Undertale quickly became one of the most popular and respected RPG games of the 2010s. The indie game’s variety of humor, loveable characters, multi-level story, and delightful soundtrack gave it a cult following.
The three different paths that can be taken i.e. neutral, pacifist, and genocide alter the game for characters, dialogue, and the soundtrack. Napstablook, everyone’s favorite ghost DJ and his house will undergo changes depending on the route and how much you decide to explore the room.
Whilst Napstablook’s house may be small, it is worth taking a moment to absorb the surroundings and items and take note of creator, Toby Fox’s references.
7 Music Piracy
After entering Napstablook’s house, if you click on the computer it will tell you the internet browser is opened to a music sharing forum. If you compare this fact with the first part of Napstablook’s name, Napsta, this sounds like a website of times gone by.
The website in question is Napster which was a site where music could be downloaded illegally. It was a prolific trend-setter for future music sharing websites such as Limewire that caused huge issues to the music industry in the 2000s. It looks like Napstablook accesses music from there.
6 Spider Senses Are Tingling
The Undertale soundtrack is a notable part of the playing experience and has seen further influence outside of the game. When entering Napstablook’s house, a piece of music starts to play titled Pathetic House. Cleverly, the composer and creator Toby Fox had a few tricks up his sleeves when making this piece.
If you were to speed up Pathetic House, the tempo and notes would sound similar to the Spider Dance theme from the boss fight with Muffet. This isn’t an unfamiliar step in creating video game soundtracks. In the original Pokemon games, some towns share the same theme or in Undertale’s case, a song is reworked by simply slowing down and stretching out the notes.
5 A Unique Encounter
Napstablook has three CDs in his house which are titled Ghouliday, Spooktune, and Spookwave. If you select one of these songs and leave the house it will continue to play. If you then walk to the quiet area of the waterfall with the song still playing, a unique encounter with Woshua and Aaron will be triggered.
The dialogue between the two is comical and they discuss how they are both scared of the ghost music before running away.
4 Ghost Music Or Christmas Music?
Whilst Pathetic House sounds like another Undertale theme, if you select the CD on the far right called Ghouliday, it will play a familiar theme. The name Ghouliday sounds like a combination of ghoul and holiday and a holiday also means a day of festivity.
The festive theme that plays sounds like Jingle Bells and looks like in Undertale lore, ghosts have their own ghostly recreation of Christmas. Furthermore, Spooktune sounds awfully similar to the Inspector Gadget theme song.
3 Where’s Everybody Gone?
In what is usually known as the genocide route, you have to kill every character you face in battle. This will result in a lot of new changes to the game that create an ominous feeling. One of those factors is that certain characters might not be where they should.
If you visit Napstablook’s house during this run, you will find that he is not there anymore. On top of this, the Pathetic House theme will no longer be playing and the three CDs will not be there either.
2 In A Galaxy Far, Far Away
If you click on the fridge in Napstablook’s house he will offer you a ghost sandwich. After attempting to take a bite, Napstablook asks if you’d like to lay on the floor as he always feels like garbage after a meal.
One of the most unique moments of the game occurs if you agree, as a new track called Chill begins to play and Napstablook’s house turns into a pixelated space background. This image is from the Hubble Telescope that collected light in the darkest part of the universe. It is known as the Hubble Ultra-Deep Field.
It is considered to be the deepest portrait of the universe and this is only a 1mm by 1mm square of the full image.
1 No Time For TV
As you become one with the cosmos whilst lying on Napstablook’s floor, everything remains in the room except for the TV. The floor and walls fade away to become the Ultra-Deep Field image, and the TV disappears along with them which could be to draw more detail to the characters.
When you enter Napstablook’s house and select the TV, Napstablook says there’s a show he likes to watch *sometimes which could refer to the fact his TV is not always there. It would be hard-pressed to say there is too deep of a meaning seeing as the computer remains, but maybe Napstablook doesn’t have time for TV.
NEXT: Undertale: 10 Hidden Details About Undyne
