A Need for Perfection (or just Perfection) is an SMG4 fanfiction written by CVGW James, retelling the events of the videos leading up to SMG4’s fourth movie It’s Gotta Be Perfect.
Like the original, the plot is kickstarted with SMG3’s streaming business really taking off, to the point where the famous MrYeast wants to collab with him. SMG4’s jealousy and desire to prove himself worthy of a collab with MrYeast leads him to pump out as much quality as he can. SMG3 helps him realize that quality is more important than quantity… which proves to be a mistake, as now SMG4 is dead set on making "the best video ever", cutting himself off from all his friends in the process, eventually leading him to make some shady purchases…
The first chapter of the story was posted on May 29th, 2023, before being finished on July 23rd later that year, with a total of 32 chapters.
You can read the story on FanFiction.Net here
, or on DeviantArt here.
Perfection contains examples of:
- Adaptational Explanation: MrYeast explains to SMG3 why he’s not interested in a collab with SMG4, something he didn’t do in "SMG4... Are You Ok?".MrYeast: First, he may be cool... But he's not as cool as you, even with millions of subscribers. You broke the stream record and are the one I wanted to collab with. It will be a while before I collab with anybody, especially the likes of the meme man there.
- Adaptational Mundanity: Continuing the author's tradition of keeping things fairly realistic in his SMG4 retellings, Mario's meetings with Bowser and Luigi in Chapter 11's take on "Mario Steals The American Constitution" eliminates some of the cartoony elements from the original, namely turning into a flower and going into the TV, respectively.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: SMG3's line about missing being evil in It’s Gotta Be Perfect has been replaced with this in Chapter 24:SMG3: (thinking) Perhaps the universe doesn’t need me to be evil anymore. It was my destiny to look after the Internet Graveyard, my Guardian Pod was meant to land there until Zero’s power sent me to this world. Looking after memes beats causing trouble for SMG4 any day.
- Adaptation Deviation:
- The fire in the burning Starbucks from "SMG4... Are You Ok?" is purely holographic this time around. Likewise, the crashing plane was simulated in a fake set. These changes were made so the SMGs wouldn’t be in real danger this early on in the story.
- Bowser is no longer turned into a chicken nugget when the events of "Mario Steals The American Constitution" come to a close.
- Instead of SMG3 using Egg Dog as a sword to fight the demonic goop like he did in It’s Gotta Be Perfect, he uses a sword made in Egg Dog's likeness.
- Also different in It’s Gotta Be Perfect is Beeg SMG4's laugh meter. It's displayed on the TV monitor and not next to Mario and Meggy for story reasons, and when it reaches maximum potency, the bar doesn't go over the meter and destroy an airplane.
- Adaptation Expansion:
- Two examples regarding "MAR10 DAY":
- While waiting for SMG4 to come out of his room, Mario talked about his history to keep the guests occupied. In Chapter 17, however, Mario sings a musical number, then talks about his history.
- Not even Princess Peach is safe from SMG4's rampage as he lashes out at everyone out in the castle.
- Six examples regarding It’s Gotta Be Perfect:
- We see more of SMG3 when he's pulled through the mirror, and how he merged with Red.
- Swagmaster's "boom boom boom" song now has additional lyrics without him repeating "I want you in my room". You could call it an extended version if you really wanted to.
- More people react to the destruction of Peach's castle than in the original.
- While later episodes confirm that Toad survived the destruction of Peach's castle, the final chapter describes how he did so.
- As SMG4 intents to build a new castle in the final chapter, more of the SMG4 gang offer suggestions of what it should have.
- The fate of Princess Peach is addressed in much more detail in the final chapter, with some worrying about it, and some confident that she'll be fine. Of course, readers who saw "Let's Go Visit Peach!" will know that "fine" is not the right word.
- Two examples regarding "MAR10 DAY":
- Adapted Out:
- SMG4 doesn’t steal Pryo’s clothes in Chapter 2 like he does in "SMG4... Are You Ok?".
- Also omitted from "SMG4... Are You Ok?" is the bar graph hitting SMG4 in the groin, as the author didn’t think it was realistic.
- Barack Obama is no longer the guardian of the constitution, due to FanFiction's policy against writers using real people in their stories.
- The Wario Head has been removed in the author's rendition of "MAR10 DAY".
- Two exclusions from It’s Gotta Be Perfect:
- Bob no longer suggests beating the crap out of SMG4.
- Toad no longer imagines himself in his Happy Place when he's skipping with his long legs.
- Big "NO!": SMG3 lets one out when Red starts to merge with him.
- Bowdlerize:
- Luigi is not shot by the guards during the events of "Mario Steals The American Constitution". Instead, he's forced to clean up the mess made by Mario and Bowser's infiltration. This allows him to play a crucial part in the Escape Sequence.
- Mario throws a rock at the Koopa in Chapter 14, instead of shooting him like he did in "MAR10 DAY".
- When SMG3 confronts SMG4 over his "perfect" video, the phrases "not worth killing yourself" and "hard-on" have been replaced with "not worth hurting yourself" and "massive obsession", respectively. These aren't the only instances of words and terminology being changed to seem more family-friendly, either.
- Removed from It’s Gotta Be Perfect are Saiko flattening Swag's face with her hammer and Boopkins being flattened by the monster taking over Peach's castle.
- Call-Back:
- Mario's song in Chapter 17 contains the lyrics "Three, two, one, zero", referencing "War of the Fat Italians 2021". The author confirms this to be intentional.
- In Chapter 20, Meggy talks about how SMG4 helped save his friends in the Anime and Genesis Arcs.
- In Chapter 22, when SMG3 finds Toad frozen, he wonders if he's going to turn him into a T-poser.
- While SMG3 reflects on his stressful time taking over SMG4's channel during the events of the YouTube Arc in Chapter 24, Meggy compares his situation to her hard training for Splatfest that, according to "Meggy's Bootcamp", has not been good enough for her to win a single Splatfest.
- Canon Foreigner: Sergeant Mark is with Swag and Chris as they prepare to destroy Peach's castle here, when he wasn't there in the original version of It’s Gotta Be Perfect. Justified, as he's often paired with them in not just SMG4 videos, but also Guards N' Retards.
- Compressed Adaptation:
- The author intends for "Mario Goes To Ohio" to be shorter in this version, leading to the omission of many things from that video, like Tari talking about her vegetarianism, Mario "moving on the ground", and the farm.
- Mario and Bowser breaking into the Library of Congress to get the Constitution took consiberably less effort here than in "Mario Steals The American Constitution".
- Continuity Cavalcade:
- When evading the "re-designed" Toad in Chapter 22, SMG3 has this to say:SMG3: Oh no, it seems SMG4’s been experimenting with redesigning more characters! As if Meggy changing from an Inkling, Melony becoming a human with the Fierce Deity Mask, Old Man Hobo getting a new looknote , Saiko’s appearance getting an upgrade and me, SMG4, Bob and Boopkins changing all weren’t enough!
- Not surprisingly, SMG4 reflecting on his past memories at the now-destroyed Peach's castle includes more moments that It’s Gotta Be Perfect didn't have time for, namely the T-Pose Zombie attack and the BBQ following Axol's death.
- When evading the "re-designed" Toad in Chapter 22, SMG3 has this to say:
- Foreshadowing:
- While ranting at Peach in Chapter 19, SMG4 says he could care less if her castle sank to the Earth. Those who saw the "IT'S GOTTA BE PERFECT" movie knows that that's exactly what happens.
- In The Stinger, famous former Splatfest champion One-Shot Wren is floating in a pod where he's connected to a simulation. Viewers of SMG4 Movie: WESTERN SPAGHETTI will know where this is going.
- He Who Must Not Be Named: When describing SMG4 editing Kermit the Frog fighting the Pope, the author simply refers to the Pope as "a guy in robes" out of religious concerns.
- How We Got Here: Like It’s Gotta Be Perfect, the story begins with Meggy and SMG3 checking in on a possessed SMG4 before showing the events leading up to the moment. Unlike It’s Gotta Be Perfect, these events go all the way back to the beginning.
- One-Word Title: Perfection for the story overall, but only on DeviantArt. On FanFiction, it’s known as A Need for Perfection.
- Orwellian Retcon: The guys touching MrYeast’s car in "SMG4... Are You Ok?" have here been replaced with memes. Justified, as that scene happened in the Internet Graveyard, where dead memes reside.
- Pop-Culture Pun Episode Title: Chapter 25 is titled "SMG4's Mirror of Doom", which the author says is a reference to the infamous "Mario's Tunnel of Doom" meme from Mario Teaches Typing 2.
- Shout-Out:
- During the chaotic events of "MAR10 DAY", SMG4, while working on his video, wonders what those neanderthals are up to.
- Chapter 25's narration ends with the words "All SMG3 could do was fester in the shadows in a hideous hybrid body, with his consciousness fused with the mind of a horrible beast, and hope that it would all be over soon". This is a reference to the Jurassic Park book, where Nedry is being killed by the Diloposaurus.
- Chapter 26 contains three references to Terminator Salvation. First, Swagmaster's declaration of all elements being past the release point is a reference to a line said by General Ashdown (Michael Ironside). Second, there's Boopkins' line about how the demon corrupting the castle has SMG4 and Swag saying it's his fate and they stay the course. And third, there's Luigi's line about how they're all dead if they stay the course.
- Chapter 26 also contains a reference to Chicken Run, where Saiko tells the Guards that they can't destroy the castle because it's too valuable, just like Ginger telling this to Rocky about the chickens.
- Suddenly Voiced: The goop from the Completely Regular Keyboard is shown in Chapter 29 to be able to communicate with SMG4, albeit only in his mind.
