Introduction

The Noise Surprise is a meme originating from the indie game Pizza Tower, which features the character Peppino, an Italian chef on a chaotic quest to save his failing pizzeria.

Background

Pizza Tower is a fast-paced action-platformer inspired by the Wario Land series, developed by Indie studio Tour De Pizza and released on Steam in 2023. The game is characterized by its vibrant 1990s cartoon art style reminiscent of MS Paint, a soundtrack filled with 16-bit instrumentation and funk/hip-hop sampling, and exaggerated boss battles and NPCs. Players follow Peppino, a mentally unstable Italian chef, along with his companion Gustavo, as they confront the antagonistic forces of the titular Tower to prevent his pizzeria from going out of business.

How It Began

The origins of Pizza Tower trace back to March 13, 2018, when comic artist Mcpig shared initial sketches and concepts for what was then called 'The Leaning Tower of Pizza' on his Tumblr page. He elaborated on the game's mechanics and design, and by April 25, 2018, he showcased character sprites and further ideas. These concepts were influenced by a previously shelved project titled 'Pizza Massacre,' which featured a chef battling demonic pizza creatures in a nightmare world. Test footage from 'Pizza Massacre' was later uploaded to YouTube on October 4, 2018. Additionally, the character Peppino Spaghetti was conceived prior to these games.