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Every time players are prompted to input their birthday before starting a game, one can’t help wonder, “is there going to be a fun birthday bonus?”. In case any gamers were wondering what series/titles make the effort of remembering the dear players’ birthday, this list will name a few great games that commemorate it as well as what kind of bonus to expect on their special day.
To any readers that are celebrating their birthday today (or soon), make sure to check out these games for a fun birthday bonus!
8 Pokemon Sword & Shield
What To Expect : Unique cutscene, greeting.
In Pokemon Sword & Shield on the day of the player’s birthday, the celebrations will begin once the player enters a Pokemon Center. Upon entering, the player will be greeted by tons of confetti, Pikachu-shaped balloons, and a personalized birthday greeting as well. Not only that but there will also be a Pokeball-shaped cake (complete with colorful, lit candles) behind the nurse in the Pokemon Center for the rest of the day.
Another bonus players can experience on their special day is checking the memories of the Pokemon that are in the current party, as it will state that the Pokemon remember celebrating the player’s birthday with them! The last small bonus in the game is finding a small lit candle on certain dishes that are cooked on camp during thought-out the day.
7 Death Stranding
What To Expect : Unique cutscene.
At the beginning of Death Stranding, players are prompted to input their birthday and are warned that it will affect a condition called DOOMS. In reality, the date doesn’t truly affect the player’s overall experience with DOOMS but instead allows for the game to treat the player on their special day. The BB and Lisa both get their special day mentioned, so it’s only natural that the player gets the same honor.
In addition to a delectable cake (that slowly gets eaten over time), the player has a chance to trigger a unique cutscene when exiting a safe house. These cutscenes of Cliff speaking to the BB aren’t anything new, but on the player’s special day, Cliff will break the fourth wall, just to wish the player a happy birthday and gift them a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
6 Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
What To Expect : Unique cutscene(s).
After rushing back to Mother Base due to an unforeseen emergency, Boss returns to find the place completely empty. As Boss gets out of the helicopter, he draws his gun in response to sounds of supposed gunshots which are actually celebratory fireworks for the man himself!
Suddenly, Kaz, Ocelot, and a few other Diamond Dog soldiers come out with an adorable Diamond Dog-branded cake to serenade Boss on his special day. Ocelot even gifts Boss a fancy cigar (which he welcomes in place of his Phantom Cigar), but Kaz insists on blowing out the cake before indulging in a smoke.
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If Quiet is at Mother Base, she’ll have her own special way of greeting Boss as well; this time a bit more dangerous, but definitely her style. In a cutscene where Boss is casually walking around the base, Quiet sends over a big barrage of bullets his way, spelling “HBD” on a big wooden crate full of cigars. Quiet gives Boss one last gift as she takes a shot and lights the end of his cigar before taking her leave.
5 Wii Fit/ Wii Fit Plus
What To Expect : Unique greeting.
A blast from the past, Wii Fit, was a great way to keep healthy, exercise, and make sure to have fun while doing it as well. At the beginning of the game, when making a profile, the game asks for many pieces of relevant information in order to properly assess each player’s status and current goals. One of the pieces of information the game asks for is the player’s birthday.
Upon logging in for the day’s workout session, the adorable mascot, the Wii Fit Board itself, will have a tiny party hat on and be jumping for joy to greet the player on their special day! Not only will it greet the player, but it’ll also give a small, uplifting message about how age shouldn’t get in the way of fitness and that the key to good health is consistent exercise.
4 Fire Emblem (Series)
What To Expect : Unique greetings, letters, bonus items.
A handful of the Fire Emblem games feature some kind of bonus on the player’s birthday; for Fire Emblem Three Houses, Byleth gets to celebrate his/her special day with some kind letters from friends. The letter will include a unique birthday message from each character, along with a gifted item. These gifted items will also change, depending on if the player’s birthday occurs pre-timeskip or post-timeskip.
In other titles, there are other little bonuses that can be found on the player’s birthday; such as in Fire Emblem Fates, the player can make their rounds, interacting with their teammates to get a nice little voice greeting from their favorite pals.
3 Animal Crossing: New Horizons
What To Expect : Special items, unique cutscene, mini-game, and performance.
In all Animal Crossing titles, there is usually a special treat for players on their birthday but the surprise in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the best one yet. In ACNH, the player is greeted by a villager as soon as they leave their house. They’ll then be escorted over to the villager’s house where they are greeted by a small party just for them! Not only is there cake, decorations, and great music, but there’s also a fun piñata mini-game that the player can partake in as well.
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From here, the player will be given a collective gift from the villagers present at the party (usually a unique birthday-themed furniture item or wearable) as well as get the chance to hand out the birthday cupcakes (obtained by the piñata) to other villagers around town. Famous musician, K.K. Slider will also make a special appearance to perform a birthday number just for the player.
Lastly, the player’s loving mother will also send a handmade cake in the mail to display as well. Luckily it didn’t get damaged along the way!
2 Tomodachi Life
What To Expect : Special item, unique cutscene.
On the player’s birthday, the player’s look-alike Mii will call them on their cell phone to follow them for a surprise. When the player arrives at the Mii’s apartment, a handful of favorite Miis will surround the player and sing to them, while one Mii (the Mii that is ranked first on the island’s “Pampered” rating) will be holding a delicious birthday cake.
After their little birthday serenade, the Miis will bring out some fun party poppers and set them off while saying their own little greeting. After everyone’s made their birthday wishes, the player then gets a birthday cake as well as a special birthday greeting on the Tomodachi Life Mii News broadcasts.
However, if the player feels a bit devious, they can blow out the candles via the Nintendo 3DS’s microphone before the Miis finish their song to give them a little surprise!
1 Genshin Impact
What To Expect : Special item, unique dialogue/greeting.
While it is customary for all the playable characters in the game to send the Traveler a gift to celebrate their own birthday, come the day of the Traveler’s birthday, things are different.
On the day of the Traveler’s birthday, the player can check their mailbox for a fun surprise in the form of a beautifully decorated cake. In addition to this sweet treat, the player can also check their party’s voice lines to find everyone’s individual birthday greeting as well.
Each Genshin Impact character may have their own way of celebrating a birthday and greeting the player, but each of them makes sure to show how grateful they are for the Traveler and their presence in their lives.
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