OOOoooOOOOoo very scaryyy
Meggy is just one step away from graduation; she just needs to coach someone at something, and she chooses Luigi and Tari to help them become braver. Unfortunately, the two are so cowardly that the slightest thing scares them silly. Disagreeing with her methods, Mario arranges for them to go through his Tunnel of Doom that soon goes haywire...
Mario's Tropes Of-a Doom, Very Scary!:
- Aborted Arc: Lampshaded when Meggy talks about her going to college, a story that has been Out of Focus since the Revelations movie, though she did mention it in a few episodes in between.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Meggy pulls up the playlist for the Revelations Arc, reminding Mario, Luigi, and Tari about how the Box Club (and Niles, technically) tried to kill them all.
- The Bus Came Back: This is the first appearance of Oneshot Wren since "Mario Babies" in 2021. Once again, he appears only in flashback, this time via an old video Meggy was watching for inspiration.
- Death Is Cheap: Luigi dies after choking on the paper sack for hyperventilating. We even see his spirit float into the sky with a prompt saying, "You can no longer play as Luigi." But he's fine a minute later.
- Didn't See That Coming: If Mario's reaction is any indication, he did NOT expect Meggy to flat-out refuse to coach him this time.
- Dumbass Has a Point: Mario shuts down Meggy's haunted house experiment before it can even start, telling her it won't work because all it was was a bunch of jumpscares. While Luigi, no stranger to jumpscares, turns into Baby Luigi and starts bawling, Tari agrees with Mario that Meggy's idea was too superficial to be of any use.
- I Need to Go Iron My Dog: Tari recites a version of this to try getting out of facing the spooky monster in the box* , saying she "left [her] cat in the fridge."
- Jumpscare: Discussed and utilized. Meggy attempted to use some in her haunted house to help Luigi and Tari to be less scared but was stopped by Mario. Later, Luigi accidentally gives Mario one when he pulls back the conspicuous curtain to find Mario operating the giant Mario head.
- Lampshade Hanging: When Meggy brings in the haunted house, SMG4 briefly pops in to ask how they can afford these buildings when they still don't have a castle.
- No-Sell: What eventually happens with Tari and Luigi as they face the giant Mario head following Meggy's encouragement. Just to drive the point home, another scare attempt fails and "IMMUNE" appears on the screen.
- Oh, Crap!: Meggy and Tari have this reaction after Mario accidentally breaks his control panel, causing the giant head to glitch out.
- Reality Warper: Mario, of course, as he instantly transforms Meggy's haunted house into his own Tunnel Of Doom (very scary!).
- Retcon: Oneshot Wren's weapon is yellow here, when it was green in "Mario Babies". He could have just gotten a different one, though.
- Shout-Out: So many.
- The sound effects used when Mario and Luigi are playing Smash includes the Touhou Project death sound effect.
- Tari's "happy place" is very similar to the Pyro's POV except with rubber duckies. There's even a Pyroduck who lets her ride it. Amongst the waterfowl Tari passes while on her adventure inside her mind is the goose from Untitled Goose Game and a Psyduck.
- The scene with the Mario head is a direct homage to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, complete with curtain.
- The Bonk! Atomic Punch Meggy uses to put out the fire (but fails) is a buff in Team Fortress 2. It previously appeared in IT'S GOTTA BE PERFECT as part of SMG4's supplies.
- Stealing the Credit: The episode ends with Mario and Meggy arguing over who helped Luigi and Tari overcome their cowardice. They accuse each other of this and the fight gets physical after Mario mocks Meggy.
