History Awesome / SaintsRowIV

** That, and the fact the XMAS DLC is basically the Saints' Boss going on AnAsskickingChristmas, going head-to-head with Santa Claus' EvilTwin, [[BadSanta Clawz]]. And not only does it get ReferenceOverdosed on some of the most legendary {{ChristmasSpecial}}s of all time, but it's still feels more genuinely [[BuffySpeak Christmas-y]] than most other Christmas Specials that are OnlyInItForTheMoney.

** Asha [[spoiler: has you aiding her in taking down your EvilTwin in one huge nod to the MetalGearSolid series specifically, and {{StealthBasedGame}}s as a whole. After [[MirrorMatch kicking your own ass]], you and Asha DoubleTap yourself one more time for old times sake, and Asha flicks her cigarette on your evil corpse.]] Her loyalty mission [[spoiler: starts off pedestrian with escorting a VIP, but quickly escalates to a high-speed chase out of a political thriller movie. And then Prof. Genki shows up, becomes Super Genki, and you both get to kick his ass with superpowers.]]
** [[spoiler: Johnny Gat plays through [[StreetsOfRage Saints of Rage]] a 2D BeatEmUp sidescroller to save Aisha, first against Warren Williams and the Vice Kings, then Jyunichi and the Ronin. After the Boss [[BigDamnHeroes stops Jyunichi from executing Aisha]], you both fight a sword-duel with Jyunichi, who [[TurnsRed becomes Super Jyunichi once his health bottoms out]]. Although it ends up a BittersweetEnding by forcing Gat to realize that it was AllJustADream, it's gratifying as hell to fight alongside your best friend once again.]] And his loyalty mission is even more badass, [[spoiler: where you go all BashBrothers through Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax, which culminates in a boss fight with Philippe Loren, allowing you both to get the closure of killing that Frenchie ("'''[[InterruptingMeme BELGIAN!!!]]'''" "[[RunningGag Whatever.]]") in an actual boss fight.]]
** [[spoiler: After Keith David [[HeelFaceTurn turned against Zinyak]] [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor shortly after he turned against you]], you relive the most iconic action sequences of TheyLive, with Rowdy Roddy Piper delivering a CurbStompBattle in an alleyway, and you shooting up a brainwashing device that was driving Keith insane.]]
** [[spoiler: To save Kinzie, you return to 50s!Steelport, to find that it has been taking over by a deliberately [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] [[StrawCharacter Straw Conservative]][=/=]StrawMisogynist [[ArmiesAreEvil Cyrus Temple]] (and has forced Kinzie to be his {{Housewife}} [[MindRape against her will]]). After [[ShutUpHannibal shutting down his propaganda machine]], you take down Cyrus [[ThePowerOfRock with weaponized Dubstep]].]] Her loyalty mission [[spoiler: has you taking out Cyrus and STAG once and for all, by plowing through his armies like they were made of paper.]] The [[AwesomeMusic hard-pumping rock and roll lets you know that]] '''[[ProblemSleuth SHIT JUST GOT REAL]]''', and the way that [[spoiler: Kinzie]] [[FinishingMove finishes off]] [[spoiler: Cyrus and the rest of Stag]] is the definition of CrazyAwesome: [[spoiler: she drops [[{{Fartillery}} a nuclear fart]], [[PersonOfMassDestruction taking out all the STAG]], then delivers a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown to Cyrus, all while dropping a ClusterFBomb rant that is really cathartic (if a litttle weird) to hear coming from her mouth to tell Cyrus [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech all the reasons he sucks]].]]
* Volition letting fans see what ''Enter The Dominatrix'' (The DLC for the third game that would become this game) by releasing it as a full DLC for this game. As well as bringing back [[spoiler: Donnie and Zimos, on top of that]].

* Although sometimes a source of NightmareFuel (since they're, y'know [[CaptainObvious nightmares]] [[AndIMustScream designed to break the victims mind]]), the simulations for the lieutenants end up with them pulling a CrowningMomentOfAwesome [[TheGreatEscape to break out]], with their Loyalty missions often being to finish what they just started:

** Stan Bush's "The Touch", [[spoiler:played during the GrandFinale after the Boss dons power armor. The Boss and Zinyak reciting Optimus Prime and Megatron's dialogue from ''TransformersTheMovie'' makes it all the more awesome.]]

* Starting with the first mission, ''[[ZeroDarkThirty Zero Saints Thirty.]]'' The Saints team up with MI6 to hunt down and kill a known terrorist. [[spoiler: After the events of the "Save Your Homies" ending of ''Saints Row the Third'', Cyrus Temple could not stand the Saints being hailed as heroes, and plans to nuke Washington DC in retaliation.]] The Boss begins by rushing several guards and taking them out mercilessly while British spy Asha looks on slack jawed, and it gets better from there. [[spoiler: After killing Temple the nuke is launched, and everyone is shocked as it looks like the Boss is doing a HeroicSacrifice to stop it. Boss manages to grab onto the missile and disable it, in flight, while Aerosmith's ''Don't Want to Miss A Thing'' plays before it explodes. The Boss then ''[[BreakingTheFourthWall flashes a thumbs up at the audience]]'', before ''[[DynamicEntry crashing into]]'' the Oval Office of the White House, and sitting in the President's chair, while the adoration of America, the Presidency, Keith fucking David and Benjamin motherfucking King is "Unlocked" for the Saints.]] '''[[BadAss Bad. Ass.]]'''
* The South Portico defense mission doubles as this and CrowningMomentOfFunny: The Boss is blowing alien gunships out of the air by the dozen while doing ridiculous hand gestures and dropping {{Bond One Liners}} all over.

* All throughout the XMAS DLC and not one ho joke. Since the series lived and breathed this incredible self control.

* Volition letting fans see what ''Enter The Dominatrix'' (The DLC for the third game that would become this game) by releasing it as a full DLC for this game. As well as bringing back [[spoiler: Donnie and Zimos, on top of that]].

** [[spoiler: To save Kinzie, you return to 50s!Steelport, to find that it has been taking over by a deliberately [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] StrawConservative / StrawMisogynist [[ArmiesAreEvil Cyrus Temple]] (and has forced Kinzie to be his {{Housewife}} [[MindRape against her will]]). After [[ShutUpHannibal shutting down his propaganda machine]], you take down Cyrus [[ThePowerOfRock with weaponized Dubstep]].]] Her loyalty mission [[spoiler: has you taking out Cyrus and STAG once and for all, by plowing through his armies like they were made of paper.]] The [[AwesomeMusic hard-pumping rock and roll lets you know that]] '''[[ProblemSleuth SHIT JUST GOT REAL]]''', and the way that [[spoiler: Kinzie]] [[FinishingMove finishes off]] [[spoiler: Cyrus and the rest of Stag]] is the definition of CrazyAwesome: [[spoiler: she drops [[{{Fartillery}} a nuclear fart]], [[PersonOfMassDestruction taking out all the STAG]], then delivers a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown to Cyrus, all while dropping a ClusterFBomb rant that is really cathartic (if a litttle weird) to hear coming from her mouth to tell Cyrus [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech all the reasons he sucks]].]]

* Starting with the first mission, ''[[ZeroDarkThirty Zero Saints Thirty.]]'' The Saints team up with MI6 to hunt down and kill a known terrorist. [[spoiler: After the events of the "Save Your Homies" ending of ''Saints Row the Third'', Cyrus Temple could not stand the Saints being hailed as heroes, and plans to nuke Washington DC in retaliation.]] The Boss begins by rushing several guards and taking them out mercilessly while British spy Asha looks on slack jawed, and it gets better from there. [[spoiler: After killing Temple the nuke is launched, and everyone is shocked as it looks like the Boss is doing a HeroicSacrifice to stop it. Boss manages to grab onto the missile and disable it, in flight, while Aerosmith's ''Don't Want to Miss A Thing'' plays before it explodes. The Boss then ''[[BreakingTheFourthWall flashes a thumbs up at the audience]]'', before ''[[DynamicEntry crashing into]]'' the Oval Office of the White House, and sitting in the President's chair, while the adoration of America and the Presidency is "Unlocked" for the Saints.]] '''[[BadAss Bad. Ass.]]'''

** [[spoiler: After slogging through [[FauxAffablyEvil Zinyak's]] [[{{Troll}} insufferable text-based adventure]], Matt Miller [[spoiler: takes out [[LargeAndInCharge Killbane]] in a no-holds-barred pro-wrestling match]]. In his loyalty mission, [[spoiler: he lives out his SelfInsertFic with Nyteblade, turns the Boss over to the franchise, and is given full legal rights to the franchise!]]

** [[spoiler: To save Kinzie, you return to 50s!Steelport, to find that it has been taking over by a deliberately [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] StrawConservative / StrawMisogynist [[ArmiesAreEvil Cyrus Temple]] (and has forced Kinzie to be his {{Housewife}} [[MindRape against her will]]). After [[ShutUpHannibal shutting down his propaganda machine]], you take down Cyrus [[ThePowerOfRock with weaponized Dubstep]].]] Her loyalty mission [[spoiler: has you taking out Cyrus and STAG once and for all, by plowing through his armies like they were made of paper.]] The [[AwesomeMusic hard-pumping rock and roll lets you know that]] '''[[ProblemSleuth SHIT JUST GOT REAL]]''', and the way that [[spoiler: Kinzie]] [[FinishingMove finishes off]] [[spoiler: Cyrus and the rest of Stag]] is the definition of CrazyAwesome: [[spoiler: she drops [[{{Fartillery}} a nuclear fart]], [[PersonOfMassDestruction taking out all the STAG]], then delivers a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown to Cyrus, all while dropping a ClusterFBomb rant that is really cathartic (if a litttle weird) to hear coming from her mouth to tell Cyrus [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech all the reasons he sucks]].]]

* Starting with the first mission, ''[[ZeroDarkThirty Zero Saints Thirty.]]'' The Saints team up with MI6 to hunt down and kill a known terrorist. [[spoiler: Cyrus Temple could not stand the Saints being heroes and plans to nuke Washington DC.]] The Boss begins by rushing several guards and taking them out mercilessly while British spy Asha looks on slack jawed, and it gets better from there. [[spoiler: After killing Temple the nuke is launched, and everyone is shocked as it looks like the Boss is doing a HeroicSacrifice to stop it. Boss manages to grab onto the missile and disable it, in flight, while Aerosmith's song ''Don't Want to Miss A Thing'' plays before it explodes. The Boss then ''[[BreakingTheFourthWall flashes a thumbs up at the audience]]'', before ''[[DynamicEntry crashing into]]'' the Oval Office of the White House, and sitting in the President's chair, while the adoration of America and the Presidency is "Unlocked" for the Saints.]] '''[[BadAss Bad. Ass.]]'''

** Asha [[spoiler: has you aiding her in taking down your EvilTwin in one huge nod to the MetalGearSolid series specifically, and {{StealthBasedGame}}s as a whole. After [[MirrorMatch kicking your own ass]], you and Asha DoubleTap yourself one more time for old times sake, and Asha flicks her cigarette on your evil corpse.]] Her loyalty mission [[spoiler: starts off pedestrian with escorting a VIP, but quickly escalates to a high-speed chase out of a political thriller movie. And then Genki shows up, becomes Super Genki, and you both get to kick his ass with superpowers.]]

--> '''King''': "''[[BadassBoast You bitches think you can take me out?!]]'' '''[[SayMyName My name is Benjamin]] [[PrecisionFStrike Muthafuckin']] [[SayMyName King!!!]]'''"

** [[spoiler: After Keith David [[HeelFaceTurn turned against Zinyak]] [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor shortly after he turned against you, you relive the most iconic action sequences of TheyLive, with Rowdy Roddy Piper delivering a CurbStompBattle in an alleyway, and you shooting up a brainwashing device that was driving Keith insane.]]

** [[spoiler: To save Kinzie, you return to 50s!Steelport, to find that it has been taking over by a deliberately [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] StrawConervative / StrawMisogynist [[ArmiesAreEvil Cyrus Temple]] (and has forced Kinzie to be his {{Housewife}} [[MindRape against her will]]). After [[ShutUpHannibal shutting down his propaganda machine]], you take down Cyrus [[ThePowerOfRock with weaponized Dubstep]].]] Her loyalty mission [[spoiler: has you taking out Cyrus and STAG once and for all, by plowing through his armies like they were made of paper.]] The [[AwesomeMusic hard-pumping rock and roll lets you know that]] '''[[ProblemSleuth SHIT JUST GOT REAL]]''', and the way that [[spoiler: Kinzie]] [[FinishingMove finishes off]] [[spoiler: Cyrus and the rest of Stag]] is the definition of CrazyAwesome: [[spoiler: she drops [[{{Fartillary}} a nuclear fart]], [[PersonOfMassDestruction taking out all the STAG]], then delivers a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown to Cyrus, all while dropping a ClusterFBomb rant that is really cathartic (if a litttle weird) to hear coming from her mouth to tell Cyrus [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech all the reasons he sucks]].]]

** [[spoiler: Johnny Gat plays through [[StreetsOfRage Saints of Rage]] a 2D BeatEmUp sidescroller to save Aisha, first against Warren Williams and the Vice Kings, then Jyunichi and the Ronin. After the Boss [[BigDamnHeros stops Jyunichi from executing Aisha]], you both fight a sword-duel with Jyunichi, who [[TurnsRed becomes Super Jyunichi once his health bottoms out]]. Although it ends up a BittersweetEnding by forcing Gat to realize that it was AllJustADream, it's gratifying as hell to fight alongside your best friend once again.]] And his loyalty mission is even more badass, [[spoiler: where you go all BashBrothers through Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax, which culminates in a boss fight with Philippe Loren, allowing you both to get the closure of killing that Frenchie ("'''[[InteruptingMeme BELGIAN!!!]]'''" "[[RunningGag Whatever.]]") in an actual boss fight.]]
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** Shaundi [[spoiler: Helps you fight off waves of [[MesACrowd Veteran Children]] ([[InsistentTerminology Veteran]] ''[[InsistentTerminology Childs]]''), and later smokes up some super-drugs to take out Veteran Child permanently. [[LiteralSplitPersonality Both Shaundis]].]]
** Benjamin King [[spoiler: relives the moment Tanya and the Vice Kings betrayed him. After running to the Saints church to find Julius, the Boss helps him wipe out the VK's, and forces Tanya to flee the simulation - and King's loyalty mission is all about making sure that ManipulativeBitch is RewardedAsATraitorDeserves.]]
--> '''King''': "''[[BadassBoast You bitches think you can take me out?!]]'' '''[[SayMyName My name is Benjamin]] [[PrecisionFStrike Muthafuckin']] [[King!!!]]'''"

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* The "Nuke" ability. When slamming into the ground from a sufficient height it causes an explosion so big the camera has to zoom out to show the entire city block just to get a good view of it. Bonus points for smoldering embers floating through the air afterwards and the ground being on fire where you landed.

* ''Could one ask for a better ending?''

* The whole escape mission after the President [[spoiler:wakes up from the simulation for the first time. After jumping aboard Kinzie and Keith David's spaceship, the President proceeds to pilot the ship while Haddaway's ''What Is Love'' song is playing]]. '''Epic'''.

** Aerosmith's ''I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing'', [[spoiler:played at the end of the first mission when the Boss stops the nuke from destroying Washington DC.]]
** Haddaway's ''What Is Love'', [[spoiler:played during the mission where The Boss pilots a spaceship (with Kinzie and Keith David aboard) to escape from the Zin mothership.]]
** Thin Lizzy's ''The Boys Are Back In Town'', [[spoiler:played during Johnny Gat's loyalty mission, celebrating his return as he and the Boss enjoy some Genkibowl.]]
** Stan Bush's ''The Touch'', [[spoiler:played during the GrandFinale after the Boss dons power armor. The Boss and Zinyak reciting Optimus Prime and Megatron's dialogue from ''TransformersTheMovie'' makes it all the more awesome.]]
-->Made more awesome by a moment of FridgeBrilliance. According to his Text Adventure, Zinyak is a huge culture nut, and Earth in particular. And we all know the Boss is practically bathed in pop culture. The Optimus/Megatron exchange wasn't just a shout-out. The characters were deliberatly flinging quotes back and forth at each other. Almost makes you wonder which one decided to play "The Touch" for the sequence.
** And of course, Montell Jordan's ''This Is How We Do It'' [[spoiler: during the soul train before the credits of the Good Ending.]]

* Kinzie's WhatTheHellHero speech [[spoiler: to the Boss for taking the crew for granted and is the first person to make the Boss '''apologize.''']]

** Kinzie [[spoiler: showed up Marylin Monroe in a '''skirt''', played Raquel Welch in Caveman days, and was the inspiration for the Lady Godvia's legend and had ''phone sex'' with Alexander Gram Bell.]]

** Pierce [[spoiler: dumped a basket of apples on Isaac Newton, graffitied the Great Wall, traded hats with Davey Crockett, inspired the story of the boy who held back the sea, taught the Knights of the Round roulette, gave Abraham Lincoln a punk rocker haircut.]]

** Johnny Gat [[spoiler: explained to Columbus the Earth was round, worked for Attila the Hun, cut down Washington's cherry tree, pimped out the Trojan Horse, graffitied a dinosaur skeleton, stole the golden transcontinental railroad spike, scammed Custer with a life insurance policy, sabotaged a chariot race and took part in the shootout at the OK corral.]]

** A complete list of [[spoiler: the time traveling shenanigans]]:

** Made more awesome by a moment of [[Fridge Brilliance]]. According to his Text Adventure, Zinyak is a huge culture nut, and Earth in particular. And we all know the Boss is practically bathed in pop culture. The Optimus/Megatron exchange wasn't just a shout-out. The characters were deliberatly flinging quotes back and forth at each other. Almost makes you wonder which one decided to play "The Touch" for the sequence.

* When it looked like there was no chance of catching Loren Boss goes "Fuck. That."

* Starting with the first mission, ''[[ZeroDarkThirty Zero Saints Thirty.]]'' The Saints team up with MI6 to hunt down and kill a known terrorist. [[spoiler: Cyrus Temple could not stand the Saints being heroes and plans to nuke Washinhgton DC.]] The Boss begins by rushing several guards and taking them out mercilessly while British spy Asha looks on slack jawed, and it gets better from there. [[spoiler: After killing Temple the nuke is launched, and everyone is shocked as it looks like the Boss is doing HeroicSacrifice to stop it. Boss manages to grab onto the missile and disable it, in flight, while listening to Aerosmith's song ''Don't Want to Miss A Thing'' before it explodes. The Boss then ''[[BreakingTheFourthWall flashes a thumbs up at the audience]]'', before ''[[DynamicEntry crashing into]]'' the Oval Office of the White House, and sitting in the President's chair, while the adoration of America and the Presidency is "Unlocked" for the Saints.]] '''[[BadAss Bad. Ass.]]'''
* The South Portico defense mission doubles as this and CrowningMomentOfFunny: The Boss is blowing alien gunships out of the air by the dozen while doing ridiculous hand gestures and dropping {{Bond One Liners}}s all over.

** A complete list of [[spoiler: the time traveling shenanigans]]:

** Johnny Gat [[spoiler: explained to Columbus the Earth was round, worked for Attila the Hun, cut down Washington's cherry tree, pimped out the Trojan Horse, graffitied a dinosaur skeleton, stole the golden transcontinental railroad spike, scammed Custer with a life insurance policy, sabotaged a chariot race and took part in the shootout at the OK corral.]]
** Kinzie [[spoiler: showed up Marylin Monroe in a '''skirt''', played Raquel Welch in Caveman days, and was the inspiration for the Lady Godvia's legend and had ''phone sex'' with Alexander Gram Bell.]]
** Benjamin King [[spoiler:helped build the pyramids, Shakespeare to write Hamlet, assisted the Vikings on their raids, boosted the wheels from the first car, and partied with Nero while Rome burned.]]
** Shaundi [[spoiler: was the original model for the Venus de Milo (it lost its arms when she accidentally fired her gun), was responsible for Leonardo cropping the Mona Lisa, vehicle surfed on the Wright Brother's plane, pimped out the first American flag and royally screwed up the world's animal population by sneaking all manner of monsters and mythological creatures onto Noah's ark.]]
** Pierce [[spoiler: dumped a basket of apples on Isaac Newton, graffitied the Great Wall, traded hats with Davey Crockett, inspired the story of the boy who held back the sea, taught the Knights of the Round roulette, gave Abraham Lincoln a punk rocker haircut.]]
** Asha [[spoiler: pranked the moon landings and fought the British occupation with Ghandi (using kung fu naturally).]]
** [[spoiler:Then the whole crew got drunk as hell and went on a dinosaur joyride.]]