The 25 Greatest Gaming Easter Eggs

Easter eggs, in our context, are defined as an intentional hidden message, in-joke or feature in an object such as a movie, book, CD, DVD, computer program, web page or video game.

In other words, it’s the developers hidden little secrets that only the most determined gamer will unearth. GamingBolt has been trawling through our back catalogue of our favourite games to find some of gaming’s best easter egg funnies.

Adventure

Easter Egg: First!

Most of you probably will have never heard of the game Adventure, but upon release on the Atari 2600 in 1979, it became the first game to have an easter egg- a secret room with the words ‘Created by Warren Robinett’  written inside.

Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony

Easter Egg: RRoD

Go to your safehouse and look at the left had side of the TV. It’s pretty gloomy, but you should be able to make out an Xbox 360 with the dreaded Red Rings of Death. This was found on the PS3 version.

Half Life Source

Easter Egg: Valve brand coffee

On the level Office Complex, the employee lounge has one very familiar looking coffee machine…

Diablo II

Easter Egg: The Secret Cow Level

Blizzard have always been known for having a little humour about their games, as shown by the numerous pop culture references found in World of Warcraft. But Diablo II introduced a whole new level with this easter egg; once you have acquired the leg of Wirt and defeated Diablo, go back to town and transmute. You will find a portal to a level known only as the Secret Cow Level. And yep, you guessed it, it is filled with Hell’s beef, all looking to devour your brains. They’re high levels though, so understand the challenge you are taking on!

Metal Gear Solid

Easter Egg: Only awkward teenage boys need apply!

Although Metal Gear Solid contains enough easter eggs to fill a small book, this one stands out from the rest. Before freeing her or the DARPA chief from prison, you can peer down on them from a ceiling vent. Keep popping your head in and out of the vent and you will see the different stages of her workout routine- including one where she buffs up wearing just her underwear.

Batman Arkham Asylum

Easter Egg: Jason X

Just before the final boss fight, there is a room with Joker on a TV screen. Just as you enter the room, to your left there is a sofa and some papers up on a wall. If you zoom in on one of the papers, you will see a drawing of Jason with a chainsaw.

Fallout 3

Easter Egg: Alien Blaster

You can find this easter egg as soon as you step into the Wasteland. Go to Minefield, and head directly north until you find a crashed UFO. You will pick up a radio transmission called, “Recon Craft Theta Beacon”. Follow this noise until you spot another UFO in the mountains. Nearby is a dead alien clutching a gun- the Alien Blaster, and the most powerful weapon in the game.

Far Cry

Easter Egg: Road Hogs

You ever seen a pig driving a buggy? No? Me neither.

But to see it done in Far Cry, simply park a buggy in an awkward place (ie on a flight of steps) then wait in nearby shrubs for a few minutes. It does take a while, but eventually a pig will appear and start driving the buggy!

Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction

Easter Egg: The Wilhelm Scream

For those of you that don’t know, the Wilhelm Scream is a widely used and clichéd technique used in films when a character dies. Just type ‘Wilhelm Scream’ into Youtube. But Mercenaries put on of their own into the game; go to any city and use your field scope to zoom in on Wilhelm (he looks just like an ordinary civilian, but the word underneath will say ‘Wilhelm’ instead of ‘civilian’). Now all you have to do is shoot him to hear the infamous Wilhelm Scream!

Doom 3

Easter Egg: Rude Marines

At the beginning of the game when you are handed your Palm Pilot by the man at the kiosk, the seller will start typing on his computer. Hover next to him and read the message…

Tony Hawk’s Underground

Easter Egg: Mortal Kombat

On the level THUG, skate about until you come across a snowman. If you Boneless over him just right, you’ll knock off his head and your screen will flash the word FATALITY!- a reference to the MK games of old.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

Easter Egg: Bill Gates

On the Hokkaido mission, there are two guards talking about their new vehicle. One of them mentions that he has just got a 640 gigabyte mp3 player. The other one scoffs, saying you don’t need that much. This is a reference to Bill Gates infamous statement made back in 1981, ‘640K is more memory than anyone will ever need.’

Saints Row 2

Easter Egg: The Game Studio

In the North Shore Marina District, there is a building with shops on the waterfront called the North Shore Marina Super Mall. There is a glass tunnel that runs through the center of the building, which contains a vending machine and a door next to it. Go in the door and into the room on the other side and you will find ‘The Game Studio’ written on the wall along with a picture of one of the game designers.

Resident Evil 4

Easter Egg: More perverts

If the semi-naked ladies in Metal Gear Solid aren’t enough for you, Resident Evil has some more perversion for you. At any point when Ashley is climbing down a ladder, or waiting on a ledge to be caught, you can aim at an angle up her skirt, to her shocked reaction.

Hitman: Blood Money

Easter Egg: Bizarre

Chock full of easter eggs, Blood Money has a couple that really stand out. On the Till Death Do Us Part  level, you will find a fight going on in the front garden. Go round to the left hand side of the house and look on the ground for a little button. Shoot it, and the fighting men will come running over to you wearing only their undershorts and applauding.

Half Life 2

Easter Egg: Backwards makes perfect

On the zombies level, set one of them on fire and record the sound they make. It will probably sound like gibberish, although you may be able to make out the words ‘Hot!’ or similar. However, when you reverse the sounds and play them backwards you can quite clearly hear them saying ‘God help me!’.

God of War

Easter Egg: David Jaffe

Once you have destroyed the Ares and Minotaur statues in The Throne Room, an audio clip will play…it’s David Jaffe himself!

Grand Theft Auto 4

Easter Egg: Mad Cow Disease

In the meat quarter there is a building called ‘Minster Meat Marker’. On the outside wall there are some billboards advertising fake meat brands, one of which is C.J Dees Beef. This is a reference to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, commonly referred to as Mad Cow Disease. It was a widespread disease that prompted the slaughter of thousands of cows in the 90’s around the time GTA 2 was being developed.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Easter Egg: 1337

Even Infinity Ward have souls! On the multiplayer map ‘Derail’ on one of the blue freight trains it has the ref. number 1337.

1337y.

Company of Heroes

Easter Egg: EA suxs!

To continue the theme of 1337- speak, Company of Heroes has a neat little egg you can find on any skirmish or multiplayer mission. Build a jeep and look at the front license plate- you will see it says ‘3A5UX5’, or in leet-speak, ‘EA Suxs’ !

Just Cause 2

Easter Egg: Lost

Remember that TV show that went on for about 10 series too many about a group of people on an island? To obtain this egg,  you must first get into any plane, and fly it towards the island in the North-West. Fly for long enough, and your plane will eventually burst into flames, forcing you to parachute down onto an island- an exact replica of the island in Lost.

World of Warcraft

Easter Egg: Fowl

While it’s easy to mistake simple references to pop culture with Eggs in WoW, this one is definitely an Egg. Go up to any chicken, and do the chicken dance for it by using the /chicken command. You will have to do this many, many times, but eventually, the chicken will start following you around- and will never stop!

Legend of Zelda

Easter Egg: Extra quest mode

By far the most ‘extra’ egg on this list, this Egg unlocks a whole second quest mode. Simply type your name in as Zelda when prompted.

Ah the NES, fond memories.

Well I sure hope you’ve enjoyed reading about all the hidden eggs the dev’s did(n’t!) want you to find! From the wacky to the wholesome, they’re all here- and now you had better go off and find them!

Got your own eggs you want to add? Leave them in the comments below.

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