now to be honest I was bored out of mind, with nothing so I went on youtube and a video came to my feeds
And after watching, i decided to review and give my opinion on it (since I like talking crap and also cuz why not)
Before talking about the video itself, i think it's important to talk about the creator who made this video
Cantro (@theartistisme43) is one of several fan creators who emerged from the SMG4 community and began creating their own SMG4 AU.
even if you never heard of them before, you would definitely be familiar with the "Scarred" AU, a timeline where IGBP has a different ending
Cross multiple social medias, tho mainly on YouTube and Tumber, Cantro has become known for experimenting with darker concepts, alternate timelines, and stories that focus more on mystery and emotion than comedy.
Cantro's work often explores what happens when those familiar characters (like OFC SMG4) are placed in situations that feel lonely, unsettling, or even tragic. Because of that, many of his projects feel less like traditional SMG4 episodes and more like fan-made stories inspired by the world and characters.
Then they release a video called SMG4'S New Adventures
At first glance, it looks like an SMG4 random post or a another lore bits to their AU, but once the video begins it becomes clear that this is not trying to be another comedy episode.
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The video opens in a dark and distorted way, with a warning sign flash on screen with topics like gorn and flashlight (so already my cup of tea)
Rather than immediately showing characters, it presents text and visual effects that create an uneasy feeling. The VHS-style presentation immediately establishes that this is going to be closer to analog horror than traditional SMG4 content.
Now I wanted to make it clear that the video IS NOT a analog horror, but it's definitely gets off the vibe, especially how the video makes it look
As the story progresses, the video establishes its central mystery: SMG4 is gone
This single idea becomes the foundation of the entire narrative. The world feels different because of his absence. Rather than following SMG4 or the other on another adventure, the audience is watching the aftermath of whatever happened to him. That alone creates a strange atmosphere because SMG4 has always been the center of the original series. Removing him from the story immediately creates a sense that something is wrong
The castle here plays an important role in the video. Mario eventually explains that the castle has been like this for years since SMG4 vanished. This line is important because it tells us at least WHEN of event started, since it shows pictures from SMG4 retirement video. Still, time has passed. The disappearance wasn't something that happened yesterday. The characters have been living with this reality for a long time, showing characters like SMG3 holding and putting up missing posters of SMG4.
As the story continues, the atmosphere becomes increasingly lonely. The world feels abandoned. The characters seem to be holding onto memories rather than moving forward. There is a constant feeling that everyone is waiting for something that may never happen.
The narration from Mario is also especially important because it gives the audience a personal perspective on the situation.
Later in the video, Mario talks about how every person in the gang gradually left. One by one, everyone disappeared from his life. This is one of the saddest moments in the entire story because it expands the tragedy beyond SMG4 himself. The disappearance didn't just affect one person. It changed the entire group.
Another emotional moment comes when Mario explains that he and Luigi were eventually left alone. Even then, they continued hoping that SMG4 would come back and make everything okay again. The line "But he never did..." is probably one of the strongest moments in the video. It's simple, but because of everything that comes before it, it carries a lot of emotional weight. It feels like the moment when Mario finally accepts reality.
However, the video does not completely end on certainty, as a picture of SMG4 slowly turns in, looking like he was dismembered and looking at the camera, eyes asking for help.
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Personally, I liked SMG4'S New Adventures. I think the strongest part of the video is its atmosphere. It doesn't feel like a normal SMG4 episode at all. Instead, it feels like a strange combination of a video game mystery and analog horror.
The reason I compare it to a video game is because the story feels like discovering hidden lore in an abandoned world. The environments, text screens, and mysterious presentation all contribute to that feeling.
At the same time, the VHS effects, distorted visuals, dark presentation, and unanswered questions clearly draw inspiration from different kinds of analog horror. The combination of those two styles is probably my favorite aspect of the entire video.
However, I do think the video's biggest weakness is its length.
The video is only 5 minutes and 5 seconds long, and because of that, it never fully builds the tension that it seems to be aiming for, at least not for me.
Analog horror, even ones that feels like one, usually works best when it slowly creates dread over time. The audience needs time to sit with the mystery, absorb the atmosphere, and become uncomfortable. Here, the story moves through its ideas very quickly.
Because of the short runtime, some moments feel more like concepts than fully developed scenes. I found myself wanting more time with the mystery, more exploration of the castle, more reactions from the characters, and more buildup before the emotional reveals.
The ideas are good, but they move by so quickly that the tension never reaches its full potential. That doesn't make the video bad. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The reason I wanted more is because the concept is genuinely interesting.
The mystery surrounding SMG4's disappearance, the emotional perspective from Mario, and the lonely atmosphere all have a lot of potential. I just think the story needed more room to breathe.
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Overall, I think SMG4'S New Adventures is a solid fan-made horror like project with a unique identity. It successfully combines elements of video game storytelling and analog horror while telling a surprisingly emotional story about loss, friendship, and hope.
While I enjoyed it, I believe it would have been even stronger if it had been longer and allowed its tension to develop more naturally. The video left me wanting more, and for a mystery-based story, that's both a strength and a weakness.
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