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300[]

The Gun Runners' Arsenal challenge Even a God-King Can Bleed requires one to cripple Caesar's head with throwing spears. This is a reference to when Leonidas I of Sparta says that by the end of the battle he will prove that even a God-king can bleed, and does so by scoring a glancing blow across Xerxes's cheek with a thrown spear. Gun Runners' Arsenal

Aliens[]

  • If the Courier 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!" These two phrases are direct quotes from the film Aliens.
  • The kill challenge, Nuke it From Orbit, is a reference to a catchphrase that spawned from the Aliens quote, "nuke the entire site from orbit - it’s the only way to be sure."

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 MATERIAL Marked for burn" stamp on the front cover.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy[]

Mr. New Vegas will end a news segment by saying "Stay classy, New Vegas" if the player character has the Wild Wasteland trait. In Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Ron Burgundy's signoff is "You stay classy, San Diego."

BioShock[]

A Slave Obeys, a Gun Runners' Arsenal challenge, is a reference to the death of BioShock's villain, Andrew Ryan. The challenge requires you to kill Mr. House with a golf club, which references the way the player eventually kills Ryan in the game. The title of the challenge is a reference to the phrase Ryan repeats before he is killed: "A man chooses, a slave obeys." Gun Runners' Arsenal

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[]

The Gun Runners' Arsenal challenge Benefit Or a Hazard which tasks the player with killing 15 robot targets with the 5.56mm pistol or its variant, That Gun references the 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner in a number of ways:

  • The name of the challenge is lifted from Rick Deckard's (played by Harrison Ford) quote "They're either a benefit or a hazard" in regards to the film's plot-centered synthetic humans referred to as "Replicants."
  • The challenge's objective of killing robots in-game alludes to Deckard's mission in the film to exterminate four runaway Replicants.
  • The weapon that is required to complete the challenge is a recreation of the .223 pistol from Fallout and Fallout 2, which are visually based on the prop gun that Deckard uses as his sidearm in Blade Runner.

Brewdog[]

Brewers Beer Bootlegging basement

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.

Carmen Sandiego[]

During the Courier's investigation of a traitor at Camp McCarran in I Put a Spell on You, the traitor will utter the words "You're getting too close, Shamus," if the Wild Wasteland trait is enabled. This is a line from the Carmen Sandiego line of video games.

The Cask of Amontillado[]

Frederick Sinclair's quote "Know that on the night of the Gala Event I shall raise my glass and whisper, 'Fortunato.'" and the trap within the Sierra Madre vault is a direct reference to "The Cask of Amontillado", a short story by Edgar Allan Poe.[1]

David Caruso[]

During the Courier's investigation of the White Glove Society in Beyond the Beef, with the Wild Wasteland trait, a deceased investigator by the name of Crusoe can be found. This is a reference to David Caruso, who played investigator Horatio Caine on CSI: Miami; Crusoe's appearance is based on Horatio Caine.

Dean Martin[]

  • Ain't That a Kick in the Head is the title of a song, popularly sung by Dean Martin. The song itself also appears on Radio New Vegas.
  • Mr. New Vegas says "You're nobody 'till somebody loves you and that somebody is me." as one of his random opening statements. "You're Nobody 'Till Somebody Loves You" was a song recorded by Dean Martin, among others.
  • 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").

Doctor Who[]

  • An NCR Emergency Radio broadcast references The Doctor, and the BBC, the network that Doctor Who is broadcast on. ("Bravo Bravo Charlie the Doctor is coming")
  • 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 two part episode "The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances," in which the zombie-like enemies with gas-mask faces (who bear a remarkable resemblance to the ghost people in the add-on) ask everyone "Are you my mummy?" Dead Money
  • With Wild Wasteland enabled, the trauma override harnesses will say "Hey, who turned out the lights?", a reference to the Doctor Who episode Silence in the Library. In the episode, alien particles control a spacesuit containing a skeleton which repeats the dead wearer's last words over and over. Old World Blues (add-on)

Don Rickles[]

The ghoul comedian Hadrian, first seen at the Atomic Wrangler, is a reference to comedy legend and Las Vegas icon Don Rickles. Hadrian's comedic style of one-liner insults to guests in the audience mirror's that of Don Rickles. A more direct reference is seen when Hadrian is performing in the Aces Theatre at The Tops. There he makes the comment "Swank is here, ladies and gentlemen, make yourself at home, Swank - hit somebody!". This is a direct reference to a joke Don Rickles once made to Frank Sinatra, where he said "Make yourself at home, Frank - hit somebody!".[2]

Dr. Strangelove[]

  • The achievement Love the Bomb is a reference to the film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
  • In a heavily trapped house in Nipton, just across the road from the General Store with a sandbag wall protecting the door, there is a note about "vital essence", in which the writer rants about "vital essence" in a paranoid tone very similar to General Jack D. Ripper's obsession with "precious bodily fluids" in the film "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.

Elmer Fudd[]

If the player has 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 Fudd's famous quote, "Be vewy, vewy quiet; I'm huntin' wabbits."

Elvis Presley[]

Elvis Presley is frequently referenced in quest names, but licensing his songs for the soundtrack proved too costly for the developers.[3]

Chalkboard Kings SoI

The chalkboard in King's School of Impersonation

Evil Dead / Army of Darkness[]

With the Wild Wasteland perk, when Dean Domino kills his first ghost person he will say "He's not dead... it's a trick. Get an axe." This is a reference to the 1992 horror comedy film Army of Darkness.

Euclid[]

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

Frank Sinatra[]

When the Courier wins 4,500 caps at Gomorrah the floor manager says "Looks like you're on a roll! Luck be a lady tonight!" This is a line from the song "Luck Be A Lady," written by Frank Loesser for Guys and Dolls, the Broadway musical about gamblers and their girls. Mr. New Vegas also mentions "lady-like luck" on the radio. Frank Sinatra played Nathan Detroit in the film version, but the song was actually sung by Marlon Brando(!) in that movie. Sinatra later made it one of his standards.

The quests My Kind of Town, One for My Baby, Come Fly With Me, Ring-a-Ding-Ding!, You'll Know It When It Happens, I Could Make You Care and Don't Make a Beggar of Me are references to songs sung and made famous by Frank Sinatra.

Futurama[]

Inside the Cave of the Abaddon, there is a fossilized dog named Seymour. This is a reference to the Futurama episode "Jurassic Bark," in which Fry finds his dog Seymour fossilized. Seymour will only appear if the player has the Wild Wasteland trait. Lonesome Road (add-on)

Kool-Aid Man[]

An unused texture for wall graffiti is present in the game files of Old World Blues. The static object NVDLC03GraffitiWW02 depicts the phrase "OH, YEAAHH!" in stylized red letters when viewed. There is no indication as to where this graffiti was to be placed, but the "WW" portion of its Editor ID indicates that it would have only appeared with Wild Wasteland. The graffiti is a direct reference to the catchphrase of the Kool-Aid Man. Old World Blues (add-on)

La Longue Carabine[]

Corporal Sterling, a member of First Recon at Camp McCarran will, if asked about his gun, state that it is known as "La Longue Carabine." This is a reference from the book Last of the Mohicans, in which La Longue Carabine is one of the nicknames for both Natty Bumppo and his rifle.

Lassie[]

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

Loch Ness Monster[]

After raising the B-29 from Lake Mead during the quest Volare!, Mr. New Vegas will talk about sightings of something rising out of lake mead that locals have dubbed the "Lake Mead Monster" and how all the photos of it so far are grainy and underexposed. This is a reference to the Loch Ness Monster.

Logan's Run[]

In Old World Blues, the trait Logan's Loophole and its image is a reference to the 1976 science fiction film Logan's Run based on the 1967 novel of the same name. Old World Blues (add-on)

Looney Tunes[]

While sneaking Rose of Sharon Cassidy makes the comment "Shhhh... we're hunting shitheads." This is a reference to the Looney Tunes character Elmer Fudd, whose signature catchphrase is, "Shhh. Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits."[4]

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.

Mister Las Vegas[]

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

Monty Python[]

  • At Cottonwood Cove, spray-painted on one of the buildings is "ROMANES EUNT DOMUS" (Romans go home), 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 aforementioned film.
  • With the Wild Wasteland trait, one 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."
  • The food item squirrel on a stick is likely a reference to the food item "rat on a stick" in "The Meaning of Life."

Nineteen Eighty-Four[]

In Old World Blues, the Book Chute will reference using a cage over the head and a bag of mole rats, a direct reference to how the protagonist of Nineteen Eighty-Four was tortured in both the book and the movies. Old World Blues (add-on)

Obsidian Entertainment[]

  • The Basincreek Building is an inside joke referencing Obsidian Entertainment's former office building. It contains several things which at one point happened at Obsidian's old office building, such as a car crashing into the building, the bathroom flooding several times, having an ant infestation, a rat dying behind a wall which caused the entire building to smell, and someone punching a hole in the men's bathroom.
  • 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 formid 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.

Patton[]

The unique Mister Gutsy Ironbelly's line, "There's nothing I like better than making some other poor bastard die for his country!" is a version of a line from the 1970 movie Patton: "Now, I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."

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.
  • The challenge I Am Not Left Handed is a reference to Inigo Montoya's line from the sword fight with The Man in Black in The Princess Bride.

Professional Wrestling[]

During the quest G.I. Blues when heading over to the Old Mormon Fort in Freeside, there are three men in 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 1980s and 1990s as "The Honky Tonk Man."

The Rat Pack[]

The group of actors/singers of the 1960s, 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. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin both performed songs used in Fallout: New Vegas. Additionally, the character of Dean Domino is modeled after Dean Martin and Fats Domino right down to sharing their first and last names respectively.

RoboCop[]

The Gun Runners' Arsenal challenge Ne Ne Ne Ne..., which tasks the player with a shotgun to cripple five right arms of a target, is a reference to a scene in the 1987 science-fiction film RoboCop, where the main antagonist Clarence Boddicker points and aims his shotgun at various parts of a captured Alex Murphy's body while imitating a beeping "ne ne ne" sound, before shooting off his right hand.

The Simpsons[]

  • The Radiation King company, which has appeared throughout the Fallout series, is the manufacturer of the Simpsons' television on the cartoon of the same name.
  • When telling Veronica she may use melee weapons, she will reply "Yes! Finally! Everything's coming up Veronica!" This is a reference to Milhouse's quote "Everything is coming up Milhouse!"

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 film's main character, Buddy. Much like New Vegas, the film is set in a post-apocalyptic USA and Las Vegas after a devastating nuclear war.

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 passport.; both are passphrases used in Sneakers.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs[]

Construction plant 7 dwarfs

In the add-on Old World Blues with Wild Wasteland on near by the Construction site the player will be able to find seven garden gnomes stood facing the red stones, with a number of pickaxes on the ground. This is a reference to the children's story Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs about a girl who escapes her evil stepmother and lives with a small group of dwarven miners. Old World Blues (add-on)

Songs[]

Other songs[]

Something Awful[]

  • 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, a failed amateur game project that originated on Something Awful.

Soylent Green[]

Salient Green is a reference to the 1973 film Soylent Green. Old World Blues (add-on)

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. This may be a further reference to the voice of Mr. House, René Auberjonois, who played Odo on 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. This is also a reference to Fallout 2, as Marcus says the same line as the Chosen One's companion.
  • When dealing with The Kings in Freeside for Ambassador Crocker if you have the Wild Wasteland trait, 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 not a doctor]" line of quotes from Leonard "Bones" McCoy in Star Trek.
  • Some of the ICBMs derelict or otherwise that you encounter during the Lonesome Road expansion, including the one you end up launching, are Titan Vs.

Star Wars[]

  • The Wild Wasteland trait adds an encounter in the town of Nipton. When heading east from the Nipton Town Hall, one may find a burning house with the skeletal remains of Owen and Beru, referencing Luke Skywalker's uncle and aunt who were burned to death by Stormtroopers in A New Hope.
  • The challenge "...And Know Disintegrations" is a play on one of Darth Vader's lines in The Empire Strikes Back, in which he informs Boba Fett (a notorious bounty hunter well known for his use of a flamethrower) that "no disintegrations" were to be administered during the hunt for the Millenium Falcon's crew.
  • During the quest You'll Know It When It Happens, when Ranger Grant asks for a report on what has happened after a Legion assassin is killed on top of a guard tower, 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.

This is Spinal Tap[]

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.

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 1930s.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre[]

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

Vegas Vic[]

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

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 W.B. Yeats'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, it's not my fault that Dorothy and the Tin Man happened to be on the same yellow-striped road, is it?"
  • Old World Blues (add-on) In Old World Blues, Dr. Mobius refers to a group of murderers who were looking for a heart, a brain, and courage or a spine, which they had all along. This references the cast of The Wizard of Oz.[5]

World War I and II propaganda[]

The NCR propaganda posters are similar to propaganda from the WW1 and WW2 eras.

X-Men[]

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

References[]

  1. Sierra Madre vault terminal entries; Vault control terminal, Sinclair's Personal Accounts.
  2. https://slate.com/culture/2017/04/watch-don-rickles-insult-frank-sinatra-and-ronald-reagan-and-leave-them-laughing.html
  3. Jason Bergman on Bethesda Forums
  4. Rose of Sharon Cassidy: "Shhhh... we're hunting shitheads."
    (Rose of Sharon Cassidy's dialogue)
  5. The Courier: "What is the purpose of the technologies?"
    Mobius: "The X-2 Antenna can be used to focus your alpha wave frequency thought patterns. The Sneaky Suit? Why, it houses a cardiac regulator. And the sonic soundwave projecto-emitter was never intended as a weapon. It was a medicinal vertebrae-pulse-de-sensitizer. In short: Brains, a heart, and courage... spine. I think there was a story once where a band of murderous thugs sought these things. They had them all the time in the story. Didn't stop them from murdering to get them, and it won't stop the Think Tank, either."
    (Mobius' dialogue)
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