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Polybius: Difference between revisions
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''Polybius'' is a (hopefully) fictional arcade game depicted in an [[Urban Legends|urban legend]] that has [[Memetic Mutation|spread]] amongst the video game community since, at the earliest, the early 1990s.
The legend of ''Polybius'' is (as legends tend to be) rather amorphous, and there are many different versions of the tale. The main ingredient is the game itself, a seemingly-innocent cabinet that popped up in random Portland, Oregon arcades (and/or those in various other places) that hides sinister motives, from [[Subliminal Seduction|subliminal messages]] to more [[Ghost in The Machine|supernatural]] activities. Often, the game is described as playing like the 1980 classic ''[[Tempest]]'', but sometimes [[The Un
Early versions depict ''Polybius'' as a vague [[Conspiracy Theory|government experiment]], presumably mind-control related in the same vein as MKULTRA and its ilk. Kids lined up to play the strange game, with [[The Men in Black|mysterious men in black suits]] either standing by and taking notes on clipboards, or coming by after hours to collect the data direct from the console.
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* [[Meaningful Name]]: Polybius was a Greek historian and cryptographer. Plus, the aforementioned Sinneslöschen.
* [[The Most Dangerous Video Game]]: If it existed, it definitely would be.
* [[No Plot, No Problem]]: We never learn of the game's plot in any of the legends, so it presumably doesn't need one.
* [[Nothing Is Scarier]]: Arguably, the scariest versions of the tale are those where nothing truly horrific happens; for most, the mere thought of an arcade game being monitored by shadowy [[The Men in Black|Men in Black]] is more than enough.
* [[Schmuck Bait]]: Admit it. If you saw one of these things in your local arcade, you'd probably be a little curious.
* [[Sensory Abuse]]: According to some tellings, the game includes lots of flashing, colorful backgrounds. Some even add that the game includes some weird optical illusions, too.
* [[Shoot
* [[Shout Out]]: ''[[The Simpsons]]'' included ''Polybius'' in an arcade of "bad games", portrayed as property of the U.S. Government.
* [[Subliminal Advertising]] / [[Subliminal Seduction]]: Sometimes ''Polybius'' wants to mess with your mind, implanting [[Driven to Suicide|suicidal]] (or [[Axe Crazy|homicidal]]) thoughts into your subconscious. Other times it just wants you to [[The Simpsons|join the navy]].
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[[Category:Shoot Em Up]]
[[Category:Polybius]]
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