Community:Fallout: New Vegas Easter Eggs

Aliens
If the player has the Wild Wasteland trait, NCR Emergency Radio chatter includes the phrases "Game over, man, game over!" and "They're coming out of walls, they're coming out of the goddamn walls!". The phrases are direct quotes from the film Aliens.

Anarchists Cookbook
The skill magazine, the Patriot's Cookbook is a reference to the Anarchist Cookbook, a controversial book containing instructions on building homemade explosives. The in-game picture of the Patriot's Cookbook shows a "Banned" sticker on the front cover.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Mr. New Vegas will end a news segment by saying "Stay classy, New Vegas." In Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Ron Burgundy's signoff is "You stay classy, San Diego".

Back to the Future
When asking Joe Cobb if you can help him take over Goodsprings, he will say "Mayor Cobb. I like the sound of that.", a line from the character Goldie Wilson from Back to the Future.

Better Off Ted
The Powder Ganger Philip Lem is a reference to Phil and Lem, two scientists from the American sitcom Better Off Ted.

The Bible

 * The quest Render Unto Caesar is a reference to a famous phrase from the Bible: "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s" - Matthew 22:21
 * All achievement/trophy names for Honest Hearts are references to the Book of Psalms.

The Black Orchid
The cover of ¡La Fantoma! is a flipped replica of Adventure Comics 428, by DC comics. It is the origin issue of the character the Black Orchid.

Blade Runner
That Gun is modeled on Deckard's gun from the film Blade Runner.

Brewdog
Inside Brewer's Beer Bootlegging there is a sign for "Strategic Nuclear Moose" which is a reference to the real-life "Tactical Nuclear Penguin" imperial stout produced by Brewdog, a Scottish craft brewery.

Cabazon Dinosaurs
Dinky the Dinosaur of Novac is a reference to Dinny the Dinosaur and Mr. Rex, the Cabazon Dinosaurs.

Carmen Sandiego
During your investigation of a traitor at Camp McCarran, the traitor may utter the words "You're getting too close shamus". This is a line from the Carmen Sandiego line of video games.

David Caruso
During your investigation of the White Glove Society, you might encounter an investigator by the name of Crusoe. It's possibly a reference to David Caruso, who has played investigator roles on NYPD: Blue and CSI: Miami.

Doctor Who

 * An NCR Emergency Radio Broadcast references The Doctor, and the BBC, the network that Doctor Who is broadcast on.
 * In combat, the Securitrons may yell "EXTERMINATE", the signature line of the Daleks.
 * Written on a pillar in a wine cellar in Dead Money is "I am not your mummy!". This is a reference to the episode "The Empty Child", in which the main enemies ask everyone "Are you my mummy?".

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog
Veronica Santangelo frequently has sporks in her inventory. This is likely a nod to another character played by actress Felicia Day, Penny from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog in which her character frequently uses sporks to eat frozen yogurt.

Dr. Strangelove

 * The achievement Love the Bomb is a reference to Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
 * The heavily trapped house in Nipton, just across the road from the General Store with a sandbag wall protecting the door, has the note about "vital essence and a grenade rifle appears to be a reference to General Jack D. Ripper in "Dr. Strangelove".
 * The logo for the Atomic Wrangler is a reference to the famous scene in which Major T. J. "King" Kong rides a falling nuclear bomb like a rodeo cowboy.

Duck and Cover
The skill book Duck and Cover! is named after the practice taught to American school children to avoid harm if a nuclear war were to break out, namely to duck under a table or desk and cover their heads.

The Elder Scrolls
Metal power poles have a plate on them that reads TES-04. This is a reference to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, another game produced by Bethesda Softworks.

Elmer Fudd
If the player takes Cass as a companion, when sneaking she occasionally says, "Be very, very quiet; we're huntin' shit heads". This is a direct reference to Elmer Fudds' quote, "Be vewy, vewy quiet; I'm huntin' wabbits".

Elvis Presley

 * G.I. Blues and Viva Las Vegas are titles of films starring Elvis Presley.
 * The Freeside gang The Kings are rife with references to Elvis. The King's dialogue frequently uses song titles as turns of phrase.
 * In addition, the quests Nothin' But a Hound Dog and Return to Sender are also the names of songs by Elvis Presley.

Euclid
Euclid's C-Finder is a reference to the Greek mathematician Euclid, regarded as the "father of geometry".

Forrest Gump
The quest title "Run Goodsprings Run" is a reference to an iconic line "Run, Forrest, Run!" from the film Forest Gump.

Howard Hughes
Mr. House is in most aspects based on the famous recluse Howard Hughes. Many aspects of House's personality, lifestyle and backstory are modeled on Hughes: his reclusive nature, his terror of bacteria, his fixation on Las Vegas, his insistence on working only through trusted lieutenants, his appearance, and his relationships with pre-war film stars. A portrait of House standing in front of a large robot is based on an iconic photograph of Hughes standing in front of a Boeing Army Pursuit Plane in the 1940's.

Indiana Jones

 * The Wild Wasteland trait adds an encounter containing a refrigerator, which contains a fedora and skeleton. This is a reference to the scene in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" where Indiana Jones saves himself from an atomic bomb explosion by taking cover in a lead-lined fridge (this scene was infamous for its absurdity).
 * An email outbox on a computer terminal in the Sunset Sarsaparilla Headquarters includes a message addressed to "Marcus Brody, VP of Technology."

John Mellencamp
In the Great Khan Encampment, you can find a couple named Jack and Diane. Jack is a dark haired male and Diane is a younger blonde woman. They are likely referencing the John Mellencamp song "Jack and Diane" from 1982, in which the music video has a dark haired male and blonde woman.

Kate Beaton
The unique Tesla cannon, Tesla-Beaton prototype, is named after Kate Beaton, a Canadian webcomic artist known, among other things, for several comic strips about Nikola Tesla.

La Longue Carabine
Corporal Sterling, a member of 1st Recon at Camp McCarran will, if asked about his gun, that it is known as "La Longue Carabine". This is a reference to the book Last of the Mohicans, whereby the main character, Hawkeye, is nicknamed this for his proficiency as a Sniper.

Lassie
With the Wild Wasteland trait the player can talk to Rex, and receive a map marker indicating the location of somebody (named Jimmy) who fell into a well.

Less Than Jake
In the Goodsprings Cemetery, there is a grave marked Jay Frenzal. This is reference to the song of the same name from the album B Is for B-sides by an American ska-punk band Less Than Jake. The song, in turn, is a refers to Jason Whalley of Frenzal Rhomb, who has one line on the track.

Lost
A broadcast from the NCR Emergency Radio references the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42.

Mad Max
The achievements Blast Mastery and You Run Barter Town are both references to Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Blast Mastery refers to the character of Masterblaster, and Bartertown was the location around which Beyond Thunderdome was set. The leather armor, reinforced also bears a strong resemblance to the armor worn by Max in the series.

Monty Python

 * At Cottonwood Cove, spray painted on one of the buildings is "ROMANES EUNT DOMUS", which is a reference to Monty Python's The Life of Brian. This only appears with the Wild Wasteland trait.
 * Inside one of the church basements at Camp Searchlight are three Holy Frag Grenades, a reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail. These also only appear with the Wild Wasteland trait.
 * Another Monty Python and the Holy Grail reference appears during the quest They Went That-a-Way. When you first talk to Jessup, he will express shock at your survival. One of the possible responses to this is "I got better." This phrase used in this context is one of the many running jokes of the forementioned film.
 * With the Wild Wasteland trait, you will be confronted by Maud's Muggers, a gang of elderly hoodlums, outside of Cerulean Robotics. This is a reference to the skit, "Hell's Grannies" from "Monty Python's Flying Circus".

Mister Las Vegas
Wayne Newton is known as Mr. Las Vegas. He voices the radio personality Mr. New Vegas.

Obsidian Entertainment

 * In the South Vegas Ruins, there is a small building called Zapp's Neon Signs. Inside, on a terminal at the bottom of the building, there is a neon sign order from Scott Evert, a reference to Scott Everts.
 * The Evil Gnome has a baseid of Scottegnome.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Marcus might say when attacking: "one fist, two fist, red fist, blue fist". This is a reference to the Dr. Seuss book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.

PEPCON Explosion
The fake company REPCONN Aerospace is a reference to the PEPCON disaster, which happened 10 miles away from Las Vegas. Said explosion's detonation caused a 3.0 magnitude earthquake and shattered windows at nearby McCarran Airport and buffeted a landing 737. Also, the REPCONN Shakes implies a connection as during an earthquake, the ground shakes.

Period songs

 * The quest Aba Daba Honeymoon is named for a song by Debbie Reynolds.
 * The quest Ant Misbehavin' is named for the song Ain't Misbehavin' by Fats Waller.
 * The quest Anywhere I Wander is named for a song written by Frank Loesser and popularized by Danny Kaye.
 * The quest Back in Your Own Backyard is named for a song written by Billy Rose and Dave Dreyer, which was popularized by Al Jolson.
 * The quest Bitter Springs Infirmary Blues is named for the song St. James Infirmary Blues, popularized by Louis Armstrong.
 * The quest I Fought the Law is a reference to the song of the same name by Sonny Curtis.
 * The quest I Put a Spell on You is named for the song by Screamin Jay Hawkins.
 * The quests Ring-a-Ding-Ding, My Kind of Town and Come Fly With Me are titles of songs sung by Frank Sinatra.
 * Ain't That a Kick in the Head is the title of a song, popularly sung by Dean Martin.
 * The quest Volare references the popular title of an Italian song best known in English through a translated version sung by Dean Martin. The original full title of the song is "Nel blu dipinto di blu" ("In the blue, painted blue").
 * Bye Bye Love is the title of a song by The Everly Brothers.
 * The perk and challenge Day Tripper is the title of a Beatles song.
 * The perk Mister Sandman is a reference to the song of the same name.
 * Mr. New Vegas's "new album", Nuclear Winter Wonderland, is a reference to the song Winter Wonderland.

The Princess Bride
With the Wild Wasteland trait, rodents of unusual size can be encountered in various places. The protagonist of the film, Wesley, states that he doesn't believe that Rodents of Unusual Size exist, before promptly getting attacked by one.

(Léon) The Professional
The perk, The Professional is a reference to the 1994 film of the same name, directed by Luc Besson. The correlating in-game picture features a stylized Vault Boy with a coat, stubble and round glasses similar to the main character of the film. The picture also features a potted plant that plays a significant role in the film.

Professional Wrestling
During the quest G.I. Blues when heading over to the Old Mormon Fort in Freeside, there are three men one tent named Roy, Wayne, and Farris. The three names put together are a reference to Roy Wayne Farris, a professional wrestler who wrestled for WWF and WCW during the 1980's and 1990's as "The Honky Tonk Man".

Rat Pack
The group of actors/singers of the 1960's, the Rat Pack, made up of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop, is poked fun at by the Rad Pack Revue, the group of entertainers working at The Aces theatre in The Tops.

Return of the Living Dead
Red-haired, death-obsessed Trash, whom the player finds dead in a shack beside the Old Nuclear Test Site, is a reference to the character Trash in Return of the Living Dead.

Rime of the Ancient Mariner
The name of the challenge ...And Not a drop to Drink, is part of a commonly misquoted couplet from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "Rime of the Ancient Mariner." The actual lines are: "Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink."

Sammy Davis, Jr.
Tommy Torini bears striking resemblance to Sammy Davis, Jr. the only African-American member of the entertainment group, the "Rat Pack", even down to the missing eye, which Sammy Davis, Jr. lost in an auto collision.

The Simpsons
The Radiation King brand name is the name of the Simpsons family television set.

Six String Samurai
The name and icon for the New Vegas Samurai achievement is a reference to the Palm Pictures film Six-String Samurai. The guitar, stubble, and glasses are all references to the main character, Buddy, of the aforementioned film.

Sneakers
The two passwords for the Eastern and the Western reflector control terminals are text encoded in hex and can be found in the notes. The decoded Eastern password is Too many secrets and the Western decoded password is My voice is my password. - both are notable passphrases in Sneakers.

Something Awful

 * The YCS/186 Gauss rifle is named for the "Your Console Sucks" forum that has the forum ID number 186.
 * The abbreviated console command for disabling Hardcore Mode is "Babby", a reference to a meme that originated on the Something Awful website. In addition, the word "Babby" is often used as a pejorative in various Something Awful subforums.
 * A Wild Wasteland encounter found near Goodsprings consists of a man in glasses named Johnny found dead at the edge of a cliff. Johnny is surrounded by various objects including five ace cards and four orange balls. This is a reference to Zybourne Clock, an infamously awful failed amateur game project that originated on Something Awful.

Star Trek

 * The perk Set Lasers for Fun is a reference to the phrase "Set phasers to stun" from Star Trek.
 * The damage challenge "Beam (Weapon) Me Up" is a reference to the phrase "Beam me up, Scotty". It comes from the oft-quoted, but never used in the show, order that Captain Kirk gives his chief engineer, Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, when he needs to be transported back to the Starship Enterprise.
 * After updating House's Securitrons to Mark II, they may say "Obedience Brings Victory". This was one of the main catch phrases used by the Jem'Hadar in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
 * During combat, if Marcus is hit by an enemy weapon, he may occasionally cry out, "I am NOT a merry Mutant!" This is a reference to Michael Dorn's role as Worf on Star Trek: The Next Generation, specifically the episode "Qpid", in which Worf protested to being given the role of a "merry man" in Q's Robin Hood recreation.
 * When dealing with The Kings in Freeside for Ambassador Crocker if you have the Wild Wasteland perk, Ambassador Crocker will tell you "Damn it, I'm an ambassador, not a doctor!" It's a clear reference to the "I'm a doctor, not a {type of profession}" line of quotes from Leonard "Bones" McCoy in Star Trek.

Star Wars

 * The Wild Wasteland trait adds an encounter in the town of Nipton. If you follow the road from city hall east, you will find a burning house with the skeletal remains of Owen and Beru, Luke Skywalker's uncle and aunt who were burned by stormtroopers in A New Hope.
 * The challenge "...And Know Disintegrations" is a play on Darth Vader's line in The Empire Strikes Back.
 * During the quest You'll Know It When It Happens, Ranger Grant asks you to report what has happened at the top of the guard post when you kill a Legion assassin, one of the dialog options when responding to him is to say "Everything's fine up here, thank you. How are you?." This is a reference to A New Hope, when Han Solo says the same thing while he and Luke Skywalker rescue Princess Leia from the Death Star.

The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo
The Courier Who Broke the Bank is a reference to Joseph Jagger (1830 – 1892), a British engineer who was widely known as The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The theme, location, climate, and design of Sierra Madre is loosely based on the 1948 flim The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. The film is about prospectors hunting for gold in Sierra Madre, threatened by bandits, elements, and worst of all, personal greed.

This Man Is Your Friend
There are several posters of NCR Rangers in NCR camps with the caption 'This man is your FRIEND, He fights for FREEDOM'. These posters use the same style as a series of posters created in 1942 by the US Government depicting soldiers of allied nations.

Titan A.E.
If you should decide to enter the Gun Runners facility and hack the terminal in the crafting room in the back you can read a note where an employee suggests naming the Vendortron. The note reads they should name it something "like Bob (we're not calling it Bob.)" This is a reference to the sci-fi flop Titan A.E. where after a new earth is created the main character, Cale, suggests naming the new planet Bob, to which Akima responds "we're not calling it Bob."

Tootsie Roll Pops

 * The quest The Legend of the Star is a reference to a decades-old rumor regarding Tootsie Roll Pop wrappers that dates back to the 1930's. Some Tootsie Roll Pops come packaged in wrappers that depict a boy dressed like a "wild west Indian", shooting an arrow at a star. Ever since the wrappers were found rumors have circulated that there is some kind of secret prize attached to sending in wrappers. In the 1980's the Tootsie Roll company began replying to queries about the wrappers with a short story entitled "The Legend of the Indian Wrapper" that forms the basis for the story Festus tells the player upon the completion of The Legend of the Star.
 * The terminal entries found in Sunset Sarsaparilla Headquarters depict the Sunset Sarsaparilla company capitalizing on a similar rumor about star caps.

VALVe Corporation
At the REPCONN Test Site, on a terminal you can find a entry from a man named Gordon who is disappointed because there was no cake at his retirement party. This references Half-Life's main protagonist, Gordon Freeman, and "The Cake is a lie" from Portal both of which were developed by VALVe.

There is also a terminal with a message about “A spy, one of the Reds pretending to be a Blue”, referencing the Spy from Team Fortress 2.

United States nuclear weapons program
The weapons mod Fat Man Little Boy kit references the code names of the atom bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The reasons for the names were that Fat Man was an implosion-style device with a spherical core, while Little Boy had a longer and slenderer gun-type mechanism. This reference caused the game to be banned in Japan.

Up to Eleven
During the quest Ant Misbehavin', when asked by Loyal about what frequency a sonic emitter would need to have to kill mutated ants, with insufficient Science skill, the player can suggest to "turn it up to eleven". This is an idiom, coined in one scene from "This is Spinal Tap", referring to the act of exploiting something to its utmost abilities. The idiom itself is a reference to the volume setting on a guitar amplifier, the maximum of which is usually 10, and by "turning it up to eleven", one goes beyond the maximum.

Vegas Vic
Victor's name as well as the image used for his face is based on Vegas Vic.

Watchmen
The graffiti found at Hoover Dam and occasional loading screens say "spirit of 2277" which is a reference towards the spirit of '77 in Watchmen chapter 8: Old Ghosts.

W.B.Yeats
In the underpass near the Nipton Road Reststop there is a piece of graffiti which states "The centre cannot hold", a quote from the Irish poet WB Yeat's poem "The Second Coming."

The Wizard of Oz
In Boulder City when Victor meets up with the player, if the player responds with "I don't like being followed." Victor will say "Now now, its not my fault that Dorothy and the Tin Man happened to be on the same yellow-striped road, is it?"

Xbox 360
During quotes in the end game credits, the words "you would get another achievement here, but we ran out..." This appears on all console versions of the game, even though the Playstation 3 uses trophies.

X-Men
Adamantium Skeleton is a reference to Wolverine. This perk was carried over from Fallout 3.