History ShoutOut / Masseffect

* The First Contact War was an event triggered between humans and another intelligent spacefaring species (the turians) when they encounter each other for the first time; a misunderstanding occurred that ended in violence and triggered an interstellar war that shaped the political landscape and left a lot of mutual distrust between humans and turians for decades to come. This is eerily similar to the Earth/Minbari war in Series/BabylonFive where humans encounter the Minbari for the first time and a misunderstanding ends in violence leading to an interstellar war that shaped the political landscape and caused a lot of mutual distrust between humans and Minbari for the next decade. The difference is that in ''Franchise/MassEffect'', the humans managed to hold their own against the turians and the war was called off before the turians could bring the full brunt of their fleet, whereas the Minbari nearly exterminated the human race in Series/BabylonFive.

** Remnant Vaults and their robotic guardians bear more than a slight resemblance to the Forerunner installations and their Sentinels. Additionally, the [[spoiler: Jardaan (the creators of the Remnant) are an advanced alien race, who created the native forms, having been in a war and dissapeared without a trace and leaving only their remnant tech behind? Creating the native forms aside, that sounds a lot like the [[Characters/HaloForerunners Forerunners]]]].
** The Kett are a multi-species empire of ScaryDogmaticAliens. They also [[{{Anvilicious}} have imagery and titles ripped from real-life religions]], are led by a group of officials, and have an interest in the ancient technology left behind by a Precursor race. Also, they're wildly disorganized with rogue military commanders and governors being able to do effectively anything they want despite ostensibly following a central authority. Aside from [[spoiler: the differences regarding their interspecies AssimilationPlot method of reproduction and their worship of said assimilation rather than the Precursors or their technology]], they sound quite similar to [[Characters/HaloTheCovenant The Covenant Empire]]. Unlike the other factions, they even use plasma guns in both their small arms and their ships, like the Covenant.

* The First Contact War was an event triggered between humans and another intelligent spacefaring species (the Turians) when they encounter each other for the first time; a misunderstanding occurred that ended in violence and triggered an interstellar war that shaped the political landscape and left a lot of mutual distrust between Humans and Turians for decades to come. This is eerily similar to the Earth/Minbari war in Series/BabylonFive where humans encounter the Minbari for the first time and a misunderstanding ends in violence leading to an interstellar war that shaped the political landscape and caused a lot of mutual distrust between humans and Minbari for the next decade. The difference is that in ''Franchise/MassEffect'', the humans managed to hold their own against the Turians and the war was called off before the Turians could bring the full brunt of their fleet, whereas the Minbari nearly exterminated the human race in Series/BabylonFive.

* The first Eden Prime mission has a character named L. Jenkins die due to rushing in against a group of Geth. Considering the initials and behavior of the character, this can only mean [[Machinima/LeeroyJenkinsVideo one thing.]]

* The nuclear munitions ship hijacked by Geth, who are planning to suicide bomb it into a colonized moon? MSV [[Film/BrokenArrow1996 Broken Arrow]]. (Complete with title inaccuracy.)

* Historical footage in the Geth consensus shows that the Quarian creator of the first Geth was named [[Webcomic/{{Homestuck}} Zahhak]].

* The Turian leader is called [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Primarch]], as you all know.

* While trying to sneak past some Geth using their stealth system, Joker comments [[Film/TheHuntForRedOctober "The only way they'll detect us is if we all start singing the Russian National Anthem."]] And then gives an AsideGlance.

* The Turian home system is called Trebia, most likely after the Battle of the River Trebia, in which Hannibal kicked Roman arse.

** The Kett are a multi-species empire of ScaryDogmaticAliens. They also [[{{Anvilicious}} have imagery and titles ripped from real-life religions]], are led by a group of officials, and have an interest in the ancient technology left behind by a Precursor race. Aside from [[spoiler: the differences regarding their interspecies AssimilationPlot method of reproduction and their worship of said assimilation rather than the Precursors or their technology]], they sound quite similar to [[Characters/HaloTheCovenant The Covenant Empire]].

* The Dark Star lounge is a shout-out to, [[CaptainObvious well]], ''Film/DarkStar''.

* Commander Shepard's name is probably a ShoutOut to Alan Shepard, the first American in space, as well as Series/StargateAtlantis' main character, Lt. Colonel John Sheppard (especially due to to John being the default given name for male Shepard). The similarities between mass relays and Stargates (As well as Reapers and the Wraith) further cements the relationship.

** To elaborate, since we do not have a page for that yet: Karel Čapek coined the term 'robot' in his work R.U.R.

*** A Krogan bulletin mentions an actor by the name of [[VideoGame/MassEffect3 Vega]] [[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition Bull]] [[FreddiePrinzeJr Jr.]]

* Admiral Hackett comes within ''inches'' of quoting Literature/TheArtOfWar when he describes his strategy as "avoid the Reapers where they're strong, hit them where they're not" - advice that's repeated several times throughout that book.

** The Paragon option at the end of Citadel is similar to the ending of [[Film/TheMummyTrilogy The Mummy Returns]]. It's exactly the same as the novelization.

* The RunningGag where you get to punch [[{{Paparazzi}} Khalisah al-Jilani]] in the face is reminiscent of a similar gag in the ''Franchise/{{Scream}}'' films, where [[FinalGirl Sidney]] does this to the {{jerkass}} reporter Gale Weathers.

*** The character is also a military tactical advisor, [[Literature/TheArtOfWar making it fitting that her name contains an anagram of 'Tzu']].

* When Kelly Chambers changes her identity her new name references [[HeroesWantRedheads two redheads]] well known in [[OneOfUs certain circles,]] given that her new name is [[Creator/FeliciaDay Felicia]] [[Creator/AlysonHannigan Hannigan.]]

* After using the Omega 4 Relay, the Normandy comes out of its jump on a collision course with a debris field made of destroyed star ships bathed in an apocalyptic shade of gold. The sequence is almost identical to one in the [[Film/StarTrek 2009 Star Trek film]], where the Enterprise comes out of warp and has to maneuver through a dense collection of wrecked star ships in a similarly golden sector of space.

** A group called [[{{Anonymous}} TruthHax]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WikiLeaks leaks important government documents]]. Unlike Lulzsec, though, they're taken down by a Spectre and four of them get shot.

* Commander Shepard's name is probably a ShoutOut to Alan Shepard, the first American in space, as well as Series/StargateAtlantis' main character, Lt. Colonel John Sheppard. The similarities between mass relays and Stargates (As well as Reapers and the Wraith) further cements the relationship.

* The kett practice of kidnapping people to convert them into more Kett, existing Kett being unable to procreate, converted Kett being a bunch of SuperSoldier extremophiles, and loyally following the Archon, makes them very similar to [[Franchise/{{Fallout}} Master and his Super Mutants with FEV]].

** Another one reports of ''SuperBowl CCXIX'', where the New York Giants defied the odds and beat the favorite team in a tight game.

*** The character is also a military tactical advisor, [''Literature/TheArtOfWar'' making it fitting that her name contains an anagram of 'Tzu'].

* Slightly obscure one: apparently the planet Siano wandered to its current location from another system, and is home to an abandoned base on one side and a nuclear waste dump on the other. Looks like we found out where [[{{Space1999}} Moonbase Alpha]] finally ended up.

* Vega's toast, if you buy the grunts a round at the nightclub, based on a toast by RobertBurns: "[[ReturnToZork Here's to us! Who's like us?" "Damn few, and they're all dead!]]" (A bit obscure, and Vega lampshades it if you don't hit the Active Time Event fast enough. "Sorry, Commander. I thought you knew that one...") It's also a military toast in certain units (Navy [=SEALs=], etc.)

** ''Lair of the Shadow Broker'' tells us that Legion is an avid gamer; he plays ''[[WorldofWarcraft Galaxy of Fantasy]]'' and ''Grim Terminus Alliance'' mentioned above, and has achievements for completing a playthrough without killing slaves as well as killing one hundred quarians. He also plays ''[[VideoGame/ModernWarfare N7 Call of Honor]]: [[VideoGame/MedalOfHonor Medal Of Duty]]'' and has over 200,000 sniper-rifle kills, [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome but only three shotgun kills and no melee kills]].

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvaQDxhm_0U&feature=g-u-u&context=G204fe7eFUAAAAAAAAAA Fight like a Krogan!]] by MiracleOfSound.

* One of the war assets found by scanning planets is Special Ops Team Zeta, aka the Bridge Burners, a group of engineers specializing in sabotage and legendary for their tenacity and skill. This is most likely a reference to the Bridgeburners from The Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen series, a legendary unit of sappers and warriors.