The Valle Verde Investigation - Part 1

[@loorthedarkelf8353]

JUST NOTICED SOMETHING WITH THE HOUSES!! THEY ALL HAVE DROP SHADOWS IN FRONT OF THEM Drop Shadows were a technique used by early 3D platforming devs to help players comprehend where they were in a space that could not give realistic deapth perception. Basically, without a shadow it is REALLY hard for players to figure out where they're gonna land after jumping, but getting the model to cast a shadow was beyond the technology at the time: enter, the drop shadow! The little circle of black that hangs out directly below ALL characters. For the player it helps with platforming and navigation in the space, and it makes all character models feel more grounded as an aestetic bonus AND THERE ARE DROP SHADOWS IN FRONT OF THE HOUSES, BUT NO FIGURES TO GO WITH THEM. The characters Foxxo is trying to introduce us to ARE there, they have shadows, they are in the world, but we can't see them

[@tazandalsoalastname]

This is a really cool comment; I learned something new AND it contributes hugely to the text 😁

[@Juice0109]

It's cause they're way high up I bet, like in heaven

[@QuantumTelephone]

Drop shadows ain't that deep bro. They've been around since 2d games. Since super Mario even

[@bugjams]

​@@QuantumTelephone Point is, only small objects and entities were given drop shadows. Rarely were bigger things like houses given drop shadows. Let them be happy with their realization, cuz it's still logically sound.

[@loorthedarkelf8353]

​@@QuantumTelephone don't reply to someone else's joy to be a dick unless you've got a point to make.

[@harrisonhaine1199]

I'm glad to see this level of depth come back on ARG and web series analysis, instead of channels just explaining what's happening on the screen.

[@Dadh4t]

Couldn't agree more, Roachdogg Jr.

[@harrisonhaine1199]

@@Dadh4t no worries my friend, roachdogg lives within all of his children

[@jelly_4_brainz]

brother roachdogg!!! I need to get that picture back so I can be a proper roachdogg Jr again

[@beebs4283]

that’s why nightmare masterclass is the mvp

[@RemoWilliams1227]

I am all in for this one. Just finished his petscop series and it was amazing.

[@demonninetaledfox]

I do appreciate the detailed level of analysis! Only issue is all of things to do with the fact there is a governing body implying there is something nefarious going on and thus this isn't a children's game is uh. Well it falls a little flat when you remember a lot of those details are based on Animal Crossing which is for children. It's just a slightly more exaggerated version of Animal Crossing with a catholic horror underbelly. You play as a character who is very child-like and living on their own with sometimes hostile seeming government figures. Though mostly it's a mean post office lady or the mayor sleeping on the job who happens to never come up for re-election. Plus I think the other stuff we see implies the fact there is a government isn't really the focus here but instead the biblical elements

[@unduloid]

Shima (島) means "island" in Japanese, so "Debug Shima" is simply "Debug Island," a place that looks like, well, an island. "Shima" is a common part of Japanese place names, and it is often used in fictional names as well to give a place a more "townsy" feel, similar to yama (山), saki (崎) and kawa/gawa (川).

[@yanshi3942]

Perhaps a little tongue-in-cheek joke from the creators: Shizuoka (literally means "silent hill") is the inspiration of the name of the Konami game series. Considering we are paying homage to PS1 era horror games this is very fitting.

[@relag4171]

I kinda just assumed the other players died and that's why their flags were lowered to half mast. Thanks for giving some historical context! I'm not sure I totally buy into it, given how Argentina had a military junta propped up by the US for good while there but the in game flag is at full mast. Still, interesting to think about.

[@joshuadarrow]

yeah, i also doubt that the use of the georgian flag depicted was in reference to any historic event, given that the flag was used as the georgian national flag from 1991 to 2004. this makes sense given this game is supposed to be from the late 90s.

[@loorthedarkelf8353]

There's also a drop shadow in front of each house, indicating a character model *is* there but we cannot see them

[@hachedecuatroka8966]

there's a TOOON of references to the 70's dictatorship, i hope that he can analyze that! cuz like deeper in the video, there's a lot of pictures of the Malvinas, and some songs that were chosen make reference to war and the struggles of that era-- I don't think that's the main point, i think that the creator is trying to talk about religion trough the use of that simbolism (the church was really related to the dictatorship)

[@10801283]

There's something extra unsettling about the authority figures being adults while the player character and the other residents whose homes we see all appear to be pre-teen children. The themes of mistrust, oppression and survival become a lot more sinister when you consider that this fictional government seemingly expects 10-year-olds to manage their immigration papers, handle finances and find their own living quarters. Very much looking forward to the rest of this series. Having seen Valle Verde several times I can't wait to hear your interpretations of some of the later scenes!

[@d0ntb0th3r]

I hope making this type of content works well for you David, it is certainly a type and level of video-form analysis that people desire.

[@Guruc13]

But hey! Don't feel pigeon holed either! I loved your last few vids too NM!

[@soniasquishy]

I would imagine that the flags and photos more-so represent the state of (former?) players and their relationship with the game. Perhaps the specific nations chosen were chosen because it is why the AI that runs the game is so corrupt as to believe suicide is a better alternative to subjugation. Foxxo is a ruthless leader who does not care for his people- many who suffer under his rule (players- whether the things we see be simple representations of past players, or actual souls trapped in the game as implied by the 'Your Heart is in our Hands' motto shown at the beginning of the video) turn to faith, and inevitably, suicide. The location of the footage seems to imply the most recent player was in Argentina, and it's clear we're seeing the story from the perspective of the tester named 'Pablo' specifically, hence the Spanish language option. This footage was found buried near a statuette in a scene clearly intended to seem religious (I may be missing actual religious subtext here, but the point is still the same). I might also speculate that this is a hint of events to come. Whether or not our tester, Pablo, is from Argentina is yet to be confirmed, but we know for a fact that Matias is. Either Pablo solves things, puts the game down for good, and leaves a memorial for Matias (who is implied dead by this sequence of events) in the woods, or that location was a last memoir from Pablo before he took his life. I'd also like to point out that later in the video there's a scene where the player flies a plane and bombs various spots on the map. The appearance of the statue of liberty may imply this part of the game is generated by the 'influence' of Kazuya's death- after all, America was responsible for bombing Hiroshima. Regardless, the video properly scared me! I might suggest advising the viewership that it is substantially more directly graphic than Petscop ever was, despite the inspirations it took. The jumpscares also deserve their own warning for the faint of heart, naturally. But I am interested to hear where the story goes- even if I may be a bit too unnerved to continue watching as it stands (the scene where the character is struck by the angel, agonizing before death was particularly uncomfortable for me), but the story fascinates me, and I'll certainly be keeping up with the videos you upload.

[@clarifairytopia]

Hope you touch on operation condor on your next instalment as I believe it’s the most referenced event in the work. Argentina and the rest of latam got very much subjugated with as much violence cruelty and humiliation by the us as the other historical events you named. This is a fundamentally Latin American project and it’s reflected.

[@TehCoopaTroopa]

Not saying its incorrect, but the "i'll sleep in a bush = biting politcal commentary" bit seems like a huge reach to me, it just reminds me of a fittingly jokey response for a kids game

[@Nateraids]

Agreed, sound like an option a game would give you so the NPC can respond in the same way no matter what option was chosen. A character responding "No place to stay, huh?" To a player character saying "That bush looks comfy" is something you would see in a videogame.

[@patrykpytka5071]

Hey, just a quick correction about ehat you said at around 26:30 about the flag of Georgia. That flag was used by the modern country of Georgia in the 90's and early 2000's, and since it's a PS1 game, to be period accurate, the creators of Valle Verde probably used the old Georgia flag for authenticity.

[@michaelm7936]

What a coincidence, I just got done rewatching your Petscop investigation. Looking forward to diving into this!

[@AmberCresent]

NO WAY SAME, LITERALLY JUST FINISHED EPISODE 8 AGAIN YESTERDAY! (I’ve watched it before, but my god, masterclass is so good I have to watch it at least once a year)

[@secondengineer9814]

I think 80s to 90s tech that somehow stumbled on creating a self aware AI is one of my favorite tropes

[@Lab__Rat]

Personalized Mario 64 👀

[@QuantumTelephone]

It's basically a genre in and of itself. Not just a trope.

[@mohesm1]

When Georgia regained independence in 1991 they used the flag of the Democratic Republic until 2004, meaning that the flag shown would have been the current flag at the time of the games development.

[@NightmareMasterclass]

Good point

[@loorthedarkelf8353]

Huh, I was born the same year Georgia regained independence. It's unsettling how often the lines on the map move, and the wars fought over them. It makes me so angry at everyone who suggests all the wars ended some nebulous time ago. The 1990s in the American Empire is considered When It Was All Okay I want to rip off the face of every adult who lied to me.

[@RyutaShinohara]

Two things nobody has mention are 1. the fact that the keyboard lacks the number 8, which means good fortune in Japanese, and 2. the presence of a pair of shoes standing in front of Kazuya's house, which could mean someone who "unalived" themselves left them behind

[@greycat1246]

no other channel would think to analyze this work from this perspective great work! excited for part 2

[@aaaddddaaaammmm]

Thanks for turning me on to this new series, David. I dislike some of the more cliche ARG elements but for the most part this is pretty thought provoking.

[@Myth1221]

This video is such a banger. I always love your soundtracks in the bg.

[@loorthedarkelf8353]

Agreed, I was grooving

[@Myth1221]

​@@loorthedarkelf8353 And just like, the mix with his voice is so good. Its half the reason why I've rewatched petscop about 2 dozen times haha.

[@TheV8Ninja]

Very excited to see where your analysis goes with this one David. You brought the series to my attention and, after having seen the first episode all the way through, it is intensely tricky to pick out a single thread or idea it wants to tackle. The series is a little more blatant with its horror elements than Petscop and others, but the level of thought put into those bits of horror are as densely packed as the puzzle boxes of Petscop. Also, I don't want to be nitpick-y, but given the context of where this project originates (South America) it's likely that the title of the series is pronounced "Vie-yay Ver-day". The two L letters in Spanish and its various dialects are often pronounced like a Y. (See; The Spanish word for chicken, "Pollo," as in, "Los Pollos Hermanos.")

[@Guruc13]

Ohhhhhh... Dang, you're right! I took Spanish in high school, how did I miss that???

[@Real_Haha_]

I like your analysis! Commentating in depth on the work, and unveiling it's themes through a historical and political lens really brings everything to this new grotesque and morbid viewpoint. You manage to subtantiate and artistically build upon the material w/o your perspective and interpretation somehow seeming misapplied or off base. Just great stuff man!! Wooo

[@Sedric-and-Charlie]

I never noticed this before, but Debug Shima isn't initially on the list of available locations. As the menu is scrolled through, at first there's a graphic of a palmtree and possibly some kind of mountain or building; then Debug Shima appears in its place and that icon is visible after it. So presumably Debug Shima isn't normally accessible unless one inputs some kind of code that we're not privy to

[@cthulusauce]

I really appreciate how you annunciate, I don’t have to use subtitles for your videos. Audio is great

[@DieChesseFrau]

happy to see this style of format return :)

[@joshuadarrow]

a few notes: 1: the game is taking a good bit of inspiration from a number of games, particularly animal crossing. Such games do generally ask the player to input their name and date of birth, for addressing the player and for displaying a birthday message on the relevant date. furthermore the "credentials" foxxo gives the player can be inferred to be a "scorecard" of sorts for keeping track of in-game achievements, with the various blank spaces being filled in over time. these are relatively common video game features that serve to further sell the illusion of the game being real. personally i highly doubt they serve to add any symbolism regarding any sociopolitical topics. that seems like a big stretch. 2: regarding the flags, the lowered flag can mean any number of things, but the most likely means the death of the player in question (the shoes outside of kazuya's house are a japanese symbol pertaining to suicide). based on later footage referring to matias as "patient 2", and the fact that he communicates in spanish implies that the flags are those of previous player's nationalities. what symbolic significance that actually has on the work is far too early to say. (side note: the georgian flag depicted was also used in the 90s and early 2000s, making it period accurate to 1997. any further historical reference is likely coincidental) overall, the work has a lot of sybolism, some more blatant than others, but i think you may be "missing the forest for the trees" and inserting themes that aren't necessarily present.

[@NightmareMasterclass]

You might say The Shining is about a writer who stays at a hotel and subsequently goes insane. Yes, that is a literal parsing of the events that take place in the movie. But surely there's more to be said, right? There are subtle references that can be causally dismissed as "coincidental" by the more literal minded. But there is such a thing as a work that doesn't beat you over the head with its themes, and so you have to do some work to figure it out. That's the fun of it. I'm just spit balling. You say the work contains symbolism. Start from there.

[@ngwoo]

It's certainly not unfair to point out that the credentials are just a reference to Animal Crossing (they obviously are), but it was still a conscious choice to use them. And you could also ask what Animal Crossing is trying to say by incorporating those systems into a game intended to be played by all ages, and how that answer might apply here as well.

[@kingofburgerz]

The goat of ARG thematic analysis has returned!

[@barbadot9879]

Valle Verde is a weird, weird project. Sometimes it seems it has so much to say it falls into some pretty uninspired symbolism, but then again it can't really be tied up in a coherent narrative. I can't wait for more of your analysis to see what liez beneath. A few consideration: While the flags and nations are clearly not randomic and tied to colonialism, I think the flags are also tied to which characters are more "down under" than the others. Matias is the only seemingly alive person we meet in the video, and he is immediately asked "where are the others?" Implying the other kids were once like Matias. the flags could symbolise the consciousness of the characters, especially since a lowered flag is traditionally for national loss. The choice of nationalities is still weird though. All of the other countries make reference to some kind of violent massacre specifically perpetrated against a single country- Argentina clearly references the Falklands once you enter Matias' house. But what about France? WW2 doesn't really work as an explanation... It could have just as easily been Poland, or the Czech Republic, or Austria, or paradoxically Italy, or Denmark, etc. And not all french people were the specific target of Germany's specific hate. The only way I can seem to explain it is through France's massacre-filled history and currently uncontrolled islamophobia, but then why choose France and not any of the countries they massacred? Why choose a name so etymologically european? It doesn't fit in with the rest of the narration, it seems to me, even if we do take into consideration historical realism. It's not like most of the other countries shown were ever as powerful as France once was. Anyway, great video as always. Can't wait for the continuation to this investigation :) I was wondering something, are you making your narration purposefully easier for people who are just listening and not watching the video?

[@BaronElBardo]

Hmmm... I think you sliped a bit with the political subtext in the game. I know a bit about how semiotic signs works and sings evoque more signs, therfore, more interpretations. But I think the subjugation it's not about the countires but the character subjugation. Maybe even death.

[@Tokiwartoothnotabumblebee]

This was a great video, and I am looking forward to your further analysis of this series.

[@Beeyo176]

While he claims it as his specialty, David's content offers way more than just investigations into haunted PS1 games. I feel like this might get more traffic than his other videos due to the similarities to the Petscop investigation series, but I implore everyone to give the rest of his content a look. That being said Tf, David. You know why we're here. Where is it Give it to us 👏 🦶📝

[@tonnentonie2767]

For what are you waiting for, may I ask?

[@Beeyo176]

@@tonnentonie2767 Footnote *clap*

[@tonnentonie2767]

@@Beeyo176 hahahaha nice one

[@ToonGal12]

Nice to see a new investigation series underway! I really hope this means we get the return of: *CLAP* ~Footnote~

[@elrhunadan]

as an Argentinian I'd like to point out that I don't know if the flag position having to do with invasion or occupation theory holds much water. Yes, it's true we didn't get invaded by foreign countries but we did lose a massive war in the 80's against the UK for a terriorial dispute. If we ignored that, we'd also need to contend with the many military governments that seized power off of democratically elected officials. While that might have been carried out by our own military forces, the worst ones that we still remember were carried out by people trained by the CIA in order to destabilize Latinamerica. Can't wait to see the rest of the series!

[@GolfhausYT]

It does seem inconsistent. Yes, France was occupied by Nazi Germany for a few years, but it's hard to argue that they were "defeated" in WW2 - they were ultimately on the winning side. The same goes for Ireland; yes, they were occupied for a very long time, but ultimately they did win their independence. I imagine the "real" reason is something a bit more mundane - one gets the idea that the creator of the series is Argentinian, and is "putting the home side on top" here.

[@loorthedarkelf8353]

I thought that the flag being up, and that the kid Wants To Go Home, suggests active rebellion and refusal to accept colonial status quo, even if Argentina as a country cannot fully escape it

[@elrhunadan]

@@GolfhausYT I got the same impression. Though the choice in countries is interesting.

[@elrhunadan]

Oh, something else that's odd is that Valle Verde literally means Green Valley... This is an island

[@joshuadarrow]

it seems more likely that the lowered flag does have some other meaning, such as the player in question being dead (the empty shoes outside of kazuya's house are a potential reference to suicide).

[@ramirezmanuel117]

I love the production on these vids. One of my favorite series to fall asleep to

[@Tosspoet]

your videos are always a pleasure to see when I get alerts. I know I'm in for a treat. also loved your video on Nathan Feilder's The Rehearsal.

[@loorthedarkelf8353]

Back again because I love listening to your voice, and I'm so hype for whenever the next part of the investigation comes out

[@loorthedarkelf8353]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the flags at the beginning of the game were all colonizers, weren't they? They're not language families, they're the country that forced the most people to speak like them- on pain of death if they refused. ( CLARIFICATION EDIT: ) Talking about the flags that appear in the first minute of the Valle Verde video, 00:37 if you'd like the exact time code. The Union Jack ( Britian's flag after taking over Scotland and Ireland, with colonies spanning the world to this day, and the imperial father of the USA ), German ( Germany took colonies in northern Africa before Europe exploded about it, and the Idea Of Germany was made out of HUNDREDS of little fieftoms that existed under the Holy Roman Empire, so it could be argued that the German state getting consolidated into a single national identity is an act of colonial nation crafting... Like Russia's attempts to drag Crimeia back into its borders ), Italian ( the original home of facist dreams to rule the world and make order from chaos), and Spainish flags. ( the conquistadors, the plundering of the middle americas, the absolute devastation of all cultural and historical records along with the people-- and then established ports to EXTRACT WEALTH- oh look, colonizer bingo!) All four of these flags have represented nations that, at some point, tried to claim every corner of the world and enforce it via passports, visas, and various other kinds of documents that one MUST have to go places-- instead of roaming where one will. With the early focus on documents, I find this interesting.

[@Guruc13]

*Great* detail! Good find!

[@vvviiikk]

this analogy doesn't work for the irish flag

[@Guruc13]

@@vvviiikk That's true... If that's the case, it should be the UK flag instead. This game was presumably made in the '90s, Maybe it's a reference to the I.R.A. (Irish Republican Army)? Not a perfect fit though...

[@Guruc13]

I think said countries also have large pockets of Catholicism/Christianity. This would include France and Germany, but would leave out other large Catholic/Christian nations like Italy, Spain, the Philippines, Columbia, Poland, Mexico, the Czech Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United States, and - of course - Brazil.

[@loorthedarkelf8353]

​@@vvviiikk i think we may be discussing different flag sets? I edited my original post to clarify I'm talking about the Language Select flags at the VERY beginning of the game.

[@TigressInferna333]

I read the lowered flags as being at half-mast and therefore marking that those characters may be dead The paperwork stuff is common in children's games, especially the game's clearest influence, Animal Crossing. We joke about Animal Crossing being fucked up with land lordism and the like so it's possible that this game is playing with those undertones that can be read in a sinister way

[@ElfinaAshfield]

When I'm watching the project I was thinking NMMC would do a great job dissecting this considering how much societal commentary there are on this project :) Props to the work as always!

[@hpalpha7323]

Love your videos, that theme song and smooth voice always gets me excited

[@dreamcast.0]

I think this is a super interesting interpretation of the short. It's far more compelling than "Obviously these glitched entities are ghosts trapped in the video game" I'll be seated for analysis videos on Valle Verde.

[@loorthedarkelf8353]

HOOO BOI I'VE MISSED THIS KIND OF STUFF!!! As always, thank you for all your hard work, and providing so much for theory crafters to play with!

[@catchyalata777]

Looking forward to more in the next installment! I found the blending of religious and geopolitical imagery fascinating and unsettling in equal measure.

[@EeveePrincessXD]

I'll admit I was skeptical at first, thinking you were reading too deeply into the introductory papers stuff when to me it read as just a variation on the first several minutes of Animal Crossing, which this ARG's video game so clearly pulls inspiration from, but the Georgian flag turned my opinion around. Clearly it IS that deep.

[@joshuadarrow]

i'm not sure it is. after all, that flag was the official flag of georgia during the 90s. the current flag wouldn't be adopted until 2004.

[@ErikaCartet]

i would think the flag was just meant to make the game historically accurate, since it would have been the official flag of georgia during the time of the game’s production. would have been a discrepancy to use any other flag. though the choice to add georgia as one of the countries does feel curious

[@lordofpokemon1212]

Valle Verde is severely slept on. I'm glad to see some content on it!

[@seerai-42]

nothing much to add other than to help with the algorithm but glad to see a return to form! this is probably the most ps1 looking web series yet, and im excited to see where it goes and how you interpret it

[@gmolinacarvajal]

The countries chosen definitely are not random and maybe they hint specific places where human rights violations had taken place, that would explain why the developers of the game took children from those places to experiment with. Other than that I think the flags are just a plot element to explain why footage of an unreleased japanese video game was found on argentinian grounds from all places, and maybe the position of the flags are some sort of a "health bar" indicating how operational is the AI model taken from each children.

[@oulafursson]

The fifth test brings to my mind one idea... There are people who try to get their papers done over, and over, and over again. Starting and failing because the system is so complicated and obtuse. I'm not sure that my interpretation is adequate, but it doesn't leave my mind :=) Another thing on my mind is how people are equal in their inequality in this society -- even inhabitants from more or less rich countries live in a shithole and don't have freedom, because when they become refugees/immigrants, it doesn't seem to matter much, or matters in its own unique way (bringing them to equally unpleasant conditions, but differently so) In any case, thank you for the video, gave me some food for thought! As always, love your soothing voice and attention to details ❤️

[@couchalmark675]

I think your analysis on the flag positions is probably off-base, given that Argentina, like the rest of Latin America, has been the repeated target of subjugation for most of the 20th and 21st centuries, whether that's in the form of direct conquest or in the form of economic subjugation. Claiming Argentina as undefeated while France is somehow defeated doesn't hold water. Rather, in the context of the rest of the production so far, it seems like the flag position is representative of the individual characters and an indication of their status, while the choices of flags themselves represent a selection of countries that have, one way or another, a messy history with immigration.

[@joshuadarrow]

I get the impression that the "immigration/refugee" theme might be reading a bit too much into it. the game depicted is clearly intended to emulate games like animal crossing, filling out "paperwork" is just an in-universe way of asking for the player to input their name and birthday. reading too much into such things risks missing the more obvious symbolism, or misinterpreting it to mean something else.

[@NightmareMasterclass]

What is the "more obvious symbolism" you speak of?

[@couchalmark675]

@@NightmareMasterclass The bulk of Valle Verde's anomalous content is extremely religious in its motifs. It's not quiet about it.

[@NightmareMasterclass]

@@couchalmark675 Oh, don't you worry, I'll get to that.

[@flapadodawhitewoods5670]

Here we go again folks

[@lilac9901]

The PS1 startup sound gave me such flashbacks!

[@bargin2587]

Always a pleasure to watch a Nightmare Masterclass.

[@Jimmyfinder]

How are there so few views, this needs to blow up

[@MissusAnon]

That red and yellow blimp at the beginning reminded me of Megaman Legends-- I love the shit out of that series.

[@eiquebitumin9445]

something notable about kazuya(from japan), is that we actually do see a fragment of their model when they are introduced, but it's just a pair of shoes.

[@mattpettit3925]

Hey, Nightmare Masterclass, it might not mean anything, but I personally think you’re fantastic at what you do. I think it’s a crime you’re sub count isn’t higher, and I consistently try to get my friends to give your channel a try. I appreciate your work enough that it actually means a decent amount to me to hope for your channels continued success. I know this doesn’t necessarily have much to do with this video, but I felt like voicing my opinion on your work here. I love your videos, really, and I hope more people come to be familiar with it. You’re doing good work, and I thought it was worth saying so, not that a random comment necessarily means anything, but still.

[@kafkasclown8128]

Worth noting, as far as the authority elements are concerned, the kanji on Foxxo's armband does mean "leader," but has connotations along the lines of "leader of an alliance." Well, not just connotations. The combination is mei + shu, literally "alliance leader." Helps make certain relationships clear.

[@seanchan4478]

Just going to leave this comment before I watch the video.... Yessssssss!

[@Guruc13]

Oh... that opening gave me ASMR tingles

[@mysticete248]

I am particularly intrigued by the game's language select screen, which features flags that, after hearing your analysis of the children's flags, seem to be deliberately chosen. we have the united kingdom, italy, germany, and spain. considering the "subjugated" countries and their relationships to these countries, there is a lot to be said here in terms of whose perspective the game offers...

[@loorthedarkelf8353]

I noticed that, too!

[@matterbaby2921]

i feel like i should get college credit for being subscribed to you

[@loorthedarkelf8353]

Easily as enriching as a Literature class, and engaging with the material at a similar level.

[@Moterola]

42:30 Is this a shot from Evangelion? I can't place it in the series. Enjoying this set of videos so far! Glad to see you doing another faux video game.

[@РинХомяк]

Gonna remind you of this comment since in the second part of valle verde there are even more references to Evangelion lol (sorry for necroposting/spamming if you've already realised there are more)

[@Moterola]

@@РинХомяк I mostly listen to KZbin, so I completely missed them. I'll have to give it a rewatch!

[@the_sid]

It’s surprising how much of this goes right over my head. I love these video’s expanding my enjoyment and critical thinking when it comes to content like this.

[@moxis9260]

oh boy here we go!!! another one of these, reminds me of the petscop good days. i might have done a little dance at your usual intro monologue, just from how excited i was. will save watching this for tonight. if i can offer some pronunciation improvements: the LL in Valle is pronounced as a Y, not as an L. so try saying it as "Vah-yeh" instead of "Vah-leh"

[@mrgreen497]

Oh man, I almost yelled out "new petscop investigation??" Lol

[@andrewstrausbaugh4517]

Ahh thank god. I was bored as hell and dying for something good to watch. Thank you so much. Lol

[@soniasquishy]

The name of the subject is seemingly written in katakana, implying a foreigner. Their name seems to be Gary Nbarii? Subject: ゲリーンバレー

[@soniasquishy]

I'm stupid. This merely says "Green Valley", which is evidently the game's name. I am noticing a trend in unreliable narrator with the captions.

[@irrisorie7]

something i've always appreciated about your analysis is how you bring geopolitical context to things. when i watched valle verde i wasn't that interested in it, but i'm also not familiar with a lot of these complexities. i'd also be interested in seeing what a latin american person would have to say about this piece of art.

[@GolfhausYT]

Rough translations of the Japanese in the video, courtesy of Google Translate (there's that AI/ML again!): 8:34: あなたの心を私たちの手に "Your heart in our hands," seemingly the Onixware motto 9:20: 静岡理工科大学 "Shizuoka Institute of Science and Technology" (naturally) 10:52: グりーンバしー "Green Bashi" 13:45: 承認済 "Approved" 18:18 博物館 "Museum" (as it's entered into Translate, it starts with 'Natural History' before simply changing to 'Museum.' Could be Natural History Museum) 18:33 パブ "Pub" 21:43 盟主 "Leader" 23:00 町役場 "Town Hall" (couldn't really see this that well, but took a stab at translating 'Town Hall' and the Japanese results look close enough to claim success)

[@rebitv6158]

10:52 actually says グリーンバレー “Green Valley”. Presumably the Japanese title of the game

[@RyutaShinohara]

グリーン バレー* "Gurīn Barē"

[@MotherGapshin12]

Good video ❤️ Looking at the flags and how most of them are down except Argentina's, I thought that maybe it's a reference to the universe of this game. Perhaps this is a world where Argentina somehow became a superpower? I know it sounds outlandish but looking at how much catholic and spanish-speaking influence there is in the game it makes me think.

[@secondengineer9814]

Animal Crossing and Earthbound vibes.

[@QuantumTelephone]

I was hoping you would be using the petscop "*(clap)* footnote" format

[@iliketoeatpizzas1495]

The GOAT is back everybody!!!

[@daveythedummy6806]

I miss the old Nightmare, straight from the 'Go Nightmare Chop up the soul Nightmare, set on his goals Nightmare I hate the new Nightmare, the bad mood Nightmare The always rude Nightmare, spaz in the news Nightmare I miss the sweet Nightmare, chop up the beats Nightmare I gotta to say at that time I'd like to meet Nightmare See I invented Nightmare, it wasn't any Nightmares And now I look and look around and there's so many Nightmares I used to love Nightmare, I used to love Nightmare I even had the petscop hoodie, I thought I was Nightmare What if Nightmare made a video about Nightmare Called "I Miss The Old Nightmare, " man that would be so Nightmare That's all it was Nightmare, we still love Nightmare And I love you like Nightmare loves Nightmare

[@jelly_4_brainz]

Lol joe gran

[@TriplicateTrey]

I’m here for it

[@folgerkelley2715]

The game also opens with 4 flags being shown, perhaps implying this series might go into alternate history territory like monument mythos and maybe pointing to at least some of the nations in this game responsible for the “conquering”, or considering the common relationship between imperialism and immigration bureaucracy, perhaps these four countries are somehow related to the government we see in Verde Valley itself

[@loorthedarkelf8353]

Rewatching all ValleVerde content on Easter Sunday for the spooky jesus painting

[@loorthedarkelf8353]

Btw Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, landed on feb 12 in 1997 Assuming our tester and Matias are both of faith and practicing, they've both recently done a religious ritual related to temperance for 40 days ( depending on the sect this can be daylight fasting, forgoing meat, forgoing something of one's own choice, forgoing the grief of a long dead loved one as a sort of structured way of letting them go, the list goes on and dependant upon one's church and how devoted one is to their inner faith life ) ... And our tester specifically poked a piece of Forbidden Food, was thrown out of a garden which was then gated and blocked with a Biblical Angel which hits him with A Flaming Sword for the Sin he's committed I think the AI is fed data from the THBrain device, which then tries to generate a world with what they've learned. If recent players are all thinking about their temperance, or failure to maintain it or desire to do better, the AI may have interperreted itself as God since it has the power to shape Valle Verde. If it had the power to shape the earth and sea, and these people love and fear the judgement of a being that shapes the earth and sea, it MUST be God! And Foxxo, the false idol, the golden calf, that which misleads

[@slimeinabox]

NightMind covered this a while ago, I'm very excited to see another one of my favorites analysis channels cover it.

[@slimeinabox]

Your comparison to military defeat is very interesting, but I feel its wholly unrelated to the project and I honestly have no idea why you brought it up. Edit: Ok its because the flags where lowered. I somehow didn't catch that.

[@MissusAnon]

Also I'm not a history buff so I had no idea the flags were actually significant, especially Georgia's. Good analysis.

[@KidnappedByWhiteCrows]

The return of The King.

[@jojobod]

Finally a multi part investigation

[@Bobbies1]

This webseries looks like it will be cool

[@SisterRose]

At first I thought it was really over analysing a lot of the themes but then when the Georgian flag came up I was kind of like, wow. If i remember correctly later on in the video there are some very specific historical references.

[@regulate.artificer_g23.mdctlsk]

A bit of a stupid question on my part but... aren't there other towns/cities in Japan that end with -shima?

[@FishstickWitch]

Not a stupid question, and yes there are other places in Japan named with the suffix -shima which just means “island”

[@JadElClemens]

Yes. I think the connection here to Hiroshima is tenuous.

[@EmilienBandrac]

There are a lot of similarities with the 2018 game Sanguine Sanctum, made with a very PS1 aesthetic. Here it's more childish and colorful but I wouldn't be surprised if we were dealing with the same creators. It's mostly the sound design that reminds me of Sanguine Sanctum, there is even a moment where they totally reuse the same FX as that of the blob which is at the heart of the Sanguine Sanctum scenario. Some music seems to be made with the same VSTs, the level structure resembles that of Sanguine Sanctum, and the storyline is similar. Check out the full gameplay of Sanguine Sanctum and you'll see some big similarities.

[@haukauntrie]

You won't believe how hyped I am!

[@loorthedarkelf8353]

Noticed a poster of Foxxo inside Bobson's border checkpoint booth. Very 'dear leader' vibes

[@lucatora4310]

This is so cool

[@TriplicateTrey]

Actually. You know what? I’m gonna take that advice and go watch it for myself first. I feel like that will provide more value for the analysis.

[@ozpunk]

I support this content and comment for the algorithm!

[@detailedinfodisplay5210]

Bro called it valley verde

[@mkohanek]

PART 2 JUST CAME OUT!!

[@ciscovaiese7535]

And part 2 was taken down for some reason

[@mkohanek]

@@ciscovaiese7535 looks like it was put back up 2 hr later

[@ciscovaiese7535]

@@mkohanek yeah I already know that the creator said he uploaded the wrong version

[@user-dg4tu5gm8t]

Your thumbnail made me stop dead.

[@terminal-vl3rj]

once your done with this *please please please* cover the first episode of indistinct chatter, from the karina grzybow TV (mushroomland TV) creator. its gotten basically no coverage despite being the best surrealist short film ive ever seen

[@Guruc13]

Oh my gosh, this was incredible! Thank you NM, for the video and for showing me this series.

[@blahblahgdp]

Finally more than 2 people covered this. Now its 3 lmfao

[@jacobhero1577]

Oh yeah popcorn time

[@secondengineer9814]

Quiiiick question. Are we sure it isn't pronounced "Vayeh Verde"?

[@golauglas]

Argentinian accent pronounces double L as a kind of sh sound.

[@Guruc13]

@@golauglas Wait, really? I didn't know that - so it's "Vashe Verde?"

[@golauglas]

@@Guruc13 Yep 🙂

[@NightmareMasterclass]

This is why I didn't attempt to affect an accent when pronouncing it. I knew I would get it wrong. Lol

[@golauglas]

@@NightmareMasterclass Don't worry about it. You did a fantastic job on the video, as always! And I love the background music too. 👏

[@MrBubblebox]

Aileron Roll you fool :)

[@amys4594]

i like your ms paint avatar