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Celebrate The Holiday Weekend With Gaming's Easter Eggs
It's timely that this week has been filled with news stories about hidden Easter eggs. We've learned recently about singing turrets in Portal 2 and hidden fights in Mortal Kombat, and it got us thinking about some of our favorite Easter eggs from gaming's past. Take a look at some of the industry's more memorable hidden goodies.
The Suicidal Troll (Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion)
With its vast world, we'd forgive you if you never stumbled upon this unfortunate fellow. You'll find him under a bridge southeast of Bravil, and you can grab "A Poorly Scrawled Note" from his body. Upon opening it in your inventory, you'll read his final words:
Mee worst troll evurr
nobuddy pay brijj tole
me nott sceary enuf
mee gett drunc an kil sellf
troll droun
Nothing To See Here (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas)
Like Oblivion, GTA has always featured a massive open world that's perfect for hiding Easter eggs in. If you're one of those that likes exploring every nook and cranny of Rockstar's cities, you may have flown to the top of the bridge that connects San Fierro to Las Venturas. After jetpacking to the top, the only Easter egg you'll find is a self-defeating sign informing you that there are no Easter eggs.
The Silver Button (Hitman: Blood Money)
Out of all of the entries on this list, the one found in Hitman: Blood Money might be the oddest. In the mission "Til Death Do Us Part," you'll find a silver button on the side of a house that you can view through a sniper scope. This will inexplicably summon numerous men in their underpants, who sprint over to Agent 47 and applaud before breaking out into a shin-kicking party. It's pretty amazing, as you can see below.
Romero's Head (Doom II)
To discover this Easter egg, you have to be using the "no clipping" cheat that allows you to walk through walls. Upon reaching the final boss, you can travel through the wall in front of him to discover the real final boss - Doom co-creator John Romero. More specifically, you'll find the hovering, severed head of John Romero. Pump a few rounds into his cranium and you'll beat Doom II.
The Poop Tank (Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater)
At one point in Metal Gear Solid 3, Snake is imprisoned and the game has you play through an odd nightmare minigame. Upon awakening, you'll find Sigint has some interesting words of advice if you bug him on your codec. He goes into disturbing detail about a bipedal robot that turns his entire family and hometown into poop with his "turd missiles." In a series full of oddities and hidden secrets, this just might be the weirdest.
FERGALITY! (Mortal Kombat 2)
Mortal Kombat II is often cited as the installment that started getting a little too crazy with the fatalities. Not only did each character have two fatalities, they also had a babality, friendship, and stage fatality. However, Raiden (technically Rayden this time around) has one extra trick up his sleeve in the Genesis version. After inputting the test mode code, switching to a specific background, enabling "Ooh, nasty!" mode, and performing a specific input, Raiden could perform the series' only Fergality. What does it do, exactly? Well, it turns your opponent into a caricature of the director of Probe Studios (the developer that handled MK's home versions), Fergus McGovern.
Chun-Li Appears (Breath of Fire)
Upon visiting Bleak, you'll find a boy who fancies himself a magician. Agree to pay him a hundred coins, and refuse his "look behind you" request twice. If you agree on the third time, you'll see a brief clip of Chun-Li practicing her lightning kick.
Arkham City's Blueprints (Batman: Arkham Asylum)
If you were really exploring Arkham's asylum, you'd catch an early glimpse of where Batman is heading next. It seems that Warden Sharp had something to hide, and you can expose Arkham City's blueprints with a well-placed foam explosion. We detailed the process in a video last year, and you can still watch it here.
The Lost Island (Just Cause 2)
It seems that the team at Avalanche Studios is a fan of a certain ABC sitcom, because Just Cause 2 features a very noticeable reference (if you're in the right place). Your plane will be destroyed in mid-air like Oceanic 815 if you fly over a specific island, causing Rico to plummet towards the ground. Scrounge around long enough down there and you might even find a famous hatch.
The Bunny (Saints Row 2)
In a series filled with gunfire, drugs, chainsaw murder, prostitutes, and naked skydiving, the last thing you'd expect to find is a gigantic inflatable bunny. However, that's exactly what you'll find if you perform a series of events that includes visiting an island that seems to worship Volition. You can see the steps below if you'd like to find the mother of all Easter eggs. You see...because Easter rabbits lay Easter eggs, and there's a big rabbit in Saints Row 2.
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