And to think, it all starts so innocently. Mario receives a letter from Princess Peach inviting him to the town of Rogueport for a treasure hunt. The name of this destination is a mild red flag, perhaps, but there’s little else to suggest you’re not in for another family-friendly adventure. Then you arrive in Rogueport and one of the first NPCs reminds you that death comes for us all. If you prefer a more visual reminder, might we point you towards the gallows in the main square?
Rogueport is a seedy backwater, home to Bob-omb thugs and Goombas on the lam. Even the Piantas, who seemed so innocent in are running an organised crime outfit, their Goodfellasparodying dialogue managing to make Mario look like a sensitive portrayal of Italians. And the town is a statement of intent in more ways than one, making it clear that Intelligent Systems has no interest in taking us on yet another tour of the Mushroom Kingdom. Instead, Mario visits haunted tropical islands, posh trains, and Glitzville, a gaudy eyesore hostinggame. Which proves the least of their problems, because the curse upon the town is transforming its citizens into pigs. When one mother is stricken, her son asks Mario: “Are pigs good eatin’?”
