Memes have always been a kind of folk art and the pride of the internet—some flare up suddenly and are completely forgotten within a month, while others live on for years and become cult classics.
They can arise from anything, and games are no exception. In fact, this industry is one of the most fertile sources of internet jokes.
In this article, I will focus mainly on memes that have gained popularity in the Russian segment, but we will also touch on some foreign classics.
The very first gaming meme
Let’s start at the beginning and go back to 1971, when history teacher Don Ravich and programmer Bill Heinemann developed the educational text game The Oregon Trail to interactively teach schoolchildren.
The essence of the title was to manage a group of settlers traveling across America. And although in the 70s, few people thought about the comfort of gamers, the game was very difficult for another reason.
The developers tried to reflect all the hardships of that time — resources were strictly limited, and you could die from any misfortune. The most common circumstance was dysentery. At the same time, catching the “green screen of death” was easier than ever — the message appeared randomly.
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It would seem that there is nothing funny about this, but the suddenness and realism of such an event became very popular with players, and the phrase became a meme. First in the 70s and 80s, and then during the coronavirus epidemic.
Do a barrel roll!
In almost all games in the Star Fox rail shooter series, performing a barrel roll made the player’s fighter invulnerable, which was especially useful in critical moments.
In the Nintendo 64 version of the game, an ally named Peppy appeared, who constantly suggested that the player perform this trick.
He repeated this constantly, whether it was appropriate or not, which was extremely annoying to gamers.
As a result, the meme spread across image boards, where the phrase “do a barrel roll” became a universal answer to any question of the “what should I do” variety. It’s somewhat analogous to our “run and scream.” Interestingly, if you type “Do a Barrel Roll” into the Google search bar, the interface will follow the advice.
Astrologers have announced
The third Heroes game has forever remained in the memory of players as one of the most iconic strategy games of the 2000s and still evokes warm memories for many. In addition to its addictive gameplay, well-thought-out mechanics, and atmospheric music, the title continues to live on thanks to its legendary meme about astrologers.
Every 7 moves, a window appeared in front of the players with the inscription “Astrologers have announced the week…”, informing them of changes in the game conditions. Its popularity is largely due to the fact that it could be linked to almost any event, be it the release of the PlayStation 5 or a sale at a local household chemicals store.