Gaming is a tradition that spans multiple generations, whether you started on an old Atari at a swap meet or you got a fresh new Wii on Christmas, everyone’s gaming journey starts somewhere. Regardless of your hardware of choice, you can bet that you started on kid friendly software. Games for the whole family like Mario, Pokemon, or Donkey Kong; the really innocent ones that have a bright, friendly box that practically beckon your parents to purchase them for gifts. But what happens when your kid friendly game takes a turn for the crazy? We all know childhood imaginations run rampant and any dangling plot thread at all will cause years of speculation. What if the game leaves so much up to the player that incredibly valid theories run wild and completely alter the way you experience your childhood classics? Well, good news, you don’t have to wonder any longer because that is exactly the case for these fifteen kids game theories I have selected for your viewing pleasure.
I have done my best to avoid spoilers, but honestly if you have not played any of these games yet you probably wouldn’t care at all about spoilers anyway. We are talking about theories for childhood gaming staples here and, oh man, are they juicy. These theories range from time travel to potentially dead children and every weird space in between, so make sure you put on a helmet so you don’t make a complete mess when they blow your mind.
15 Majora’s Mask Might Have Killed Off A Major Character
In the grim follow up to the N64 classic The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, we see that death is everywhere. The game itself is packed with representations of the five stages of grief as the moon is coming crashing down onto Termina. However, there are theories out there that suggest that the stages of grief aren’t directed towards the potential apocalypse, but towards Link himself as he had died at the beginning of the game. The outset of this theory comes from the start of the game when Link chases Skull Kid through the woods and ultimately falls down a hole that flashes tons of visions at him; a real Alice in Wonderland situation. However, in this interpretation, Link dies in the hole and the rest of the game is him coming to terms with it.
14 But I Thought Pokémon Couldn't Die?
Pokémon Red/Blue delivers just enough context clues to enable fans minds to run amok with wild theories. However, one that holds the most water is the theory of Gary/Blue losing their Raticate after a tough battle with the protagonist aboard the S.S. Anne. For those unaware of the original titles, in every battle with Blue after Oak’s lab until the S.S. Anne fight he has a Rattata that later evolves to a Raticate. After that S.S. Anne fight, you encounter Blue at a Pokémon graveyard, the Pokémon Tower, and battle once more to find that his Raticate is no longer in his team. The way the theory unfolds, Blue lost the fight on the ship and rushed to the Pokémon center, but was too late to save his Raticate, thus causing him to bury his beloved friend and fanning the flames of your rivalry.
13 They're Always Watching You
In the Super Mario Galaxy series, the titular Mario travels between tons of planets for some good ol’ fashioned 3D platforming in spades. On the surface, this is just a sequel that improves on a lighthearted romp and delivers some of that incredible gameplay that Mario is known for. However, there is a level where things begin to take a turn. In the Shiverburn galaxy, Mario can enter first person mode and look at the very top of the mountains to see humanoid figures staring down at him. When you delve into the files of the game you’ll see that these textures are called “BeyondHellValleySky,” which may be the most ominous name I’ve ever heard. In this theory, Mario is being watched by some malicious force in some sort of Event Horizon hell galaxy.
12 He's Maybe Just A Failed Experiment
The descriptions for Pokémon can usually delve into some deeply disturbing stuff, but none quite so strange as the origins of the humble Ditto. If you have a keen eye, you will notice that Ditto share many similarities with the mythical Pokémon Mew. They’re both that shade of pale pink, they’re the only two Pokémon that can learn transform, they’re in the same egg group... the list goes on. What the fan theory posits is that Ditto was an unsuccessful clone of Mew and the first attempt at creating what would become Mewtwo. To add more credence to this theory, just think about where you first encounter Ditto. That’s right, it's the place where Mewtwo was created and where Mew was supposedly detained for genetic testing. Mind = Blown.
11 Chuck E. Cheese Wouldn't Do This To You
Despite being a horror game, Five Nights at Freddy’s has won over a massive crowd of younger players and is heavily marketed as a kid’s franchise, resulting in merchandise found in toy aisles across the world. This is surprising considering the dark nature of not just the games themselves, but the fan theories around them. For example, the theory explaining what makes the animatronics move on their own, which implies that a man kidnapped children and murdered them, then hid the bodies in the robotic animals. The souls of the slain children possessed their robot coffins and began seeking vengeance for their wrongful murders. Try to keep that theory in mind next time you pass by the Five Nights at Freddy’s section of the toy store.
10 War... War Never Changes
The original monster collecting RPGs were pretty scant on story when compared to other entries in the RPG genre, but still amassed an unreal following. Naturally, this means that fans of the first generation of Pokémon games latched onto whatever they could for story; specifically to a one-off comment from Lt. Surge about a war. The concept of this Kanto war was rolled with and ultimately went on to explain why Red has no father and Blue is an orphan. The theory posits that the Kanto wars had massive casualties that also explain why the majority of citizens in the region are children, young adults, or elderly. The age gap was created from the able bodied being drafted or volunteering service to the Kanto war effort.
9 A Glance Into A Future Where Evil Prevails
Crash Bandicoot is enjoying somewhat of a renaissance thanks to the N. Sane Trilogy being released recently, making the first three games hot on everyone’s minds. In the 3rd game, Warped, we see the inclusion of the evil mask Uka Uka who gets released from his prison and scatters the crystals containing him all over time and space. Crash and Coco then have to travel time to hunt them down and stop the mask. However in sections where Crash goes into the future, you will notice that there is a lot of propaganda for Dr. Neo Cortex. This would mean that at some time down the line, the series' antagonist wins and completes his plans for world domination. Kind of puts a damper on the wacky adventures Crash had.
8 It's All Relative In Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts has a crazy story that is rife with plot holes that are just waiting to be filled in with fan theory. In Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, we are told that it is a prequel to the original games, but some theorists out there didn’t think that the timeline tracked quite right. This is because the technology of BBS is so much more advanced than the other titles. BBS has hoverboards that travel dimensions, cutting out the terribly lame Gummi Ships, and futuristic Batman-esque armor that covers the user at the push of a button. In this theory it posits that the three protagonists were sent back in time to fight in the Keyblade Wars, then went out to protect their ancestors who happen to be Sora, Riku, and Kairi from the original games.
7 All The World's A Stage, And These Characters Are Merely Players
Super Mario Bros. 3 may be one of the very best games ever made, but there’s no denying that the aesthetics of the title are very, very different from the previous games. Well, as it turns out, there’s a fan theory to explain that, and it is a doozy. According to this theory, SMB3 is a play with actors. Think about it: the game opens with a curtain opening, the title is suspended in air with the shadows being cast onto the background, the blocks and platforms appear to be bolted onto the background or hanging from wires off the ceiling, and when you end a level it goes black and white as you exit stage right. To think: Mario was never in danger, he was just one hell of an actor. This one was actually confirmed by Miyamoto, but considering it started as a fan theory, it deserves a spot on this list.
6 Cranky Kong Probably Has Some Great Stories
How have Mario and Donkey Kong been feuding for so long and not age? The answer is that they do, and the “Mario” and “Donkey Kong” from the arcade hit are not who you think they are. In this theory, Cranky Kong is the original Donkey Kong who has aged out of his prime and passed the Donkey Kong mantle to his son, Donkey Kong Jr. This means that in those original titles, the man Donkey Kong was fighting and the woman he kidnapped weren’t Mario and Peach, but Jumpman and Pauline, who were also replaced by younger models as soon as they were too old. This theory gained a lot of credibility in the intro of DKC when we see Cranky Kong standing atop the iconic red scaffolding of the original game.
5 If This Isn't The Stuff Of Nightmares...
Earthbound is a cute little RPG that follows a young boy named Ness, which most gamers will recognize more from his appearances in the Super Smash Bros series (because his game never got released in North America). In Earthbound, Ness discovers a meteor that signals the coming of an alien force named Giygas, who turns all of the world's animals and humans into malicious monsters that you have to fight. Ultimately Ness fights Giygas, which in itself is traumatizing, but this fan theory cranks the strangeness up to 11. This theory suggests that throughout the whole game, Ness has been trying to travel back in time to destroy Giygas in its embryonic state, thus stopping it before it even starts any evil doings. Essentially, the theory is suggesting that you spent all your time in the game attempting to give an alien abortion.
4 A Sad Ending For An Unlikely Hero
The Mario universe is no stranger to ghosts: Boos have been a common enemy type for nearly as long as the series existed. That being said, Luigi’s Mansion on the GameCube takes it a whole step farther. In what is essentially a marriage of Ghostbusters and the Super Mario series, perennial second-banana Luigi has to capture the ghosts of a large family in order to save his brother Mario. However, in certain screens you can see Luigi’s shadow suspended above the ground when lightning strikes. This sparked the fan theory that Luigi had committed suicide and was one of the house ghosts the entire time. This would make Luigi’s Mansion the last game in the series, canonically. You know, if you were to care about canon in the Super Mario series.
3 Who Is Really Pulling The Strings?
Super Smash Bros. has been a flagship franchise for Nintendo since the days of the N64 and why wouldn’t be? It’s just the all-star cast of the company battling it out in vistas that span the entire Nintendo catalogue. However, have you ever thought about why those characters are fighting? Me neither. But some theories look at this very issue and come up with some intriguing answers. The prevailing theory is that the Master Hand boss is actually the hand of a child that is playing with toys. Later on in Melee we see the hand is older and playing with statues instead of dolls, signifying the omnipresent hand is growing up. Then in Brawl, the hand is shown to be controlled by Tabuu, as in it’s a taboo to grow up and still play with toys. Basically, Smash Bros. is Toy Story but with Nintendo characters, and their Andy is growing up.
2 You Can Never Leave Animal Crossing
In order to grasp this theory, you must first grasp the theory of Purgatory. For the purpose of this example, we’ll just compare Purgatory to a form of waiting room; you die and must wait in between worlds until you know what to do next. In the meantime, you keep yourself occupied with menial tasks. In Animal Crossing, a popular theory is that your player character dies before the game starts and is dropped off via train at your purgatory town. In order to distract from the fact that you are dead, you create tasks to get you through the days (collecting bugs, planting trees, digging up fossils, etc.) and the humanoid animals are there as a form of comforting yourself. You can never leave the town of Purgatory, but you can visit other towns that look identical to your own, thus trapping you in a loop.
1 Kirby Might Take Place Closer To Home Than We Thought
In this N64 smash hit featuring the cute pink ball mascot, Kirby travels to many different planets and one of which hits incredibly close to home. Shiver Star, a planet that is completely covered in ice, shares many similarities with our Earth. It has a single moon and geography similar to our planet, shopping malls, factories, and many other indicators that there was once human life there on the planet, but now it is just a complete wasteland filled with murderous robots. Was Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards predicting our grim future of nuclear winter and robot overlords? Only time will tell, but if it is true, then that means Kirby must be real too, so it’s not all bad. You win some, you lose some.