10 Video Game Conspiracy Theories You'll Start To Believe
2. Pokemon's Music Killed Players
Because Lavender Town in Pokemon Red/Blue contains ghosts and a burial tower, it makes sense to give the place creepy background music. The composer of this chiptune soundtrack, Junichi Masuda, stated he gave this region "a cavalcade of jarring chords" to sound unnerving. Lavender Town Theme has appeared on many "Scariest Video Game Theme" lists, often ranked at number one.
But to some, this melody may be too scary. Soon after Pokemon was released, rumours circulated that people who listened to this song for an extended period of time suffered nosebleeds, migraine, and paranoia.
The more extreme urban legends claimed children in Japan were compelled to take their own lives upon hearing the song. (Depending on the source, the amount of children who committed suicide ranged from a handle to over 3,000.)
Because the Internet was still in its infancy when Pokemon was released, a lot of people believed these reports were absolutely true.
When nearly 700 people suffered epileptic fits after watching an episode of Pokemon several years later, it strengthened the argument that there was something deeply unsettling about this children's game.