Videogame optical illusions

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and prepare to be shocked and amazed by the world’s first and only haunted internet page that is also about videogames. The amazing images inside were created by the ghost that haunts this web site. This evil spectre has infused these images with paranormal properties to show its displeasure with the world of the living. If you are faint of heart or easily susceptible to vomiting, paranoia, or giddiness, read no further and navigate your web browser away from this page right now.

Still here? Then you must be interested in the optical illusions we’ve created using game sprites. Read on IF YOU DARE!

Note: the haunted gifs you're about to see are rather large and complex. To maximize your awe, give them time to load all the way so they'll play back smoothly.Consider popping open a newtab full of Radarto browse while the gifs load, or even downloading them to your hard drive with a right-click and a save-as.

Super Ponzio Brothers

Luigi is the taller Mario Bro, everyone knows that. The famous Ponzo Illusion, which you may have seen yourself at “haunted” places such as Santa Cruz’s Mystery Spot, causes Mario to grow without the assistance of a mushroom. And Luigi is now green because of envy, not for whatever reason he was green before.

The trick works because of the illusion of depth created by the perspective lines. Our brain reads the Bro on the right as “farther away,” which alters our perception of his size.

Whose Katamari is bigger?

Look at the Katamari in the center of each cluster. Which one looks bigger, the upper or lower one? Are you sure?

The Katamaris are actually the same size, but our feeble human brains are easily tricked by relativity. Would the King of All Cosmos be fooled? He’d probably crush you between his velvety purple ass cheeks for even suggesting it.

Motion binding

The Half-Life universe has a unique space-time continuum where things are never as they seem. Consider the moving image below, composed of briefcases and crowbars. The crowbars form a square that moves in a circular fashion, right? RIGHT?!?!? Now watch what happens when we remove the briefcases: G-MAN’S SECRETS REVEALED!

Yeah, not what we expected either.

Next page: More magnificent illusions!