In this article, I’ll take a look at some of the best game-related April Fool’s Day pranks which were pulled today. If you’ve found any really good ones that I missed, please do let me know.
April Fool’s Day pranks: Video Game Edition
It’s that time of year again, when everybody wants to make a fool out of you. Most April Fool’s pranks pulled by companies are glaringly obvious. It makes sense why, as if it’s something too convincing and which they may actually want, then you risk upsetting them when you reveal that it’s not real. “Oh, you thought you were going to get Elder Scrolls VI/Half-Life 3/Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3, did you? Ha! Fooled you! Keep on waiting, sucker!”
I kind of think that if you are going to make it pretty obvious that it’s a joke, then you might as well ensure that it’s at least a good joke that we can all laugh at. Here’s some of the best video game-related April Fool’s Day pranks that I’ve seen so far today. First up, Final Fantasy XIV Online.
1) Final Fantasy XIV Online: Final Fantasy XIV Online GO
I love the amount of effort that Square Enix went to with this one. There was an email marketing campaign, a working web page about Final Fantasy XIV Online GO, a video and screenshots. Here’s the description of Final Fantasy XIV Online GO:
“FINAL FANTASY XIV Online GO brings the thrilling experience of gathering to wherever you are, transforming your location into a literal hub of gathering nodes. With the unique combination of Square Enix’s cutting-edge software and your smartphone geolocation capabilities, you may harvest in-game resources outdoors, in the real world. GO brings our incredible community even closer together. By connecting with your friends you can discover what Eorzea has to offer in your own city, country, or beyond Miners, botanists, and fishers! It’s time to GO.”
Thrilling stuff, right? Check out the video.
The delivery in the video is amazing too - so straight-faced and in some parts pretentious. It’s worth watching for the companion Harvesting Stick accessory that they’ve also developed - especially when the mobile phone is used as a fishing accessory.
2) Pokemon GO: Now with 8-Bit Graphics!
This one wasn’t quite as good as the Final Fantasy XIV one above but is still worthy of a mention. Niantic sent emails to Pokemon GO players telling them about a new update; Pokemon GO now has 8-Bit graphics! Here’s the email:
“EXPERIENCE POKÉMON GO LIKE NEVER BEFORE WITH BRAND-NEW GRAPHICS!
Trainer (insert trainer name here), we always want to bring you the most immersive graphics experience possible, and we’re excited to share our latest breakthrough with millions of Pokémon GO Trainers around the world. Experience Pokémon GO like never before with cutting-edge 8-BIT GRAPHICS!
Registering approximately twice the amount of definition of 4K, the chunky squares of each pixel provide realistic detail and unbelievable definition. Your Pokédex will feel lifelike in ways previously unimagined on any handheld device ever created. Enjoy it now!”
Pokemon GO webpage
There’s also a link to a web page, which further expands on the update:
“Trainers,
We always want to bring you the most immersive graphics experience possible, and we’re excited to share our latest breakthrough with millions of Pokémon GO Trainers around the world. Starting later today, you’re able to be one of the first to experience this all-new graphics engine.
Experience Pokémon GO like never before with cutting-edge 8-BIT GRAPHICS! Registering approximately twice the definition of 4K, the chunky squares of each pixel provide realistic detail and unbelievable definition. Your Pokédex will feel lifelike in ways previously unimagined on any handheld device ever created.
We feel 100% confident in saying that you’ve never seen Pokémon like this in Pokémon GO! We’re looking forward to your feedback on this brand-new feature. Tell us your thoughts on our latest update with #PokemonGO, and be sure to include a picture of your favorite Pokémon!
—The Pokémon GO team”
No video this time unfortunately but there is a nice 8-Bit Pokemon GO image:
They’ve also actually added some 8-Bit graphics to the in-game Poke Radar for the day, so it’s worthwhile logging in just to check them out. Here’s a screenshot from my game:
3) Fortnite R//C Battle Bus, by ThinkGeek
Now, this one would be a pretty cool gadget if it was real. Just look at how happy this little girl is with her Battle Bus:
Here’s the description:
EVERYBODY OFF
Those sweet, sweet words: #1 Victory Royale! Even if you’ve never seen them yourself, you can still do a little celebration dance for not coming in 100th. We admit to it occasionally.
But the time for dancing is over. The time for deploying your glider is now with ThinkGeek’s new Fortnight R/C Battle Bus. You can recreate the iconic opening scene of every Fortnite match with your own R/C controlled Battle Bus. Like old-school R/C vehicles, it’s controlled by a remote.
But where it gets good is when you hook it up to your phone or tablet and watch the augmented reality map mode turn your backyard into the Fortnite Battle Royale map. Our Battle Bus even includes little plastic characters with “gliders” for you to deploy into the fray. Your birdbath is the new Loot Lake.
Note: If the you find your Fortnite R/C Battle Bus spinning uncontrollably despite the 6 axis gyro, remember to turn off aim assist.
Product Specifications
The same site has a number of other April Fool’s Day items, includingKlingon fridge magnets, aRick and Morty screaming sunalarm clock, aJurassic World dino detector system, and aBluetooth-enabled Pet Rock.When you attempt to purchase them it reveals that it’s an April Fool’s Day gag, so you may be certain that none of these items are real - no matter how much you may want them to be.
4) Where’s Waldo game added to Google Maps
Props to this one. Google have actually added a Where’s Waldo mini-game to Google Maps for the day. It’s so sweet, I kind of wish that it was always a part of Google Maps.
5) Silent Thunder, by Gaijin Games
Gaijin Games made War Thunder. So out of the ones on this list, this one sounded the most plausible to me: a nuclear submarine game called Silent Thunder. Check out the trailer.
Looking at the comments under this video, there are going to be some people who are disappointed when it’s revealed to just be an April Fool’s Day gag.
Want more opinion pieces? If so, you could tryThe best games & movies within games. Or you could readRPG Combat: Turn-based, action or hybrid?next.
