Guild Wars (Keep in mind, it is fantasy and all like dragons and stuff...) had a tradition of April Fools jokes. One year, we were stick figures, another we were the opposite gender. A few others as well, but the most fun was the Commando. During Guild Wars 2's development, they were "revealing" the commando class, he looked like a NCR Ranger from Fallout: New Vegas. To poke more fun at it, ArenaNet made it so there was a Blackhawk copper and a few of these Commandos in Embark Beach, obviously out of place but a good laugh. IIRC there was a small mission to it but I don't think I ever did it. That was the last "big" April Fools joke they did.

Guild Wars 2 has approached the first April Fools since release, https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/releases/april-2013/ Before I logged on to GW2, I went on to the regular GW to see if ArenaNet did anything for the original. Other than a very strange message (it was all gibberish) in the login screen, nothing else in game. Kinda sad for someone who always experienced something goofy on April Fools in GW.

Anyway, I looked at all the info (as linked) and thought this was a nice jab for thew community. But I was sure in for more than a instance of 8-bit platforming. As I logged into GW2 and the character select screen came up, my ears were graced with a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT2o4A-3sl4 rather than http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gay1Cn2o4i8. I wonder what Jeremy Soule thought of it! (for those who don't know, he did the GW and GW2 soundtrack as well).

Listening for a while, I finally went into the game on my level 41 Charr Warrior, who was outside The Vigil HQ, so I was a ways away from where all this 8-bit epicness was (in Rata Sum). Opening my map, I notice new icons near me: 8-bit treasure chests! I go up to one that was nearest to me and instead of a item or NPC popping out...5 8-bit level 32 bunnies popped out! Worst part, they were interrupters so even I had a hard time fighting them!

After that, I went on to Rata Sum. I see were everyone is gathering, and the NPC that was in charge of this was 8-bit (I think it was him...) and I talked to him. Behind me was a box of the update's namesake. Clicking on it makes you a 8-bit frog, bunny, ect. There are other ones like a box appearing above your head, where I had to jump in order to break it, Mario style. That time I was a GIANT! But was running slow as hell...

No one was grouping for the instance, so I went on by myself in this portal that transported me to a Minecraft looking 8-bit world. They REALLY went all out on the 8-bit! Even the loading screen was 8-bit! The map, skill bar, ect. As I entered, I was met with a strange NPC, so I gave him a coin to start this quest...of saving the princess or whatever. I was met with a awesome cutscene of me on a picnic with this princess (keep in mind, I was the only one not 8-bit). and this bad ass looking dude comes and kidnaps her!

You can imagine what it was like from there on: 8-bit world, me platforming and such. The hard part was that the game mechanics was 8-bit as well: I had only 3 hearts instead of my 4K health, I had a "pointy stick" that had its own skill bar, as well as not fighting to survive so once I was dead a shadow on the screen of the bad guy zooms out and I am resurrected to the latest check point. Plus, the combat was slightly turn based, so I had to press the skill I was given than just click and auto attack.

I would talk more but I didn't go far into it as the very overpowered 8-bit bastards enemies kept owning me.

Just thought I would share this. Thanks for reading!