Recently released in our country by Amazon Prime Video, the series that adapts the adventures of the 'Fallout' video game franchise is becoming a phenomenon, which is also full of references to the universe developed by Bethesda Game Studios. While many are obvious, such as the setting, costumes, and factions spread throughout the Wasteland, they have also been included slightly more subtle winks. In this spirit we have gathered and organized some of the references, also known as “Easter eggs”, which have been carefully worked into the production and may be overlooked by viewers with fewer hours explored in the universe. But if you have not yet seen the series, be careful when delving into this article, since it includes important data on its development.
10. Vault Boy dolls – Official image of the franchise
One of the easiest references to find are the small Vault Boy dolls, which represent the official image of the interactive franchise. The most interesting thing about this relationship is that the series shows several real figures of the doll that in video games can be added with relative ease to the players' personal collections.
09. The famous thumbs up – A simple gesture
Without leaving behind the iconic postural image of the Vault Boys, the Amazon Prime series allows us to know the origin of the “thumbs up” gesture which, among other functions, helps increase the character's charisma points in video games. It is the actor Cooper Howard who initially uses it during a photo shoot at a publicity event. The famous movie cowboy, hundreds of years after the Great War, will assume the identity of the bounty hunter The Ghoul.
08. SPECIAL – Always present
As with many role-playing video games, the Bethesda franchise maintains a status system that defines the way in which players face challenges and actions with other NPCs (Non-Player Characters). In this universe it is known as SPECIAL and remains present in the devices that appear in the adaptation, whether in references to school materials or in the posters distributed throughout the different shelters.
07. Please Stand By – Please wait
When starting a new adventure or game in each of the brand's video games, the usual thing before starting is to spend a few seconds contemplating the phrase “Please Stand By” in the image of the television disconnections of another era. In the series, the message is used in a moment of chaos inside Vault 33, reflected in the projectors that surround the premises with recorded images of the exterior before the nuclear catastrophe.
06. Water chip – Someone had to fix it
The television series has many references to the origins of video games and one of them is evident in the episode where reference is made to the burned chip responsible for guaranteeing drinking water in Vault 33. This is a mission included in the first game of the saga released in 1997. It is precisely this problem that will ultimately force the player to explore the devastated lands outside after spending years living comfortably protected underground.
05. Grognak – In comics and television
Among the various elements that we can find in 'Fallout' to increase our basic statistics are the comics starring Grognak, a barbarian very similar to Conan. The Amazon series reveals that, in reality, the character was more popular than we imagined and that it even became an animated series aimed at children.
04. Junk Jet – Load and shoot anything
The franchise's arsenal is certainly rich and among various pistols and machine guns that fire bullets or lasers, the series has also picked up some solutions from video games that are unconventional. Among them is the Junk Jet, a weapon with quite significant power, as shown in the adaptation, that shoots any type of “junk.”
03. NCR Combat Suit – Prepared for the end of the world
To survive in a post-apocalyptic world, you must be equipped with clothing that is flexible and resistant to both the enemies you will encounter along the way and the elements of the environment. Wearing the Vault Boy seen on the cover of 'Fallout: New Vegas', the combat uniform of the New California Republic (NCR) forces, he can also be seen in the Amazon Prime Video adaptation.
02. Nuka cola – The drink and the bottle
In this world devastated by nuclear war, it is difficult to find something that provides as much pleasure as drinking a cold Nuka Cola. The soft drink brand imitating another soft drink brand is a constant presence in the series both in the form of its popular glass bottles and in various vending machines scattered throughout the scenes. In addition, their badges are the usual currency in El Yermo.
01. Shady Sands – One of the central plot points
Central to the plot of the Amazon Prime Video adaptation, the town of Shady Sands may not mean much to those who haven't explored the territory in video games. However, surely among the public, many will recognize this place from its origins as one of the outposts of 'Fallout 2'. The city would later become the capital of the New California Republic.
Extra 1010997 – A very important code
As icing on the (jelly) cake, in the final episode of the season, Hank MacLean uses the code that unlocks access to cold fusion technology that promises to completely change the universe of the franchise. The combination used is “1010997” and can be freely translated as October 10, 1997, the date on which the first 'Fallout' officially arrived on computers in the United States.