Squids, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.’s and Sporks: the staff of Gamereactor shares some of its favorite Easter eggs -.

It’s Easter! We’ve reached that time of year when we want to celebrate spring and indulge in unlimited chocolate eggs and sweet treats. In the spirit of this year’s vacation, the Gamereactor team has come together to share a handful of memories regarding every video game editor’s favorite Easter eggs of all time. There’s a diverse bunch here, so let’s start with Oscar’s love of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

Oscar: Did you know that the video game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is connected to Tarkovsky’s Stalker?

Although not a direct adaptation, the game takes its name and some of its atmosphere from the film. Both in turn trace their origins back to Roadside Picnic, the Strugatsky brothers’ novel, which introduced the idea of The Zone, a mysterious place full of dangers and secrets. Where Tarkovsky’s Stalker is slow and meditative, a haunting journey into faith, longing and the fragility of hope, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. throws you into a more brutal zone, one shaped by the shadow of Chernobyl, where survival is the first and last commandment. Despite their differences, they both share a haunting, melancholy atmosphere that makes them unforgettable. A good example of how art and stories can be told in different media, whether books, movies, TV series or video games.

Alberto: You can play the entire Maniac Mansion (1988) on a virtual computer in Day of the Tentacle (1993)

The microcosm of LucasArts’ adventure games is full of little references that connect to their games in more or less direct ways. I myself proudly hold a giant badge that I cherish with the text “Ask me about LOOM”, identical to the one worn by SCUMM Bar pirate Cobb in The Secret of Monkey Island (please don’t ask me about LOOM, or I won’t know how to stop). But if I had to pick an Easter egg that fascinated me at the time, I’d say it was finding Weird Ed’s computer in Day of the Tentacle and playing Maniac Mansion, the prequel, in the MS-DOS version. Not that it was a surprise, since they are part of the same series, but you can play Maniac Mansion from beginning to end. A feat I didn’t dare, somewhat out of pride, until I played the Remastered version a few years ago.

Want to know more about LOOM? “Do you mean the latest masterpiece of fantasy storytelling from Brian Moriarty of Lucasfilm? Why it’s an extraordinary adventure with… “

Alex: Yarr, there are sea monsters under Rome in Assassin’s Creed II

I thought about my entry for this list for a while, thinking I would go with the gruesome human-monkey hybrid family you can find in Halo 3, before deciding on the giant squid featured in Assassin’s Creed II. I love Easter eggs that make you rub your eyes and wonder if you were the only one who saw what just happened on screen. Hidden in the depths of an Assassin’s tomb in Assassin’s Creed II, you can find a large amount of water. Pull a crank and some levers and stare at it long enough, and you’ll see a dark body swimming beneath the surface. Stare some more and a tentacle will appear to wave hello before disappearing back into the depths. Does it make much sense? Of course not, but it’s a fun moment that sent players flocking to forums to decipher if it meant anything at all, with those who hadn’t yet seen the squid desperately searching for it. A fantastic find if you went it alone, and a nice reminder that mythical beasts were almost always in Assassin’s Creed sort of.

Ben: Call of Duty: Zombies’ greatest wonder weapon, the Golden Spork

Call of Duty’s Zombies mode has always been brimming with Easter eggs of various sizes. While I could have chosen one of many as my favorite Easter egg of all time (competing for the slot with Borderlands 2 ‘s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles side mission), I ultimately chose Call of Duty: Black Ops II ‘s Golden Spork, found on the Mob of the Dead map. This handy little battle weapon becomes accessible after completing a handful of generally quite taxing challenges, which, when checked off, would see the shiny metal utensil rise from a bathtub filled with blood like a confusing omen from hell. When picked up, it would replace your mostly useless melee with a one-inch alternative that could save you from being cornered (perhaps from a Rusty Cage…) and killed by the undead. It’s not a Wonder Weapon of the same caliber as Blunderhole of this card, and it won’t slow Brutus down, but it’s very nice to add to your collection and just goes a step further by proving that Mob of the Dead is still one of the best CoD: Zombies cards of all time.

David: Zelda Breath of the Wild’s tribute to the late Satoru Iwata

It could have been a simple written message, perhaps as part of the credits, just like with the Super Mario Bros. Movie or with Star Fox Zero before that, but Team Zelda with Hidemaro Fujibayashi and Eiji Aonuma at the helm took a very special approach to paying tribute to a very special man. I’m talking about the way The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild paid respects to beloved Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, who died prematurely of cancer (a decade ago this summer). It was just that, the way it was delivered, that made it my favorite Easter egg for now. A peculiar NPC, Botrick, whose Mii-designed face looked too familiar, his role of “watching over the rest” too telling. An area on the map where the spirit of a formidable creature had been spotted. An aura-casting mountain, the Satori Mountain, which, once climbed, somehow made you realize that there was something different, something magical in the air. You couldn’t tell if it was because of the weather, the behavior of the animals, the music…. And then the Lord of the Mountain himself, the most unique being in the whole play, protector of the Blupees, elusive but powerful, whose first sighting made you shudder. The whole montage was not literal, in your face, let alone scripted, but instead a very delicate setup, an enchanted place where a parting soul resides one last time before its final farewell. A moving tribute after all.