Video Games With Hidden Movie References, Ranked

In the world of video games, Easter eggs are part of the experience. These small and hidden references to the world beyond the game date back decades and have appeared in games. While many studios rely on these inside jokes to help ease any pressure, not all tease these moments. After all, some studios enjoy leaving gamers completely unaware of what they might be missing. That being said, these are the 5 video games with hidden movie references, ranked in ascending order –

Terraria

The action-adventure sandbox game Terraria has plenty of references and nods to other pieces of pop culture, including film. One of the most obvious nods comes from the 2006 Nicolas Cage film, The Wicker Man. In the movie, Cage plays police officer Edward Malus, who ends up getting constantly hounded by a group of bee-worshiping pagans. This funny exchange is referenced twice in Terraria consistently.

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Shin Megami Tensei IV

A lot of people are familiar with the character “Solid Snake” from the Metal Gear Solid franchise. He made his introduction as a counterpart to Snake Plissken, a federal agent in the 1981 action film Escape From New York. In addition to the reference, there is another character named “K” who is also based on Snake Plissken that was featured in Shin Megami Tensei IV.

Megaman Battle Network

Within the fictional in-game city of downtown from the Megaman Battle Network game series for the Game Boy Advance, lies two movie references. These include Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, which is about sentient tomatoes attacking humanity, and Mission: Impossible, which is about a team of agents tasked with saving the world. Thus, when examining the cinema in-game, Attack of the PETs and Mission: Impossible III can be seen playing.

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Pokemon: Diamond And Pearl

There’s a very cool Easter egg that has been found in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl versions. However, one of the more unusual instances is when movie Galaxy Quest is referenced during a combat sequence. That being said, the gameplay mechanics are influenced by the movie’s inner reference as well. Namely, one’s character fighting against Ghost-type trainer Fantina will be met with her saying “Never give up, never surrender!”

Stardew Valley

This game is an excellent farming simulator RPG. One of the things about this game that might catch players by surprise is the references to the Hayao Miyazaki animated film Howl’s Moving Castle (2004). In Howl’s Moving Castle, Sophie, a young woman, gets transformed into an old woman by a witch. Moreover, one such reference in Stardew Valley comes in the form of Rarecrow #1 which looks very similar to the Turnip Head character from Howls Moving Castle.