We've seen plenty of bizarre conspiracy theories in our time, from Art Attack's Neil Buchannan being Banksy to fans believing there's a hidden message in the Wendy's logo. But this Pokémon fan theory about the upcoming games might be the most random yet.
Fans believe there's a chance that the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet games might've been inspired by the chain restaurant Nando's (yep, seriously). A user has shared a thread on Twitter explaining why they believe the games were inspired by the chicken eatery – but we can't say we're convinced. Designing your own game and aren't sure where to start? Have a look at our guide to game design to help jumpstart the process.
Nando's Restaurants inspired Masuda & GameFreak in creating Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, here's why.(All these screenshot are from one place, the official Nando's Site) No jokes lol https://t.co/pL5H8SnOMc pic.twitter.com/FfU97M61lsMarch 4, 2022
The Twitter thread points out several links between the games and the restaurant, starting with the fact that Junichi Masuda, the director of the latest Pokémon games, recently visited a Nando's. Nando's shared the Portuguese tale of Barcelos cockerel on its website. Masuda was then spotted in a photo holding a Barcelos cockerel figure while in Portugal, with the caption explaining that it could make "an interesting Pokémon".
3clipse_tt on Twitter has then gone on to draw comparisons between the two Nando's and Pokemon fonts (see below). They also point out that the Pokémon Fuecoco is inspired by chilli peppers, which play a major role in a lot of Nando's branding, as well as him being a similar colour to the restaurant's signature 'Peri-Red' shade.
Can you see the Nando's font in these logos? We can't. (Image credit: Pokémon)
We think that these are all happy coincidences, but considering how many Pokémon games there are, there's every possibility that the designers are running out of ideas and are having to draw inspiration from random places (because let's be honest, we've all done it). As for the thread, while there are some similarities, we can't agree with all of them. There's little resemblance between the four fonts, and the user incorrectly points out that the orange and purple poke trainer outfits "match" the orange and grapefruit drinks on the Nando's menu (I mean, have you ever seen a purple grapefruit?).
Some other Twitter users are buying into the conspiracy, with one user replying, "I never thought that these worlds would collide, but here we are..." and another saying, "Who would have thought this restaurant would give way to such an idea for Pokemon?" – not us, that's for sure.
Pokémon Cheeky and Pokémon Lemon and Herb https://t.co/LCDZbWCmA8March 4, 2022
We're looking forward to playing the games later this year, and perhaps then we'll get some more answers about whether the game was actually inspired by Nando's. If you're looking forward to playing the games but haven't got a device to play them on yet, then make sure you check out our roundup of the best Nintendo Switch deals.
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Amelia is Creative Bloq’s Staff Writer. After completing a degree in Popular Music and a Master’s in Song Writing, Amelia began designing posters, logos, album covers and websites for musicians. She now enjoys covering a range of topics on Creative Bloq, including posters, optical illusions, logos (she's a particular fan of logo Easter eggs), gaming and illustration. In her free time, she relishes in the likes of art (especially the Pre-Raphaelites), photography and literature. Amelia prides herself on her unorthodox creative methods, her Animal Crossing island and her extensive music library.
