History Main / GameWithinAGame

* In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' one of the computers has a text adventure game called "Reign of Grelok" on it that you can play.

* ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}}'' has an optional arcade game called Rapunzel which can be accessed from the bar. Playing this game can improve the players skill in the main game

** According to some, this is better than the actual game.

* ''GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' had clones of ''{{Tempest}}'', ''{{Asteroids}}'' and ''{{Defender}}''. You could also play billiards at one of the local bars.

* ''AnimalCrossing'' had a number of classic NES games ranging from ''SuperMarioBros'' to ''DonkeyKong Jr Math''.

* In ''SystemShock'', the [[PlayerCharacter PC]] finds some memory sticks with useful programs ? and games. Just plug one into your interface and play. In ''System Shock 2'', you can hack the game device to get access to all the games.

* ''Left4Dead 2'' brought us the sideshows in Dark Carnival. The Peanut Gallery, which was a shooting gallery (and unlocked the box with Gnome Chompski for an Achievement). There was Stache Whacker (a Whack-A-Mole game which, when beaten, would break the machine, spew winner tickets, and alert the horde as it dings happily). And there was the Strength Test which, when hit correctly, would knock the bell clean out and alert the horde. This one was also achievement-worthy.

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'' has two minigames to obtain the Rareware and the Nintendo Coins. Cranky offers you the game ''{{Jetpac}}'' as a example of the good past times in videogames. The other game is the original ''DonkeyKong'' game, in a Arcade placed in one of the levels. These are not optional, however; you had to play through both of these NintendoHard games to get into the room that unlocks the final boss fight.

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/DukeNukem 3D'': Upon confronting a ''Duke Nukem II'' arcade machine, Duke simply says, "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IjLXvxFiMc Hmmm, don't have time to play with myself.]]"

** ''Dancing Summer Vacation'' is built around the ''DanceDanceRevolution Tokimeki Mix'' minigame.

* ''FinalFantasyVII'' has the arcade games found in the [[MinigameZone Gold Saucer]], some of which curiously parallel events that actually happen to your team. For example, there's a motorbike racing game, which uses the exact same graphics as an actual motorbike chase that your team goes through earlier in the game.

* ''Dynamite Deka'' included the old {{Sega}} arcade game ''Deep Scan'', points from which could win more credits to play the main game. ''Dynamite Deka 2'' did the same thing with ''Tranquilizer Gun'', another old Sega arcade game. The PlayStation2 remake of the original game substituted ''Periscope'', a simulation of a still older coin-operated attraction Sega produced in the era before it made video games.

* In a couple of the ''NancyDrew'' games, Nancy has to access a suspect's computer by solving or scoring points in their laptop's casual games. The GameWithinAGame boasts a lower resolution than the rest of the ND game, presumably so it's obvious that this trope is in effect.

* {{Starcraft}} 2: Wings of Liberty's Campaign Mode features an arcade machine with ''TheLostVikings'' on it. Not THAT Lost Vikings though, it is a Space Shooter entirely made within the capabilities of the map editor.
* "Captain Square" in ''LiveALive'' is an interesting twist - it's ostensibly an arcade game, but it plays exactly the same as normal battles do.

* ''DonkeyKong64'' has two minigames to obtain the Rareware and the Nintendo Coins. Cranky offers you the game ''{{Jetpac}}'' as a example of the good past times in videogames. The other game is the original ''DonkeyKong'' game, in a Arcade placed in one of the levels. These are not optional, however; you had to play through both of these NintendoHard games to get into the room that unlocks the final boss fight.

* ''{{Pac-Man}} 2: The New Adventures'' features an arcade in both the countryside and the city. The arcade contains both the original ''Pac-Man'' and ''Ms. Pac-Man''. The SegaGenesis version of the game replaces ''Ms. Pac-Man'' with a new game called ''[[SpinOffspring Pac-Jr.]]'' (not to be confused with the Bally-Midway produced ''Jr. Pac-Man''). Both ''Ms. Pac-Man'' and ''Pac-Jr.'' require three cartridge pieces in order to play.

* In ''Prey'', the bar where the game starts features a playable video poker machine and an arcade game loosely based on Pac-Man. Later on the player can stumble across the video poker machine on the alien space ship with the minor change that you can win every single round because the game will always deal the best possible hand based on whatever cards you've held.

* LucasArts ''DayOfTheTentacle'' contains the original ''ManiacMansion'' in the game. It can be accessed from Weird Ed's computer.

* In ''{{Fallout 3}}'' one of the computers has a text adventure game called "Reign of Grelok" on it that you can play.

* NASU (the most depressing game in the universe) for the NES in ''YumeNikki''.

* ''ProjectGothamRacing 2'' had ''Geometry Wars'' in it.

* ''VideoGame/TheWarriors'' had a ''FinalFight'' or ''DoubleDragon'' like beat-em-up called ''Armies of the Night''.
* ''{{Pitfall}}'': The Lost Expedition had both the original ''Pitfall'' and Pitfall II the lost caverns as bonuses

* ''{{Shenmue}}'' had ''VideoGame/SpaceHarrier'' and ''{{Hang-On}}'' in it. ''Shenmue II'' had those two with ''AfterBurner II'' and ''OutRun''.

* The Funmachine in ''[[HomestarRunner Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People]]'' plays a different game in every episode. It occasionally even factors into the plot.

** The newest of the series, ''RatchetAndClankFutureACrackInTime'', features ''My Blaster Runs Hot'', an arcade game you can play.

* In ''{{La-Mulana}}'', by equipping certain ROM combinations with the [=MSX2=], you can play ''[=PR3=]'' and ''Mukimuki SD: Memorial''. The former is a parody of ''{{Parodius}}'' for the {{MSX}}, and getting a certain score in it is required to progress at a certain point of Hell Temple. The other begins sort of like ''TokimekiMemorial'', but then drops its DatingSim mask and [[spoiler:turns into a variation of the "Snatcher Headhunter" game mentioned below]].

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eao7qZjmuYA The Super Turbo Turkey Puncher 3]] (which uses the same graphics/sprites as the original ''Doom'') arcade machine in ''{{Doom}} 3''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Penumbra}}: Black Plague'' includes a shooter minigame in one of the PC´s.

* In ''TalesofVesperia'', the player can engage in an arcade game on Nam Cobanda Isle called "Tales of Draspi."

* ''VideoGame/{{Penumbra}}: Black Plague'' includes a shooter minigame in one of the PC´s.

* The NintendoWii version of ''VideoGame/IndianaJonesAndTheStaffOfKings'' has the LucasArts adventure ''{{Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis}}'' as an (easy) unlockable. ''Staff of Kings'' was apparently bad enough and ''Fate of Atlantis'' (before it was put on Steam a month or so latter) rare/good enough for someone to make a replacement cover for ''Staff of Kings'' that makes the box look like a Wii version of ''Fate of Atlantis'' [[http://kotaku.com/5318977/if-you-bought-indy-staff-of-kings-this-might-help see here]].

* ''{{Left 4 Dead}} 2'' brought us the sideshows in Dark Carnival. The Peanut Gallery, which was a shooting gallery (and unlocked the box with Gnome Chompski for an Achievement). There was Stache Whacker (a Whack-A-Mole game which, when beaten, would break the machine, spew winner tickets, and alert the horde as it dings happily). And there was the Strength Test which, when hit correctly, would knock the bell clean out and alert the horde. This one was also achievement-worthy.

* ''{{Donkey Kong 64}}'' has two minigames to obtain the Rareware and the Nintendo Coins. Cranky offers you the game ''{{Jetpac}}'' as a example of the good past times in videogames. The other game is the original ''DonkeyKong'' game, in a Arcade placed in one of the levels. These are not optional, however; you had to play through both of these NintendoHard games to get into the room that unlocks the final boss fight.

* Subverted in ''DukeNukem 3D'': Upon confronting a ''Duke Nukem II'' arcade machine, Duke simply says, "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IjLXvxFiMc Hmmm, don't have time to play with myself.]]"

* In ''VideoGame/{{Call of Duty Black Ops}}'' you can play a very old text-only adventure game ''VideoGame/{{Zork}} I'' on a terminal on the main menu screen as an {{easter egg}}.

* The Israeli video game {{Tchachei Harating}} has a couple of arcade consoles in the lower floor of the hotel, where you can play, for instance, a karate fighting game.

!!Examples:

* ''TalesOfTheAbyss'' had the classic first generation side-scroller ''DragonBuster ''as an unlockable bonus.

* ''{{Pitfall}}'': The Lost Expedition had both the original ''Pitfall'' and Pitfall II the lost caverns as bonuses
* In ''MarvelUltimateAlliance'', you get trapped in Murderworld for one level. During said level you get to play games like Pitfall and BreakOut.
* ''{{Shenmue}}'' had ''VideoGame/SpaceHarrier'' and ''{{Hang-On}}'' in it. ''Shenmue II'' had those two with ''AfterBurner II'' and ''OutRun''.

* ''ClubPenguin'' spy missions are all minigames anyway, but in one mission, an arcade game was yet another minigame, making it a game within a game within a game.
* NASU (the most depressing game in the universe) for the NES in ''YumeNikki''.
* The 'Raising Hell' expansion pack of ''{{Overlord}}'' had a section where you had to play miniature golf, and then Break-Out, with a fat halfling as the ball in both cases. The first was annoying, but the second was hilarious.
* ''ProjectGothamRacing 2'' had ''Geometry Wars'' in it.
* ''{{Timesplitters}}'' had three games that could be found (via cartridges hidden in levels in story mode) that could be accessed by pressing the reload button with the Temporal Uplink out.
* ''SecondSight'' had two games (which could be played on the PDA/Pause Menu), one found as a cartridge and another by playing on an arcade machine.
* Occurs in ''NoMoreHeroes''; whilst travelling via train during one of his missions, Travis pulls out a hand-held console and starts playing Pure White Tiny Giant Glastonbury (which itself is a spin-off of a fictional anime Travis is obsessed with). Once the game is complete, the mission continues and the game is unlocked at his home for future playing.

* The Xbox360 version of ''GhostbustersTheVideoGame'' allows the player to play ''Q Bert''. It's one of the arcade machines at the firehouse.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eao7qZjmuYA The Super Turbo Turkey Puncher 3]] (which uses the same graphics/sprites as the original ''Doom'') arcade machine in ''{{Doom}} 3''.
* ''AnUntitledStory'' has a computer and several arcade cabinets with mini-games that you can access by buying them for your house from the store in Sky Town.
* Hero 3D in ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'' is accessed from an in-game computer terminal.
* The Funmachine in ''[[HomestarRunner Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People]]'' plays a different game in every episode. It occasionally even factors into the plot.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'', you can buy a Game Boy off a guy in Mushroom Kingdom and start playing ''Beetle Mania''.

* In ''SystemShock'', the [[PlayerCharacter PC]] finds some memory sticks with useful programs ? and games. Just plug one into your interface and play. In ''System Shock 2'', you can hack the game device to get access to all the games.

* ''VideoGame/{{Penumbra}}: Black Plague'' includes a shooter minigame in one of the PC´s.

* ''KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'' contains the Command Board, which takes all of the gameplay and rules of Square Enix's Itadaki Street boardgame videogame series and mixes them with this game's characters and settings.

* ''AnimalCrossing'' had a number of classic NES games ranging from ''SuperMarioBros'' to ''DonkeyKongJr. Math''.

* Hero 3D in ''{{Iji}}'' is accessed from an in-game computer terminal.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[MemeticMutation Yo dawg; we heard you like video games, so we put a game in your game so you can play while you play!]]]]

* The NintendoWii version of ''IndianaJonesAndTheStaffOfKings'' has the LucasArts adventure ''{{Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis}}'' as an (easy) unlockable. ''Staff of Kings'' was apparently bad enough and ''Fate of Atlantis'' (before it was put on Steam a month or so latter) rare/good enough for someone to make a replacement cover for ''Staff of Kings'' that makes the box look like a Wii version of ''Fate of Atlantis'' [[http://kotaku.com/5318977/if-you-bought-indy-staff-of-kings-this-might-help see here]].

* The NintendoWii version of ''IndianaJones and the Staff of Kings'' has the LucasArts adventure ''{{Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis}}'' as an (easy) unlockable. Staff of Kings was apparently bad enough and Fate of Atlantis (before it was put on Steam a month or so latter) rare/good enough for someone to make a replacement cover for Staff of Kings that makes the box look like a Wii version of Fate of Atlantis [[http://kotaku.com/5318977/if-you-bought-indy-staff-of-kings-this-might-help see here]].

* ''FinalFantasyVII'' has the arcade games found in the [[MinigameZone Gold Saucer]], some of which curiously parallel events that actually happen to your team. For example, there's a motorbike racing game, which uses the exact same graphics as an actual motorbike chase that
your team goes through earlier in the game.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Call of Duty Black Ops}}'' you can play a very old text-only adventure game {{Zork}} I on a terminal on the main menu screen as an {{easter egg}}.

* In ''{{Call of Duty Black Ops}}'' you can play a very old text-only adventure game {{Zork}} I on a terminal on the main menu screen as an {{easter egg}}.

* In ''Fallout3'' one of the computers has a text adventure game called "Reign of Grelok" on it that you can play.