10 Longest Standing Video Game Myths Debunked Once and for All
Video games are full of their own lore and legend, as well as misrepresentation by the broader public.
As a result, many different myths about specific video games and gaming in general have evolved over the years. Some of them even persist today.
So to put these non-truths to an end, we're dismantling ten of the most long-lasting video game myths and separating fact from fiction.
And if you still think Luigi is a playable character in Super Mario 64, you need help.
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Lara Croft gets naked in Tomb Raider. The idea that there was a cheat or way to unlock a nude version of Lara Croft in the original Tomb Raider game seemed certain at the time. Why else would they make the character so busty if not to show her off? No such cheat has ever been discovered, so if you really need to see nude Lara Crofts, you know what to Google. -
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ostromalesBlowing into cartridges to "fix" them.This has never been true even in the slightest.If your game cartridge is malfunctioning, the only way to manually fix it is to check the pins (inside the little opening at the bottom of the cartridge) and make sure they're all aligned.This more popular technique probably did more to contribute to Coronavirus than fixing broken video games. -
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Mario and Luigi don't have last names.Like Cher, these characters may be loved around the world. But unlike her, they actually do have last names.In 2015, Super Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto declared that both Mario and Luigi share the last name "Mario."Which means their full names are Mario Mario and Luigi Mario. -
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Saddam Hussein tried to make a guided missile system out of PS2s.This myth began in 2000 after 4,000 PlayStation 2s were shipped to Iraq and people started wondering what they were doing there.Technically there should have been a way to connect 10 or 20 PS2s together, but to harness their powers into a super computer—especially one capable of controlling missiles—Hussein would had to have spent years developing software.Don't worry though, the U.S. gov't tried something similar with PS3s. -
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vocal.mediaGaming is addictive. Since the World Health Organization added "gaming disorder" to their diagnostic manual, the argument that playing video games can be an addiction has gained more traction. But the main point WHO missed is that unlike continually consuming a substance like cocaine or heroin, playing video games isn't inherently bad for you. What's worse are the in-app purchases that seem to be triggering gambling addictions in kids. -
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Video games cause violence.The sheer volume of memes poking fun at this fallacy should tell you everything you need to know about it.In 2019, researchers surveyed 2,000 kids and found that playing violent video games actually decreased their levels of aggression. STFU, Mom. -
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Playing video games improves brain function.While at least one study has suggested playing video games can improve hand-eye coordination, no studies have found any broader neurological gains from gaming.Gotta wait until we can install GTA on Elon Musk's Neuralink thingy before we figure out if intense gaming can make us superhumans. -
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Gaming causes social isolation.Video games have brought together at least as many people as football has, so there's no real evidence to claim that playing video games makes you friendless.Gaming has also been a way for people with disabilities to make and keep friendships more conveniently.Plus, what other platform has intimately brought together so many random kids with their friends' moms? -
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Pong was the first arcade game. While Pong was certainly one of the biggest arcade games of its day, it was not technically the first on the market. The first arcade game was something called Computer Space and it looks like it sucked just as much as you might expect. -
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Mew was hiding under the truck in Pokémon Red and Blue.This myth is likely borne out of a classic joke being taken too seriously.In the original Pokémon Red and Blue, there is a van somewhere in the game that most people ignore. Some claimed the rare Pokémon Mew was actually hiding under it.You can move the van for yourself to see this is blatantly false. However, that doesn't mean there aren't ways to unlock the creature in those old games.
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