So, April Fool’s Day 2021 came and went. If you’re a fan of the celebration, it was a day for laughing at the best pranks and jokes around. If you’re not, it was two days in hell trying to avoid misinformation and hijinks while relaxing online. (And trying to figure out whether Alan Wake 2 was actually teased or not.)
Either way, April Fool’s Day is always an interesting time of year.
Thankfully, there weren’t any major snafus or mess ups on the part of well-intentioned PR teams this year. Instead, we got a whole bunch of fun, silly gadgets and pranks. April Fool’s Day as it should be.
Here are a few of our favourite April Fool’s jokes, memes and pranks we spotted on Thursday and over the weekend.
This article has been updated since its original publication.
Pokémon: Bidoof Bidoof Bidoof
The Pokémon Twitter account would not stop talking about Bidoof on April Fool’s Day. Seriously, it was a lot.
: ) pic.twitter.com/zdFPEBAUSE
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) April 1, 2021
The account even released its own Bidoof fancam:
bidoof fancam pic.twitter.com/JBHyyyYU2r
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) April 1, 2021
All hail the April Fool’s overlord, Bidoof.
EB Games: Sale Fashion
Introducing the latest in torso technology, “The Drip” – Limited Edition Apparel by Electronics Boutique.
Online Only. Preorder now: https://t.co/VQNqJ2aCTr
All proceeds to Starlight Children’s Foundation. Product artwork not final. These are real products. pic.twitter.com/XJftby0T94
— EB Games Australia (@EBGamesAus) April 1, 2021
Everybody loves it when EB Games plasters its stores with ‘Sale’ signs, right? Now, you can become what you love with this fashionable shirt and bucket hat combo.
The best part about this April Fool’s prank is the shirt and bucket hat pictured here are real. All profits from the sales of these items are destined for the Starlight Foundation, a charity helping sick kids.
This is how you do April Fool’s Day right. Kudos, EB Games.
EB Games: Cats VR, Daria & More
The local EB Games store out here winning April Fools Day.
The thought of Cats VR is cursed. pic.twitter.com/ostEse916F
— Andrew Searles (@drowningthunder) April 1, 2021
Another great prank pulled by EB Games (spotted by Twitter user @drowningthunder) was offering fake games up for pre-order. But not just any fake games. There were monstrosities like Cats VR and Frasier on the menu, as well as more appealing titles like a Schitt’s Creek game, a Daria game and what appears to be a game solely about glitter.
While this may have been localised to a single (unidentified) store, it’s still a fantastic little prank.
Newegg: The HYDRATOR Drinks PC
Strangely, I want this one. To celebrate April Fool’s, the folks over at Newegg constructed a hybrid gaming PC that actually dispenses beverages.
The weirdest thing about it is the PC actually appears to be available on the Newegg website. I’m not sure if you want to spend $10,010 on such a dangerous-looking machine, but maybe the Hydrator is just what you need.
It’s a hideous idea, but I’m strangely entranced by it.
Razer: Chroma Hair Dye
As pointed out by Kotaku Australia reader tyindel, Razer also had a great prank this year. It announced a brand new line of ‘gamer’ hair dye, with the Rapunzel colours turning your hair pink, blue and green.
As someone currently rocking pink and purple hair, I say this idea’s a real winner. Razer, make it so.
Poorly Aged Things: Well Aged Things
Twitter account Poorly Aged Things is an historical Twitter record of times when promises were broken and words became embarrassing with age. But the account spent April Fool’s 2021 targeting a new genre of history: well aged things.
Throughout the day, the account posted things like cheese and wine to emphasise its new identity.
— Poorly Aged Things (@PoorlyAgedStuff) April 1, 2021
It was a simple joke, but very well played.
r/Halo: A Beyoncé Dedication
As spotted by Jiggsy, the Reddit thread for Halo fans pulled a great prank for April Fool’s Day 2021. When fans logged on to share their stories about the game, they were instead greeted with the visage of Beyoncé and a lovefest for her single, “Halo”.
The commitment to the bit here is very impressive, and even includes a custom Beyoncé background.
Well played, r/Halo. Well played indeed. #AprilFoolsDay pic.twitter.com/Sx1sC8SxHB
— Jiggsy (@jiggsy) April 1, 2021
Great work all around.
GG EZ Bar: Beanz Bubble Tea
The folks over at GG EZ, Melbourne’s premier esports bar, pioneered a new drink to celebrate this year’s April Fool’s.
It’s a Heinz Beanz bubble tea — and yes, it looks just as disgusting as it sounds. Full credit to Maedi for actually drinking it, but damn that’s gross.
NEW limited edition bubble tea! ???? pic.twitter.com/zz230ZRjnZ
— GG EZ Bar (@ggezbar) March 31, 2021
LEGOLAND: Replica Dan Andrews
If anyone deserves to be immortalised in Lego this year it’s Dan Andrews. But yes, this statue was a joke.
Still, it’s a pretty good one. Check out the detail here! He’s even wearing his funky little North Face jacket.
I for one wouldn’t mind seeing Lego Dan Andrews be made for real.
Bethesda ANZ: Mehrunes Dagon Body Pillow
Straight from the Deadlands and into your arms, this Mehrunes Dagon body pillow will keep you warm this April 1????????#ESO #ElderScrollsOnline #ESOFam pic.twitter.com/dWmqQjVLAr
— Bethesda ANZ (@Bethesda_ANZ) March 31, 2021
Again, this is another idea I’d love to see happen in real life.
We all need a good snuggle buddy and who better than Mehrunes Dagon, the god of destruction? Check out this abs. Check out those horns.
He’s the perfect April Fool’s Day companion.
Cleaver’s Organic: Meat Chopsicles
I’m on the fence about this particular prank, which was sent right to my inbox on Thursday. On the one hand, I love the idea of having meat-on-a-stick ready to go in the freezer. On the other hand, I keep imagining the steak being Icypole flavoured and it makes me want to chuck.
According to the press release, it’s ‘set’ to come out in a couple different flavours, each of them more horrifying than the last:
“Rich Gravy is a classic tasting combination, perfect for the traditional meat lover, while Smoky BBQ is bursting with smokey, sticky goodness. Mint Jelly serves up a fresh flavour with a hint of tartness and a jam-like consistency in the classic lamb and mint flavour combo, and for those that have a sweet tooth, lamb infused Raspberry Ripple is sure to hit the spot.”
Hmm, no thank you.
League of Geeks: Heartmello
The title you’ve been waiting for…
Heartmello, an Armello Dating Simulator ????
Will you use your wits, spirit, or gold to slay their hearts?
Get this very real game soon ???? pic.twitter.com/bFrAMUpaSs
— Armello (@ArmelloGame) March 31, 2021
As a big fan of dating simulators, this announcement for an Armello dating simulator called Heartmello absolutely breaks my damn heart. I would play this! I would play this until the end of time!
Sadly, it appears this is just a one-off concept for April Fool’s Day.
Absolutely devastating. We deserve this dating simulator.
Nier Replicant: It’s a life simulator now
To celebrate the upcoming launch of the Nier Replicant remake, Square Enix uploaded a new look at the game with all its dense lore and philosophy stripped out.
Instead, the game is shown off as a fishing, farming and gardening sim.
I don’t know about you, but I’d love to play this version of the game. The chill vibes here are immaculate.
Audio-Technica: Godzilla Headphones
Introducing the new limited edition ATH-M50xGZ, designed for the Kaiju who truly cares about sound. The ATH-M50xGZ features proprietary 4.5m mega-aperture drivers to deliver exceptional clarity and earth-shattering bass.
From the studio to the street. No survivors. pic.twitter.com/r3YYVOCjTY
— Audio-Technica AU (@AudioTechnicaAU) April 1, 2021
Okay, now I’m really mad about April Fool’s Day because these Godzilla-themed headphones are the coolest things ever revealed. Beyond the colours and the spikes, the best part about this fake headset is the scales lining the inside of the cups.
It’s a genius detail and I’m still mad it’s fake.
If any April Fool’s Day prank deserves to be made real it’s this.
Of course, there was also a bunch of less fun pranks included in this year’s event, including a joke post about Halo Infinite being delayed until 2022 which caught out Kotaku U.S. staff writer Ari Notis. But hey, you win some, you lose some. That’s part of the ‘fun’ of April Fool’s.
This article has been updated with additional jokes from over the weekend.
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