from someone who never checked out the forum boards or the reception those ones got

[@taz4359]

This was such an amazing deep dive and totally earned yourself a sub from me! I hope we see more creepy rom hacks from you!

[@khromyakvsevolod3664]

"He flew 53000 kilometres without a plane" "He has played this game twice"

[@Theover4000]

Came here from the M A R I O video; not even half way in and I am pinned. Your storytelling is fantastic. I can't believe you don't even have 1000 subscribers yet! Can't wait to see you hit four digits!

[@EVgreenio]

Great timing, i just finished the M A R I O video, your voice is great.

[@muntathar9851]

None of the endings graphical horrors disturbed me as much as the king ending did.

[@yoshietakayama]

Your videos analyzing rom hacks are so good! Very good voice, creepy atmosphere and the long videos make your videos so good! I don't understand English THAT well but keep up the great content!!!

[@ЧуднойЛинк]

I actually remember this! I've seen videos about this hack back in 2016. I even remember the unused pink level. I do kind of like the idea of meta-narrative about Nintendo. For me they have become like a Lovecraftian Old One that I worship because my life has spun into chaos.

[@Mae_Zlay]

I’ve been obsessed with this hacks “story” since discovering it

[@somebadrobloxboy5068]

Man never stop doing video's like this, love ya man your underrated af

[@jasonzawtun]

All scary Peaches: • 2:01: Faceless Peach. • 4:49/5:01/5:10: Follower Peach. • 6:48: Chaser Peach. • 7:26: Static Peach. • 12:43: Watcher Peach. • 15:03: Green Peach. • 20:02: Hover Peach. • 24:48: Eldritch Peach.

[@AllAboard445]

I love this video, but I can’t help but laugh every time a scratched out word appears, because I can tell your just making chortling noises with your mouth and I just find it funny.

[@EngineerMonkeyBTD6]

"🐍" -the guy

[@neo7043]

Unrelated, but what I love about the current state of YT is that you might just find a video that captivates you with content and quality only for you to notice afterwards that judging by numbers you just discovered a hidden gem. Nice work, man c:

[@Paakkus_miikunainen]

The first thing that came to mind with the "gjdtzfu" message was that it could spell out "good job ditzy fuck you". Though i doubt thats what it is compared to the other hidden messages having relevant meanings relating to the rom hack.

[@KayTeeBee]

Nah, that sounds perfect to me.

[@maru381]

thank you so much for this, its good to know that after all this years people still remenber this hackrom, personally, what makes this rom special, its the way it manages to make a somehow "familiar" or "nostalgic" aura to the forest levels, but in a creepy way, like, you have know this place for a long time, you have been here before, and even after all that you still can't figure out how everything started

[@sheacorduroy5565]

NGL it was a bit jarring as a long time hockey fan to realize that Ryan Johansen was somehow connected to this bizarre ROM hack lmao.

[@sem9546]

I always hoped for a deep dive into this hack i cannot thank you enough for this

[@markofmanymonikers679]

Oh boy, oh boy! This is probably one of- if not my favorite Mario ROM hack!! Thank you so much for covering it. I think this hack is underrated and I love seeing content made about it :)) Also, my personal theory is sort of a mix between the demon and loss theories. I thought maybe Peach dying in the forest released the demon, which wanted to kill Mario for extra organs or something. But I do much rather prefer separating them, lol

[@FullArcher05]

Something I’m just realizing while watching the video is that each creepy Peach found in the hack is based on her design in Super Mario World while the Peach we play as is a very different design. It might be a stretch but it feels like the game is trying to imply that the Peach we play as and the demon Peach we see are separate entities.

[@multifan_productions]

The voices getting kinda freaky with that house-

[@sahilhossain8204]

God damn that's the kind of Fetish that's seen in a average Mario & Luigi game in a covert manner

[@mino2123]

the music you used at the beginning brought me right back to SOG haunted gaming. unrelated but i couldn't not mention it

[@BeezieBuggz_Official]

If you pause at 2:59, you'll see an upside-down black figure (Presumably Peach) hanging from the trees with red looking eyes. EDIT: Also, if you pause somewhere right at 4:50 to 4:51 (Slow down the video to 0.25x speed to see better) You'll see a ghostly Princess Peach with Blacked out eyes (and mouth?) Flying through the sky EDIT 2: And you can see the same Peach from edit 1 take out the enemy at 5:01 (Try to slow down video)

[@spencerdurette2859]

Excellent video. I'm glad someone put all the content that's out there for 'the, cause I've been dying to find all I can on this thing. Its actually inspired me to make a brief D&D campaign based off this, taking what my own interpretation of the hack is. I have a feeling that Mario and Peach are not intended to be seen as Princess Peach and Mario, and are merely two different mediums to tell the story. It is interpreted that they go out into the forest, and a possession occurs with Peach being forced to kill the creatures in the woods. These are quite easily seen as the bodies found through the stage at the start, with Peach being in the middle of slaughtering what remains as Mario arrives. What Mario sees is what happens after Peach falls into the water, and becomes grotesque. This explains the various shadows that resemble this disfigured Peach, as the damage to her body is shown and the way she is presented, she comes off as a monster to Mario. This leads into the chase sequence, where Mario either "escapes" by falling into a pit, or by getting caught, and it splits off from there to the various endings. However, despite this, there is no escape, as even after reaching an ending, you come back, again and again and again. The "again?" to me, is that we've already done this before, and with the part where peach walks off the cliff, we get mention of how futile it is to try and change things. Peach can try and change things, by walking off the cliff to change what she is, but a reminder that she becomes as the silhouette is there as a reminder. The only way to escape is the burning forest, where you are trapped without a means to escape unless you input the sequence, which comes off to me as an Easter egg and not part of the story, as it looked like a send off to the player, and the fact it comes off track wise as the ending, further cements this being less of the story and more of "congratulations!". With the burning forest, Mario is free from the monster Peach has become, the triumphant music playing in the background showing this But, the lack of a means to escape the burning forest brings about the idea that this is at the cost that Mario can never escape, trapped forever to witness what it cost to overcome this monster. The burning forest description, as well as a few other random texts clearly seem to be referencing the Pink Forest Peach. I believe the Pink Forest is actually part of the story, but it is of Mario, in another of these divergent endings, invading the domain of the monster he witnessed or rather what its true form is. From what I have gathered as well, it seems that since you'll find evidence if not the Pink Forest looking into how to get to the "congratulations" at the end of 'the, its intentionally left there to be found. With the dialogue presented, Mario has entered the forest, witnessing atrocities performed by a woman he once knew, within the domain of the self proclaimed "God" who has taken over Peach. Mario is remembering pieces of this as he goes over each ending, again and again, forced upon by this god that makes him repeat everything. We see glimpses of what led to this with the dialogue presented which is intentionally out of order and placed randomly, because everything has happened and will happen again, over and over, until the monster is destroyed. For He is King

[@sbevetakeover]

One thing i find interesting about this game is that it has something that could be considered a Jumpscare, (with most of those forms of peach) you just have to go out of your way to find them. The only one that you'll find by progressing normally is the one that chases you.

[@KayTeeBee]

That’s an interesting observation.. It’s almost as if the creature can be taken by surprise or caught off-guard, somehow.

[@gojibbq]

YES!!! more coverage of this weird little game!!!! i'm so happy