i'll add, there's also a theme of hanging onto the past vs. letting go.

when the town changes you can get the feeling things are getting worse. you might even start to miss the earlier chapters because the npcs were kinder back then.

porky tries to hang onto the past with the yoyo, his robot mother, his robot self looking young, the movie of m2, the room with things from the prior games, etc.

lucas will see things like the ghost of his mom, think back to how she used to stroke his hair, etc. but at the end, he's forced to move on in some way. along with everyone else.
they don't know what the future will look like but they have to move on.

the old people's home is a microcosm of people missing their younger and better days.
slightly relevant, maybe not, but i see many people online who miss the "good 'ole days."