Meggy & SMG4 try to help Mario regain his memories, but will they succeed?
Using the IP change contracts bestowed onto them by Phoenix Wright, SMG4 and the temporarily reverted Inkling Meggy have bypassed Nintendo's firewall to rescue Mario, who is now starring in a new Crossover game with Splatoon. Unfortunately, the firewall has reset Mario back to his ordinary canon self, so they try to jog his memory and regain the idiot they know and love. In the process, however, a disaster strikes that puts SMG4 in terrible danger...
The third episode of the Lawsuit Arc.
Tropes:
- Accidental Truth: Meggy and SMG4 tell the guard they're there to help Miyamoto make a crossover between Mario and Splatoon, something they have no way of knowing is actually happening.
- As You Know: The flashback showing Meggy turning back into an Inkling has SMG4 explaining that she'll be able to cross the firewall now that she's a Nintendo IP again, something that's useful for viewers who haven't seen the previous episode, but that SMG4 and Meggy already realized at the end of it.
- Bait-and-Switch: Mario seems to be beginning to remember his first day meeting Meggy, then turns to the others and states he's never played Splatoon before.
- Big Brother Instinct: Mario makes it a point to take Luigi with them to safety, canon or not.
- Call-Back: The episode contains plenty of references to the original "If Mario Was In... Splatoon", from SMG4 riding a spinning chair like Mario did, to sitting on the same rooftop where Mario and Meggy shared their dreams together.
- Cliffhanger: Mario is turned back to normal and the gang has taken Luigi with a possible means to restore him by exposure to memes, but an even more pissed off Lawyer Kong has seen everything, and SMG4 is more than worried with the potential repercussions of their adventure than ever before.
- Dope Slap: Two from Meggy; one to SMG4 with a blast from her weapon for an ill-timed comment, and the more traditional one in the end to Mario for cracking a lame joke.
- Foreshadowing: SMG4's design in this episode becomes permanent in "War of the Fat Italians 2022".
- How We Got Here: The episode briefly flashes back to not only remind viewers how Meggy changed back into an Inkling, but to show that SMG4 has a temporary new form of his own that helps him barely pass himself off as an obscure Nintendo IP.
- In Name Only: The episode's title says "If Mario Was in... Splatoon 3", but aside from Big Man (albeit using a makeshift character model that looks nothing like his original counterpart), Splatoon 3's lore is never referenced anywhere in this episode.
- Mood Whiplash: In the ending, the sinister air of SMG4's concern over Lawyer Kong is followed immediately by Meggy Dope Slapping Mario for screwing with the still-canon Luigi's head.
- Mythology Gag: SMG4's "Stanley" disguise looks identical to the design that SMG4 has in his merchandise.
- Oh, Crap!: Mario and Meggy have one when they spot an angry, sinister-looking Lawyer Kong, knowing that he won't take Mario's escape in stride.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Zig-Zagged. When using his new IP form, SMG4 claims to be Stanley the Bugman, the player character from the Game & Watch game Greenhouse and the arcade game Donkey Kong 3, due to their slight passing resemblancenote . The guard doesn't totally buy it, but lets him in after some prompting from Meggy.
- Retcon: Downplayed. The ending scene from the previous episode where Meggy signs the contract and turns back into an Inkling gets redone here with a less dramatic tone and more expository dialogue, but is otherwise the same scene.
- Rule of Three: The third episode of the Lawsuit Arc is based on Splatoon 3.
- Sequel Episode: On top of being part of a separate story arc, this episode is also a sequel to the previous "If Mario Was In... Splatoon" episodes, with Meggy revisiting old memories and pastimes with Mario to help him regain his memory.
- Super Gullible: Canon Luigi immediately buys Mario's lie that SMG4 and Meggy are his father and mother.
- Take That!: At dabs. Upon watching Meggy and SMG4 doing victory dances, Mario decides to do a dab (referencing the emote in the game) causing SMG4 to cringe heavily and faint.
- Tempting Fate: SMG4 hides in a trashcan, bragging that the authorities can't find him in here... only for a police officer to almost instantly snatch him up.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Canon Mario doesn't appreciate Meggy shooting at SMG4 for seemingly no reason (in reality to remind Mario of the wacky hijinks they've been through together). SMG4 echoes the feeling, but Meggy just shoots him again.
- You Don't Look Like You: Big Man looks nothing like his original counterpart — his character model is just a generic manta ray model with a pair of eyeballs. Then again, this was released a day after Splatoon 3's release and there had not been any GMod models for Deep Cut yet, so this is understandable.
