Before Porky’s influence, the Nowhere Islands are a utopia. (Is this an etymological reference? I don’t know, but I like to think so.) Lucas’s pastoral hometown, Tazmily Village, is something of a socialist paradise. Goods and services are freely offered; crime, greed, and money are foreign concepts. No one wants for anything.

The arrival of the Pigmask Army brings capitalism, technology, and corruption. A system of currency is introduced, and suddenly stores begin selling things instead of simply giving them away. People become suspicious and greedy. Porky’s minions install television-like “Happy Boxes” in people’s homes, brainwashing the townsfolk into materialism. And all of this conflict plays out inside of an electronic video game!