# Questioning FOMO – Memory Card #27 👋🏻 I was back in my script yesterday afternoon and the morning and it felt good. Words and corrections flowed out of me. Back on the horse and riding off toward the end of this project. [[Memory Card 19 – Splattershot|A month ago]], I promised a letter about FOMO. It's time. As I wrap up this script, there is the always present, lingering thought of "what am I missing?" I'm not playing the other 3D *Mario* titles. I'm not touching the other two *Splatoon* games and the often praised single-player DLC from *2.* Surely there are more examples, scenarios, and ideas buried in their levels and execution. The same is happening to quotes, interviews, extrapolations, and more. I have *so many* points to...point out. I am buried in rich material. It feels almost wasteful to leave so much behind on the cutting room floor. Way back at the start of this particular project, I wrote a couple reminders down. They are sobering to read now amidst the deluge of doubt. > This essay requires playing at least all four of these. And research. Those can happen concurrently. Then building the story. But don’t get too lost in the history. Important to express the *spirit* and how it makes me/players feel. And exploring why that occurs. > 9/23/24 - Essay wise, this is 2D while the rest is 3D. Super Mario 3D Land/World is a unique fusion of 2D/3D. Remember the focus is Splatoon 3 and the spirit of a galaxy game. Don’t get caught too in the weeds on the 3D Mario games Galaxy and beyond. It's all cut for a reason, right? Each pruning of the tree is in service of the final story: the story I want to and was meant to tell. I don't make cuts lightly. Each one hurts in its own way. Seriously, there are so many good quotes from those Iwata Asks interviews. But if I crammed it all in there or spent a couple extra months playing FOUR more 3D *Mario* games, I'd always find an excuse to keep pushing the work back. The flu is an acceptable excuse. 😅 I am reminded of this quote from Adam Savage's *[Every Tool's a Hammer: Life is What you Make It](https://www.amazon.com/Every-Tools-Hammer-Life-What/dp/1982113472)*; > "We should be asking ourselves repeatedly, 'What is the essence of this project?’ as we move down the path toward completion. And as the delivery deadline nears, we should ask that question more frequently, because it helps us remember why we’re there, and what the point of the whole project is." I'm out here trying to figure out the essence, the spirit of a *Galaxy* game, almost loosing the essence of my own video essay. Keep asking questions. Keep circling back. Make cuts. Make more cuts. Prune baby prune. The end product—and you—will be better for it. > [!email]+ Memory Card Newsletter > This letter is one block from the newsletter **[Memory Card](https://buttondown.com/MaxFrequency)** by [Max Roberts](https://www.maxfrequency.net/about). Thoughts? Send *me* an email at [email protected]. > > Max is the writer and producer behind [Max Frequency](https://www.maxfrequency.net), a place where he cultivates and curates curiosity—both for himself and for others—by delighting in the details and growing greatness from small beginnings. > > He's written a [[Chasing the Stick - The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era|rich history and dive on the making of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II]], celebrated the [[MFP23 - “A Passion for Smash” – Celebrating 15 Years of Super Smash Bros. Brawl with Peter Spezia|15th anniversary of Super Smash Bros. Brawl with the voice behind its hype]], and examined how [Zelda "stole" Fortnite's best mechanic](https://youtu.be/kc2l_9Fdpek). > > **Memory Card** is a real-ish time, raw, drip feed newsletter of his creative process for telling these stories. It’s *how* The Thing™ gets made. You can sign up below. (Look down) > > It's all powered by [Max Frequency](https://www.maxfrequency.net) and [patrons](https://www.patreon.com/maxfrequency). > > Wanna see The Thing™? [Check it out on YouTube](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxCxW3Sbhy5ZzVOkvmfo4Rme41g6KzJOk). Read it on [The Blog](https://www.maxfrequency.net). > <iframe scrolling="no" style="width:100%!important;height:220px;border:1px #ccc solid !important" src="https://buttondown.com/MaxFrequency?as_embed=true"></iframe>