In a turn of events that seems like further evidence that reality is a simulation controlled by a capricious adolescent who kinda just likes making things wild, Megalovania — the Undertale hit and most immediately recognizable meme song since “Never Gonna Give You Up” — has now been performed in front of His Holiness Pope Francis, because cool. Yeah. Awesome. Ain’t that something?
Okay, a bit more context. The Pope holds a General Audience each week for pilgrims and other groups, passing on Benedictions and wisdom (often in multiple languages). Sometimes he provides live entertainment for his guests, and in this case circus performers were chosen to put on some mildly extravagant displays of feet-juggling. The whole thing would be notable only for its light surreality if the backing music wasn’t Sans’ battle theme.
This is — and you must believe the words I type — not the first time the head of the Catholic Church has been in the orbit of Undertale, as in 2016 YouTube man and Professional Extrapolator Matthew ‘MatPat’ Patrick met the Pope and gave him a copy of the game, speaking of its themes of love and mercy. While those themes do actually make it a pretty good game of that type to give someone, its overwhelming memetic popularity — and the fact that it was MATPAT and the POPE — made the situation a bit out there.
But once is a funny accident – twice is the start of a pattern. Did the Pope actually play Undertale? Did the Pope LIKE Undertale? Is the fact that this performance happened at all sheer coincidence or some kind of fate? Either way, I can’t imagine what it’s like to be Toby Fox hearing this news, knowing that a song you originally composed for an EarthBound ROM hack at 16 has now been played in such a context. Hopefully he feels blessed.
Leave a Comment
Written by Amelia Fruzzetti
A writer and Nintendo fan based in Seattle, Washington. When not working for NinWire, she can be found eating pasta, writing stories, and wondering about when Mother 3 is finally going to get an official localization.
