Community Picks: Favorite In-Game Easter Eggs

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Community Picks: Most Interesting Easter Eggs

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The “Nuketown” map in the first Black Ops game was such a hit that Treyarch made a new, futuristic variant of it in the sequel. Because the play area is supposed to be a model neighborhood to show off to prospective customers, the houses are filled with mannequins. If you manage to shoot the heads off of each dummy within the two-minute time limit, you can unlock a special treat: A large screen in the center of town will show a retro Activision logo. Completing this secret task means you can now play some classic Atari games on the screen. Have fun!

The waters west of Stilwater look empty, but if you go out to sea far enough, you’ll find a small island with an arrow pointing in one direction. Following this path takes you to a series of locations that each have another arrow pointing you to another area. Eventually, you’ll reach an island that simply disappears. In its place appears a series of arrows and a giant purple rabbit doll that rises from the sea.

As Agent 47, you have the ability to execute a target under the cover of a host of stealth methods and disguises, or you can enter an area, guns blazing, and knock off everyone in your path. However, the “Till Death Do Us Part” mission in Hitman: Blood Money contains one of the game’s strangest secrets. The grounds near the left side of the mansion in the level feature a small silver coin. Shooting it brings some unwanted attention to you: Specifically, a group of men in underwear will run toward you and start clapping. So much for the stealth approach.

The USG Ishimura serves as the setting and backdrop for Isaac Clarke’s terrifying mission, but it’s also the workplace of his girlfriend, Nicole Brennan. The infestation of the gruesome Necromorphs wiped out almost every person on the ship, but Nicole managed to survive. In the final stages of the game, however, Isaac (SPOILER ALERT!) finds out that he was hallucinating Nicole’s presence throughout his mission. The developers even give you a heads-up of this twist with the names of each chapter in the game. Specifically, the first letter of each chapter spells out her fate: “N-I-C-O-L-E-I-S-D-E-A-D.”

The island of Banoi isn’t just home to scores of undead beings, alas--one of the best-known serial killers in movie history also has a summer home on the island. Just great. Outside of Jason’s home are crucified corpses on stakes. Any lingering zombies are quickly disposed of due to Jason’s speed and ferocity as he swings his trademark machete. You’ll need to deal with him quickly if you want to enter his house, which contains a chainsaw that should make it easier to dispatch zombies.

The 1995 LucasArts game seems to be just another entry in the celebrated franchise. However, you can add more humor to the experience. Activating “theater mode” allows you to view the cutscenes while a silhouette of R2-D2, Darth Vader, and C-3PO watch with you in the same style as Mystery Science Theater 3000. The dialog in the cutscenes is muted, and you can read the hilarious lines written for each character instead.

One of LucasArts’ early works was the Monkey Island series of games featuring the now-iconic Guybrush Threepwood. As an homage to the studio’s early days, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II includes a character skin called Guybrush Threepkiller. To get it, you’ll need to destroy three machines located in a room (which also includes Guybrush statues) that appears in the game’s second level. Once the skin's in your possession, you can continue your adventure as the famed pirate.

In Resident Evil, Barry Burton saves Jill Valentine from a ceiling trap. He then jokes to her that she was almost a “Jill sandwich.” The terrible line stuck as a joke among fans, and it even made an appearance in the first Dead Rising game. If you hunt far enough, you'll see that one of the restaurants in the mall is called “Jill’s Sandwiches.” If it weren’t for the zombies roaming throughout the area, the store might be a popular spot for a quick, erm, bite.

This game's twisted version of Wonderland is scary enough, but it also holds a secret that references a popular video-game character. In the Queensland chapter, you can explore a hidden section underneath the castle area. By using a few abilities and weapons, you will eventually find a set of stairs that leads to a shrine that includes a skeleton of Raz from the Psychonauts series. The Double Fine game came out six years before Alice: Madness Returns, but the studio is working on a sequel.

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Rexly Peñaflorida is a freelance writer for Tom's Hardware covering topics such as computer hardware, video games, and general technology news.

Community Picks: Favorite In-Game Easter Eggs

Community Picks: Most Interesting Easter Eggs

16. ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops II’ - Nuketown 2025

15. ‘Saints Row 2’ - Bunny Easter Egg

14. ‘Hitman: Blood Money’ - The Lucky Coin

13. ‘Dead Space’ - Nicole’s Fate

12. ‘Dead Island’ - Jason Voorhees

11. ‘Star Wars Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire’ - Mystery Science Theatre 3000

10. ‘Star Wars The Force Unleashed II’ - Guybrush Threepwood Statue

9. ‘Dead Rising’ - Jill’s Sandwiches

8. ‘Alice: Madness Returns’ - Raz’s Skeleton

7. ‘Batman Arkham Asylum’ - The Hidden Blueprint Room