In episode two of the Netflix documentary High Score, a pixel-art dramatization of the infamous Universal vs. Nintendo case over whether Donkey Kong was a copyright infringement over King Kong appropriately has Nintendo's lawyer John Kirby pointing during the trial, including a replica of the rushing blue background.
To promote their fourth album, Dear Agony, Breaking Benjamin released a flash game on their website based on Altered Beast called Altered Benjamin, starring the lead singer as the player character. It can be played here.
Matthew Sweet named his fourth album Altered Beast after the game. A live EP of his is also called Son of Altered Beast.
In "How the Nerd Stole Christmas", the Nerd calls the Sega Genesis port of Altered Beast "A nut-kicking feast I can't stand in the least."
In his review of Tiger Electronic Handheld Games, one of the games the Nerd plays is the Tiger adaptation of Altered Beast.
MF 217 tends to prefer referencing the black sheep of the franchise known as "Project Altered Beast", because he personally believes with the right amount of polish and more effort put into the concept, he feels like it's perhaps the best course of action as to how to modernize the concept of a shapeshifting focused beat-em up even if it's not true to the roots of the series. One of his OC's, Mirror M, has a damaged eye which even in spite of the immense Healing Factor Mirror M has, it'll never heal, which is the same deal regarding a scar that the main character of this game has across his chest because of his rival having wounded him with a neurotoxin based claw swipe.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent: SCP Foundation: SCP-2786 is a metaphysical entity that can insert itself into horror narratives, where it attempts to portray itself as a brave hero and alter the story itself. One of these is listed as the videogame Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
In Scott Pilgrim, one of Ramona's evil exes is the bassist for a band called "The Clash at Demonhead" (which references both this game and the band The Clash). The band's drummer, Lynette Guycot, is named after Tom Guycot, a skeleton NPC you meet early in the game.
Tower Fortress is said to be directly inspired by Downwell. In fact, one of the main character's suits, the Downwell suit, stylizes the game into the style of Downwell.
Scissorsmith: At the fork in the road, follow the rocky path! It will take you to the Dragon's Lair! Jack: Where will the other one take me? Scissorsmith: Space Ace! (cut to Jack's baffled face as a goofy sound effect plays)
The first episode of Gamers 2015: At the gaming club itself, Niina is playing Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2, but most of the time is spent in a multi-player First-Person Shooter with a very strong resemblance to Counter-Strike. The club also has Xrd Rev 2 posters up on the walls.
Them's Fightin' Herds: Players who own Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 can unlock lobby items that can make their avatar look like Sol Badguy/Ky Kiske.
Mutant: Year Zero has a perk called "Silent Assassin," which increases Critical Hit chances. The flavour text reads "Like the dome-headed assassins of the past, you are able to do great damage while hidden from your target. That's as long as you hit... Man."
The direct to streaming film "Fantasy Football" is about the daughter of a fringe NFL player controlling him in real life using a magical copy of Madden 23.
In Dogs Don't Talk, Ben has a dream about playing the game with Johnny.
On The Good Place, Jason Mendoza is at one point challenged with beating the Tennessee Titans with his beloved Jacksonville Jaguars. He is unable to do so. Much later, him playing the "perfect game" of Madden convinces him that he has achieved everything that he's ever wanted, convincing him to walk through the final door.
Scott The Woz is infatuated with Madden 08, possibly because it was the last game released for the Nintendo GameCube. It shows up constantly throughout his videos to the point where his 2017 Christmas Episode is called "A Very Madden 08 Christmas". Conversely, he's also shown some hostility towards Madden 09, the final game released for the original Xbox.
MF 217, during his co-op Let's Play video for Digimon World 4, notices that SkullGreymon's Oblivion Bird move could be interrupted by magic attacks from which his friend Cory did by accident but MF217 was quickly aware of how to deal with SkullGreymon. Among the things he said to get the point across during the fight was "Back me up Vito!".
Marble Madness is one of the games referenced in Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny when Jables makes his way through a maze of deadly lasers.
In Kickassia, Lord Kat - in his role as the eponymous nation's overseer of trade - believes that China would be willing to trade a third of their military for one copy of Marble Madness.
In The Nostalgia Critic's review of James and the Giant Peach, during the scene where the Centipede causes the titular peach to roll down the path to Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge's house, the Critic says, "Oh, hey, great! The movie suddenly turned into Marble Madness!", and plays background music from the game.
The title of the Steven Universe episode "Marble Madness", about the Crystal Gems fighting spherical robots from space, is likely a reference to this game.
Linkara mentioned Museum Madness in his review of Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos #2:
Linkara: And really, when else is she gonna get the chance to play Museum Madness? Does anyone else remember that game? You had a robot...? You... went around fixing the museum exhibits after they went nuts...? I am such a nerd.
The Neverhood is referenced by Paradigm: The glam nun has a tattoo of Klaymen on her arm.
Secret Files: In a Take That! from Goodbye Deponia, Rufus is groping around in the dark and finds something "dry, long, and thin" which he jokingly identifies as "...the plot of Secret Files: Tunguska! Or a low-hanging branch. Either one."
Zoe from Social Queue loves The Sims, and spends hours playing it when she's overwhelmed. When she was younger, she had an entire Sims neighborhood for all her friends.
SiIvaGunner has a few Sims rips. For example, Buy Mode 1 from the first one is a mashup with Yung Gravy's "Richard Simmons", while the main theme of the third game fuses the usual SiIva memes together into a medley.
Joel from Vinesauce often plays Sims games. Since this is Joel we're talking about, these sessions can get more than a little weird. See his highlight videos for Sims 3 and Sims 4.
In the first EcoQuest game, Adam tells Delphineus, "The stalagmites go up. The stalactites go down. If you don't know that, you've never played a Space Quest."
In the 2020 Homestar Runner cartoon "Halloween Hijinks", The Poopsmith dresses as one of the 2 Guys from Andromeda.
The following year, in the Halloween game "Halloween Hide And Seek", Strong Bad dresses as Vohaul, drawing inspiration from the fan VGA remake of the second game.
For April Fools' Day 2021, the Lost Media Wiki Discord server was turned into a Space Quest server. All channels were renamed, the LMW-tan bot became a Space Quest bot, and even the Question of the Day was about Space Quest.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Gulliver compares the pleasant greeting he receives from your offer of aid to being marooned in the town of Coralcola.
Zoda of the F-Zero franchise is a villain who has constantly tried to conquer Earth, although that is where the similarities end; while he looks appropriately alien, this Zoda Was Once a Man.
Pilotwings 64 has Crescent Island as a location, its design basically being a 3D rendition of StarTropics' C-Island.
.