Peppino: Pizza Tower's Secret Sauce -- Designing For Anxiety

Designing For is a series which looks at one specific level, character, or idea in gaming and breaks down the central theme to that element to figure out what it's, well, designing for! In this episode, we celebrate one whole year of Pizza Tower by breaking down its main character, Peppino Spaghetti! We look at the simple allusions to everyman characters that his design endears, and how he takes that simple base and expands upon it to not just homage his inspirations, but do them one better to make Pizza Tower a truly unique and beautiful experience.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Patreon: / designingfor
Twitter: / designing4games
Discord: / discord
Director/Writer/Voice Over/Footage: Tommy Eyler/Pyrrhickong ( / pyrrhickong )
Video Editing/Additional Direction/Script Editing: AuthorMx ( / @authormx )
Intro Animation By: / @tarvouldsquest
Intro Theme By: / tracks
FANART USED THIS EPISODE:
Highseas Cook-Off by MrKenen:
/ 1624442046856548353
Two-Door Trouble by Peachy6206:
/ 1625055516790751232
Under the Crust by Fl0pd00dle:
www.newgrounds...
Green Greens Gourmet by Benz15471:
/ 1625269700870414336
Lethal Lasagna by mtnnyuh:
/ 1625065483497254912
Grand Slam by DiceNSlices:
/ 1624661711776108546
Peppino Thousand-Yard Stare by seagullguy:
/ peppino_thousandyard_s...

[@StarkMaximum]

One of my favorite little details is that Peppino isn't wearing an apron like it may seem, he's wearing an old tank top. Dude can't even afford _an apron._

[@PotatoPatatoVonSpudsworth]

It's also an excellent decision from a game design standpoint. The white torso helps define the character's movements at all times. Had his back been the same black as his sleeves/pants, it would've made it harder to distinguish some movements. The choice of monotone colours also helps Peppino stand out against the colourful Pizza Tower environments!

[@davidthecommenter]

it's always slightly bugged me when people give him an apron

[@potato_the_chip]

​@@davidthecommenter they wish the best for the poor guy after the events of Pizza Tower 🙏🙏😔😔😔

[@notimportant768]

​@@PotatoPatatoVonSpudsworthi thought it was a chef coat for some reason.

[@carlrygwelski586]

👎

[@kratangg-arang]

My favorite description of Peppino’s vibe is that of a pendulum rapidly swinging between a shivering baby seal and an entire navy seal team

[@subtlewhatssubtle]

I saw a quote on a short which went "This man is *screaming.* Sometimes in fear, sometimes in rage, but *always* screaming."

[@dmclsl03]

I guess that makes sense lmao

[@paulitastic2460]

REAL thats peppino fr​@@subtlewhatssubtle

[@bruzzunathtuch]

Hi Grievous!

[@IncoisaRadio87]

I've already seen another comment mention it, but Pizzahead is such a perfectly crafted image of the soulless pizza corporation, with Ronald McDonald imagery in there to prove the point. Pizzahead hides behind an enormous face for the entire game, an unstoppable face, becoming one with the brand, one with the product. And in this form, this monolith of product, he is unstoppable, until Peppino can finally stand up to him. You have to take him on *head on* to do any real damage to the Pizzaface. And once you do, you find Pizzahead, who we can presume to be affiliated with Pizzaboy Jr's due to the resemblance between him and the Pizzaboy, plus the jokes about Pizzaboy being the protagonist of a mario-like platformer with Peppino as the antagonist already putting them at odds. Pizzahead is Deliberately reminiscent of a fast food chain mascot, and stands at the top of an unscaleable tower. All throughout the tower, Peppino is mimicked and twisted, as if Pizzahead is trying to commodify him, the local pizza chef who make-a the pizza for the sake of artisanship as opposed to profit. It's no coincidence he's constantly copied, between WAR's clones, the robots in the factory, and Fake Peppino himself... Pizzahead is constantly *taking.* Even in his bossfight, he constantly takes and takes, reaching into the tower, pulling up something from his own domain, and then... well... "When you get what you want, you don't want it. If I gave you the moon, you'd grow tired of it too." He discards everything, hurling it Peppino's way with no concern. He even tries to pull up the sword from Pizzascape, only for it to reject him, as if the sword truly is only for the worthy like Excalibur itself and Peppino was worthy while Pizzahead was not. Peppino, after all, is a human being, with human troubles, and human feelings. Pizzaface isn't. And when he can't do it anymore himself, he hides behind his underlings, just as any corporation would. Even the game's television theming plays into this. Whether you interpret it as him getting footage of Peppino for advertisement, or merely for his own entertainment, it's just another way Pizzaface commodifies the working man. His presumed original chain, the one we see in Don't Make A Sound, is directly meant to resemble Chuck-E-Cheese, a pizza joint that has never truly put love and care into its pizza. Always frozen, never fresh. Always about the brand, the entertainment, the novelty and commodity as opposed to the artisanship and flavor of the food. Pizzaface has never cared about Pizza, not really. He just wants to take. And when Peppino finally meets the man behind the curtain, he pummels him. Pizzaface may be many things, we can speculate on if he's a mad scientist, a chaos god, or who knows what, but whatever he is, he's also a coward. No wonder he hides behind his machine the whole game. As we see after the Boss Rush, when he has noone and nothing left to hurl at Peppino and must fight himself, he's pathetic. He can't win if he's not punching down, he crumples when he can no longer intimidate. And at the very summit of it all, after Peppino's gone through everything? He can't be intimidated anymore, he can only be enraged further.

[@Pizza_Dude1920]

This is the perfect analysis of what Pizzahead even is, and what he is in relation to Pepino! Pizzahead probably has all the money in the world but decides to use it too take it out on someone who has next to nothing just for fun. In my eyes, this is frustrating because It would’ve been already frustrating enough that Pizzahead would’ve done this to get land, or benefit his business in a very unprofessional way, But he literally has no legitimate reason for doing it Other than the fact that the delusional lunatic thinks messing with this man’s life is just a game. Just a laugh he gets on a normal Saturday. That’s all it was. He’s a lunatic, but also a very cowardly lunatic.

[@jacksongreen4107]

Couldn't have said it better myself. Great job!

[@popularvote3613]

Excellent analysis!

[@Skibster-w9l]

I don’t know, their Pizza is pretty good.

[@TheRTDZ]

I think one of the more interesting things about Peppino is that in the end he doesn’t really become successful at the end. He’s still working the 9-5 job, still worrying about the bills, and while all the bosses show up for a party, there’s no guarantee they’ll be regular costumers. There’s a very real chance that he’s gone back to the status quo at the begging of the game, albeit with a couple of new nuisances thrown into the mix. …but it’s still a happy ending, because Peppino no longer has to throw himself through a death gauntlet to save his business. (For now.) He may have risked his life just to go back to misery, but that misery is nothing compared to the absolute PAIN that is video game platforming bullshit. Peppino may not like his status quo, but he’ll take it over the insanity of Pizzahead’s gauntlet. In a world where every video game is a escapist fantasy, Pizaa Tower has the balls to be an escapist fantasy that points out that being a protagonist of a escapist fantasy won’t make you cool, won’t be much fun, and won’t give you the success you crave in life. The bad guys still lose, and in hilarious and humiliating ways to boot, but Peppino doesn’t so much win as survive. But that’s okay. Because the 9-5 grind might suck, but having to go through a video game in real life sucks worse, and making to the end of one deserves a celebration, even if it’s one where all you get is a free pizza, a slap on the back and a gift card with “a winner is you!” written on it. Peppino may be the video game equivalent of Charlie Brown, but that doesn’t mean his “victory” isn’t a triumph.

[@PaypsAgain]

I mean he has Gustavo for support,even if he finds him annoying, Gustavo is basically his only friend and the only one willing to help him, Gustavo is with him when he enters the tower and right next to him when he escapes

[@muffings9328]

That is litteraly what I thought when I saw every thing of pizza tower until the end

[@TheIrreverentUncleAl]

"There's a very real chance that he's gone back to the status quo at the beginning of the game, albeit with a couple new nuisances thrown into the mix." Just like an episodic 90s cartoon, eh?

[@spindash64]

Honestly, id wager his business will be doing much better after the tower goes down. Not just because Pizza head is out of the way, but by giving Peppino the confidence boost he needed to really, REALLY give people the pizza they want. It's still not some massive payout, but it's the thing he needed most: _peace_

[@kraymerman]

I like to think that the credits imply that all of the game's enemies go and buy a bunch of pizza from Peppino, getting him enough money to clear his debt

[@smashers6971]

Small little detail I like that really shows the contrast between Peppino and Pizzahead, in Pizzahead’s second phase he tries pulling a sword from a stone, something that would normally grant the Knight transformation, however Pizzahead cannot pull the sword out of the stone, denying him the the transformation. Considering the myth of the sword in the stone, Peppino is considered WORTHY, that’s legitimately cool.

[@blueknightskeleton8424]

It becomes hilarious too when you realize Peppino and Snick can pull out the sword, as logical, but Noise of all people can pull it out too, which says a ton about Pizzahead lmao-

[@average-pizza]

@@blueknightskeleton8424 doesn't the noise pull out a fork to eat some spaghetti with?

[@blueknightskeleton8424]

Yeah, maybe it's a different stone then lmao-

[@zerobotico2382]

In a really early version of the fight he actually grabbed the sword

[@epix_gamer2000]

@@blueknightskeleton8424 in the end of the noise version of the game , it is revealed that his campaign is just a play made by him, so it could just not be the real thing.

[@popularvote3613]

I think one of Peppino's best, understated moments, is when he reaches the top of the tower and sees his little pizza place. Canonically, he's not a great chef. His pizza is just "OK" at best. He's always scraping by. But dammit, it's his. That little place is his, and even with everything that's happened, he's willing to fight for it.

[@nicool350tm3]

i'd moreso say that his pizza is AMAZING but he's..a local place really. local places get by harder than big brands, which is why peppino's got trouble getting by - he's a local specilty, nothing more

[@ayylmao2040]

From the start of trying the game it's what endeared me to him the fastest. He's just a man trying to get by, and when that is threatened, he takes it on without hesitating. Fear, flaws and all, he transcends into something unstoppable, and despite the apparent odds, he wins the day and achieves his goal. Most people can identify with a character like that, and appreciate the fantasy of it for themselves.

[@ProfessionalNamielleLewder69]

Basically, Courage the Cowardly Dog's Tower of Zalost... but a lot more Italian.

[@MahNamJeff]

@@nicool350tm3 Considering what we know from McPigs ideas for a pizza tower show, no theyre apparently not that good.

[@peucoman]

I think the most important part of Pizza Tower is the symbolism. We have a humble, small business worker triumphing over the massive, soulless franchise. Pizzahead was deliberately designed after Ronald McDonald, and having what amounts to an underpaid everyman cave the mascot of the franchise that antagonizes his hard work's teeth in works wonderfully from a narrative standpoint.

[@Toonrick12]

To add to the Ronald McDonald design, I believe the choice to use "After you get what you want, You don't want it" was to replace a famous Ronald McDonald MAD (Movie Anime Dōjinshi, basically an AMV) for copyright reasons. So the connection is even stronger than you think.

[@rainbowsylvie16]

can you be underpaid if you own the place

[@aquamarinerose5405]

Considering Peppino is constantly swimming in debt and only barely keeping his restaurant alive. Yes.@@rainbowsylvie16

[@TheRedCap]

​@@Toonrick12I thought it was a YTPMV based on a Japanese McDonald's commercial

[@peucoman]

@@rainbowsylvie16 with how Mr. Stick shafts Peppino? yeah I'd say so

[@ripleyandweeds1288]

Note: The Peppino war vet thing isn't cut lore, McPig has said on his discord that it is canon, and the time he said it wasn't canon was just because he was shitfaced.

[@hunterbennett757]

I thought McPig said Peppino was a veteran while he was drunk.

[@kittenchopper4646]

@hunterbennett757 Yes, thats what shitfaced means

[@hunterbennett757]

@@kittenchopper4646 oh.

[@BooBoy456]

​@wistfulanthophila9317 How did the Noise update confirm this? I'm genuinely curious, because I didn't notice anything confirming the Peppino war vet theory while playing.

[@EmeraldMan25]

Nah Pig said it a second time and he wasn't drunk that time though Also Peppino having war medals means nothing since they're hung next to an ancestor seemingly wearing a suit of armor, so they could be family heirlooms related to that ancestor. I don't think we'll ever have an answer honestly, I think McPig's having fun fucking with us lmao

[@daltongill8677]

whenever i think of this game i think of this quote from Bumbles McFumbles: "Well, let's see how this Italian man handles... actually, he can't *handle* any more!"

[@autismandgaming4532]

A detail that's Something I love with the combo system, and by proxy the final boss fight, is that Peppino's idle animation goes from Panic mode, to Angry mode, to "I'M SO ABSOLUTELY DONE WITH EVERYTHING AND WANT IT ALL DESTROYED" mode, selling the idea that the longer the chef lasts, the less everything around him stands a chance. Which makes said final boss SO DAMN EUPHORIC.

[@LucasMiddleNameandLastname22]

"The longer the chef lasts, the less everything around him stands a chance." damn bro that goes hard.

[@TheKorenji]

@autismandgaming4532 I'm honestly pretty sad about this video not going into the "tipping point" part of the package, since Peppino is ALWAYS at the edge of losing it, always just an angel's hair pasta short of snapping for good... as when he does, it stops being just about scraping by, when he does... he stops being just a victim. I will argue this is one of the main pillars of Pizza Tower, in terms of gameplay as much as in characterization, because once the player (and by extension, Peppino) is done with merely surviving, it's the indomitable human spirit that jumps to the forefront, transforming what once was adrenaline spawned by fear, into dopamine born from the thrill of spitting in the face of the pizza who once threatened everything you had, not only conquering each and every challenge thrown at you, but also MOCKING it all by taking a second lap across the obstacle course, because doing it just once wouldn't get the message across; It's not a stroke of luck, the best efforts of your enemies simply mean NOTHING to you. *You're not a victim anymore.*

[@Le-cp9tr]

Pizza Tower is best described as an anxiety attack but if it felt good

[@MrSkerpentine]

an anxiety attack but you’re the one attacking the anxiety

[@SomeAnomalousJumper2398]

This is just me when the coffee/energy drinks hits just right.

[@jameslawrenson1208]

It's probably not for those who already have natural anxiety.

[@Le-cp9tr]

@@jameslawrenson1208 You should have told me that before I spent 40 hours in game

[@mysterystring-702]

"The most dangerous person is one who has nothing left to lose"

[@farofa2843]

To be honest this quote doesn't really fit Peppino, I mean he's willing to destroy everything in his path just to save his little pizzeria, he clearly has everything to lose if he's going so far as that, so he's essentially an antithesis of this quote

[@LucasMiddleNameandLastname22]

There's something so genuinely endearing about how Peppino is willing to go through the crazy worlds inside the Tower JUST to protect his pizza shop, i dunno how great his pizzas are, or if they're even good at all, but goddammit how could you not THINK that the man makes banging pizza after playing the game? he certainly makes better pizza than Pizzahead and his pizzeria did, which y'know, actually went bankrupt.

[@popculturegamer6464]

I'd eat at Peppino's Pizza! Hell, I bet he'd make killer Cheesy Bread! That shit rules!

[@matttheheckingweeb3462]

I think what might be endearing about it is that it shows Peppino truly cares about his craft. It shows that even if it isn't successful in the way he might've hoped, he cares about what he does, and will *literally* topple towers to protect it. Plus, you can't convince me that Peppino doesn't make the most bangin' pizza you've ever eaten. I mean, in those little pictures seen during the credits of the game, Peppino manages to dissuade both Pepperman AND his sworn rival, the Noise-who HATES pizza, mind you-to not attack him by offering them some of his pizza for free. And moreover, it's literally marketed as "the best-a pizza in-a town-a." It's gotta be some damn good pizza.

[@popculturegamer6464]

@@matttheheckingweeb3462 Definitely. I'd support him! Hell, I'd even work as a delivery driver!

[@SnesySnas]

I'd like to say The Noise isn't a competitor of Pepino He's just a TV show guy who LOVES to fuck with our favorite pizza man, these 2 just hate each other Infact, Noise HATES pizza

[@TheMushroomMeister]

@@SnesySnas the whole plan of the villains is just “make this guys day suck because it would be kinda funny”

[@qwertyiuwg4uwtwthn]

originally he was supposed too be hired as a hitman from a rival pizza chain called "dominion" and had a pizza on his hat and chest

[@Trevthehedgehog7]

Now if only this game had gotten this kind of recognition it did during The Game Awards, and Steam Awards... Seriously, this game was _robbed._

[@xx_bugc0re3_xx28]

Should of bootlicked to the higher ups. Just a huge “Should of tried harder!”

[@Dyedrainn]

They didn't took it seriously because of how it looksand only put it in because people are gonna riot if they didnt

[@Syrupsyke]

The fact that it got nominated alone is pretty cool. Although I am still mad that it lost "best debut indie game" to a game that wasn't even a debut indie game

[@pizzaboy498]

The Game Awards one wasn't robbed, the Steam Awards one was TLoU2 is, like, a -10-year-old- 3-year-old game Edit: Confused 2's release with 1. Apologies. wait why is a 2020 game in-

[@CassiusStelar]

​@@Syrupsyke*the director* has been part of the industry for a while, it is the debut for like 15 or so other people

[@ShinoSarna]

I realized during watching this video - that's also the reason why you can't die. See at the end of the day, dying in a timed section is release of tension - it's over, take a breather and try again. But not in Pizza Tower. You fuck up during the escape sequence? You lose time and scramble to get back on track. The more you get hit, the worse it feels, but you cannot die to end it. Except the bosses, which are exact opposite - for a P rank you need to not get hit AT ALL. Even once. Simplest attack of any boss becomes terrifying in this context. All the mechanics are about making the player fell the same anxiety Peppino does.

[@steeledminer616]

I love this explaination; The amount of times that I would go from "Alright I got this" to "OH FUCK OH FUCK" was a level of emotional swing that I don't think I could handle in any other game.

[@isolatedegg3234]

​@@steeledminer616Honestly Pizza Time (and more specifically lap 2) is my favorite thing in this game. You're going for that p-rank. You look at the bottom of your screen. The timer says "1:40". Deep down, you know that you won't make it in time and Pizza Face WILL spawn, but you say to yourself: "Lap 2 is always quicker than lap 1!". And then the lap 2 ost starts and you lock in. Even the song has a "fuck it, we ball" energy compared to Pizza Time's "oh shit oh shit oh shit" energy. It's such a good feeling that hasn't been replicated in any other game I've played so far.

[@steeledminer616]

@@isolatedegg3234 Hell even WHEN Pizza Face spawns, I get that panic of "NOPENOPENOPE WE DOING THIS" as the Mach 4 kicks in and I'm 2 rooms away, it just feels so intense. I LOVE Timers in games, you don't know if it's gonna be close or not and it completely changes how you approach the game.

[@isolatedegg3234]

@@steeledminer616 True. I only love timers in video games if it's done well, and Pizza Tower did it perfectly.

[@Daniel_Coffman]

What happens if you sit at the title screen for 40 seconds is a perfect representation of how anxious Peppino is as a character, too.

[@Zackwashacked]

yeah it'll make some people want a hug

[@qwertyiuwg4uwtwthn]

AAAAAAAA- *game crashes*

[@frohawkmaster]

I think there are two points one you glossed over a bit and another that mightve been overlocked. Wario is proactive and confident, even though hes a jerk he usually seems to help accidentally and isnt that hated. However because Warior always struts and smirks you dont feel bad for him because hes clearly walking it off. He is the architect of his own destiny and will willingly get bitten by a zombie if it gets him 50 bucks, so you dont feel bad for him because ya know, he doesnt feel bad either. Also Peppinos eternal panic gives a illusion of speed critical to the sortof speed run optimized style that not even sonic can mimic because hes cool. Its like how older cars can feel faster then newer ones even at slower speeds.

[@frohawkmaster]

Like a key thing is that, while Peppino is relatable in that his life is stressful and hard. Hes also much more literally relatable in that, as you struggle and rush to finish a stage as fast and cleanly as possible, hes also litterally doing that. Peppino has this motion to his movements that its almost like he tripped and hasnt ever really caught himself.

[@ZarkWiffle]

The music during the Pizza Time sequence is absolutely fantastic. It's Pizza Time perfectly encapsulates the mad dash to finish something on a deadline that you can't reach comfortably and in The Death I Deservioli you can practically hear Peppino steady his nerve and gain the confidence to fly through the level one more time.

[@aaronTGP_3756]

Then there's the many glorious level themes, and boss themes. Pig City has two of the game's best songs (Bite the Crust, Way of the Pig).

[@nathanthesquot3093]

Noise is now playable, so you'll have to make a, "Designing for Annoyance: The Noise!"

[@Poyostar]

Y'know, for as many Pizza Tower videos there are, I haven't seen any that put a big focus on how Peppino ties the whole thing together. Great to see this man get more appreciation here, 'cause after everything he went through to save his restaurant, he truly deserves it.

[@WhoIsSirChasm]

It's time for me, the one person who will defend Wario as a character! I completely and utterly disagree with the sentiment that Wario is meant to be laughed "at," at least in the context of the Wario Land series. For one thing, the man faces more defeats than victories: the statue he rescues from the Syrup Pirates is shanghaied by some inverse Wario with an "M" on his hat; the events of Wario Land II, 2, and World are caused due to the actions of outside forces (the Syrup Pirates and Black Jewel directly destroy his home and valuables, and Wario would never have discovered the Music Box if his plane hadn't broken down, not to mention it sucking him in without warning); hell, in 4, the one time he finds someone who he could see as a romantic partner she vanishes into the ether along with any evidence of the Golden Pyramid. For another, he actively embraces the transformations he has to undertake even if they distort him physically. Remember, in Land II and 3, Wario is incapable of dying save for one solitary attack by Rudy; he takes everything on the chin because he damn well knows it'll get him to his next treasure. Laughing at that is like laughing at Indiana Jones for triggering a booby trap; it's just part of the procedure. And Wario, despite his immense wealth, is also an everyman to some extent! He watches too much TV, is quick to take opportunity of a good deal on steak dinners, and has everything taken away from him by people who abuse his abilities and desires. While he's far from a family man, per se, he is still someone the audience can see themselves in, albeit in a distorted perspective. If Wario is laughed at, the audience thus must be laughing at themselves as well. No, Wario can't and won't hold a candle to Peppino in terms of embodying anxiety or feeling like a power fantasy in the sense he provides. But Wario still speaks to us at a base level, a man who will do anything and everything to get what he wants even when it's taken away from him after all of his hard work. Wario cannot and will not be replaced, and to even suggest that's a possibility is to discredit a little part of ourselves.

[@mr.beetroot2219]

God….this is a really well made comment for only 6 likes lol

[@SebsistButReal]

I love this comment. As much as i love peppino, wario is on top

[@atlaslovesedm8704]

3:50 ARRRRIGHT HOW IS THIS ONE LITTLE CLIP JUST COMPLETELY SPOT-ON TO HOW I IMAGINE PEPPINO'S VOICE SOUNDING LMAO

[@knucks5793]

cuz it is how he sounds, that bit in particular isnt in the game but he DOES have voicelines (or, more accurately, anxious gibberish)

[@farofa2843]

​@@knucks5793mhm, in fact, every single one of Peppino's voicelines that aren't just screams are different versions of him saying "Paranoid"

[@Rubberman202]

I remember Chris O'Neill, AKA OneyNG, describing Crash Bandicoot, as see in his first game, as being appealing because he's constantly nervous about everything but still gets through it. I'd say that same logic applies to Peppino, and then some!

[@very_funni]

16:52 fun fact: in war, the backround seems to be a cloning machine for pillar john and fake peppino, assuming the fake peppino's were made in war and decided to put in brunos pizza. And well pillar john... yeah just supporting the tower levels itself.

[@RealProtonPrompt]

Apparently John and Gerome originally took care of the tower until Pizzaface cursed John to become a hivemind organism holding all the levels together.

[@paper-03]

This was a pretty fun video! I kinda wish you talked about the Lap 2 system, I think that and the ranks also do a great job of tying into Peppino’s almost pendulum like emotional state. You build yourself up higher for no real gain beyond the sweet rush of pride as you push past what you thought were your limits, the anxiety of “It’s Pizza Time” giving way to the confident final push of “The Death That I Deservioli” the pressure building till its nearly too much to handle, the ultimate make or break. I think that would have tied very neatly into your talk on Peppino’s contemporary take on the extraordinary everyman. Still, good video, continue to make more!

[@johncreche671]

Peppino is literally if Luigi and Wario were thrown in a blender Edit: Also thanks for all the likes everyone!

[@reverbthevocal421]

No, that would just leave you with a bunch of viscera.

[@randocalzone8772]

He's like a reverse Waluigi

[@johncreche671]

@@randocalzone8772 Maybe, but I think that would be just plain ol' Luigi. But it does get me thinking what a waluigi pizza tower equivalent would look like 🤔

[@randocalzone8772]

@@johncreche671 Fake Peppino? The Noise? Pizzahead?

[@johncreche671]

@@randocalzone8772 Honestly I'm not sure either?

[@SlenchFan]

I think what’s special about pizza tower is that the feelings your describe are actually established and bettered by gameplay. The formal elements of the game, assisted by dramatic elements like music and visuals and narrative, make you feel something powerful, regardless of how “simple” the “story” is.

[@wyattmcgahey3035]

and then there's Patafoin's eevee mod, where instead of playing as an anxiety filled Italian, you play as a rabid dog who just wants to watch the world burn. AND I LOVE IT.

[@EeveeShadowBacon]

Eevee is pissed at their house being at the brink of destruction and will do anything to win

[@cjnewman7550]

That was them?! That was a pretty cool mod

[@TheDukeofDorks]

Ok, one was bad enough, but TWO videos taking a wonderful cartoonishly fun game and using it to fill me with existential dread over the general state of our time is just mean Pyrr! Like holy shit I admire the writing chops it takes to pull that off and goddamn is this a good video, but also how dare you!

[@autismandgaming4532]

What was the other one?

[@sephyyyboi]

@@autismandgaming4532Spamton

[@ElijahTheMarvelous]

Bro you need to get into voice acting that fake peppino monologue gave me chills down my spine

[@TarvouldsQuest]

Another banger. The editing in this one is out of this world, holy crap. Also the entire section at 14:41 had me actually uncomfortable. Really nailing the designing for Anxiety vibe. Throwing this onto the backlog pile like an extra layer of Mozzarella.

[@Spatu10]

“Marinara mauling” killed me, masterful writing as always

[@thegreatkiwibeast2591]

The fact that a channel with editing and scripts this good doesn’t even crack 100k views is depressing

[@burnttoast5477]

This video reminds me a lot of the way english teachers tell you to think about things. Not that that's a bad thing, it was definitely a unique perspective on Peppino compared to other videos.

[@TheEmeraldSword04]

When I saw Pizza Tower for myself I noticed the same details, from Pippino never being confident, and the pizza places strewn in the tower, but I could not put into words what I was picking up, they we're just at the tip of my tongue. This video managed to take those words and then some, and explained it in great execution. Amazing content, I'll be sure to check out more of your channel!

[@LucasMiddleNameandLastname22]

I once saw someone describe Peppino as being infinitely wrathful in places he's thriving which is accurate.

[@THEKLOISE]

FUN FACT: ya know how when you stand still, youd hear peppino speak? but its like random gibberish well he actually says the word "PARANOID" but at different tones (low tones or high tones, fast or slow) so not only does he have anxiety, he is paranoid.

[@SegaMario]

11:57 That's *LITERALLY* what Game Theory is ever since FNAF was brought up to them.

[@edfreak9001]

I just wanna say how well this video is edited for this topic, so many little quarter-second bits off a random utterance into the mic or like three frames of "what the hell was that I saw coming into frame"

[@pixeldemon6173]

Another little detail is that, unlike the other bosses, if fake peppino goes into a stun state and starts blinking, the fight wont ever continue until you hit him. That abomination will lay, crumpled on the floor, in a little ball of misery, forever, until you knock some sense into him.

[@abismal_pecto]

I absolutely loved this video, but I'll hope to our pizza god you'll cover what is basically Peppino's chaotic rival and complete opposite, the Noise.

[@bruzzunathtuch]

I believe since he is officially a war vet, Peppino doesn't WANT to kill. That's why all the enemies are perfectly fine at the end. He's a good man that's fighting to just survive, and he even saves everyone from suffering a terrible fate at the end.

[@ianrocha6854]

Dude, I must congratulate and thank you for sharing this sensible and thought-out interpretation that is not the usual subjectivist juice the internet is chock-full of. There is no overinterpretation either, there is no fan trying to make their taste look intelectually and culturally superior. I'm even more convinced that Peppino is indeed one of the best characters until now conceived for videogame media. As a comic book artist and art educator, I will surely take your words into account. I've subscribed to your channel now.

[@NanagoBlake]

"Pizza tower's good stuff" And that's all i need to hear!

[@Its_me_6]

To those curious: The 3D toppin jumpscare early on and the flailing limbs during the fake peppino rant were both cut from the game

[@goldengrecha]

Thats a nice and a good video we have here! Thank you for your work and for this video, yeah. It was really nice! For me, Peppino is like really some kind of genuinely very important character. I love and care for him. But i also really love his vibe. I think, Peppino may be really relatable for someone with anxiety - even if reason of their anxiety is somethint different completely. Just this vibe, this panic, this anxiety, this "beat someone up or cry loudly" state, its so touching. I think its really hit the spot. Also its makes (at least for me) him more comfortabe and human-like, and i really like that.

[@dukereal8106]

It's funny because the war story seems to have been un-retconned, as in the noise update you can find war medals in his house above his bed.

[@glennruark5932]

So awesome to see this game covered on this channel, its one of my all time favorites!!

[@TanteiRotana]

When I first played through Pizza Tower the games final moments felt like an incredible climax, I enjoy achivement hunting and orginally didn't plan on doing all the S ranks until finding out they were required for it, going for them felt incredibly rewarding. Thank you for the upload.

[@revooh-hj2nu]

what about p-ranks

[@TanteiRotana]

Yeah I meant P ranks my mistake@@revooh-hj2nu

[@culinaryartificer5123]

Upon learning Pizza Tower came out, I put a meme on the subreddit that said Peppino was Wario's upgrade. I'm glad to sush ideas return.

[@mothramaster1837]

With the addition of the Noise Update, i feel like he'd naturally be the next best character to be featured, because dear lord is his mode a total mockery of Peppino's hardships in the game (and the player's, as he constantly chastises you if you're not getting at least an S on every level)

[@HatofMemes]

first bumbles mcfumbles, now designing for? now all i need is caddicarus and the holy "favourite youtubers making a pizza tower review" trinity is complete.

[@revooh-hj2nu]

bumbles reviews sucked tho

[@shyguyissoawesomeguys]

14:00 just wanna say i LOVE the editing in this part it's so crazy and chaotic and fits the song perfectly

[@cheezemonkeyeater]

I love that the final boss's second phase is a completely anti-twist. You smash up the pizza monster you've been pursuing the whole time and he's . . . just some guy. Not even a guy you've ever met, or who's ever been established. He's just another guy out there competing for a piece of your pizza pie.

[@campthemvp]

I’m very glad you said the game was good, but the 20 extra minutes of gushing over Peppino is also well appreciated!

[@Koistork]

Can't wait to see what you have to say about playing as The Noise in the following update, lol

[@portalfreak7628]

6:06 Wow, that's probably the first time I've ever seen someone miss the Pizza Gnome time limit lmao

[@AuthorMx]

It was my first time playing the level I sowwy :c

[@yoshiyoshi2955]

This may sound silly but you have know idea how excited I was hearing the song in the credits/outro and getting a massive rush of nostalgia from the cars 2 game

[@Funkin_GDJ3ll0]

When he talked about fake Peppino I was gonna lose it ngl

[@stevenschuitemaker8438]

18:00 ye your right…………, DUCK PEPINO IT NOISE TIMEEEEEEE!!!!!!

[@troin3925]

Something that I've seen no one talk about is that Peppino is very clearly based on Chef Louie from The Little Mermaid. I immediately recognized this as soon as I saw Peppino for the first time. Not only does Peppino kind of look like him, but he also has that same insane, psychotic energy (they both even have circles around their eyes when under extreme stress or anger).

[@evanraynolds8699]

you give the single creepiest description of fake peppino that i have ever heard/seen. i love it! 14:57 for those who want to hear Fake Peppino described as something from the pits of hell itself

[@rubykaylaandogie3334]

Ok well now you need to do the noise when he releases as a playable character

[@SeagullBruh]

Hey theres my art at 8:39! I never thought that would get into a video but im still proud of it lol, thanks for using it!

[@pdg3513]

Friendly reminder that Pepino's yell is the same one as the Orphan of Kos's have a nice day...do what you will with this information

[@Anthaneus]

The real ones stay after the hype🔥🔥🔥🗣🗣🗣

[@RickyRiceB]

Peppino legit feels like a role model for me as an adult. His entire existence shows that there’s nothing but stress and hardship in reality, and there’s honestly no way to turn it all into one happy ending like it’s a fantasy story or videogame. Yet despite this he has actually never given up, and instead gathers whatever tiny amount of tenacity left in him to mold his problems into a another successful day no matter what, just to spite everything and everyone that wants to see him fail. He doesn’t have to always be happy with his living situation but he will make sure that no matter what he always comes out on top.

[@am-180]

oh man great production on this. sick

[@Sam_Wowza]

Haven't heard of this channel before, but this video is great! I'll make sure to check out your other videos :)

[@mwelite1706]

I’m surprised it took a year for you to cover Pizza Tower but anyways good video on narrative and symbolism.

[@SebsistButReal]

Crazy that this game is already a year old. Well the full release at least

[@Trashpile-bf6vk-1hg809ksa]

I love still seeing people cover this game that basically has...died sadly, but you really did a good job explaining the disinge of pizza tower, i appriciate the love put inside this, hope you have a nice evening!

[@The0320Angela]

Technically it’s not dead. Fandom went quiet and probably move on to the next big thing.

[@nerd0Chija]

Well, maybe the spotlight moved to new shiny things, (as always) but still is slowly turning into a cult classic between those who still stay with it. Even for small communities, there are many mods that keep the game alive and a bit fresh, people still making animations, comics, music, drawings and fanfics. We have even a little Pizza Tower multiverse with some more or less known AUs (some of them being pretty nice, some of the most obscure ones....well.... I leave no comment on them). Also, some stuff that is...very unfriendly to advertisers (according to YT) are doing very good too. And there would be also soon (promised for so long) official playable Noise update as McPig announcement. In nutshell, it still exists, but as small communities. Some of them are nice, some of them…well, questionable.

[@Trashpile-bf6vk-1hg809ksa]

@@nerd0Chija Thanks for the info bro!

[@TheBillNyeGuy]

I love how Designing For talks about Fake Peppino by starting with a second-POV scenario, where you ARE Fake Peppino. Him whispering to the viewer what it's like to be in the faker's shoes always sends chills down my spine, in the best way possible, of course.

[@MR.Foxtrot-2008]

''Wow thanks for making this video analysis. Wait where's my drink? MY DRINK?!? MY DIET DR KELP! DON'T TELL ME YOU FORGOT MY DRINK? HOW AM I SUSPOSE TO WATCH THIS VIDEO WITHOUT MY DRINK?!? Didn't you ever once think of the customer? YOU call yourself A Video channel? WELL I AIN'T BUYING!''

[@UncertifiedUnsanity]

Anxiety is my favorite pizza topping

[@ameryaser3987]

Great video man. Honestly awesome stuff!

[@dnd1016]

People at the awards Ceremony: What if we told you that the Last of Us 2 had a better soundtrack *Everybody disliked that*

[@The0320Angela]

Blame the internet for taking Steam Awards as a cruel joke.

[@The0320Angela]

I absolutely hate TLOU after that fiasco.

[@spaghetrikov]

Absolutely fantastic video that really hits the nail on the head of why I love and relate to Peppino as a character so much-Thank you for covering this incredible Italian, it puts to words what I've often had trouble properly articulating to people when I say he's my favorite video game protagonist! It also helped me reexamine my own perspective on him, you bring up some very compelling points about how the game itself repeatedly reinforces his anxiety and personal struggles and shoves it right in his face, and I think we can all sometimes relate to feeling like life just won't give us a break like that. The specific note about his animations reignited my own passion for animation and character design, and it has me excited to work on my own video game project and its protagonist. I love the idea of putting that kind of love, thought, and care into one's main character and just what they represent, with each and every animation they have. It's really inspired me to push myself past my limits, and give it 110%! Much love, thank you for the wonderful analysis!

[@EggBastion]

WORTH THE WAIT.

[@Gaia_BentosZX5]

And now for his antithesis, The Noise to capitalize on his new dedicated update.

[@R-youdamantendo-R]

THAT FAKE PEPPINO INTRO SCARED ME WHAT THE ACTUAL (taunt)

[@sojiro856]

I also get Earthworm Jim vibes from this game due to the game's weirdness. The art style reminds me of CNs Cow & Chicken. In other words, Pizza Tower has that mid-90s vibe to it.

[@Megafrostbear]

I love your editing style, subscribed

[@anthonyascencio7399]

Peppinos expressions remind me pf Tex Avery cartoons

[@rowdyriolu1]

The Fake Peppino narration gave me an upset stomach, outstanding work

[@creativecritters6791]

Noise is a burger mascot, actually.

[@sansinator0889]

And then comes the Noise, dishonest insanity

[@dr.ludwik2063]

Basicly what Game Theory video about Pizza Tower should be

[@BrazilianMongoose]

I love Peppino so much, he’s the most expressive character I’ve ever played as

[@RikouHogashi]

btw I think Pizza Tower set a new Record for Biggest Sprite Sheet for a Player Character bar a LARGE MARGIN

[@angel_of_rust]

the whole game screams "how do you do my fellow mental health struggle enjoyers"

[@akiradkcn]

The game isn't trying to be pretentious bro, its just silly

[@TopityTurvity]

that's some good pizza right there

[@bladeworksmaster]

As Bumbles McFumbles aptly put it: “Let’s see how this middle-aged Italian Man handles! Actually he can’t handle anymore!”

[@flameslinger8820]

I'm probably late to making a comment on this video. But there's something about Pizza Tower I think about is how despite everything Pizzahead does to undermine Peppino's business... Despite how much he insults Peppino and toys with him, and how much Pizzahead just wants to torment Peppino. Why would Pizzahead want to copy Peppino so badly? If Peppino's pizza is considered so "Mediocre" or "meh" why does Pizza head want to comodify it? I think It's because Pizzahead and his tower's pizza is actually worse. But they can hide it with really really good marketing. I think Peppino's business is only suffering as bad as it is because of Pizzaface's marketing and the "Pizza boy" video game where Peppino is made as the antagonist. If Peppino's pizza truly was mediocre... Why is Pizzahead so obsessed with tormenting him and running his name through the mud? Pizzahead probably knows his marketing can only do so much. If the hype starts dying down, he probably knows Peppino's handmade Pizza will do better in the long run. Pizzahead is as insecure as Peppino... So he's desperate to take him out and comodify him.

[@giantlizard9158]

He cooka da pizza He cooka da pasta

[@New3DSLuigi364]

I LOVE THAT "Don't Make a Sound" is Basically a FNAF Level in a Game inspired by Wario Land!!

[@Blackheartzero]

D4 episode about Peppino Spaghetti? _Say no more!_

[@EggBastion]

No! _MORE!_

[@perrilewis180]

It's an anxiety attack, but you’re still in control.

[@plesbeans7440]

also peppino is a war vet this is a fact you cannot argue with me (i am right)

[@bendy809]

I got the dark cook clothes, which can only be earned by getting no damage for every boss fight

[@pizzaboy498]

YEAAHHHH!!! WOOOOO!!!!!! PIZZA TOWER,,, WOO!!!