Magikarpe Diem! (The Origins of Pokemon's Magikarp)

This wriggling mass of derp is Magikarp, Pokemon's ultimate useless Pokemon.  The only attack it was capable of learning the original games was "Splash", which was a completely useless move.  Actually, "Splash" was an erroneous translation of the Japanese word for "Hop" but that is neither here nor there.  Of course anybody who knows anything about Pokemon also knows that Magikarp eventually becomes this mass of epicness:

PlayStation: The Bastard Child of Nintendo and Sony

It's definitely up for debate, but I think it's safe to say that most people feel the SNES produced higher fidelity sounds than its main competition, the Sega Genesis.  That's because the SNES has a Sony sound chip in it.  Developed by Ken Kutaragi in secret due to the fact that Sony had zero desire to do anything related to video games, the chips success softened Sony executives enough to consider developing a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Nintendo called the Play Station.

The Sordid History of the Wonder Ball

The Nestle Wonder Ball was the closest thing to Kinder Surprise the USA ever had.  First released in the late 90s, the chocolate, hallow balls each contained a small toy.  due to multiple complaints, and flat-out smear campaigns spear-head by competitors Nestle was forced to discontinue the product.  By 2001 however, the wondrous confections reappeared on store shelves, now filled with small candies.

3D is How Old?!

For the last few years Hollywood has desperately been trying to convince audiences that viewing movies in 3D is the ultimate way to experience a director's vision.  Personally, I think all 3D is good for is viewing movies through lenses that make everything darker and give me a headache, but that's just me.

Charles Wheatstone, the father of 3D...in 3D!

Eye Floaters

Have you ever noticed that weird squiggly line in your vision?  You try to move your eye to get a better looks at it only to have it scurry away to the peripheral vision.  The whole phenomenon is best summed up by Stewart Gilligan Griffin:

Alfred Pennyworth Origins

Alfred Pennyworth is the kind of butler anybody would want.  He has little nuggets of wisdom to share, extensive medical training the dedication it requires to assist his employer in dispensing vigilante justice without batting (ZING!) an eye.

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese

Whether you eat it plain, with character pasta or with some sweet, juicy bits of hot dog, I'm willing to bet that if you are reading this post you have eaten a fair bit of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.   This cheap meal has fed millions of economically conscientious (read poor) college students.  I have eaten more than my fair share of the neon orange pasta dish in my lifetime.  Truly we owe a debt that cannot be repaid to the man who brought this dish over to America.  Turns out every Louisianan has this man to thank for their being citizens of the United States as well.

America's Special World War II Tanks

Insignia for the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops

Imagine you are a German scout in the Rhine River Valley during waning days of World War II.  Your mission is to gather reconnaissance on an Allied unit near your unit.  As you sneak up on the camp you see a massive convoy of trucks and tanks in the distance.  You briefly question why the large convoy is so poorly camouflaged, but more importantly you realize your unit is in serious trouble, as they have no idea how much fire power the Allies have in the region. You hurry back to your unit to tell them you need to retreat in the face of such power.

The Flat Earth Myth is a Load of Crap

It is pretty common knowledge that, during the Dark Ages the prevailing belief was that the Earth was flat, and that if you took your ship too far you would fall off the edge into the abyss.  This was the prevalent belief because religion repressed any attempt to learn anything, because after all, if you know God created the universe what else matters?  Those poor surfs were duped by the oppressive governments and religious powers who championed myth and legend as viable explanations for how the nature of the universe, lest the common man become empowered by knowledge.  Thank heavens we live in a time when we don't have to take bullcrap at face value!

What Does Skyrim Share with Super Mario 64?

Charles Martinet is a name that any hardcore Super Mario fan is familiar with.  Since 1996 he has provided the voice for Nintendo's portly mustached plumber.  His voice has become instantly recognizable and it's now hard to picture Mario without hearing his signature "Itsa me, Mario!"

Catches Milk Just Like Flies - One Awesome Practical Effect from Spider-Man (2002)

Remember that scene is Sam Raimi's Spider-Man where Peter manages to catch all of MJ's lunch items after she slips on a puddle of orange Juice?  MJ, who is naturally impressed, manages a "nice reflexes" before awkwardly noticing that Peter has blue eyes and then leaving with a "well, see ya."
Here is the clip to refresh your memory:

What makes this scene even more amazing is the fact that absolutely no CGI was used in its making.  Tobey Maguire actually caught all those items on the tray (with the aid of a sticky substance) with no special effects whatsoever.  Since that's all I've got for today and I don't know how to end this post, here is a funny picture of Spider-Man:

What do the Grinch and Tony the Tiger Have in Common?

Tony the Tiger is one of cereal's most recognizable mascots.  With an instantly memorable catch-phrase and an awesome personality, who wouldn't fall in love with the feline advocate of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes?

North Korea's Crazy Fake City

Kijong-dong is a North Korean city nestled in the demilitarized zone that lies between North and South Korea.   It is a farming community with a population of around 200 people, and it is the shining paragon of how wonderful modern life in North Korea is.  Except, there is nobody who actually lives in this city.

Gunpei Yokoi - The Father of Game Boy

One morning, over 30 years ago, Gunpei Yokoi was on a train, traveling to work.  As he sat on the train watching his fellow passengers his eyes fell upon a business man who was casually playing on his calculator to pass the time.  It was then that Yokoi, who worked for a prominent Japanese toy company, was struck with an idea for a product that would forever change his career, the company he worked for, and the lives of millions of commuters, gamers and bored children in the backseats of cars during long road trips.

The Voices Inside Arnold's Football Head

Luke (Phillip Van Dyke) from "Halloweentown" and Arnold (also Van Dyke) from "Hey Arnold!"

It's hard to believe that the d-bag-turned-goblin from the Disney Channel original movie Halloweentown also voice the ultra sensitive, caring and compassionate Arnold from the Nickelodeon classic, "Hey Arnold!" but I assure you it's true.  Now that you know this fact you will not be able to listen to him in Halloweentown without hearing a little bit of Arnold coming through.

Ah-ha-ha Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha (Mandark's Real Name, and other Dexter's Lab Fun Facts)

For those of you who did not grow up watching Dexter's Laboratory please let me offer my sincerest of condolences.  Truly, this masterpiece of the 90s was one of the greatest cartoon series to grace the airwaves of television, taking its place in the hallowed halls of the Cartoon Network's Pantheon of Cartoon Cartoons.

The Voice of Madness

Mark Hamill was not the first choice for the voice of the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series.  As it turns out the original choice was Tim Curry.  After recording a few lines the producers of the show felt that
Tim Curry's take on the character was a little too scary, so Mark Hamill was called in to take his place.  It's funny because I just can't imagine Tim Curry portraying a clown that is too scary for children...

Secrets of the Planet of the Apes

Spoiler alert for a 40-year-old  film...

When Planet of the Apes was released in 1968 it stunned audiences with it's incredible make-up design, special effects and crazy twist at the end.  Fast-forward over 30 years, audiences were anticipating  a remake helmed by Tim Burton.  What they were given was a hot mess which pretty much killed the franchise off for the next decade.  Enter Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Why Red White and Blue?

With it being close to the Fourth of July, I thought I would show my patriotism by doing a little fun fact about the symbol of our nation, Old Glory.  Today I'm going to look at why the flag is red, white and blue and what the colors symbolize.

At first glance its easy to see why a young United States would pick the color scheme it did for their symbol. I mean just look at the flag of our mother-nation:

The King's Colours - The national flag of Britain during the 17th and 18th centuries. Source: wikipedia.org

While it's tempting to think that the United States simply ripped the colors off the British flag it should be known that there is meaning to the colors.  And indeed the iconography of the flag itself, I mean beyond the fact that the stars represent the States found in the union and the stripes representing the original 13 colonies.

The symbolism of the flag has two interpretations.  The first is the well known interpretation mentioned above.  The second is much less known.  According to the House of Representatives 1977 book about the flag: "The star is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial; the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun."

On June 14, 1777 a committee adopted a resolution for what the flag of the United States should look like.  They settled on a flag consisting of 13 stripes alternating between red and white with a union (the square in the left corner) that consisted of 13 white stars on a blue field, representing a new constellation.  Though the imagery was decided on, no meaning was given to the colors chosen.


In fact the colors were not given any symbolism until 1782 when Charles Thompson presented a design for the Great Seal of the United States, which looked like this:

Charles Thompson's original design for the "Great Seal" Source: wikipedia.org

Concerning the symbolism of the shield, Thompson had this to say:

The Escutcheon is composed of the chief & pale, the two most honorable ordinaries. The Pieces, paly, represent the several states all joined in one solid compact entire, supporting a Chief, which unites the whole & represents Congress. The Motto alludes to this union. The pales in the arms are kept closely united by the chief and the Chief depends upon that union & the strength resulting from it for its support, to denote the Confederacy of the United States of America & the preservation of their union through Congress.

The colours of the pales are those used in the flag of the United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valor, and Blue, the colour of the Chief signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice. The Olive branch and arrows denote the power of peace & war which is exclusively vested in Congress. The Constellation denotes a new State taking its place and rank among other sovereign powers. The Escutcheon is born on the breast of an American Eagle without any other supporters to denote that the United States of America ought to rely on their own Virtue. 

So there you have it.  White signifies purity and innocence, red, hardiness and valor, and blue, represents vigilance, perseverance and justice.  On a side note, Congress modified Thompson's design slightly, changing it to a symbol you are probably a little more familiar with:

The final design for the "Great Seal"

Source: http://swampland.time.com/2013/07/04/why-the-u-s-flag-is-red-white-and-blue/

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Do you like video games from the 90s?  Check out my YouTube Channel  where I post videos exploring the totally rad games of the past! 

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The Voice of the Night

If you haven't seen Batman: The Animated Series then what the heck are you doing here?  Amazon has a good chunk of the series available to stream on their "Prime" service.  Go there now and experience what is arguably the greatest comic-book-based cartoon series to ever grace the airwaves.  Sure the show was made for children, but it still managed to retain the dark and brooding atmosphere of the modern comics. Central to the show's amazing atmosphere were the voice actors.

How Pikachu Became the Face of Pokemon

Editors Note:  I realize that many of you reading this will be Pokemon fans.  This post is mainly written for people who did not board the Pokemon Hype Train until well after the series' humble Gameboy beginnings, so for you Poke-Veterans out there, this post will contain a lot of information you already know.  Please understand.

Pikachu is the face of Pokemon.  People who don't know the name of any other monster, or even the basic plot of the games or TV show know who Pikachu is.  It's easy to see why; he's cute, he's powerful and he's happy.

The original games let players choose Bulbasaur, Squirtle or Charmander as their starter Pokemon, the cute, yellow...er I guess then it was more monochromatic green, mouse was nowhere to be seen. In fact, the game did not let players catch Pikachu until the reached Viridian Forest, about twenty to thirty minutes in to the game.

Pikachu became the face of Pokemon because of the anime based on the games.  The creators of the anime wanted the main character, Ash to have a Pokemon that would appeal to girls as well as boys.  Interestingly, Pikachu was not the first choice for Ash's starter.  Clefairy was the first choice.

Clefairy.

This thing:

The idea was that Clefairy would appeal to female viewers of the show.  The creators eventually ans smartly decided that such a choice would alienate male viewers and so they settle on the more broadly appealing Pikachu.  Thank heavens they did, because if Clefairy had been chosen there is no way I ever would have started watching the show, which means I wouldn't have gotten into the games, which means that I wouldn't have gotten into the cards, which means I would have had more focus as a student and an athlete, and would most likely have finished college sooner, landing a better job and being much richer than I am now.  You know what?  Screw you Pikachu!

Source: didyouknowgaming.com

If you liked this article be sure to like and/or share it on Facebook, Google +, and Twitter.  Please feel free to follow this blog so you will never miss a Fun Fact of the Day!

Do you like video games from the 90s?  Check out my YouTube Channel  where I post videos exploring the totally rad games of the past! 

For all things 90s related and beyond be sure check out my other blog at www.theninetieskid.com. 

If you like what you read/saw please take a moment to like me on Facebook  and follow me on Twitter!