EGM April Fool's Jokes
Encyclopedia
Electronic Gaming Monthly
magazine was famous for its April Fools' Day
jokes. The jokes usually contained a reference to a hidden feature in a popular video game that could only be accessed through an obscure – and often near-impossible – method.
The joke was usually placed in an inconspicuous place in the magazine, and was normally treated as if it were a genuine piece of news that was being written about. Through careful observation, however, readers could pick out several signs that the story may be a joke:
Often, those duped by EGM
ran a brief article to dispose of rumors of Sonic
and Tails
as hidden character
s in Super Smash Bros. Melee
. Other times, readers will be tricked into being skeptical of a story that is, in fact, true, while the real April Fools' prank goes unnoticed. For example, readers overlooked a typo on the cover of the magazine as a joke, instead focusing on the inclusion of a Hadouken special move in Mega Man X
, which was legitimately hidden in the game. Capcom would later add a Dragon Punch special move in Mega Man X2
, incidentally.
Some of EGM
, the fictional master of Street Fighter characters Ken and Ryu
, is often viewed as the inspiration for the introduction of Akuma
into the series. Also, some cheats, such as a "nude cheat" for Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball
, have been made a reality, through the use of cheat device
s such as the GameShark
or via hacked versions of the game. Joke crossover
s thought to be ludicrous at the time have also occasionally come true in later sequels, as with Battletoads & Double Dragon
and Sonic's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
. Additionally, while Apple has not created their own portable game console called the iGame, games have made their way to the iPod Touch
and iPhone
, which are purchased and downloaded through iTunes.
An EGM Live* podcast
, released in March 2007
, explored the history of the April Fools' prank. The podcast can be downloaded for free at the 1UP.com
website http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?http://zdmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o1/Podcasts/EGM/032607.mp3 (that podcast, itself, has an April Fools joke; the joke was revealed on the podcast a week later).
. The method of getting the code to work was just out of the realm of possibility (the title screen would disappear a second before readers were able to finish the code), frustrating people who believed the code to be legitimate. The giveaway that it was a prank could be seen in the name of the person who submitted the code: "A.P. Rilphulls", who was listed as being from "Fromegm, HA" (April Fools from EGM, ha).
Perhaps the most infamous of all the April Fools jokes was the Sheng Long
trick for Street Fighter II
. It was said that if one could get through Street Fighter II
, the player could supposedly fight against a special character called Sheng Long, who was said to be Ryu
's master.
An ad suggesting gamers look for the April Fool's joke in the issue of EGM was placed on the same page as the Sheng Long trick. Despite this, most readers didn't catch on to the gag.
The name W.A. Stokins ("waste tokens") from Fuldigen, HA ("Fooled again, ha!") also appears on the page as a runner-up.
Ironically, several of Sheng Long's attributes (the Flaming Dragon Punch, air throws, red fireballs, high-powered spin kick) are actual moves that were added to Ken and Ryu's repertoire in later games. This joke is often credited with inspiring the creation of Akuma
, although Capcom
has never officially confirmed this. Capcom has in fact created a Sheng Long figure, as a token of goodwill and fun.
In the January 2008 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly
, Street Fighter IV
producer Yoshinori Ono mentioned the possibility of adding Gouken
, Ryu and Ken's sensei in Street Fighter canon
, to the character roster, citing EGM' s previous April Fools pranks as a source of inspiration. In fact, Gouken was included to the Street Fighter IV cast as an unlockable character.
.
At the time, no one writing in correctly guessed this to be the joke. However, many readers wrote in guessing, incorrectly, that a code for Mega Man X
, giving X a Street Fighter-style Hadouken, was fake.
, Roger Moore
, and Timothy Dalton
) as playable multiplayer characters.
The joke stems from a rumored statement that Rare made where one could play as those Bonds but couldn't get licenses to get their likenesses. However, their faces are still in the game's code. This feature later turned out to be true, but one required a GameShark
to unlock it.
with PlayStation
controllers attached to them. The review didn't explain what the GameShortz did and seemed to be more poking fun at the idea of them. A big clue that it was an April Fools' joke was the price tag of $41.99 (4/1/99 or April 1, 1999).
was going to make a comeback. The absurdity of the idea, as well as the tongue-in-cheek article, indicated this was a joke.
Oddly, there was another article in that same issue about Twelve Tales: Conker 64 becoming Conker's Bad Fur Day
, taking a new direction into bathroom and profane humor; this could have been mistaken by some as the hoax, although it was in fact true.
and Tails
" code, where players had to defeat 20 opponents in Cruel Melee mode. This prank went widely believed for months, to a point where rival magazine Nintendo Power
had to create a blurb to try and explain the origin of the rumor while not indirectly promoting EGM by mentioning the magazine's name. After revealing the prank, EGM held a contest where those who sent in videos of their Cruel Melee battles with over 20 KOs would win a copy of Sonic Adventure 2 Battle.
In an interesting twist to the joke, the sequel
to Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl
, features Sonic as a playable character.
. The cheat required players to complete the game a scant few seconds faster than is physically possible. The "cheat" caused quite a commotion, and was even sold over the Internet by some people through the bidding website eBay
.
Ultimately, hackers were, indeed, able to create a "patch" for the game that allowed for "nude" bathing suits to be worn by game characters, but the patch could only be applied to copied versions of the game.
– one based on the books and one based on the movies – featuring characters from The Lord of the Rings
. There was a small clue in the fake game-screen showing the lap times – the total time would add up to 4/1/04, subliminally saying April Fools' Day.
(at that time it was not known as Twilight Princess therefore they simply used a generic title) they would receive a copy of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
with updated "realistic" graphics equal to those of the new game. A screenshot of the newly-reworked Dragon Roost Island dungeon was provided as evidence.
is making a portable gaming device called the iGame. The iGame would have been compatible with iTunes
, Apple's music download store. Closer examination of one of the images revealed that the first letter in each game's title on the list spelled out EGMS APRIL FOOLS.
Coincidentally, current-generation models of Apple's iPod
and iPhone
devices allow for the downloading and playing of games through iTunes and on the device(s) themselves.
game named "Mushroom Kingdom Hearts
", featuring over 41 (4 as in April, 1 as in 1st) Nintendo characters and characters from the first two games in the series. The article was complete with artwork of a re-designed Mario
holding a golden Keyblade. Sora and King Mickey are pictured with him. Accompanying this picture was an image of a Mushroom with the Kingdom Hearts crown symbol on its head.
EGM has confirmed in their March 26, 2007 podcast that the article was in fact the year's April Fool's joke, commenting on how the Mario design was a photoshopped image of the Super Mario Sunshine artwork.
Halo
", which would play similarly to the current crop of Lego and other intellectual property mash-up video game titles, such as Lego Star Wars
, Lego Batman
, and Lego Indiana Jones
, with a touch of the first person shooter genre. It played on Bungie's statement that their next title would be "something completely different". Continuing the 41 theme from previous years, EGM said a character named Burt-041 would be featured in a bonus mission.
In response to the 2008 joke, the Official Xbox Magazine did an article in their March issue about a kid who does real Halo scenes from the game with Lego. The title of the article on the cover is "Lego Halo: The Real Deal".
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
magazine was famous for its April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
jokes. The jokes usually contained a reference to a hidden feature in a popular video game that could only be accessed through an obscure – and often near-impossible – method.
The joke was usually placed in an inconspicuous place in the magazine, and was normally treated as if it were a genuine piece of news that was being written about. Through careful observation, however, readers could pick out several signs that the story may be a joke:
- The use of the number 41 (4/1 - April 1st).
- A letter written by a reader from the state HA (HA is often used as onomatopoeia for laughter. There is no state with the postal code of HA - Hawaii is HI).
- A phonetic or hidden spelling of the phrase "April Fools" or "Fooled Again."
Often, those duped by EGM
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
ran a brief article to dispose of rumors of Sonic
Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
, trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
and Tails
Miles "Tails" Prower
, better known by his nickname , is a character, as well as the main deuteragonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics, animated series and film released by Sega....
as hidden character
Secret character
A secret character can be a player character or a non-player character in a video game that must be unlocked by completing a goal within the game...
s in Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
. Other times, readers will be tricked into being skeptical of a story that is, in fact, true, while the real April Fools' prank goes unnoticed. For example, readers overlooked a typo on the cover of the magazine as a joke, instead focusing on the inclusion of a Hadouken special move in Mega Man X
Mega Man X
The Mega Man X series is the second Mega Man franchise released by Capcom. It debuted December 17, 1993 in Japan on the Super NES/Super Famicom and spawned sequels on several systems, with the PC platform notably having the most releases within the series...
, which was legitimately hidden in the game. Capcom would later add a Dragon Punch special move in Mega Man X2
Mega Man X2
Mega Man X2, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The game was released in Japan on December 16, 1994 and in North America and PAL regions in 1995. It is the second game in the Mega Man X sub-franchise after the first installment,...
, incidentally.
Some of EGM
Sheng Long
Sheng Long is a character hoax related to the Street Fighter video game series, created by Electronic Gaming Monthly as an April Fool's gag in 1992. The joke, based upon a mistranslation that suggested the existence of a character named Sheng Long in the Capcom video game Street Fighter II,...
, the fictional master of Street Fighter characters Ken and Ryu
Ryu (Street Fighter)
is a video game player character created by Capcom, the main protagonist of the Street Fighter series. Having premiered in the first Street Fighter in 1987, Ryu appears as the lead character from the game along with his best friend Ken Masters participating in the Street Fighter tournament...
, is often viewed as the inspiration for the introduction of Akuma
Akuma (Street Fighter)
Akuma known in Japan as , is a video game character from the Street Fighter series of fighting games. Akuma made his debut in Super Street Fighter II Turbo as a secret character and hidden boss. In the storyline of the Street Fighter video games, he is the younger brother of Gouken, Ryu and Ken's...
into the series. Also, some cheats, such as a "nude cheat" for Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball
Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball
is a beach volleyball game by Tecmo released in 2003 exclusively for the Xbox. The game is a departure from the rest of the Dead or Alive series which otherwise consists of fighting games and marks the first game in the series to have a Mature rating due to the very revealing swimsuits featured in...
, have been made a reality, through the use of cheat device
Cheat cartridge
A cheat cartridge is a device that connects to any sort of cartridge-based video game system. It allows a user to input special cheat codes to manipulate a game in a way not permitted by its original programming. Usually the effect is to gain infinite lives, ammunition, unlock secrets, or do things...
s such as the GameShark
GameShark
GameShark is the brand name of a line of video game cheat cartridges and other products for a variety of console video game systems and Windows based computers. Currently, the brand name is owned by Mad Catz, who actively markets GameShark products for the PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and Sega game...
or via hacked versions of the game. Joke crossover
Gaming crossovers
A gaming crossover occurs when otherwise separated fictional characters, stories, settings, universes, or media in a video game meet and interact with each other. These may exist as a gimmick if two separate games in question are developed by the same company...
s thought to be ludicrous at the time have also occasionally come true in later sequels, as with Battletoads & Double Dragon
Battletoads & Double Dragon
Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team is a 1993 beat 'em up developed by Rare and published by Tradewest. It was originally released for the NES and later ported to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Super NES, and Game Boy....
and Sonic's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
. Additionally, while Apple has not created their own portable game console called the iGame, games have made their way to the iPod Touch
IPod Touch
The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
and iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
, which are purchased and downloaded through iTunes.
An EGM Live* podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
, released in March 2007
2007 in video gaming
-Events:*March 14: Microsoft announces Games for Windows - Live, a version of Xbox Live for the Windows platform. The service launched on May 8.*March 27: Microsoft announces the new "Xbox 360 Elite" stock-keeping unit . The revision comes with a bigger hard drive and the ability to output HDMI...
, explored the history of the April Fools' prank. The podcast can be downloaded for free at the 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
website http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?http://zdmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o1/Podcasts/EGM/032607.mp3 (that podcast, itself, has an April Fools joke; the joke was revealed on the podcast a week later).
1991
Enter a code to play as Simon Belmont in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade GameTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (arcade game)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, released as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles in Europe, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Super Kame Ninja in Japan, is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up released by Konami as a coin-operated video game in...
. The method of getting the code to work was just out of the realm of possibility (the title screen would disappear a second before readers were able to finish the code), frustrating people who believed the code to be legitimate. The giveaway that it was a prank could be seen in the name of the person who submitted the code: "A.P. Rilphulls", who was listed as being from "Fromegm, HA" (April Fools from EGM, ha).
- In the letters section of the following issue, EGM "promised" never to pull a similar joke again... while showing a picture of the BattletoadsBattletoadsBattletoads is a platformer video game created by Tim and Chris Stamper and developed by Rare. Starring three anthropomorphic toads named after skin conditions , the game was created to rival the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games....
in the NES version of Double DragonDouble Dragonis a classic beat 'em up video game series initially developed by Technos Japan Corporation, who also developed the Kunio-kun series ....
. Years later, Rare would make Battletoads & Double DragonBattletoads & Double DragonBattletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team is a 1993 beat 'em up developed by Rare and published by Tradewest. It was originally released for the NES and later ported to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Super NES, and Game Boy....
. EGM also ran a photo of Sonic the HedgehogSonic the Hedgehog (character), trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
running down a hill in the Genesis version of StriderStrider (arcade game)Strider, released in Japan as is a 1989 side-scrolling platform game released for the CP System arcade hardware by Capcom. It became one of Capcom's early hits before Street Fighter II, revered for its innovative gameplay and multilingual voice clips during cutscenes .-Plot: Strider is set in a...
during this time period to further tease readers.
1992
Sheng Long
Sheng Long is a character hoax related to the Street Fighter video game series, created by Electronic Gaming Monthly as an April Fool's gag in 1992. The joke, based upon a mistranslation that suggested the existence of a character named Sheng Long in the Capcom video game Street Fighter II,...
trick for Street Fighter II
Street Fighter II
is a competitive fighting game originally released for the arcades in . It is the arcade sequel to the original Street Fighter released in and was Capcom's fourteenth title that ran on the CP System arcade hardware...
. It was said that if one could get through Street Fighter II
M. Bison
M. Bison, known in Japan as Vega, is a video game character created by Capcom. First introduced in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, he is a recurring character in the Street Fighter series of fighting games, acting as the final boss and primary antagonist of the Street Fighter II and Street...
, the player could supposedly fight against a special character called Sheng Long, who was said to be Ryu
Ryu (Street Fighter)
is a video game player character created by Capcom, the main protagonist of the Street Fighter series. Having premiered in the first Street Fighter in 1987, Ryu appears as the lead character from the game along with his best friend Ken Masters participating in the Street Fighter tournament...
's master.
An ad suggesting gamers look for the April Fool's joke in the issue of EGM was placed on the same page as the Sheng Long trick. Despite this, most readers didn't catch on to the gag.
The name W.A. Stokins ("waste tokens") from Fuldigen, HA ("Fooled again, ha!") also appears on the page as a runner-up.
Ironically, several of Sheng Long's attributes (the Flaming Dragon Punch, air throws, red fireballs, high-powered spin kick) are actual moves that were added to Ken and Ryu's repertoire in later games. This joke is often credited with inspiring the creation of Akuma
Akuma (Street Fighter)
Akuma known in Japan as , is a video game character from the Street Fighter series of fighting games. Akuma made his debut in Super Street Fighter II Turbo as a secret character and hidden boss. In the storyline of the Street Fighter video games, he is the younger brother of Gouken, Ryu and Ken's...
, although Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
has never officially confirmed this. Capcom has in fact created a Sheng Long figure, as a token of goodwill and fun.
In the January 2008 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
, Street Fighter IV
Street Fighter IV
is a fighting game produced by Capcom. It is the first numbered Street Fighter game released by Capcom since . The coin-operated arcade game was released in Japan on July 18, 2008, with North American arcades importing the machines by August...
producer Yoshinori Ono mentioned the possibility of adding Gouken
Gouken
is a fictional character in the Street Fighter series. He is the martial arts master who trained Ryu and Ken, as well as the elder brother and former training partner of Akuma. Gouken is usually depicted as a bearded man who wears Mala prayer beads on his neck and a karate gi with the kanji mu , or...
, Ryu and Ken's sensei in Street Fighter canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
, to the character roster, citing EGM
1993
In the month's "New Releases" section, after the listings of games for all the currently released systems, there was a listing for 4 games for the not-yet-released Atari Jaguar game system. Titles included Joust 2000 and Dig Dug 2000 from companies like "Vapor Ware"Vaporware
Vaporware is a term in the computer industry that describes a product, typically computer hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is never actually released nor officially canceled. Vaporware is also a term sometimes used to describe events that are announced or predicted,...
.
1994
The cover of EGM had what was claimed to be an intentional typo: "Streets of Rage 3". The reality of the situation, however, was that everyone on the magazine's staff had forgotten that they were working on the April issue, and no actual joke was created. After the issue had been produced, the staff realized its oversight, causing them to scramble to find an excuse for forgetting their tradition. "Luckily", there happened to be a typo on the issue's cover, which was quickly adopted as the April Fool's joke. EGM finally admitted to this fake April Fools' joke ten years later on page 57 of the May 2004 issue (#178).At the time, no one writing in correctly guessed this to be the joke. However, many readers wrote in guessing, incorrectly, that a code for Mega Man X
Mega Man X (video game)
Mega Man X, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first Mega Man game for the 16-bit console and the first game in the Mega Man X series, a spin-off of the original Mega Man series that began on the SNES's predecessor, the...
, giving X a Street Fighter-style Hadouken, was fake.
1995
In the "coming attractions" section of the April 1995 issue, a Sonic the Hedgehog game (a character created by Sega exclusive to their console at the time) was listed as being published by "Nintendo". Donald Kenney from North Tonawanda, NY wrote into EGM finding the error, which turned out to be intentional as 1995's EGM April Fools Joke. [Issue 70, May 1995, pg 22]1998
"All Bonds" cheat in GoldenEye 007. The cheat was said to be able to unlock three of the actors who played James Bond (Sean ConnerySean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
, Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
, and Timothy Dalton
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Peter Dalton ) is a Welsh actor of film and television. He is known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill , as well as Rhett Butler in the television miniseries Scarlett , an original sequel to Gone with the Wind...
) as playable multiplayer characters.
The joke stems from a rumored statement that Rare made where one could play as those Bonds but couldn't get licenses to get their likenesses. However, their faces are still in the game's code. This feature later turned out to be true, but one required a GameShark
GameShark
GameShark is the brand name of a line of video game cheat cartridges and other products for a variety of console video game systems and Windows based computers. Currently, the brand name is owned by Mad Catz, who actively markets GameShark products for the PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and Sega game...
to unlock it.
1999
They did a brief review of a gaming accessory called "GameShortz" in their article where they reviewed various gaming accessories. The GameShortz appeared to be just a pair of boxer shortsBoxer shorts
Boxer shorts are a type of undergarment worn by men. The term has been used in English since 1944 for all-around-elastic shorts, so named after the shorts worn by boxers, for whom unhindered leg movement is very important.Reasons for a preference for boxers can be attributed to their variety of...
with PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
controllers attached to them. The review didn't explain what the GameShortz did and seemed to be more poking fun at the idea of them. A big clue that it was an April Fools' joke was the price tag of $41.99 (4/1/99 or April 1, 1999).
2000
EGM printed a multi-page feature (complete with doctored conference pictures) that the IntellivisionIntellivision
The Intellivision is a video game console released by Mattel in 1979. Development of the console began in 1978, less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. The word intellivision is a portmanteau of "intelligent television"...
was going to make a comeback. The absurdity of the idea, as well as the tongue-in-cheek article, indicated this was a joke.
Oddly, there was another article in that same issue about Twelve Tales: Conker 64 becoming Conker's Bad Fur Day
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Conker's Bad Fur Day is an action-platform video game developed and published by Rare. It was released for the Nintendo 64 in 2001 and was Rare's last game published for the console. The game was in development for four years; it was originally intended for a young audience, but was redesigned and...
, taking a new direction into bathroom and profane humor; this could have been mistaken by some as the hoax, although it was in fact true.
2001
A small article in the April magazine advertised that Sega found a warehouse full of Sega Neptunes and were selling them off. There was a website listed where one could order a Neptune for $399.99. However, after one added it to their cart they were immediately directed to another web site that read "APRIL FOOLS!" and had a counter at the bottom of the screen showing how many people "fell" for it.2002
Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
, trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
and Tails
Miles "Tails" Prower
, better known by his nickname , is a character, as well as the main deuteragonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics, animated series and film released by Sega....
" code, where players had to defeat 20 opponents in Cruel Melee mode. This prank went widely believed for months, to a point where rival magazine Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
had to create a blurb to try and explain the origin of the rumor while not indirectly promoting EGM by mentioning the magazine's name. After revealing the prank, EGM held a contest where those who sent in videos of their Cruel Melee battles with over 20 KOs would win a copy of Sonic Adventure 2 Battle.
In an interesting twist to the joke, the sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
, features Sonic as a playable character.
2003
A "topless cheat" for Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach VolleyballDead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball
is a beach volleyball game by Tecmo released in 2003 exclusively for the Xbox. The game is a departure from the rest of the Dead or Alive series which otherwise consists of fighting games and marks the first game in the series to have a Mature rating due to the very revealing swimsuits featured in...
. The cheat required players to complete the game a scant few seconds faster than is physically possible. The "cheat" caused quite a commotion, and was even sold over the Internet by some people through the bidding website eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
.
Ultimately, hackers were, indeed, able to create a "patch" for the game that allowed for "nude" bathing suits to be worn by game characters, but the patch could only be applied to copied versions of the game.
2004
Competing kart racers would be released for the PSPPlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
– one based on the books and one based on the movies – featuring characters from The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
. There was a small clue in the fake game-screen showing the lap times – the total time would add up to 4/1/04, subliminally saying April Fools' Day.
2005
EGM told readers that starting on April 1st, if they preordered The Legend of Zelda: Twilight PrincessThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
is an action-adventure game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, and published by Nintendo for the GameCube and Wii video game consoles. It is the thirteenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series...
(at that time it was not known as Twilight Princess therefore they simply used a generic title) they would receive a copy of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released as in Japan, is an action-adventure game and the tenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, in Europe on May 2, 2003, and in Australia on...
with updated "realistic" graphics equal to those of the new game. A screenshot of the newly-reworked Dragon Roost Island dungeon was provided as evidence.
2006
States that Apple ComputerApple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
is making a portable gaming device called the iGame. The iGame would have been compatible with iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, Apple's music download store. Closer examination of one of the images revealed that the first letter in each game's title on the list spelled out EGMS APRIL FOOLS.
Coincidentally, current-generation models of Apple's iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
and iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
devices allow for the downloading and playing of games through iTunes and on the device(s) themselves.
2007
An exclusive first look for what appeared to be a spin-off in the Kingdom Hearts series, that was to be released in 2008. It was an exclusive WiiWii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
game named "Mushroom Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
", featuring over 41 (4 as in April, 1 as in 1st) Nintendo characters and characters from the first two games in the series. The article was complete with artwork of a re-designed Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
holding a golden Keyblade. Sora and King Mickey are pictured with him. Accompanying this picture was an image of a Mushroom with the Kingdom Hearts crown symbol on its head.
EGM has confirmed in their March 26, 2007 podcast that the article was in fact the year's April Fool's joke, commenting on how the Mario design was a photoshopped image of the Super Mario Sunshine artwork.
2008
Claimed to have an exclusive look into a new title developed by Bungie Studios called "LegoLego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
Halo
Halo (series)
Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
", which would play similarly to the current crop of Lego and other intellectual property mash-up video game titles, such as Lego Star Wars
LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
Lego Star Wars: The Video Game is a video game based on the Star Wars themed toy line by the Lego Group and the first game in TT Games' Lego videogame franchise. It takes place during the prequel trilogy , with a bonus segment from A New Hope...
, Lego Batman
Lego Batman: The Video Game
Lego Batman: The Videogame is a action-adventure video game, created for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Mac OS X and Wii. The game is based on the comic book character Batman and the Lego Batman toy line...
, and Lego Indiana Jones
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures is a 2008 video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by LucasArts. The game allows players to recreate moments from the first three Indiana Jones films: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones and the...
, with a touch of the first person shooter genre. It played on Bungie's statement that their next title would be "something completely different". Continuing the 41 theme from previous years, EGM said a character named Burt-041 would be featured in a bonus mission.
In response to the 2008 joke, the Official Xbox Magazine did an article in their March issue about a kid who does real Halo scenes from the game with Lego. The title of the article on the cover is "Lego Halo: The Real Deal".