Gaming myths and urban legends are riveting for obvious reasons. Fans love the idea of getting invested in these tall tales and either trying to discover the truth for themselves or get into passionate discourses that side with or against these legends.
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While the dawn of the internet may make it easier to debunk facts now, there was a time when video game urban legends would spread like wildfire to the point where fans would outright believe these tall tales. These myths are disproven now, but only after undeniable proof was revealed regarding these matters.
The Lavender Town Syndrome
One Of The Most Popular Gaming Myths Of All Time
Pokemon Red
- Released
- February 27, 1996
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, JRPG
Lavender Town has become one of the creepiest locations in video game history despite originating from a kid's game. A popular urban legend is to blame for this, with the soundtrack in this town seemingly hypnotizing players and causing their brains to conjure disturbing things.
As stupid as it sounds right now, there's no denying that Lavender Town's theme is genuinely eerie. It doesn't help that this place features a Pokemon graveyard, which added fuel to the fire and caused many players to assume that this theory had some weight to it.
Save Aerith
Fans Moved Heaven And Earth To Try And Save Their Favorite Party Member
Final Fantasy 7
- Released
- January 31, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Aerith's death is one of the most shocking events in Final Fantasy 7, and some people simply didn't want to accept that their favorite character was down and out for the count. This is why it took no time at all for people to conjure wild stories about saving Aerith that many fans wanted to believe.
Sure, hacks and glitches could be used to keep Aerith in the party, but her death is a scripted, unavoidable event. She gets her final Limit Break in no time, although there are some dungeons present after her demise where she has some dialogue. That being said, this has more to do with the fact that the order of dungeons was decided after hammering in the moment in the story when Aerith would pass away.
Spot Bigfoot
San Andreas Fans Went Crazy In This Search
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Released
- October 26, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
The myth of Bigfoot is a fascinating one to get into, and this has pervaded the realm of video games as well. When San Andreas came out, the game's massive world became so legendary that people could cook up all sorts of creepy stories that took place in the desolate corners of the game's open world, and fans would fall for it. The Ghost Car phenomenon was a popular one, although the way this game was coded solved this mystery.
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However, one particular mystery that fans considered to be real for the longest time was the presence of Bigfoot in the game. For the longest time, many people believed that this creature was actually present in the game, and modded San Andreas copies with this beast added fuel to the fire. Eventually, this theory was disproven, but it's clear that the popularity of this myth caused Rockstar to add this creature in GTA 5, which speaks volumes when it comes to the power this particular gaming myth had.
Find Mew Under A Truck
People Went Crazy To Try And Find This Pokemon
Pokemon Blue
- Released
- September 28, 1998
- ESRB
- Everyone
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Pokemon Red & Blue was a phenomenon, making it easy to see why so many urban legends surrounding this classic JRPG cropped up in no time. The legend of Mew enticed many players to try and find this legendary Pokemon, with the most popular urban myth surrounding an isolated truck in Vermillion City.
Many fans assumed that using Surf to get to this truck and inspecting it allowed them to get their hands on Mew. Alas, this was false, and the only way to get Mew as a playable Pokemon was to go to a Nintendo event with their cartridge and let the developers add Mew to the copy, which is probably what fuelled the flames of this rumor.
The Legend Of Polybius
A Legendary Arcade Cabinet That Had An Adverse Effect On Players
Polybius
- Released
- May 9, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Shoot 'em Up, Action, Virtual Reality
Back in the day, there was a compelling urban legend surrounding Polybius, a mysterious arcade machine that caused many players to go insane and perform dire acts. Of course, this was a myth, but the story was told with such conviction that fans couldn't help but be fascinated by this tale.
This gaming urban legend became so popular that a real indie game inspired by it was released in 2017. Once again, the power of gaming urban legends and the hold they have on pop culture has become more apparent than ever.
Blow Into Nintendo Cartridges To Fix Them
A Common Misconception That Made Players Feel Like They Fixed Their Games
The era of bulky cartridges with pins is something that fans still look back fondly on to this day. They also remember the dread when they plugged in their favorite games, only for them to not be read by the console.
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At this point, most people assumed this was a dust problem and blew into the cartridge, with the game almost always working in the second go. While fans assume that the act of blowing away dust particles helped fix the cartridge, the truth is that the pins just needed to be aligned and do so on the second try... But that doesn't stop players from believing that it was their big-brain act that led to this success.
The Existence Of Herobrine
The Biggest Minecraft Legend
Minecraft
- Released
- November 18, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
Minecraft is one of the most popular video games of all time. In one of the rare cases of an urban legend for a modern game, many fans genuinely believed in the existence of a mysterious character named Herobrine that usually arrived when players pushed the boundaries of their world.
This creepy, eyeless version of Steve became a popular modern gaming myth that fans sought out for the longest time. While his existence has been largely disproven, that hasn't stopped modders from crafting their version of Herobrine and letting players mess around with this urban legend for themselves.
The Naked Lara Croft Code
Gamers Really Are A Different Breed
Tomb Raider
- Released
- November 14, 1996
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Animated Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
Lara Croft is easily one of the most popular female characters in gaming history. Her go-getter attitude and iconic character design made her a fan favorite in no time, but some people took things a step too far.
Eventually, rumors of a cheat code that lets players see Lara Croft in her birthday suit started floating about and became a popular gaming urban legend in no time. Kids can be excused for this stupidity, although fans can only hope that adults didn't participate in this hunt.
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