“I’ve seen some things, man. I’ve seen some stuff!” 5 crazy video game fan theories.

There’s no two ways about it, video games have come a hell of a long way in terms of plot complexity since the golden age of the arcade back in the 1980s. There’s a plethora of titles out there with intricate, grippy storylines, teeming with exciting twists and turns, to rival even the biggest Hollywood blockbusters.

Of course, with great plots comes arguably even greater fan theories and it’s no surprise that there’s no shortage of gamers out there who’ve come up with their own explanations as to what’s going on in their favourite titles.

So, don your tinfoil hats, guys, as we’re going to take a deep dive into the weird, wacky and often hilarious world of video game fan theories.

Contents:

1. Metal Gear Solid 3 is really a VR mission
2. Pokemon is set after a devastating war
3. Mario is watching Liugi to stop him taking over the world
4. Majora’s mask represent the 5 stages of grief
5. Fallout and Skyrim are set in the same universe

Metal Gear Solid 3 is really a VR mission

We kick things off this week with a theory that’ll have you shouting “Snake….Snaaaake!” in disbelief if it’s still news to you, which is that Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater doesn’t actually take place back in the Cold War but is actually a VR simulation based on real events that takes place after Metal Gear 2.

The proof for this theory starts right from the get-go with fact protagonist Naked Snake initially thinking his assignment is called “Virtual Mission” as opposed to “Virtuous Mission. Further “evidence” comes from the fact the text “Time Paradox” appears on the “Game Over” screen (suggesting Snake’s untimely demise reboots the simulation at an earlier point) and Roy Campbell chastises the player for “deviating from the timeline” by killing Revolver Ocelot before he has the chance to become the recurring nemesis on other Metal Gear games.

Pokemon is set after a devastating war

Ever wondered why there are so few adult males in Pokemon? Ever thought it was a bit strange that men who are in the game are all trainers, military servicemen or scientists, that your character’s father is absent and your main rival is an orphan?

Well, this along with the prevalence of hospitals in the Kanto region has led some to believe that the adventures of Pikachu and Co. are set in a world recovering from a deadly, destructive war. 

What’s more, Lt. Surge also declares the electric Pokemon saved him during the war before a gym battle, prompting further speculation that the Pokemon universe is a much darker place than you’d think.

Mario is watching Liugi to stop him taking over the world

We move onto the second of three Nintendo-related fans theories (spoiler alert) now which involves everyone’s two favourite virtual moustachio marauders musketeers, Mario and Luigi. Whilst the fact Mario seemingly accompanies him everywhere seems to be indicative of how close they are, one Redditor has an interesting theory as to why the brothers are often seen in tandem.

Essentially, they stated the events of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door illustrate that whenever Liugi is left to his own devices, his good deeds are often followed by a trail of destruction. Therefore, as his brother is aware of the calamity his attempts to be heroic cause, Mario needs to be on hand to make sure his brother doesn’t cause too much damage.

Majora’s mask represent the 5 stages of grief

To the final instalment in our Nintendo conspiracy trilogy now, with a theory related to the Zelda franchise. Essentially, legend would have it that Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, which sees Link travel back in time to a childhood that was stolen from him, represents the 5 stages of grief.

Crazy as it seems, but proponents of such a theory are arguably on to something as the regions you traverse in game do seem to conform to Kübler-Ross’ model of grief. 

Firstly, the residents of Clock Town are unable to accept that the moon is about to come crashing down on them. Anger makes its appearance in Deku, where the king punishes a poor, innocent monkey in a fit of blind rage. Bargaining turns up in Snowhead, where a Goran hero tries to convince Link to bring him back to life. Depression pops up in Great Bay where a glum Zoran Lulu has isolated herself from the rest of the tribe and whereas acceptance can be seen in the final stage where Link accepts his flaws.

Fallout and Skyrim are set in the same universe

We round things off this week with a theory that postulates Skyrim and Fallout share more than just a developer as they are, in fact, set in the same universe.

The proof for this theory stems from an experimental plant which can be found aboard the Brotherhood of Steel’s airship in Fallout 4. The plant, which has healing properties, bears a striking resemblance to a well-known plant from Skyrim called Nimroot. What’s more, the research logs for this plant in the lab are filed under “NRT”, which could possibly be short for Nimroot.

Whilst in all likelihood, it’s probably nothing more than an Easter Egg, this has led some fans to believe that both of these titles are set in the same universe.