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Nintendo’s Weirdest Accessory
In 1998 Nintendo released the Game Boy Camera, a chunky little add-on that let players snap grainy black-and-white selfies, edit them with goofy stickers, and even print them using the Game Boy Printer. Marketed as a toy rather than a serious camera, it quickly became a cult favorite for its quirky charm. Kids loved making strange portraits, while collectors today celebrate it as one of Nintendo’s boldest experiments with creativity.
The Game Boy Camera was more than a gimmick. It included minigames, a music maker, and plenty of silly editing tools. For many young players it was the first time they could take a photo of themselves and manipulate it digitally, years before camera phones made that commonplace. Nintendo even used the device to capture press photos of developers and characters, showing how far they wanted to push its novelty.
Yet behind all the fun was one of the most unsettling Easter eggs Nintendo ever snuck into a product. Those who stumbled across it as kids still talk about how it gave them nightmares.
“Who Are You Running From?”
Buried in the Game Boy Camera’s menus was a strange surprise. If players navigated to the “Run” command on certain screens, instead of simply exiting as expected, the device would sometimes flash horrifying distorted faces across the screen. Accompanied by the chilling message “Who are you running from?”, the Easter egg felt wildly out of place in what was otherwise a toy built for kids.
The faces were unsettling: grainy, stretched, and menacing, almost like something out of a horror game. They contrasted sharply with the cheerful vibe of the rest of the software. For players who discovered it by accident, the sudden jump scare was unforgettable. Many kids reported feeling genuinely disturbed, not knowing whether they had triggered a glitch or uncovered something they were never meant to see.
Nintendo never fully explained the inclusion, but it is widely believed to have been a joke by the developers, who wanted to add a little dark humor. Whatever the intent, the effect was profound. It turned a silly accessory into the stuff of campfire stories, whispered about on playgrounds and remembered decades later.
From Toy to Urban Legend
Over the years the creepy faces have become a piece of Nintendo folklore. Retro collectors showcase them in videos, speedrunners trigger them on command, and fans still debate why such an eerie feature was included in a product marketed to children. What was once a hidden gag has grown into a defining part of the Game Boy Camera’s legacy.
The odd mix of playful creativity and unnerving horror is perfectly Nintendo. This was the company that gave us a bright platforming plumber but also slipped surreal imagery into unexpected corners. The Game Boy Camera showed that even something designed for fun snapshots could carry a hidden edge.
Today the accessory is remembered not just for its innovation, but for the moment it scared an entire generation of kids. That haunting question — “Who are you running from?” — still lingers as one of the strangest and creepiest Easter eggs in Nintendo’s history.
