Inverse spoke with Grounded director Adam Brennecke about the many '90s homages strewn throughout the game, and why they're a critical part of the nostalgic atmosphere that's already resonated with millions of players. Here's a rundown of 9 of the best Grounded Easter eggs.
Even decades later, the 16-bit era continues to influence modern games, says Brennecke.
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9. Ziplines
A most non-bogus pastime for an extreme age gets new life in Obsidian's backyard sandbox.
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8. Neon and surf-shop inspired fashions
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"I don't know if I liked it, or my mom just like to dress me in Crazy Shirts, but like every photo from when I was eight to 10, I had this oversized sweatshirt with a cat on it. That was the inspiration for Hoops' shirt design," says Brennecke.
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7. Yoked Girth
This brawny action figure was inspired by Masters of the Universe and Conan the Barbarian.
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6. The bright geometric shapes of Raw Science
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"Having those big purple and pink colors does draw your eye and gives it a unique look and feel that's not natural. It helps your eyes focus on it," Brennecke explains of the design perks of a '90s inspired color pallete.
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5. That certain grey-beige
Throughout the world of Grounded, you'll encounter countless examples of squat electronic boxes in the curious hue that seemed to be mandatory for many computers and electronic devices.
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4. BURG.L, your mustachioed robo-pal and R.O.B. the robot's second cousin
(He's also that weird grey color.)
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Those memory cards look an awful lot like SNES or Sega Genesis game carts, right?
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3. Battletoad
This muscle-bound cool dude is Obsidian's loving homage to the 1991 beat-'em-up Battletoads, designed to rival the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
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2. Punch-O!
The brand's goofy mascots recall the sweet, sweet taste of Ecto Cooler and curiously personified snacks like Otter Pops.
This Ecto Cooler nod connects to a whole Brennecke multiverse of Ghostbusters Easter Eggs.
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You can really taste the essence of criminality in Lemon Crime-flavored Punch-O.
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1. SCA.B flavors
These gnarly bespoke palletes were inspired by early Windows color schemes and '90s SNES role-playing games with customizable menus.
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"Earthbound did it really in a funny way, where they had all these flavors you could pick from" says Brennecke. "We have like 20 flavors, all inspired by '90s things."
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The previous two palettes, "Flying V" and "Supreme," pay homage to The Mighty Ducks and Taco Bell. This "Hot Dog Horror" scheme is inspired by early Windows.
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