Games
Discover facts about games. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Games
Aku Aku is a floating wooden mask that grants invincibility
The hovering mask protects Crash from damage for a limited time, including from hazards such as explosive crates; it’s a magical power-up, not ordinary armor.
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The video-game soldier who carries a fighter jet’s gun
This video-game character carries a Gatling gun taken from a downed F-16 and fires it from the hip.
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Only one male Gerudo is born each century
That rarity makes Ganondorf's role especially striking: the only male born in a century becomes a threat to the land.
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Goro Majima hides in traffic cones
In one ambush, he curls up inside a traffic cone and waits for the player to walk by.
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Goro has four massive arms and still manages to lose
Even his four arms can’t save him from ordinary fighters’ basic jump kicks.
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Why Shy Guys never take off their masks
In one canonical moment, a Shy Guy's mask falls off, and the protagonist reacts with visible horror—without revealing what was underneath.
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Kitana’s steel fans come back like boomerangs
She uses sharpened steel fans instead of conventional swords, and they curve back to her after she throws them.
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Zelda gave its fairy enthusiast a very adult age
Tingle is a 35-year-old man who dresses in green and dreams of being a fairy. In Majora's Mask he floats from a balloon and sells maps. His practical role is…
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Liu Kang transforms into a giant dragon to eat opponents
Though he usually fights with kicks and fireballs, Liu Kang can turn into a giant dragon and bite his opponent’s upper body.
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Sly Cooper is a stealth hero who smashes everything
Despite his family's tradition of silent infiltration, he smashes glass bottles to cross guarded rooftops, making his stealth missions anything but quiet.
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Yakuza's creator refused to put Kiryu in a fight against women
Kazuma Kiryu can deliver spectacular violence to male opponents, but the character was deliberately kept from hitting women. That boundary shaped how his…
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Sonic the Hedgehog's favorite meal is chili dogs
Despite his speed, Sonic’s favorite food is chili dogs—a messy street food, not a carefully optimized athletic diet.
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Why Sonya Blade dresses for the gym, not battle
Despite being a special forces operative fighting interdimensional warlords, she often wears leggings and a sports bra instead of tactical armor.
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Metal Gear made Sniper Wolf's patience almost supernatural
The series describes her holding a sniping position for extraordinarily long periods, with its database even claiming a week without food or water. It is…
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Goombas were once Mushroom Kingdom citizens
They defected to the enemy, making these little brown foes political turncoats rather than random creatures.
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Uka Uka is an ancient evil mask locked away for centuries
Once freed, he immediately starts barking orders at scientists.
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Gorons eat rocks instead of regular food
In The Legend of Zelda, Gorons are a race of rock-like people who eat boulders instead of ordinary food.
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Mario was a carpenter before he was a plumber
In his 1981 debut, Mario was a carpenter trying to rescue a woman from a construction site—not yet the plumber best known for exploring pipes.
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Bowser is technically a magical turtle with spikes
Official lore identifies Bowser as a member of a turtle species, despite his fire-breathing, dragonlike appearance.
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The fish people who lay giant eggs
The fish people walk on two legs, speak English, and wear intricate silver jewelry, but lay huge, jellylike eggs in a laboratory tank.
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Shang Tsung constantly steals souls to stay young
Shang Tsung stays young by stealing the souls of defeated enemies—a gruesome alternative to an expensive skincare routine.
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Why a severed head hangs from your belt in God of War
The talking head serves as a companion, supplying mythological lore and sarcastic commentary as he bounces against an armored thigh.
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Raiden replaced his entire lower jaw with sleek metal
The metal replacement took the place of his lower teeth and chin, leaving him unable to eat solid food.
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Shadow the Hedgehog rides a motorcycle anyway
His hover shoes let him glide at the speed of sound, but he still rides a motorcycle and fires an automatic weapon for maximum edgy style.
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