'Focus, M' Creator Says The Mario Meme's Spread Was Unexpected

"Quickly, one phrase from the video became popular: "Focus, M." This line is delivered by Hack's Peach after Mario makes a joke. It's a pitch-perfect replication of the kind of AAA video game dialogue that was so prevalent in blockbuster single-player games from the Xbox 360 and PS4 generations, and which can still be found in some bigger games now."

"Late last month, an old video showing off what a hypothetical AAA Mario game would look like went viral after two voice actors added new dialogue styled after that in blockbuster games like Uncharted and Gears of War. Now, a few weeks later, one line from the game, "Focus, M," has spread across all corners of the web, annoying some and leading to a lot of online discourse."

An old conceptual mock-up of a hypothetical AAA Mario game by Funkyzeit served as the footage. Voice actor Ryan Stewart uploaded a version on December 23 that overlays comms-style dialogue with Ariel Hack as Peach while Mario approaches Bowser's castle. The parody imitates narrative and tutorial delivery common in blockbuster single-player AAA titles, echoing Xbox 360 and PS4-era tropes. Stewart's Twitter upload reached over 25 million views by January 5 and rapidly spread across the web. The line "Focus, M," delivered by Peach after a joke, became a meme that annoyed some users and drove broad online conversation. Stewart created the dialogue and credited Ariel's reads for making the bit a "banger."

Read at Kotaku