History MythologyGag / Videogames

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty: VideoGame/ModernWarfare 2'''s Private Allen, the first playable character and also the first to be killed off, shares his name with a RedShirt from the first level of ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor: Allied Assault'', by the same developers pre-Creator/InfinityWard.

** ''Phantom Hourglass'''s plot begins with Link waking up on an island after falling off a boat and [[spoiler: he must save a spirit that looks remarkable like a whale from an evil force with ambiguous motives.]] ''Link's Awakening'' anyone?
** The final battle of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'' begins with Link protecting Zelda from the attacks of the boss while she charges up her magic power like in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwordsAdventures Four Swords Adventures]]''. The second half of the battle involves Zelda stunning the boss with Light Arrows so Link can attack, similar to the final battle of ''The Wind Waker''.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds A Link Between Worlds]]'' has Majora's Mask hanging on the right wall of Ravio's shop.

* During the ending of ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'', Ness' mother refers to [[BigBad Giygas]] using an incorrect name that bears resemblance to prototype names for Gyiyg/Giegue/Giygas for back when ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER}}'' was going to be officially released in English.

* Early in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', a bully and his gang demand you turn over a sweetroll you received as a present. This is a recurring situation from the ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''[='s=] character generation process.

** ''VideoGame/{{EpicBattleFantasy2}}'s'' first shopkeeper, a Red Mage from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'', is referred to as a "former rival", as a nod to his appearance in ''VideoGame/BrawlRoyale''.

** ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy5'': Phyrnna's Blessing will play ''[[https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vBb5FzRk8e8 A Musical Explosion!]]'', a song from ''VideoGame/{{BulletHeaven2}}'s'' OST, when cast.

** Visible from ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}'' onward is the logo of the in-universe company Traxus Heavy Manufacturing, named for an AI in ''Marathon''.

** Several of the mining facilities in ''VideoGame/HaloReach'' are owned by the BXR company, a reference to a well-known exploitable glitch in ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}'' that involved pressing several controller buttons at once.

* ''VideoGame/{{Pokemon}}'':

** Also from ''Sun and Moon'', in the Pokemon Graveyard off Route 2 you can fight a Pokemon Breeder named Ikue, who fights with a Pikachu and goes "Pikaa..." when you defeat her. This is a reference to Ikue Otani, who provides the voice of Pikachu in the anime (and in the games since X and Y).

** Yet another one from ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'', we have the final battle, surprisingly enough! [[spoiler:The final battle of the main game is the Alola region's own Professor Kukui! This is a nod to a {{Dummied Out}} fight with Professor Oak back in ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'', which can be accessed via the famous Missingno glitch.]]

* While filming ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'' in Cairo, the producers had everyone take down their TV antennas so they wouldn't show up anachronistically in a rooftop scene. In the corresponding level of the ''[[VideoGame/LegoAdaptationGame Lego Indiana Jones]]'' video game, you can find a secret room filled wall-to-wall with satellite dishes.

** Similarly, in ''Lego Star Wars'', there is a secret room where you can put on Indy's fedora. Naturally, Han Solo can do this as Harrison Ford played both characters.

* ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' has Jim Raynor seeing the purple goo stuff that emanates from Zerg colonies and saying "What the hell is that!? Looks like the ground there is alive!". ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}} III'', meanwhile, has Jaina seeing the corrupted stuff that emanates from Undead colonies and saying "It looks like the land around the granary is... dying.".

** In the Subspace Emissary mode of ''Brawl'', Ness uses PK Flash to blow up the seemingly invincible King Statue in a cutscene. This is a nod to the fact that said move was one of the few ways it could actually be defeated in ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 3}}''.

*** Savanaclaw is one for ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'' with Leona as Scar and Ruggie as the hyenas. The lone exception is Jack.
*** Octavinelle is one for ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'' with Azul as Ursula and Floyd and Jade as Flotsam and Jetsam.
*** Scarabia is one for ''{{WesternAnimation/Aladdin}}'' with Kalim as the Sultan and Jamil as Jafar.

** Outside of Disney, several character tics and plot points are inspired by and/or a nod to the original fairy tales and stories the movies are based on. One example is Jade's SSR dorm uniform Groovy art where he helps put red heels on Vil, who is twisted from the Evil Queen. This is a nod to [[{{Literature/SnowWhite}} the original Snow White tale]], where the Evil Queen is punished by being forced to dance to her death in red-hot iron shoes.

* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'''s arena themes are for the most part, remixes of the main battle themes of previous games. For example, the 11th game (''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Shadow Dragon]]'') uses the 9th game's (''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Path of Radiance]]'') while the 8th (''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones Sacred Stones]]'') uses the 2nd's (''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden Gaiden]]'').

* ''MythologyGag/WestOfLoathing''

* At one point in the game ''VideoGame/TheDarkness'', you can hear someone discuss a fictional movie that he idly mentions has "That chick from ''Comicbook/{{Witchblade}}''." In the comics, ''Witchblade'' and ''The Darkness'' are part of the same universe, and have had {{crossover}}s.
* The boss of the Tutorial in ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' is the Asylum Demon, which bears a more than passing resemblance to the Vanguard that ended the tutorial in ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls''. In contrast to the HeadsIWinTailsYouLose near-HopelessBossFight scenario of the Vanguard, after initially having to flee from the Asylum Demon, you come back with a proper weapon and a vantage point for a DynamicEntry and utterly destroy it -- this is ''hugely'' satisfying to anyone who played the earlier game.

* During the ending of ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}'', Ness' mother refers to [[BigBad Giygas]] using an incorrect name that bears resemblance to prototype names for Gyiyg/Giegue/Giygas for back when ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER}}'' was going to be officially released in English.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'''s arena themes are for the most part, remixes of the main battle themes of previous games. For example, the 11th game ([[VideoGame/FireEmblemAkaneia Shadow Dragon]]) uses the 9th game's ([[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Path of Radiance]]) while the 8th ([[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones Sacred Stones]]) uses the 2nd's (''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden Gaiden]]'').
** The music for the final level in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' includes an OminousLatinChanting remix of the ''Fire Emblem'' main theme, using the lyrics from the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Brawl'' version of the theme.

* ''Film/{{Goosebumps}}: The Game'' uses a more down-tempo version of [[Series/{{Goosebumps}} the television series' theme]] for the main menu.

** The game has this in friggin' ''spades''. From ComicBook/CaptainAmerica and ComicBook/IronMan referring to ''Comicbook/CivilWar'', to ComicBook/SheHulk telling ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} that she'd be attacking him [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall with a health bar]] if the game was set in the right era, this game really gets its jollies off on continuity and mythology.

* One of the secrets linked to an achievement in ''VideoGame/SeriousSam 3: BFE'' is Sam's "classic outfit". Said classic outfit differs from his normal look [[JustForPun solely]] by the bright red Converse-like sneakers Sam wore in every other game.

* One of the secrets linked to an achievement in ''VideoGame/SeriousSam 3: BFE'' is Sam's "classic outfit". Said classic outfit consists [[JustForPun solely]] of the bright red Converse-like sneakers Sam wore in every other game.
* In ''VideoGame/SilentHill3'', the player is given the option of having the protagonist reach into a filthy (even by ''Franchise/SilentHill'' standards) toilet to search for anything useful. [[WhatTheHellPlayer She refuses to]], and a cutscene plays in which she [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall looks directly at the camera]] and says "Who could do something so ''disgusting''?", referencing the protagonist of the previous game who did do without hesitation, which remains a frequent joke at his expense among the fandom.
** For those who wish to see this scene, it occurs only if the [[OldSaveBonus memory card you're using also contains]] ''VideoGame/SilentHill2'' [[OldSaveBonus save data]].

* In ''VideoGame/StarFoxCommand'', one possible ending references the planet Papetoon, from the [[CanonDiscontinuity Canon Discontinued]] Nintendo Power comic series.
** Papetoon was mentioned in the Japanese manual for ''VideoGame/StarFox64''.

** Imperial Stormtrooper: "It's Obi-wan! Shall we put a disturbance in his Force?" (A reference to his famed 'disturbance in the force', of Episode 4)
** Imperial Stormtrooper: "It's Solo! And he's shooting first! That's not fair!" (A reference to the Han Shot First debate)

** Imperial Officer: "You Rebel scum!" (direct quote from Return of the Jedi)

** Clone Trooper: "It's Jango Fett! And he's brought his head!" (A reference to Jango's likewise-unfortunate demise via beheading)

* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsRebelAssault II'', while Rookie One and Ru Murleen are DressingAsTheEnemy on board the Super Star Destroyer, he asks her "[[Film/StarWarsANewHope Hey, aren't you a little short for a Stormtrooper]]?" Later, Darth Vader says to Admiral Sarn: "{{You have failed me}} [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack for the last time]]", as he {{Force choke}}s him.

*** Another end battle quote by Cody is "No matter what happens, this will not be my Final Fight!"

** When hit by Alessi's Stand, Old Joseph becomes Young Joseph. When [[UpToEleven Young Joseph]] is hit, he gets even younger and is reading a Superman comic, just how he was in a flashback in Part 2.

** Other minigames also contain references to past Kirby games and the anime such as the Night Mare Enterprises Salesguy appearing on the game over screen of "Strato Patrol EOS", Max Flexer, and Chef Shiitake appearing in "Kirby Quest", and one of Kirby's attacks in the minigame being Kabuki Kirby from [[AllCGICartoon Kirby 3D]]. This is just the [[UpToEleven tip of the iceberg]] if you're a longtime Kirby fan.

** At the beginning of the game, the technology behind Poké Balls is explained to be the result of Pokémon themselves being {{sizeshifter}}s, which was only ever previously mentioned in the 1997 Japan-only light novel ''LightNovel/PocketMonstersTheAnimation''.

** If clicked upon too many times, the Protoss observer will play lines from ''VideoGame/Diablo''. The Protoss arbiter does the same too.

* ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'' and ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' both had Luigi infiltrate an enemy hideout by wearing a dress, which is derived from the ''ComicBook/SuperMarioAdventures'' comic in the ''Nintendo Power'' magazine. The first ''Paper Mario'' also took the idea that Bowser kidnaps Peach all the time because he has a crush on her from this comic.
* ''[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3 Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds]]'' has this in friggin' ''spades''. From ComicBook/CaptainAmerica and ComicBook/IronMan referring to ''Comicbook/CivilWar'', to ComicBook/SheHulk telling ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} that she'd be attacking him [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall with a health bar]] if the game was set in the right era, this game really gets its jollies off on continuity and mythology.

* In Kasumi's DLC mission for ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' there is a statue of a ''Franchise/DragonAge'' Ogre in an art-filled vault.
** The same room also has the head of the Statue of Liberty. ''[[ShoutOut "Damn you, Hock!"]]''

** Miranda's loyalty mission contains a scene in which she punches the control panel in a slow cargo elevator and demands to know why it won't go faster, a reference to the infamously slow elevators in the first game.
*** Similarly, Garrus will reminisce with Tali about the long elevator rides and the conversations they used to have, to which Tali threatens him with her shotgun. The final DLC for ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' confirms that Garrus was the only member of the original squad to enjoy the elevator talks. The rest share Tali's opinion.

* In the intro of ''VideoGame/SuperMario64 DS'', Yoshi is first seen sleeping on the roof of the castle. The roof was where Yoshi was found in the original ''Super Mario 64''.

** Margie wants a fashion-themed house; in [[Anime/AnimalCrossing the movie]], her dream was to become a fashion designer.

* In one of the first small scenes of ''VideoGame/DmCDevilMayCry'', an explosion causes a white wig to land on Dante's head, causing him to look like the Dante from [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry the original series]], upon which, after a pause, he says "Not in a million years" and shrugs the hairpiece off.

** In a reference doubling as a reference to ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry 3'' and to ''[[ShapedLikeItself itself]]'', Vergil's opening line if Dante is the lead on the opposing team says "Sorry I'm late to the party", referencing the pre-boss banter from their first fight in ''[=DMC3=]'', and to the fact that Vergil was not present in the original game, only being added in ''Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3''.