November 5, 2025
Mandela Effect: Floppy or Flimflam?
Blue Prince (1989)
Did Blue Prince really come out in 1989, or are we being pranked
TLDR: A nostalgic post claimed Blue Prince began in 1989 with a wild ‘flip the floppy’ puzzle, then dunked on the slow 2025 remake. Most commenters call it a prank, debating if the trick was even possible and whether the new game’s hidden “second game” can work as text.
A viral nostalgia post swore Blue Prince dropped on the Apple //e in 1989, praising its speedy text screens, a mind‑bending “flip the floppy” ceiling puzzle, and dunking on the 2025 remake for slow 3D wandering and tedious coin hunts with a metal detector. Cue meltdown: the community split between gaslit gamers and eye‑roll skeptics.
One camp, stunned, pointed out that developer Tonda Ros has never mentioned an original release in interviews, stirring whispers of “secret spoilers.” Others weren’t having it. “What’s the point? Where’s the punchline?” snapped one commenter, while another flatly declared, “It’s a joke—there was no 1989 Blue Prince,” then launched a surprisingly tender nerd‑fight over whether a floppy disk could even be inserted upside down. Memes flew: “Flip Your PC Challenge,” “Mandela Effect: Blue Prince Edition,” and threats to literally turn desktops on their heads.
Then the thread got philosophical. A fan argued the 2025 game hides an entire “second game” about noticing subtle details—something a text version simply can’t deliver—clapping back at the OP’s “text is faster = better” take. Meanwhile, confused players asked if the alleged ceiling puzzle exists at all, feeding the fever dream. There’s even a nod to RetroArch footage. Verdict from the crowd: the “1989 classic” probably never existed—but the fight over nostalgia vs. modern design? That’s the real game everyone’s still playing.
Key Points
- •The article claims Blue Prince existed on the Apple //e in 1989 and received a remake in 2025.
- •A described original puzzle involved reinserting the physical floppy disk upside-down to invert a room.
- •The original’s text-based rooms explicitly listed contents, reducing reliance on hint systems and item scanners.
- •The 2025 remake uses a 3D environment that the author says slows exploration compared to the original’s keyboard navigation.
- •The author recommends trying the original via an Apple emulator and mentions recording gameplay with RetroArch.