Hiya!
I’m the kind of gal who dreads April Fool’s Day. Maybe it’s because, growing up, I was always the target of pranks on this day. I guess that’s the problem when you have an older brother who’s obsessed with April Fool’s Day pranks. Even so, I do appreciate this “holiday” as it’s one of the rare times when you’re not supposed to take things too seriously and you remember to have a little levity in your life. With the way the year is shaping up, I think we all need something to lift our spirits up.
I also do like how companies try to get in on the April’s Fool’s Day spirit and try to get in on the joke. Well, as the day has come and gone, let’s look back at what the big named companies did as “pranks” this year.
7-Eleven’s “Mystery” donut
As someone who works nights, I have visited more than my fair share of 7-Eleven stores in my time. It’s not the same as the ones in the United States, though, as the selection of food is much more varied, in my opinion. That’s not the point, however. I’m just mentioning this because the 7-Elevens over here carry Mister Donut donuts instead of their own curated confectionary. So, I guess I’ll never be able to try out the April Fool’s Day donut they have in the United States: the 7-Eleven Mystery Donut. Now, according to those who have eaten the Mystery Donut, it’s essentially a cream-filled donut with a heavy glaze on top. They do say there is a twinge of lemon in the cream inside the Mystery Donut.
As April Fool’s Day gags do, this is a rather plain and vanilla (pun intended). The only real reason why this is on the list is, usually, companies would just create a fake ad or do a press release for a product that’s hilarious. I do like the fact they actually made the darned thing! I also do think it’s part of the gag how this Mystery Donut is just a plain vanilla donut and nothing really special. Maybe I’m reading too much into it but, if it is, then that’s a different layer of humor right there!
Automated Cat Litter Box Company releases a “cat poo” scented candle
I’m not really a cat person but we do have some stray cats who live inside our house. We feed them and we leave water out for them. The problem with that is the cats now leave their poo all over the place! Sometimes, on a very hot day, you can detect the distasteful odor of their feces waft into an open window. This means I have the extra chore of cleaning up after these furballs! So, of course I would want a scented candle to mask the scent… but not one called Cat Pu/No. 2!
From Whisker, a company known for making self-cleaning litter boxes, has touted how their little boxes work incredibly well. So much so most cat owners have already forgotten why they had to cover their noses when tidying up after their cat! So, Whisker developed the Cat Pu/No. 2 scented candle as a reminder of what they’ve been missing since getting their automated litter box!
Once again, I may not get a chance to experience the product but, like with 7-Eleven, I do like the fact how Whisker made a scented candle and are shipping it out! Thankfully, according to what I’ve read, Cat Pu/No. 2, the candle doesn’t smell as advertised. Rather, it smells flowery. That’s the good kind of false advertising!
Final Fantasy VII… as a high school visual novel
Longtime readers will remember how obsessed I got over Final Fantasy VII Remake. It was one of the games I played over and over again and I even tried out a few things most people didn’t just to see what would happen. It even compelled me to play the original Final Fantasy VII game! So, of course when Square-Enix made a faux visual novel-type game featuring the Final Fantasy VII cast in high school called Ever Crisis Academy Seven, I already knew it was going to be on this list!
According to the “official” site, Ever Crisis Academy will feature Cloud Strife, who is studying at Midgard Seventh High School. He is on a journey to be the school’s First Class fighter but Tifa Lockhart, his childhood friend, tries to dissuade him from this. While this is happening, the school’s best brawler, Zack Fair, and the Midgard Seventh High School’s “big bad” Aerith Gainsborough, are cooking up some trouble. It also seems as if all of them will cross paths against the students of Shinra Private Academy and the student council’s vice president, Sephiroth.
Although this is obviously an April Fool’s Day gag, there is a part of me which wishes this was true! While I don’t think Ever Crisis Academy would technically be a good game, I just like the kitschy nature of the concept. Also, who wouldn’t like to see Aerith as the leader of a gang? I know I would!
Nier: Automata as an 8-bit JRPG
Another Square Enix game I really got obsessed with was the action-RPG Nier: Automata. There was just something special about the game as it manages to mix and match a lot of genres while still making them feel cohesive. Of course, the action gameplay was incredible so I’m not really sure how Nier: Automata would work if they changed it to an 8-bit styled JRPG.
The graphics look like the developers of the very first Final Fantasy game on the NES/Famicom. Heck, even the menus look like they just dropped in 2B, 9S and A2 into that ROM cartridge by mistake! This obviously isn’t a real thing but, if it were, I have a sneaking suspicion this would be a huge hit. However, I might not really like it myself because, like I said, Nier: Automata has a lot of variety in its gameplay. Cutting them all out and boiling the game down to just a turn-based JRPG would be taking away a lot of the stuff which gave Nier: Automata its flavor.
I’m taking it too seriously, aren’t I? Let’s move on then!
The live-action Rick and Morty we wanted to see?
A part of me is glad Rick and Morty fever has died down considerably. I mean, you had people acting like total jerks at McDonald’s because that one time Rick Sanchez said he really loved that Mulan Szechuan Sauce that one time. I guess it also lost a lot of its sheen as Justin Roiland was unceremoniously booted of the show, which is strange because he was also the voice actor for both Rick and Morty! Still, that doesn’t mean the show’s writers can’t be creative. They proved that by creating a live-action version of Rick and Morty on April Fool’s Day!
Technically, this isn’t a full episode of Rick and Morty. Rather, they took some of the most memorable moments from the show’s 7 season run and cobbled together skits using real people. Some of these sketches do take a more surreal tone, such as their take on Mr. Meeseeks. Still, this was a hoot for longtime fans as they understand the reference.
This does mean someone not familiar with Rick and Morty and its brand of humor might feel a little left out. They might find it funny but definitely not as funny if you don’t know what they’re making fun of. I do have to applaud Adult Swim and Cartoon Network for putting in the time and (low but still there) budget to making this.
Byee!
What was your favorite April Fool’s Day gag put out by a company this year? Let me know in the comments section below!
3rd World Geeks 