Developers love to fill their games with secret areas, characters and references to past titles and spin-offs for eagle-eyed fans. However, some video games become so popular that players begin to speculate and spread rumors about non-existent content and hidden features. Sometimes these hoaxes become so big they become the main talking point of a game, especially when whole communities are abuzz with finding out the truth.
For the best Easter Eggs in games that do actually exist, your hunt is over.
Debunking video game hoaxes has gotten much easier thanks to the internet, but sometimes even the most absurd rumours can send fans on a wild goose chase. While hoaxes usually end in bitter disappointment and many an hour wasted, they do spark some interesting debates and internet tales. Join us as we take a look at the very best hoaxes in gaming history.
The mystery of Mew – Pokemon Red and Blue
Pokemon Red and Blue took the world by storm in the late 90s and the massive wave of popularity only served to create an abundance of fan theories and hoaxes. They ranged from creepy and disturbing to the illogical and unbelievable. However, there was one theory that sent fans on a quest to find the game’s rarest Pokemon. Originally, Mew was only obtainable through a series of special live events, meaning if you missed it, you’d be left without this cute critter. For many Pokemon fans, obtaining Mew was their top priority and they’d do almost anything to snag themselves worldwide bragging rights. Eventually, a popular rumour stated that Mew was under a truck near the S.S. Anne. However, the problem was that you had to figure out how to move it. Many Pokemon trainers spent countless hours trying to move that truck only to find that it was all an elaborate lie. It wasn’t until 2003 when folks found that they could obtain Mew through a series of in-game exploits.
Unlocking Sheng Long – Street Fighter II
Street Fighter taught us that inviting our friends round and beating the living snot out them is perfectly ok, especially when you get to showcase the shiny new character you’ve unlocked. Unfortunately, our time playing through Street Fighter 2’s tournament without taking a single hit, and then waiting for time to run out against M. Bison only resulted in furious frustration. A mistranslation from Japanese to English in Street Fighter 2 led many fans to believe there was a secret character named Sheng Long. As a result, Street Fighter enthusiasts began to speculate how they could unlock this hidden fighter, which led to one of the lengthiest and most difficult challenges of all time. Fan appeal for the character ended up affecting later Capcom titles, with many requesting for his inclusion in subsequent games. Sheng Long went from mistranslation to video game legend, and the missing fighter reminds us just how influential video game hoaxes can be.
Playable Luigi – Super Mario 64
A hoax is only good when it’s believable and many fans believed that they could unlock Mario’s younger brother Luigi in this N64 classic. After all, both the brothers appeared in previous titles prior to Super Mario 64, so it wasn’t a stretch to believe we’d see Luigi make an appearance. Speculation started when fans found a statue in the courtyard that read "L is real 2401." Many fans assumed that this was a hint about unlocking Luigi, and that the 2401 was somehow related to unlocking him. This led to the belief that players needed to collect 2401 coins in the game, while other theories stated the player needed to capture the rabbit MIPS and jump into the entrance to Hazy Maze Cave. The hoax became so big that on November 20th 1996 N64.com placed a $100 dollar bounty on the plumber. We still don’t know what this mystery message means and nor has Luigi ever been found.
Nude Raider – Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider gave us the Indiana Jones style gameplay we’d always been looking for and it tasked us with exploring ancient ruins, uncovering mythological treasures and fighting off ancient dinosaurs. The exciting gameplay and sex appeal surrounding Lara Croft quickly led to Tomb Raider’s worldwide acclaim, and fans became enraptured with Sony’s latest hit. Lara Croft was a strong, independent character, but her buxom design naturally led to many suggestive rumours. The most famous being the nude code that supposedly allowed players to see Lara in all her pixelated glory. Fake pictures depicting the titular character in her birthday suit quickly started cropping up online, and everyone and their dog claimed to know the code that revealed all. Of course, the codes never existed and many horny teenagers were left disappointed. Looking at the graphics at the time, it was probably for the best.
The secret arcade game – Polybius
The internet is home to all kinds of conspiracy theories and tinfoil hat aficionados, but we’d be lying if we said we didn’t enjoy reading them. However, the Polybius story is one of the most creepy video game hoaxes of all time. Polybius is a fictitious 1981 arcade game that originated from an urban legend created in 2000. The rumour states that the game was part of a government-run crowdsourced psychology experiment, with gameplay said to cause intense psychoactive and addictive effects to those that played it. The original game's actual existence has never been officially proven and the arcade machines were allegedly removed from the market. The lack of evidence certainly makes it easier to debunk this internet legend, but this creepy video game hoax still makes the rounds to this day.