Gamertell

April Fools is a day to have fun with those around you. A lighthearted day where you can enjoy yourself, or perhaps seek vengeance for being caught unaware the year before.

In case you’re stumped, and unsure what to do this year for April Fools, Gamertell has you covered. We’ve put together four potential pranks that you can use as inspiration for your own adventures today.

Be forewarned - many of these jokes can be quite mean. They involve playing on gamers’ deepest fears. So if you decide to attempt one, don’t be surprised if it causes a rift in your friendship.

1. The Memory Card Swap

Have you ever experienced the sense of loss and frustration that comes from losing a game save you invested hours of your life in? It’s a tragedy. A tragedy that can be easily exploited and recreated. Unfortunately, in an age where game saves are saved on hard drives, it is a trick that has gotten more difficult to pull off. You can still do it though, if you’re determined and have ninja-like reflexes.

If your target has a PS2 or a PSP, it’s simple. Just have a memory card that looks identical to the target’s card. Replace the cards when you get the chance and then you’re done and can watch your friend/foe go through some serious mental anguish.

If your target has a Wii or PS3 you can still do it, but it’s slightly more complicated and I personally wouldn’t condone doing so. Some save files can’t be transferred (ex. Animal Crossing City Folk) or there could be other, unintended repercussions. If you’re absolutely set on faking an erased Wii or PS3 save, you’ll need an SD card for a Wii and a SD card or USB drive for the PS3. Copy the game to your SD card or USB drive first, then delete it from the system. If the game save can’t be copied over, then don’t delete it and abandon the prank.

If your target has a PC or Mac, you can also take part in this prank. Simply research online to find out which folder the game save files for your target’s favorite game are stored. Then temporarily relocate the files. If your target is a fan of The Sims 2,  there’s a cruel way to mess with him or her. Go to the Documents folder and select the EA Games folder. Rename the folder called “The Sims 2” by adding the word “backup” to the end. Now, when your target starts The Sims 2, it will start over totally fresh with the default homes/neighborhoods/objects/characters. Once the prank is done, delete the new “The Sims 2” folder and remove the word “backup” from the original folder.

2. The System Swap

This is a slightly different take on the Memory Card Swap, and requires a bit more care and preparation. It can also go two ways.

One way to handle this is to try and convince your target that a different system is their system, and you have “accidentally” damaged it beyond repair. You’ll need a way to get access to the target’s home when he or she isn’t there, so get on good terms with a parent, guardian or roommate. You’ll also need an already damaged system that looks like your friend’s console and doesn’t look suspicious. Try checking eBay or Shop Goodwill for a parts-only PS2/GC/Wii/Xbox 360/PS3.

Get yourself invited over to hang out on April 1. If you couldn’t get in beforehand, bring an accomplice. Have the accomplice distract the target while you swap the two systems. Then, when you’re all together, put on a little “show” and take that fake console down. In a perfect world, the target’s console would be an Xbox 360 and the “fake” 360 would be one with the Red Ring of Death. You could turn it on, watch the Red Ring light up, and claim, “It was like that when I got here.”

Another way to handle this is to set your friend up. Buy a broken console that looks exactly like yours. Then, either invite your friend over to play or allow your friend to borrow said console. You can then make the target think that the console was fine until he or she touched it.

3. “Oh no! The internet’s down!”

This is a fun, and somewhat easy, trick to pull off. It works best for systems that connect to the internet over Wi-Fi, but a less spectacular version of the prank can also be executed with consoles that are actually connected to the internet via wires or cables.

If the system is connected via a wire or cable, simply loosen the wire. Give a gentle tug so if you glance at the wire it will look connected. Hopefully, it should be enough to cause some connection problems and frustrations for your target.

The better way to handle this prank is to tamper with the Wi-Fi connection. Unplug a router. Turn on the console or handheld and change the password the target entered to allow access to the internet. Or, if you’re a parent/sibling/roommate who has the ability to change the password that lets you access that Wi-Fi connection, temporarily change it for a day.

4. Freeware Prank PC Programs

Last, but not least, there’s always TheFreeSite.com. TheFreeSite.com has a special section devoted to April Fools computer pranks. Most of these programs are freeware and will do random things, like generate error messages, randomly change desktop wallpaper or randomly play sounds.

Before using or downloading any of the programs from TheFreeSite.com, make sure you know what they do, how to disable them and also take the time to verify that they are safe to use on your, or your target’s, computer.

Site [TheFreeSite.com]