The Mandela Effect on Video Games

In video game culture, there have always been myths and urban legends. Gamers love to explore different ideas about their favorite games; however, half-truths and misinformation are conveyed as facts within those discussions.

People love to believe mysterious and magical stories, but in many cases, there may be a psychological reason for this, such as the Mandela effect.

The Mandela effect, by definition, is memories or facts that a group of people believes but that, in reality, do not exist or are different from what is claimed. In short, an alteration of interpretation or memory. However, there are many fun facts about games that have not existed or are made into classic games that people remember or claim to have seen with their own eyes.

If you want to know how this phenomenon influences the most famous video games, keep reading. It’s possible that you are one of those people who has jumped dimensions.

Final Fantasy VIII: Renaming of the Characters

In 1999 one of the most talked-about games was Final Fantasy VIII. It was so successful that we still remember it fondly to this day. Yes, there are indeed better versions within the saga and the genre, but let’s delve into the Mandela effect of this game.

Many people claim that they could change the characters’ names in Final Fantasy VIII; or that they at least had the opportunity to execute that action. However, this was never possible. Counting the guardians of the force and three characters, of which two are playable. In addition to Squall’s pendant, the characters’ names cannot be customized.

Microsoft buys SEGA

After the failure of Dreamcast, SEGA decided to withdraw from the world of game consoles. Shortly after, Microsoft announced its foray into this world with the first Xbox. This fact, coupled with the creation of its version of Dreamcast, where the Windows logo appeared, made many people think that Microsoft bought SEGA, even before the failure of this console, which, at least in this dimension, is entirely false.

What is certain is that Microsoft bought several patents from SEGA to launch its first console. Still, even today, some people swear they have read the news of the purchase of SEGA by the technological giant Microsoft.

GoldenEye 007: The multiverse of Bonds

If you played GoldenEye 007 and unlocked every cheat, you may have noticed that despite having all 23 cheats, there was one last slot in the blank menu. This trick is supposed to allow you to play with any of the previous James Bonds.

To be transparent and honest, this was something that Rare had been in the works for months. Due to the cost of the licenses, the company decided to leave those models hidden in the cartridge. As a curiosity, these models were rescued and left for the combat simulator, which is why many people believe they used them in the company’s first shooter, but in reality, they did so in this other one.

The Bigfoot from GTA San Andreas

I guess no one will be surprised to see GTA on the list. Grand Theft Auto has been one of the games with the most conspiracy theories and rumors in the gaming community; however, there is something that started as a rumor but ended up blinding the memories of many fans of the franchise in the long run.

The famous Big Foot of GTA San Andreas was a myth told by word of mouth. You may have heard about from a friend, family member, or forum where they claimed that they had hunted this great monster.

Over time, Rockstar North denied the rumor, but this did not stop the people who swore they had found it from appearing. To this day, we can give them the benefit of the doubt since many claims to have at least seen it.

The chocolate world of Super Mario World

There was a time when gamers did not have a secure source of information on the internet, so we had to trust what our friends or relatives told us about various tricks in video games, including the famous Mario World. Some have repeated throughout history that there is a world of chocolate in this game.

However, it has been confirmed on several occasions that this never existed. The curious thing about this Mandela effect in video games is that, in parallel, many remember having seen the world of chocolate with their own eyes and walking through it with a Super Nintendo controller in their hands.

If you’re one of those people, let me tell you something before you start hyperventilating. It turns out that this whole Mandela effect comes from a mix-up. There is no chocolate world in this famous Mario game; there is an area called “Chocolate Island.” So we could consider this case as 50/50 the Mandela effect.

Polybius is just a conspiracy theory

The last game on the list is probably the scariest; although others are creepy and based on fantasy, Polybius is one of the ones that should scare players the most. Urban legend says that the game is a psychological experiment run by the US government. Players who have apparently played it have gone crazy and completely unhinged

However, those who claim to have played it with no ill effects curiously have no recollection of the game. There is no other trace of its existence than the testimonies of eyewitnesses about the strange phenomenon.

The Mandela effect in video games: Are you failing in reality or collective memory?

Although we love to think that we have jumped between dimensions over time, science has been in charge of demonstrating that the Mandela effect is a collective psychological phenomenon. However, it is much more fun and relaxing to think that we are simply living in a simulation. If you still haven’t found a way to introduce the motherlode code into your bank account, don’t worry! You can now start enjoying all the benefits and rewards that the Ugami Debit Card and the App that it offers you. If you want to try it, don’t forget to download the Ugami App; soon, you will be able to take control of your finances and become a Ugamer.