The top 10 April fools gags this year in the games industry.

10.

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9. While just about everyone hates Nintendo's online system for the Wii, the worst part about it are the friend codes. No, we don't get to pick a screen name to use, something that's personalized and recognizable to those who know us. Instead, we get a boring, long number that is too long to remember and too pathetic to even try.

That's why Bomb-omb had to get our hopes up. Us more jaded folk knew immediately that it was fake, since nothing can be trusted on the internet without proof, let alone on April 1st of all days. But even seeing that picture, no matter how fake it was, wrenched our hearts. Worse than being Rick-rolled twice in one day (but not three times).

Damnit Nintendo, make it happen already so we can all get over this lump. Our tears are dry from weeks of river-making already.

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8. Most of the time, it's the media that has the wrong information and the publishing and PR companies that swoop in to try to amend the damage done. It's not anyone's fault this happens except for the inquiring mind and news that simply isn't specific enough. News blogs like Joystiq took the day to investigate and report on every occurrence of April Fools gaggery. Fellow news blog/rival Kotaku was stuck in the middle, unsure of whether to actually do something, or just ensure nobody sang Celine Dion all day in spite.

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7. The Xbox team isn't necessarily known for their humor, at least not out in the open (we hear stories). When we heard they were doing something, we were surprised and curious. And surprise surprise, they did a great job. Four different Xbox promotions show a wireless helmet, board game, vintage 360 and recon edition.

Full specs of each are in the pictures, but the best part is in the board game, where they point out it's got a ton of achievements. Lampooning other people, always easy. But yourself? Congrats to them, on a fun one we can all appreciate.

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6. Niko, a name most of us recognize from the not-yet-released GTA IV for our Russian protagonist sounded a bit too...Russian. Not enough fun to listen to him speak. Not colorful enough. Who would fit that part well...

Chris Tucker! The loud, obnoxious-sounding actor whose good performances range to and from The Fifth Element. Now imagine if he was Niko. No wait, don't bother, we've got a video showing just what the game would be.

The video is a horrible example, but not for the reason you would think. It's done right and shows us exactly what we'd expect out of Tucker voicing Niko, but as a short clip, it doesn't really deliver the pain a 100 hour campaign would entail. Watching the Rush Hour movies just for Jackie Chan was hard enough, and those were about 2 hours a pop. Chris Tucker for that long would leave a deaf mute dead with 88 hours left of gameplay.

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