History Literature / TheLeapfroggedConsoleWars

[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/the-leapfrogged-console-wars-2-0-a-video-game-and-pop-culture-timeline.536906/ The Leapfrogged Console Wars 2.0]] is a Pop Culture Timeline on Website/AlternateHistoryDotCom that posits "What if the DS and the Sinnoh games were transported back in time?"

* CelebrityCasualty: George R.R. Martin dies of a heart attack in 1996, butterflying ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' and its adaptations.

* PointOfDivergence: The presence of the DS and the technology to reverse engineer it in the past changes the world forever.

* InSpiteOfANail: Nintendo still works with Silicon Graphics for their successor console to the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendo, but they use the DS hardware to inform the design decisions of the Ultra Nintendo's architecture. The Ultra Nintendo also still uses ROM carts, but this time they can reach 1 gigabyte in max capacity, negating one of the big weaknesses of OTL's UsefulNotes/Nintendo64.

** ''VideoGame/{{Bubsy}}'' still jumps to [=3D=] as a [=PlayStation=] exclusive that ends up killing the Bubsy franchise.

** Because Nintendo revealed the nature of the DS processors at CES 1993, Sony and Sega chooses to delay the release of their consoles another year in order to improve their designs as much as possible. The delay of the [=PlayStation=] in particular prevents it from being shared with interested third-parties, resulting in ''Resident Evil'' not being moved from the Super Nintendo, and Namco using Nintendo hardware for ''VideoGame/RidgeRacer'' and ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}''. Sega on the other hand, scraps the plans for the UsefulNotes/Sega32X when they reassess Atari not being a threat.

* TimelineAlteringMacGuffin: A UsefulNotes/NintendoDS, along with it development kits and design documents, as well as copies of ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl and Platinum'', are sent to Creator/{{Nintendo}} at the beginning of 1990. This leads to Nintendo forming an alliance with Creator/{{Apple}} and [=ARM=] to develop the technology to release the DS in 1996.

* ForWantOfANail: The presence of the DS and the technology to reverse engineer it in the past changes the world forever.

** The Super FX chip uses ARM technology, resulting in ''VideoGame/StarFox'' having better graphics than OTL.

** ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'' are launch titles for the DS, and release worldwide in 1996 with the only Pokemon in the game being the 151 Pokemon in the D/P Sinnoh Pokedex.
** The Pokemon anime's main protagonist is Dawn, whose starter is a Piplup. This results in Pikachu being nowhere near as prominent as OTL and as a result ends up butterflying Plusle and Minun.

** ''Pokemon Platinum'' is based on TTL's Pokemon anime, and as a result the ability to play as Lucas is removed.
** Because Nintendo revealed the nature of the DS processors at CES 1993, Sony and Sega chooses to delay the release of their consoles another year in order to improve their designs as much as possible. The delay of the [=PlayStation=] in particular prevents it from being shared with interested third-parties, resulting in ''Resident Evil'' not being moved from the Super Nintendo, and Namco using Nintendo hardware for ''VideoGame/RidgeRacer'' and ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}''. Sega on the other hand, scraps the plans for the UsefulNotes/Sega32X when they reassess Atari not being a threat.

* GuestStarPartyMember: In ''Espers and Madness'', Kefka joins the playable roster only to leave the party by betraying them.
* InSpiteOfANail: Nintendo still works with Silicon Graphics for their successor console to the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendo, but they use the DS hardware to inform the design decisions of the Ultra Nintendo's architecture. The Ultra Nintendo also still uses ROM carts, but this time they can reach 1 gigabyte in max capacity, negating one of the big weaknesses of OTL's UsefulNotes/Nintendo64.
** The initial pair in the Pokemon franchise still contains 151 Pokemon in the game, 150 of which are catchable in-game and one of which is an event-exclusive Mythical.
** ''Videogame/{{Bubsy}}'' still jumps to [=3D=] as a [=PlayStation=] exclusive that ends up killing the Bubsy franchise.
* NoExportForYou: In-Universe, ''Front Mission 2'' for the DS is Japan-only.
* OurPresidentsAreDifferent: Paul Tsongas is the President Personable type, being able to work with both parties to create jobs.
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: Queen Elizabeth II outlives her son Charles and grandson William.
* StillbornFranchise: In-Universe, ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil'' is this trope due to the game failing.

* UpdatedRerelease: ''Sonic Blast'' for the Saturn is TTL's equivalent to Sonic Jam, including the ability to play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy in any of the five included games, and an expanded mode that has 16-bit versions of the Game Gear exclusive zones of Sonic 1 and 2.
** The DS port of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' contains enhanced pixel art and the ability to fight Kaiser Dragon.

* CartwightCurse: Cloud Strife lost both Aerith and Tifa in TTL's version of ''Final Fantasy VII'', with the latter having been killed by Kefka.

** As a result of the [=PlayStation=] bombing, Blu-Ray is butterflied away, and Toshiba's HD-DVD format becomes the dominant HD video format.

* UpdatedRerelease: ''Sonic Blast'' for the Saturn is TTL's equivalent to Sonic Jam, including the ability to play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy in any of the five included games, and an expanded mode that has 16-bit versions of the Game Gear exclusive zones of Sonic 1 and 2.

* TimelineAlteringMacGuffin: A UsefulNotes/NintendoDS, along with it development kits and design documents, as well as copies of ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl and Platinum'', are sent to Creator/{{Nintendo}} at the beginning of 1990. This leads to Nintendo forming an alliance with Creator/{{Apple}} and [=ARM=] to develop the technology to release the DS in 1996.

** ''Videogame/Bubsy'' still jumps to [=3D=] as a [=PlayStation=] exclusive that ends up killing the Bubsy franchise.

** ''VideoGame/Bubsy'' still jumps to [=3D=] as a [=PlayStation=] exclusive that ends up killing the Bubsy franchise.

** ''VideoGame /Bubsy'' still jumps to [=3D=] as a [=PlayStation=] exclusive that ends up killing the Bubsy franchise.

** ''VideoGame/Bubsy'' still jumps to [=3D=] as a [=PlayStation=] exclusive that ends up killing the Bubsy franchise.