What was once a niche hobby is now a massive industry, and video games are only getting bigger. With so many games competing for your time (and money), it can be easy to forget that this entire thing is built on the idea of having fun and passion.
References are a fun way for video games to nod to other franchises, recognizing their cultural impact in subtle ways. Below, we’ll take a look at some video games that are absolutely packed with references to other games or game franchises.
Hyperdimension Neptunia is a JRPG series based on parodying the games industry, so as you might expect, it’s chock-full of video game references. The main character, Neptune, is based on the cancelled Sega Neptune video game console, while other characters' names reference the company that developed the game or published it.
There are also locations named after places like Hirool Castle (Hyrule Castle), Lastation (PlayStation), Lowee (Wii), and so on. Almost everything in the game is either a reference or a parody of something related to video games, so if you’re entrenched in the franchise, there’s a lot of fun to be had pointing everything out.
The Sims 4 is well-known for featuring content in other EA franchises, most notably Star Wars and Mass Effect, and also Noctis from Final Fantasy 15, for some reason. However, The Sims also has dozens ofeaster eggs and small referencesto various other video games or other Sims games.
In fact, most of the games your Sims can play are based on either other Sims games, like MySims or The Sims Medieval, as well as others like Tetris and Mass Effect. For a game that attempts to simulate real life, it makes sense that there would be a reference or parody here and there, but it’s surprising just how many there are in The Sims 4.
Undertale is a love letter to classic JRPGs, so it should come as no surprise that the game is full of references to them. Undertale is proudly inspired by Earthbound, but its game design was also influenced by systems like the Touhou Project’s bullet hell combat and the Shin Megami Tensei series' demon-befriending mechanic.
Besides its inspirations, Undertale frequently references other games, like Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Breath of Fire, The Legend of Zelda, and many more. If you’re a fan of classic JRPGs, play Undertale and see how many references you’re able to catch.
Terraria is a massive 2D side-scrolling survival crafting game that has crossover content with a number of popular games, like Stardew Valley, Minecraft, and Don’t Starve Together. These usually come as entirely new weapons or armor for your character to wear.
Outside of these obvious crossover items, Terraria also has dozens of reference items, like the Zapinator that looks a lot like Nintendo’s NES Zapper, the Flower of Fire that lets you throw fireballs like Mario, or the Portal Gun, which is lifted straight from the Portal series.
The Danganronpa games are a series of visual novels about a group of high schoolers who are trapped and forced to kill each other to escape. Throughout the games, there are tons of references to other games that range from minor easter eggs to word-for-word quotes.
Playing through all three games in the series, you can expect to see references to Ace Attorney, Zero Escape, Final Fantasy, Mario, Pokemon, and many, many more. For the most part, these are just throwaway lines that don’t necessarily pertain to the plot, but they’re a lot of fun to catch.
Final Fantasy 14 is an MMORPG that has been going strong for over a decade, with consistent content updates filling out the world. Final Fantasy 14 makes no attempt to hide its references to other Final Fantasy games, with entire expansions and story arcs mirroring story beats from previous games in the series, like Dawntrail taking inspiration from Final Fantasy 9.
However, Final Fantasy isn’t the only series that the MMO references, as you can find nods to series like Dragon Quest, Metal Gear, Tomb Raider, Tactics Ogre, and a whole lot more. These are usually small easter eggs that manifest as quest names.
Even if you’ve never played a Borderlands game, you’re probably aware how little the games take themselves seriously, which extends to their references. The most famous reference in Borderlands 2 is probably the secret cave in the Caustic Caverns, which features blocks and Creepers taken straight from Minecraft.
The Lost Souls quest is also full of references to Dark Souls, including collecting souls from fallen enemies and being invaded by a hostile player. There are dozens of other references to other games, movies, TV, books, and anything else you may think of, to a point where you’ll probably see something being referenced every few minutes.
The Borderlands spin-off game Tiny Tina’s Wonderland is also heavily inspired by Dungeons and Dragons; not strictly a video game, but still worth noting!
Goat Simulator is another series that is definitely not known for its serious narrative, but rather its hilarious gameplay. Of course, it’s filled with references to pop culture and other video games, and the game even opens with a direct reference to Skyrim’s opening, with you waking up riding in a wagon.
you may also find references to things like Assassin’s Creed’s tower synchronization, Call of Duty’s infamous ‘Press F to pay respects’, Final Fantasy’s Chocobos, and many more. If you’ve ever wanted to be a goat wearing the Dragonborn’s classic helmet while wielding the Doomslayer sword, you’ll get a kick out of Goat Simulator.
