LiiOR References

This post contains spoilers for the final chapter of Love is its Own Reward. If you haven't read that yet, what are you waiting for? Also, I've a new story out called A Kiss and A Duty that follows up on LiiOR, if that sounds interesting go have a read!

I love to slip little references into my work, in part to thank those games and stories that have influenced me, but also to let readers feel that little spark of understanding when they catch the reference. This final chapter of Love is its Own Reward is chock-full of them! This is not an exhaustive list, there might still be one or two in there that even I have forgotten about. Feel free to post any that you see, some might even have been unintentional on my part.

First of all, the most obvious one is Octavia's quartet, from the Grand Galloping Gala.

The roadies are from the game Brutal Legend, which actually helped to inspire Spike's original letter. Rarity uses a quote from Eddie Riggs to describe them, and that axe one carries is the Separator.

I usually listen to music while I write, so a few song lyrics slip in. Such as Crazy Train and Cheap Sunglasses

Vinyl's one liner to the crowd is a candle lit for the Fighting is Magic game, may it rest in peace.

Of course any encyclopedia worth a Hitchhiker of the Galaxy's salt will have forty-two volumes.

Spike running into Twilight is a wink to HP Lovecraft's defeat of Cthulhu with a steamboat ramming

And we all know that Mos Eisley is the most "wretched hive of scum and villainy" in the galaxy.

Finally, the White Mesa Citadel and the Resonance Cascade are references to Half-Life.

And smooth jazz was an irresistible way to warp in a nod to Portal 2.

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As for the references in earlier chapters, particularly Chapter Two, some of Equestria's old heroes were homages to early sidescroller video game characters. I figured that cartoon and sidescrolling games had enough in common to make it work.

There was bounty hunter Samus Aran with her power armor.

The keen gryphon commander was Commander Keen, an old favorite of mine.

Naturally the ninjitsu turtles were the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

As for the Duke with an arsenal fit for a King, Celestia was referring to 2D champ Duke Nukem. Back before his games got stuck in development purgatory, Duke kicked hide and took names in two dimensions. Even Duke Nukem 3D was sprite-based, so it was technically only 2.5D!

Celestia's "elite unit" was of course a nod to GI Joe, with their battlecry of "Yo Joe!"

Later on, Sir Fancypants made a number of Warhammer 40k references, along with a nod to Peabody and Sherman from Rocky and Bullwinkle.

That's all I can think of, post below if you have further questions!