History ShowWithinAShow / VideoGames

** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' continues this trend, with [[StrawCharacter Strawman Political]] parodies ''Impotent Rage'' and ''Kung Fu Rainbow Lazer Force'', as well as ''Fame or Shame'', ''The Underbelly of Paradise'', ''[[DepartmentofRedundancyDepartment Jack Howitzer is Jack Howitzer in Jack Howitzer]]'', and ''Moorehead Rides Again'' (a CallBack to a radio drama within a game in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCityStories''). The aforementioned ''Republican Space Rangers'' also gets a new episode, as does ''Princess Robot Bubblegum'' [[spoiler:(but only on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne & PC versions)]].

* ''VideoGame/WolfensteinIITheNewColossus'' features "Blitzmensch", a Saturday morning cartoon where a blond Aryan superhero battles Allied soldiers and supervillains based on racist caricatures. The cartoon is Nazi propaganda in an alternate version of TheSixties where the Nazis curbstomped the Allies in World War II and took over the world. The main character, former American soldier and Nazi-killer B.J Blazkowicz, [[HeroWithBadPublicity is a villain in the show, going under the name "Terror Billy"]].

* The novel Ardus is working on, "The Tower of Ideals", in ''Videogame/TheLogomancer''. One {{Sidequest}} revolves around him refining the manuscript, and it involves [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall pointed commentary on the writing process in general]] as well. Given a later development, it is also possible that it's a warped version of a real event that occurred prior to the game's story, which Ardus forgot due to LaserGuidedAmnesia but retained subconscious impressions of.

* ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' and ''[[VideoGame/SaintsRowIV IV]]'' (in addition to the ''Nyteblade'' show in type 2 example), gives us [[WordSaladTitle Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax]], which is an example of types 1, 2, 3, and arguably 4 all rolled into one. [[GameShowHost Professor Genki]] is the host/mascot the show, itself is a Japanese game show similar to Series/TakeshisCastle but with firearms and various mascots trying to kill the contestants as they try to get through a colorful, bizarre obstacle course before the timer runs out. The Saints are fans of the show (type 2), and participation is a [[MiniGame gang activity]] which increases control over Steel port...somehow (type 1), with an entire expansion pack devoted to a Superbowl-esque event in which the Saints Boss participates (types 1 and 3), and, finally, the general bloody antics and anarchy the player gets up to is roughly similar to the regular gameplay, and way past 11 (type 4).

* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', there is the movie franchise Blasto, an exploitation series produced on the PrivatelyOwnedSociety planet Illium. A clear nod to the Film/DirtyHarry movies, they star a member of a pacifistic and deeply spiritual race of floating jellyfish as the lead character. In the third game, more [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyK8nopOwqs advertisements and trailers for the sixth movie]] can be found, which include members of other often discriminised races in the other roles. In the ''Citadel'' DownloadableContent, Shepard and Javik guest star in the seventh installment, [[WhoWritesThisCrap and are not amused]].

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' features Type 2, 3 ''and'' 4 in the ''Franchise/ToyStory'' world. Rex is a huge fan of ''Verum Rex'', a ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'' {{expy}}, where the main character, Yozora (a Noctis {{expy}}), [[UnreliableNarrator allegedly]] resembles Sora, and is accompanied by his friends, Aegis and Magia, trying to save a yet-unnamed-girl (a Lunafreya/Stella {{expy}}). From the same game are Gigas, a type of mecha enemy prominently featured in the game, which also have toys based off of them that Sora and co. end up fighting. Presumably, they're Magitek {{expy}}s. [[spoiler:They're all RealAfterAll. ...Sort of. Yozora is very much real, as is the Nameless Star, however the city they inhabit, Quadratum, is a "fictional" world - an unreality akin to an imaginary number]]. ''Kingdom Hearts'' [[{{Understatement}} is a bit of a]] MindScrew.

* ''VideoGame/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'': Much like in the mainstream Marvel Universe, the game features a version of Marvel Comics making comics about Spider Man. Owing to Peter's secret Identity the comics are implied to be rather inaccurate. Within the game players can visit a comic book shop run by Creator/StanLee. Furthermore some of the alternate costumes players can unlock for Peter are stated to be based on some of these comics, including Characters/UltimateSpiderManMilesMorales and ComicBook/SpiderManNoir.

** In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity'', one of the radio advertisements is for a play entitled ''In the Future, There will be Robots'', starring a classically-trained actor who resents that he's better known in-universe from his leading role in the sitcom ''Just the Five of Us''. The former was evidently not well received by the public, described as [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible being 'difficult to put into English']].

* ''VideoGame/FiveNightAtFreddysSisterLocation'': protagonist Eggs Benedict ([[spoiler:who might or might not be Michael Afton]]) unwinds after his shift every night by watching ''The Immortal and the Restless'', a soap opera starring the vampire Vlad, the human Clara, and their dhampyr son (not that Vlad acknowledges the baby as his).

* ''FiveNightAtFreddysSisterLocation'': protagonist Eggs Benedict ([[spoiler:who might or might not be Michael Afton]]) unwinds after his shift every night by watching ''The Immortal and the Restless'', a soap opera starring the vampire Vlad, the human Clara, and their dhampyr son (not that Vlad acknowledges the baby as his).

* The ''VideoGame/HalfLife''/''VideoGame/CounterStrike''/''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' universe and the ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' universe are [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall video games within]] ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'''s reality. When picking up a crowbar, Louis may say "I feel like Gordon Freeman!"; when picking up an SMG, he might say "This is just like ''Counter-Strike''!"; and he has a [[FaceOfTheBand Heavy]] bobble head on his desk.

* ''VideoGame/{Mewgenics}'': Radio station within a game, rather. The music in the house RaisingSim section comes from [[DiegeticSoundtrackUsage an in-universe radio station,]] complete with bumpers by Mathias Bossi.

* ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'' is both "characters are fans" and "PlotParallel" with the book ''A Blue Dove for the Princess.'' It fits into the "characters are fans" category in that the book in question belongs to Nagase, and is her favorite story from her childhood. It becomes a plot parallel as the exploits of the protagonist squadron, Wardog, begin to coincide with the story of the "Demon of Razgriz" from the book.[[labelnote:Demon's Story]]"When history witnesses a great change, Razgriz reveals itself, first as a dark demon. As a demon, it uses its power to rain death upon the land, and then it dies. However, after a period of slumber, Razgriz returns, this time as a great hero."[[/labelnote]] Several characters make note of this, including the squadron's enemies, who begin referring to them as the "Demons of Razgriz," and the squadron officially adopts the name [[spoiler: after their rebirth.]]

* In ''VideoGame/Fallout4,'' you find a radio station dedicated to a RadioDrama entitled "The Silver Shroud.", a dead ringer to Radio/TheShadow. Not only was the PC a fan before the Great War, you can find the costume and prop gun, bring it to a guy named "Kent," who modifies them into functional armor and weaponry, and act it out on Goodneighbor's local gang of drug-pushing thugs (who inexplicably wear Prewar three-peice suits for the "30's gangster" vibe) during the quest ''The Silver Shroud.''
* The big reveal of ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'' is that [[spoiler:[[TrumanShowPlot the killing game itself is one of these]], and the students are the stars. It's part of a long-running franchise of reality shows called ''Danganronpa'', which was conceptually based on the success of the in-universe Hope's Peak Saga games and anime. The mastermind deliberately styled the victims so they'd match the archetypes in their favorite series. To make matters worse, everyone [[TomatoInTheMirror turned out to be such a big fan of the series]] that they'd willingly get mindwiped and have their personality overwritten so they can get on the show. Let's just say the survivors weren't too pleased to figure that last part out.]]

* ''VideoGame/TokyoXanadu'' features ''Magical Girl Alisa'' a very popular show in the city. There's some amusing CompanyCrossReferences in play as the characters are based on the DLC costumes from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel II'', with the two games being made by Creator/{{Falcom}}.

* ''VideoGame/TokyoXanadu'' features "MagicalGirl Alisa" a very popular show in the city. Also serves as a CrossoverPunchline since the main characters shown are from Creator/{{Falcom}}'s ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries'' entry; ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel''.

** Every other Assassin's Creed game turns out to work exactly like that, sooner or later. Sometimes Desmond is the one living through the simulation, at least one time it's one other guy who is later revealed to [[spoiler: have died]], and in Black Flag it's [[PlayerAndProtagonistIntegration you]]!

** The distant prequel title ''VideoGame/FugaMelodiesOfSteel'' still has an example in ''The Adventures of Sucre'', an in-universe newspaper comic that the player themselves can collect a segment of and read before every chapter. It's a parody of ''ComicStrip/{{Tintin}}'', and Socks and Hack are big fans of it.

* ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' has a news show as the first thing you see whenever you boot up the game (at least, after you've beaten the tutorial). Its primary purpose is to report which battle stages are currently available on the online modes, as well as any information on Splatfest events, new weapons, gameplay updates, etc. When you start the game for the first time, the hosts will also report on whatever the inciting incident for the single-player campaign is.

* In ''VideoGame/LoveAndPies'', Amelia and Yuka loved reading and watching ''The Mysteries of Miguel'' when they were kids, and inspired by it, they work together to investigate the arson of Amelia's mother's café. Amelia, especially, is such a big fan of the show that she used to decorate her bedroom with posters of the eponymous character when she was in high school. Joe teases her if she just [[PerverseSexualLust likes Miguel's abs]], but she claims that she just admires his detective skills.

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' features Type 2, 3 ''and'' 4 in the ''Franchise/ToyStory'' world. Rex is a huge fan of ''Verum Rex'', a ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'' {{expy}}, where the main character, Yozora (a Noctis {{expy}}), [[UnreliableNarrator allegedly]] resembles Sora, and is accompanied by his friends, Aegis and Magia, trying to save a yet-unnamed-girl (a Lunafreya/Stella {{expy}}). From the same game are Gigas, a type of mecha enemy prominently featured in the game, which also have toys based off of them that Sora and co. end up fighting. Presumably, they're Magitek {{expy}}s. [[spoiler:They're all RealAfterAll. ...Sort of. Yozora is very much real, as is the Nameless Star, however the city they inhabit, Quadratum, is a "fictional" world - an unreality akin to an imaginary number]]. [[{{Understatement}} Kingdom Hearts is a bit of a]] MindScrew.

* In ''VideoGame/LoveAndPies'', Amelia and Yuka loved watching ''The Mysteries of Miguel'' when they were kids, and inspired by it, they work together to investigate the arson of Amelia's mother's café. Amelia, especially, is such a big fan of the show that she used to decorate her bedroom with posters of the eponymous character when she was in high school. Joe teases her if she just [[PerverseSexualLust likes Miguel's abs]], but she claims that she just admires his detective skills.

* In ''VideoGame/LoveAndPies'', Amelia and Yuka loved watching ''The Mysteries of Miguel'' when they were kids, and inspired by it, they work together to investigate the arson of Amelia's mother's café.

* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'': Travis Touchdown's favorite anime is ''Pure White Lover Bizarre Jelly'', which appears to be a MagicalGirl Mecha series. We never see the show itself, but he has a T-shirt with the main characters on it (and more can be bought), there are posters of it all over his motel room (including one that he presses to and sighs, ''{{Moe}}~''), he seems to have stolen his [[CallingYourAttacks attack names]] from it, and he plays an upward-scrolling [[ShootEmUp SHMUP]] based on the series to pass the time on the subway on his way to one of the game's boss encounters. Creator/Suda51 has expressed a little interest in {{Defictionalization}} of the show if the opportunity comes up. Presumably it would be a scathing parody of anime tropes... or just plain MindScrew. Or both.
* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle'': Continuing from where the first game left off, we get to see the opening sequence of ''Bizarre Jelly 5''. It appears to be a ClicheStorm parody of {{Moe}} MagicalGirl shows, but [[GuiltyPleasure might actually be interesting to watch]]. [[{{Otaku}} Travis's]] obsession with it has no excuse.

* In the ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' series, there are often shows that one can watch on the TV in their farm-house, in addition to weather and news channels.
* ''VideoGame/MarioPartyAdvance'' has a show called ''Toad Force V'', which is about a robotic Toad named Jack and his partner, the heroine Britney, who is [[spoiler:more popular]]. Together, they fight villains such as the Spore King and Toxic Toad Z. The show is so extremely popular that there are a few quests related to this show. It is also mentioned several times in the game.
* In the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games, there are several shows that can be watched on the [=TVs=], in [=NPCs=] houses.
** [[Film/StandByMe "There's a movie on TV. Four boys are walking on railroad tracks.... I'd better go, too."]]
** [[Film/TheWizardOfOz "There's a movie on TV. A girl in pigtails is walking down a yellow brick road.... I'd better go, too."]]
** From ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' onwards, you can listen to radio shows on the Pokégear, including one from Professor Oak.

* The quest "Awful’s Beauty" in ''VideoGame/BugFables'' has you collecting three poorly written books for a character who collects them. He will then talk about how awful those books are:
** ''Tragedy on the Hills'': "This was supposed to be a murder mystery. The real mystery was how this got published."
** ''Our Twisted Summer'': "Why was so much time spent setting up all those characters!? There are at least three characters not mentioned post page 75. This includes the main character!"
** ''Axis Invert'': "No! This one’s too awful! This book was perfect. Such a beautiful story… Incredible prose! Tight pacing! Amazing characters! It was all a dream! And then a rock crushes the main character!"
* ''[[VisualNovel/TokimekiMemorial Tokimeki Memorial 2]]'' is the host of several Shows Within a Show: "Super Dragon Warrior" (Chou Senshi Dragon, a HotBlooded Franchise/SuperSentai series), "Go-Driller" (a HotBlooded SuperRobot anime), "Space Idol Love-Love Star" (Uchuu Idol Love-Love Star, a MagicalGirl series), and "Protuding-navel Kero Kero" (Kero Kero Debeso, an anime). Homura Akai is a ''big'' fan of the first two, to the point of mimicing the Dragon Warrior's special kick and [[ThisIsADrill wielding drills]] just like Go-Driller ; Mei Ijuin likes the second too ; Miyuki Kotobuki is an avid fan of the third ; and Miho Shirayuki ''adores'' the fourth.
** This overlaps with Type 3, as "Go-Driller" and "Space Idol Love-Love Star" become plot points in the storylines of the Substories games ''Leaping School Festival'' and ''Dancing Summer Vacation'' respectively.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAlpha'', Ryusei Date is fan of mech simulator game call ''Burning PT'', which is actually used by military to recruit pilot. It's only mention in dialogue and players never actually see the game until anime adaption of ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration'' though. In the end of Super Robot Wars Original Generation Gaiden, he end up watching his favourite anime ''Banblade'' with his UnwantedHarem, but players never actually see how the anime look like. Also in Super Robot Wars Alpha 3, he give [[Anime/{{Macross 7}} Mylene Jenius]] a rare copy of ''[[Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross Macross: Legend of Lyn Minmei]]'' as birthday present.
* Some of the ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' games have a number of different (all rather raunchy) shows that the player can watch.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'', Peacock and Parasoul ([[ClosetGeek secretly]]) are fans of the kid's show ''Annie: Girl of the Stars''.
** The main character of the show, Annie, is one of the DLC characters for the game. [[ComicBooksAreReal Her character is actually real.]]
* Pritchard from ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'' appears to be a fan of Final Fantasy XXVII (the franchise exists, but the actual game doesn't), and has a poster of the main character (some kind of BlackMagicianGirl, from the looks of it) in his office.
* Matt Miller from ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' and ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV'' is a fan of ''Nyte Blayde'', a cheesy action-drama adapted from a comic book about a [[HunterOfHisOwnKind vampire-hunter turned vampire]]. Overlaps with Type 1 as one of the major [=NPCs=] from ''The Third'', Josh Birk, is the actor who plays Nyte Blayde himself.
* In the ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' comic "Ring of Fired", The Demoman and his possessed ghost sword, the Eyelander, are watching a show called ''Ghost D.A.'' It's hilariously bad, from the protagonist being a prosecutor, not a defense attorney, to the cliche dialogue, to the fact that he phases out with a "doodily doodily doot" noise. The two of them (especially Eyelander, who has developed its ability to speak, and has become a ClusterFBomb) comment on how awful and inaccurate it is.
* ''Attack of the Friday Monsters'' features a kaiju show that is filmed in the protagonist's hometown. The protagonist and his friends are fans of the show, and you have to play the tie-in card game to advance the plot at some points. The protagonist's next-door neighbour is a scriptwriter for the show, and you can visit the studio and talk to the producer (type 1).
* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'':
** Alphys is a huge fan of the anime ''Mew Mew Kissy Cutie'', though she doesn't like the sequel (a likely nod to ''Manga/TokyoMewMew'' and its poorly-received follow-up, ''Tokyo Mew Mew à la Mode''). The anime is only discussed and never seen, though in the Nintendo Switch version, [[spoiler:Mad Dummy]] ends up possessing a ''Mew Mew Kissy Cutie'' figure owned by Alphys, becoming [[spoiler:Mad Mew Mew]]. In ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'', Alphys instead prefers the sequel over the original.
** Also in ''Deltarune'', Toriel mentions that Kris and Asriel used to play a game called ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Super Smashing Fighters]]''. Asriel liked playing as [[VideoGame/YoshisIsland "the green dinosaur"]] and had a birthday party themed around the character.
* ''VideoGame/StardewValley''
** The game has ''Legend of the Prairie King'', a top-down shooter that's fully playable from the Stardrop Saloon. There's also a co-op mode, though it's only played during a relationship event with Abigail.
** Update 1.4 adds a movie theater that can be unlocked. You could invite someone to watch a movie with you. Each villager has personal tastes in films and concessions (from a randomly generated stock); bringing someone who loves the movie and choosing their favorite movie snack improves their friendship. There are eight movies depending on year and season: ''The Brave Little Sapling'', ''Journey of The Prairie King: The Motion Picture'', ''Mysterium'', ''The Miracle at Coldstar Ranch'', ''Natural Wonders: Exploring Our Vibrant World'', ''Wumbus'', ''It Howls in the Rain'', and ''The Zuzu City Express''
* Being an AffectionateParody of the video game industry as a whole, the ''VideoGame/{{Neptunia}}'' series feature plenty of in-universe games that are parodies of real-life video games. Most of these go unnamed and are only indirectly mentioned with phrases like "[[VideoGame/MarioParty that plumber's party game]]" or "[[VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet a little big]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LittleBigPlanet_Karting racer]]", but one that gets mentioned from time to time is ''[[VideoGame/{{Pokemon}} Pocketed Monstrosities]]''. On the non-parody side, there's the in-universe MMORPG ''4 Goddesses Online'', which was eventually partially [[{{Defictionalization}} defictionalized]] as ''VideoGame/CyberdimensionNeptunia4GoddessesOnline''.
* The ''VideoGame/{{Syberia}}'' series has the radio show ''Reactors of Passion''.
* ''VideoGame/TheCaligulaEffect'' features an anime called ''Shadow Knife'', with a protagonist named... [[ShapedLikeItself Shadow Knife]]. One of the Ostinato Musicians is such a fan of the show that he named himself after it, cosplays Shadow Knife himself, and also has his powers thanks to μ.
* The ''VideoGame/HalfLife''/''VideoGame/CounterStrike''/''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' universe and the ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' universe are [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall video games within]] ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'''s reality. When picking up a crowbar, Louis may say "I feel like Gordon Freeman!"; when picking up an SMG, he might say "This is just like ''Counter-Strike''!"; and he has a [[FaceOfTheBand Heavy]] bobble head on his desk.

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' features Type 2, 3 ''and'' 4 in the ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' world. Rex is a huge fan of ''Verum Rex'', a ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'' {{expy}}, where the main character, Yozora (a Noctis {{expy}}), [[UnreliableNarrator allegedly]] resembles Sora, and is accompanied by his friends, Aegis and Magia, trying to save a yet-unnamed-girl (a Lunafreya/Stella {{expy}}). From the same game are Gigas, a type of mecha enemy prominently featured in the game, which also have toys based off of them that Sora and co. end up fighting. Presumably, they're Magitek {{expy}}s. [[spoiler:They're all RealAfterAll. ...Sort of. Yozora is very much real, as is the Nameless Star, however the city they inhabit, Quadratum, is a "fictional" world - an unreality akin to an imaginary number]]. [[{{Understatement}} Kingdom Hearts is a bit of a]] MindScrew.

* ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' and ''[[VideoGame/SaintsRowIV IV]]'' (in addition to the ''Nyteblade'' show in type 2 example), gives us [[WordSaladTitle Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax]], which is an example of types 1, 2, 3, and arguably 4 all rolled into one. [[GameShowHost Professor Genki]] is the host/mascot the show, itself is a Japanese game show similar to Series/TakeshisCastle but with firearms and various mascots trying to kill the contestants as they try to get through a colorful, bizarre obstacle course before the timer runs out. The Saints are fans of the show (type 2), and participation is a [[MiniGame gang activity]] which increases control over Steel port...somehow (type 1), with an entire expansion pack devoted to a Superbowl-esque event in which the Saints Boss participates (types 1 and 3), and, finally, the general bloody antics and anarchy the player gets up to is roughly similar to the regular gameplay, and [[UpToEleven way past 11]] (type 4).