The Top Ten Video Game References In Borderlands 2

It's no secret that among the many things that make Borderlands 2 fun are the many pop culture references--we've covered that here at Gameranx before. And delightfully enough, many of them are sly nods to the games that the developers love and take inspiration from, often the most elaborate easter eggs in the game. Here are ten of the best video game references in Borderlands 2, ranging from The Legend of Zelda to Minecraft.

10. Skyrim

"I used to be an adventurer like you, and then I took an arrow to the head!" OK, so the phrase didn't quite go like that. But it didn't quite go like this either! Gearbox puts their own spin on the now infamous phrase with an NPC in Sanctuary.

9. Gearbox/Steam Valve

This one doesn't directly reference a specific game but it's amusing nonetheless. The mission No Vacancy requests the Vault Hunter find a "Steam Valve" and a "Gearbox", likely a nod to Valve and their Steam service, and Gearbox Software themselves.

8. The Legend of Zelda

Ah, Crazy Earl. He seems to have gotten even crankier since the loss of his sweet Skag pup, Skrappy. Head over to his place in Sanctuary to buy some Eridium and you may just hear him dole out some Legend of Zelda related verbal abuse, specifically "It's dangerous to go alone, jerkwad!"

7. Donkey Kong

A visit to Eridium Blight and its many Bullymong pods will reveal this deadly nod to Donkey Kong. Dodge the barrels and clip his red tie to earn an achievement, "Definitely An Italian Plumber".

6. Amnesia: The Dark Descent

This discrete homage the first person horror PC point and click is obtained early on in the game, but can be easy to miss nonetheless. Killing Captain Flynt at the top of the Soaring Dragon in the Southern Shelf will net you Flynt's Tinderbox, which, like the tinderboxes in Amnesia, is described as "Good for starting fires."

5. Borderlands

One of the best little in-jokes of the game has to be the nod to the original Borderlands and the infamous waving ClapTrap of Arid Badlands. Turns out you can visit the little guy  to see what he's been up to all these years but as it turns out it's...well, not much.

4. Dark Souls

On a hard-to-reach island way out in the acid pools of Caustic Caverns, you'll find a few ghostly figures around a campfire, in the company of one "Solitaire", a reference to Dark Souls.

3. Fallout 3

This one is particularly sweet because, as many fans have noted, Borderlands takes a bit of inspiration from Fallout 3. Miss Moxxi's Heart Breaker, your reward for completing the mission Safe And Sound in her favor, bears the phrase, "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire", lines from Fallout 3's iconic opening song, performed by The Inks Spots. Other references include the Bandit shotgun Thre Dog, inscribed with the words "Because one barrel ain't enough, and two is too few.", a reference to Fallout 3's post apocalyptic DJ, Three Dog. Maya can also unlock a skin called Vault Dweller, which resembles the classic suit worn by inhabitants of the many vaults dotting the Wasteland.

2. BioShock

The first installment of Borderlands 2 DLC, Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty, has a surprise in a little nook of Magny's Lighthouse. Take a treacherous path to this isolated corner to find "Mr. Bubbles" and his little sister.

1. Minecraft

The folks over at Gearbox seem to be quite the Minecraft fans! Not only is there a secret area of Caustic Caverns full of Creepers, Minecraft heads and skins, and breakable blocks, but players can also find a gun called Longbow, whose bullets leave a pixelated trail like the arrows in Minecraft. A shotgun called Blockhead with the description "Also try Minecraft!" can also be found.

What are your favorite video game references in Borderlands 2?