Line #96 ShowWithinAShow/VideoGames


1	%%Image selected via crowner in the Image Suggestion thread: %%https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php?crowner_id=tfignl38
2	%%https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1452266899092104700
3	%%Please don't change or remove without starting a new thread.
4	%%
5	[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/AlanWake https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alanwake_show2.png]]]]
6
7	!!Examples of type 1 (characters involved in production)
8	* A radio show on ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' featured "adventurer Herbert "Daring" Dashwood and his stalwart ghoul manservant, Argyle." In each episode Dashwood's bumbling landed them in situations Argyle would singlehandedly extract them from. It turns out Dashwood is a real person who the player can meet in-game. He claims he wasn't really as big of a fool as the radio show portrays him as, but that the real Argyle ''was'' just as much of a badass as in the show. You can find Argyle's corpse in Rockopolis, where he fell trying to escape from the slavers (which Dashwood accidentally led to Rockopolis and barely managed to escape himself), the news of which will crush Dashwood.
9	* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' series:
10	** ''Radio/GTARadio'' in various games features radio programming, including talk radio and news.
11	** 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 being 'difficult to put into English'.
12	** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'' features television programmes that can be watched, including complete episodes of in-game series ''Republican Space Rangers'', ''The Serrated Edge'', ''Princess Robot Bubblegum (In Episodes from Liberty City)'' and a history of Liberty City. ''The Men's Room'' is a talk show matching a CampGay host with [[UsefulNotes/MixedMartialArts MMA legend Bas Rutten]].
13	** ''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 Platform/PlayStation4, Platform/XboxOne & PC versions)]].
14	* ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'' has ''FUZZ'', a violent parody of ''Series/{{Cops}}'' where players impersonate a police officer and apprehend criminals in excessively violent ways (chasing down a streaker with a flamethrower, to name one example).
15	* ''VideoGame/MafiaIII'' has ''Native Son'', a talk show hosted by Remy Duvall on WBYU and discussing current events from a white Southern Christian point of view, along with ''the Hollow Speaks'', a pirate radio show hosted by Charles "The Voice" Laveau, which explains current events and topics from a black revolutionary perspective.
16	* ''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.
17	* In the ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' series for the [=PlayStation=], Clank comes to star in a ''Film/JamesBond''-like series called ''Secret Agent Clank''. (Ratchet is consigned to the role of Agent Clank's bumbling chauffeur, to his annoyance.) [[https://twitter.com/insomniacgames/status/818609388260716544 According to Insomniac Games on Twitter]], the ''VideoGame/SecretAgentClank'' GaidenGame is also an episode of this show.
18	** In the games preceding it, Captain Qwark also has his own show and considerable celebrity [[spoiler:although he sold out to the BigBad to get it]].
19	* The setting for the start of the game ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' revolves around the theater troupe Tantalus performing a play called ''I Want to be Your Canary'' (Queen Brahme's favourite) for the birthday of Garnet, princess of Alexandria. In actuality, the performance is merely a front, for Regent Cid of Lindblum's order to 'kidnap' Garnet (who, ironically, wanted to run away, anyway).
20	** Likewise, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' had the famous opera scene, where the mother of all {{contrived coincidence}}s leads to Celes having to play in an opera. It tells something about the skill of everyone involved in that scene that many gamers were moved by the events of the opera, which are fictional even within the fiction they're currently following.
21	** Also in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', Cloud and Aeris(or Tifa or Yuffie, depending on how you play the game -- though the scene is just outright skipped if you're with [[GayOption Barret]]) get to play pivotal roles in a brief play during the Gold Saucer segment.
22	** The relevance of the play "Loveless" in ''Crisis Core''
23	* ''Deathwatch'', the DeadlyGame within ''VideoGame/MadWorld''; Jack is a contestant.
24	* ''VideoGame/DieHardVendetta'' has a fictional film trilogy, the ''Galaxy Thief'' series. In fact, TheDragon used to be a Hollywood A-lister who's the star of the first two films, but after ''Galaxy Thief II'' receives mediocre reviews which leads to him being recast, he then allies himself with the villains to commit a terrorist attack on the third movie's premiere out of spite.
25	* In a sense, the entirety of ''VideoGame/DynamiteHeaddy'' is a show-within-a-show. The entire game takes place in a puppet show that has been hijacked by one of the puppets to tell a different story.
26	* ''Deb Of Night'' in ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines''.
27	* ''Night Springs'' in ''VideoGame/AlanWake'', an obvious pastiche of ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'', which Alan wrote a few episodes of before writing novels, as his manager [[PluckyComicRelief Barry]] later mentions. It fits type two as well, as Alan gets to watch the show on certain TV sets during the course of the game.
28	** We also get to read two pages from Alan's most recent novel, ''The Sudden Stop'', a reference to Remedy's earlier ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'' games. The pages are even written in Max's PrivateEyeMonologue style and read by his voice actor.
29	** The sequel/GaidenGame ''VideoGame/AlanWakesAmericanNightmare'' plays out like an episode of ''Night Springs''. [[spoiler: In fact, it ''is'' one of Alan's episodes which he tweaked slightly to help him get back to the real world.]]
30	* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' has Rosalina tell a very sad story about a young girl having to deal with the loss of her family. The girl in the storybook is actually Rosalina herself.
31	* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'': None of Johnny Cage's movies where actually ''shown'' in the game, but plenty were mentioned. A few notable ones were ''Dragon Fist'' (which had two sequels), ''HWAAAAA!!'' (which won an Oscar, according to ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance''), ''Sudden Violence'' (supposedly award-winning), and ''Ninja Mime'', which was a box-office flop in America; Cyrax loathed this one. He also supposedly stared in movies that were based on his experiences in the first two games of the franchise and ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance''. (The last one appeared to be his greatest success as an actor, but unfortunately, only existed in his non-cannon ending to that game.)
32	** A few of his movies have titles that were parodies of real movies: ''[[Film/EdwardScissorhands Tommy Scissorfists]]'', ''[[Film/CitizenKane Citizen Cage]]'', ''[[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Pirates of the Outworld Demons]]'', and ''[[Film/BrokebackMountain Brokenose Mountain]]''.
33	* ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2'' has the Pokéstar Studios ([[DubNameChange Or Pokéwood, depending on the language]]) movies, in which the player character acts. Depending on his/her acting, the movie's ending can be good, but predictable, downright crappy, or strange and weird, resulting in a smash hit.
34	* One of the playable characters in ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami2WrongNumber'' is an actor starring in ''Midnight Animal'', a movie inspired by the vicious killings done by Jacket in the first game.
35	* ''VideoGame/SnoopyVsTheRedBaron'' is presented as a play being put on by Snoopy and the other ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' characters.
36	* In the bonus rounds of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogSpinball'', Sonic operates an actual pinball machine, in what looks like Las Vegas. You can see his reflection in the glass, and his eyes and hands even move as you play.
37	* The ''VideoGame/SakuraWars'' games are loaded with these, because of the entire cast's cover identities as part of a theater troupe. In addition to the many, many stage productions they put on, there are also the movies made by the studios owned by Sumire's family (including the infamous ''Crimson Lizard''), and the radio serial ''Red Lad''.
38	* ''VideoGame/TokyoMirageSessionsFE'' follows a casting agency, making this a given. Productions in which the party members are involved in include but are not limited to ''Microwavin' with Mamorin'' and ''Sneeze Detective Maho''.
39	* Each ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' game has a news show as the first thing you see whenever you boot up it up (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.
40	* ''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 The60s 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"]].
41	* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsZ 3'', some of the heroes go to watch a showing of [[Anime/Gundam00AWakeningOfTheTrailblazer the "Celestial Being" movie]]. This version makes [[Anime/MacrossFrontier the VF-25]] heroic mooks and while the normal Celestial Being is shown, they have the 00 Raiser flanked by [[Anime/ShinMazinger Mazinger Z (God Scrander)]], [[Manga/GetterRobo Shin Getter Robo]], [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Gurren-Lagann]] and [[Anime/{{Gigantor}} Tetsujin 28-Go]], the latter of which ''never participated''. The heroes come out of it less than amused.
42	----
43	!!Examples of type 2 (characters are fans)
44	* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'':
45	** Once you get friendly with Sable, she'll sometimes mention her favorite show, a porcupine soap opera called ''Pointed Love''. In ''New Horizons'' she's also shown to be a fan of a courtroom drama called ''Pointed Questions''.
46	** In ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewHorizons'', Peppy villagers will sometimes mention a soap opera about talking trains called ''Maglevs in Love''. Peppy villagers are also fans of a romantic-comedy comic book about the Princess of Rocket-Boarding and the Princess of Explosions.
47	* ''VideoGame/{{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).
48	* 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:
49	** ''Tragedy on the Hills'': "This was supposed to be a murder mystery. The real mystery was how this got published."
50	** ''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!"
51	** ''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!"
52	* ''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.
53	* The ''VisualNovel/ChoicesStoriesYouPlay'' series called, has one of the stories, ''VisualNovel/TheCrownAndTheFlame'', treated in ''VisualNovel/TheFreshman'' as both a tv series and a series of doorstopper novels.
54	* In ''VideoGame/CoffeeTalk'', ''Overflowing Warmth: Comforting Beverages Around the World'' is a documentary about various drinks that Aqua recommends to the Barista on her first visit in Episode 2. She also introduced it to Myrtle, which gives her an idea to order Shai Adeni to try recalling its name.
55	* 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.
56	* With ''VideoGame/ElPasoElsewhere'' wearing its influrence from ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'' on its sleeve, it is perhaps no suprise that it has one of these too, in the form of the AudioPlay series ''Pill Cop'', which is a self-mocking take on the game's story. Protagonist James Savage expresses pleasant surprise upon coming across the show while fiddling with a radio, remembering the series foundly.
57	* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation'': 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).
58	* Some of the ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' games have a number of different (all rather raunchy) shows that the player can watch.
59	* 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 Heavy bobble head on his desk.
60	* 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.
61	* ''VideoGame/LittleTailBronx'':
62	** In ''VideoGame/SolatoroboRedTheHunter'', there's a popular anime in the game called "Super Mewly", which [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNHBx0Bs2dw looks surprisingly like]] ''Manga/AstroBoy.''
63	** 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 ''ComicBook/{{Tintin}}'', and Socks and Hack are big fans of it.
64	* 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.\
65	\
66	Amelia's mother, Freya, was also a fan of ''Mysteries of Miguel'' and ran the ''Miguel'' fan club in town, and for Yuka's special order, she thinks of starting her own with Amelia, hoping that the actor for Miguel would visit if they attract enough fans.
67	* ''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.
68	* The ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'' series features shows like the cartoon ''Captain [=BaseballBat=]-Boy'', the psychological thriller ''Address Unknown'', the costume drama/soap opera ''Lords and Ladies'', and a blaxploitation send-up of Max Payne called ''Dick Justice''.
69	* 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''.
70	* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'':
71	** 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.
72	** ''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.
73	* In the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games, there are several shows that can be watched on the [=TVs=], in [=NPCs=] houses.
74	** [[Film/StandByMe "There's a movie on TV. Four boys are walking on railroad tracks.... I'd better go, too."]]
75	** [[Film/TheWizardOfOz "There's a movie on TV. A girl in pigtails is walking down a yellow brick road.... I'd better go, too."]]
76	** From ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' onwards, you can listen to radio shows on the Pokégear, including one from Professor Oak.
77	* ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'': A few characters are fans of a ludicrously cheesy soap opera titled ''Lance and Janice,'' notably Dr. Nefarious has a recurring [[https://youtu.be/gHuhRYPOSXM malfunction]] that causes him to play audio clips from the show when he gets flustered.
78	* 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.
79	* ''VideoGame/SamAndMaxSaveTheWorld'' features a variety of shows from [=WarpTV=], including the sitcom ''Midtown Cowboys'', talk show ''Myra!'', and celebrity tell-all program ''Oh, Is He Still Alive?''. Turn into Type 1 when the two protagonists get embroiled in them in "Situation: Comedy".
80	* 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.]]
81	* ''VideoGame/StardewValley'':
82	** 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.
83	** 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''.
84	* 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.
85	* The ''VideoGame/{{Syberia}}'' series has the radio show ''Reactors of Passion''.
86	* 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.
87	* ''[[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.
88	** 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.
89	* ''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}}.
90	* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'':
91	** 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.
92	** 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.
93	* The Deb of Night in ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' gets a special mention for being a ''{{radio}}'' show within a video game. You can hear it on any radio you find in the game, which plays pre-recorded dialogues (which ones, depends on how far your progressed with the main quest) between the hostess Deb and people who call her.
94	----
95	!!Examples of type 3 (SWAS is plot point)
96	* ''VideoGame/AdventureTheInsideJob'' is a sort of a meta-game set in the world of ''different'' video games. While most of them exist in our real world, some were actually invented by the author.
97	* In the second chapter of ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'', Monokuma presents the students with a doujin game called Twilight Syndrome, which functions as ShmuckBait: completing the game reveals a motive to kill, but if you choose [[ParanoiaFuel not to play and someone else does, then you might be in danger and not know about it]]. It was revealed that the game revolves around [[spoiler: the death of Fuyuhiko's sister along with the death of Sato who was the killer for Fuyuhiko's sister.]]
98	* A major point of ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI'' is that you are playing as Desmond Miles, who spends most of his time in the game participating in an interactive simulation of his ancestor's memories. In other words, Desmond is ''playing a video game.''
99	** Every other ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' 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 in the [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII third gane]]]], and in ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag Black Flag]]'', it's [[PlayerAndProtagonistIntegration you]]!
100	* In ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'', Maya is a big fan of the {{toku}} series ''The Steel Samurai'' (''Tonosaman'' in the Japanese version). The star of the series, Will Powers, is later arrested for murder. ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll'' reveals that toku series are SeriousBusiness in the Ace Attorney universe, to the point one case revolves around an awards show. ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations'' has an embassy host a ''Steel Samurai/Pink Princess'' stage show as part of its celebrations its holding. [[spoiler: Edgeworth's fanboyism for the series also manages to show itself somewhat.]]
101	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Crisis Core'' has both the book and the play version of ''Loveless'', which has already been established as a play in the original game. Genesis is a huge fan of the book, to the point of basing his rebellion around it and wandering dangerously close to having Otakukin type thoughts regarding he and his friends reliving the story. In an interesting case of [[TruthInTelevision Truth in Video Games]], the player can meet up with fans of the book who complain about the AdaptationDecay and MisaimedFandom of the play version.
102	* ''VideoGame/AlanWake'' twists this in all sorts of ways: Alan (a novelist) apparently wrote the story-within-the-story, but [[LaserGuidedAmnesia he can't remember it]], and the events of the story-within-the-story start predicting events in the outside story, except it turns out the events of the outside story are happening that way because of [[RewritingReality the story-within-the-story being written under the influence of an]] EldritchAbomination, and then the story-within-the-story starts referencing the story-within-the-story in the context of the outside story and [[MindScrew now I've gone cross-eyed]].
103	* 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.
104	** The Forgotten Plantation could also be considered a game-within-a-game, as characters treat it like an augmented reality experience. [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall It's a vessel for pointed commentary too]], this time on VideoGames.
105	* ''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).
106	* ''VideoGame/PonyIsland'': The titular Pony Island is loaded onto an arcade machine located in Limbo.
107	* The ''VideoGame/LakeviewCabinCollection'' is actually a series of films, with the original ''VideoGame/LakeviewCabin'' apparently being the first installment. The HubLevel is a movie theater, with pedestrians walking to view the movies. [[spoiler:You're still not entirely safe, by the way.]]
108	* ''VideoGame/BraveHeroYuusha'': The RPG is a story being read by/to the Protagonist.
109	* ''VideoGame/PulpAdventures'' features three levels which represent books being read by the heroes of the main timeline (a group of classical characters from [[MassiveMultiplayerCrossover various]] [[TwoFistedTales pulp universes]]), each of them being important clues about the villains' plan. The first story features Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian, the second is about Franchise/{{Zorro}}, and the third let you control [[Franchise/TheLoneRanger the Lone Ranger and Tonto]].
110	* ''VideoGame/{{SUPERHOT}}'' is a game InUniverse that your friend sent you and recommended you to play, [[spoiler:which is what you also do with your in-game friends at the end of the story, [[AssimilationPlot but in a much darker context]]]].
111	* Chapter 4 of ''VideoGame/Killer7'' focuses on the comic book series ''The Handsome Men'', a {{Sentai}} series written by Trevor Pearlharbor. The comics appear to depict events that happen later in real life, carried out by an assassin squad that looks exactly like the comic characters. Trevor believes he's the one controlling them, but this turns out to not be the case.
112	* ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry6ShapeUpOrSlipOut'': ''Stallions'' is an in-universe game show Larry takes part in and wins the trip to La Costa Lotta.
113	* In ''Love & Pies'' Amelia and her best friend Yuka are lifelong fans of a TV series called ''The Mysteries of Miguel''. When Amelia's mother disappears and is accused of arson in her absence, their love of the show spurs Amelia and Yuka to investigate the situation.
114	* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', the party watches a production of the play "The Heroic Adventures of Addam", which detailed the events of the Aegis War from 500 years prior. The writer of this play, Cole, [[spoiler:named Minoth at the time, was witness to these events as they occurred, as a Flesh Eater Blade under Amalthus]]. The subsequent DLC campaign ''Torna - The Golden Country'' showcases the Aegis War as it actually happened.
115	----
116	!!Examples of type 4 (PlotParallel)
117	* The Japanese and European releases of ''VideoGame/MetalGearGhostBabel'' features as an EasterEgg a hidden Codec frequency that launches a fictional radio drama titled ''Idea Spy 2.5'', which has an actual AudioAdaptation in 2007 (with Creator/HideoKojima in the title role).
118	* 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]].
119	** One advertisement on the Citadel is for a film, ''Citadel'', based on the events of the first game. Unlike many of the above examples, there is no eeriness to this - most of the events of the first game are public knowledge.
120	* In the ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'' series, ''Dick Justice'' is a SelfParody of the first game. ''Address Unknown'' is eerily close enough Max Payne's story to feed his paranoia and guilt over the death of his wife; although he avoids making the association to himself in waking monologue, it does haunt his dreams. ''Lords and Ladies'' in ''2'', a period piece about the going-ons of the Duke of York's pursuit of a maiden he loves over the objections of the Matriarch of York and the Duke's brother, also parallels the side plot in the main game regarding Max and Mona on one side as the Duke and the beloved maiden, and [[spoiler:BigBadFriend Vladimir Lem and TheMole Detective Winterson in gender-flipped roles]] as the Matriarch and the brother who try to stop them.
121	* ''[[VideoGame/MarioParty Mario Party Advance]]'''s ''Toad Force V''. See Type 2 above.
122	* ''{{VideoGame/META}}'' is a game about editing the game "Awesmoe [sic] Quest", so the latter is a game-within-a-game.
123	* ''VideoGame/RawData'' has "E-Men", an {{Animesque}} propaganda cartoon that demonizes the player characters and their actions. The developers of the game went so far as to put a trailer for the cartoon [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBVl2iHYJCg on youtube.]]
124	* ''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/MarvelComicsMilesMorales Miles Morales]] and ComicBook/SpiderManNoir.
125	----
126	!!Examples encompassing multiple types
127	* ''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.]]
128	* 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.]]
129	* 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.''
130	* ''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 {{exp\|y}}ies. [[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.
131	** Unrelatedly, the characters come across a toyline based on the real-life figures made for ''[[VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy2015 Dissidia Final Fantasy NT]]'' -- which makes this a case of RecursiveCanon as well, since it's been shown that ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' characters also exist in the ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' universe.
132	* ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' has recurring {{Sentai}} series ''Phoenix Ranger Featherman'', first introduced in ''VideoGame/Persona2'' as ''Phoenix Ranger Featherman R''.
133	** In ''VideoGame/Persona2: Innocent Sin'', the Masked Circle cult turns out to be a corrupted version of a ''Featherman''-inspired children's group. [[spoiler:Specifically, the very same group formed by the main characters when they themselves were little kids.]]
134	** In ''VideoGame/Persona3'', the show can be watched on the TV in the dorm every Sunday. One episode even has a AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle segment on Apathy Syndrome at the start. AdorablyPrecociousChild Ken is a fan, though he's too embarrassed to admit it.
135	** In ''VideoGame/Persona4'', several party members admit to having been ''Featherman'' fans as children, with [[spoiler:Naoto]]'s own dungeon stated to be similar to several of the show's secret bases. It's also referenced in the Temperance Social Link, since Eri Minami's son Yuuta is a big fan.
136	** In ''VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax'', [[VideoGame/Persona3 Yukari]] now works part-time as the lead actress on ''Phoenix Ranger Featherman Victory''.
137	** In ''VideoGame/Persona5'', Futaba has a set of ''Featherman'' figures in her room, and Goro is a self-admitted fan.
138	* In ''VideoGame/{{Unpacking}}'', [[spoiler:The protagonist's girlfriend/wife]] has a collection of ''Anti-Hero'' memorabilia, including a signed poster for Season 2. It's ambiguous if [[spoiler:the girlfriend/wife]] is the producer of the show or simply a fan of it.
139	* ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'':
140	** ''Magical Girl Pretty Miyuki'' is a popular anime among the Akademi students, with the Gaming Club playing a mobile game based on it that requires them to wander the school, meaning they could potentially come across Yandere-chan doing something suspicious unless Yan-chan can redirect them by killing the monster in the game first. ''Miyuki'' also plays a significant role in Osana's storyline if Yan-chan picks the 'Befriend/Betray' elimination option: her strong resemblance to Miyuki has netted her a StalkerWithACrush determined to make Osana his girlfriend, and he kidnaps her cat to force her to come over to his house.
141	** In both modes there are manga that the protagonist can read to increase a specific stat: in 20XX mode Yan-chan can read ''Cherry Touch'', a steamy manga that can increase Seduction (and requires a fake id to buy), ''Life Note'', a parody of ''Manga/DeathNote'' that increases Enlightenment (and an EasterEgg is available that can turn Yan-chan into the protagonist Yamiko), and ''Yokai Story'', a horror manga that increases Numbness. In 1980's Mode [[spoiler:Ryoba]] can read ''Enchanting Petals'' which increases Seduction, and ''Ahmya'', which increses Numbness.

Context ShowWithinAShow / VideoGames