With the advent of data miners and hackers, fans are continually rediscovering classic video games, whether that’s learning about cut content or absorbing obscure details which can only be known by peeking at a game’s code. And so, when a Twitter account recently posted about a creature allegedly hiding in the files of an older Nintendo game — complete with a render — the claim seemed plausible.
The fake character first came to light when Cut and Obscure Video Game Content (seemingly a parody of factoid aggregator Super Mario Broth) tweeted out there was a “fully coded, unused ghost enemy” called “scripulous_fingore” in the code of New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS. It cited a fake interview with Shigeru Miyamoto where the legendary developer supposedly became “unusually upset,” when asked about the character. The post showed a model of Fingore, a floating head with big cartoony eyes and a detached hand that points.
No such character existed — the account is full of fake facts, plus credible sources have checked for Fingore to no avail. However, this did not stop Fingore from becoming a near-instant fan favorite and go on to inspire hilarious edits and memes online as people imagine what Fingore could look like in Mario games. For example, this post from Koopas Kool Kartoonz (who provided the lead image for this article) edited Fingore into Super Mario 64.
While Fingore does not exist in a Mario game, it now lives on in our hearts and imaginations. Many are running with the joke and insisting that Fingore is real and always has been. One Tweet jokes that Fingore was “a very common unused enemy in a lot of other old Mario games!” Again this isn’t true, but it’s become a mass joke that Fingore was actually a part of the Mario franchise all along, but we just didn’t notice it.
It’s like a funny play on what’s known as the Mandela Effect — a phenomena when a person or group of people have a false memory about something. This post edits Fingore into a bunch of previous Mario games like Yoshi’s Island.
People love Fingore so much that people are editing it into other games, like the rhythm game Friday Night Funkin’.
Someone also made a meme of Fingore in the new Miitopia demo.
People also made plenty of fan art for Fingore.
So while Fingore doesn’t exist in any official capacity, at least we have the fans to thank for keeping it alive in a fun and humorous way.