There are a lot of references in Hi-Fi Rush. Here are our favourite ones.

The stylish platformer Hi-Fi Rush, with its cel-shaded graphics, is one of the most creative and well-thought-out games to come out in years. In this rhythm-based adventure, you play as Chai, a want tobe rock star. As waves of robot enemies come at you, you have to kill them to the beat of a variety of licensed songs.

Hi-Fi Rush is creative, but not just in how it is put together. It’s full of funny references, cameos, and Easter eggs that will make you laugh out loud when you find them. Here are some of the best ones we were able to find.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

There are a lot of similarities between Hi-Fi Rush and the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Both have jokes that are meant to be taken seriously, a style that is influenced by rock music. And a main character who doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into. Unsurprisingly, the game starts off with at least one direct reference to the movie.

After Chai has the limb replacement surgery at Vanderlay, a montage shows him eagerly getting dressed, with action shots of him putting on his shirt, tossing his scarf over his shoulder, and then struggling to get his shoes on. This is a clear reference to the scene in Scott Pilgrim where the same thing happens, right down to the fact that Scott takes a long time to tie his shoes.

The Evil Within’s Protagonist

The colorful world of Hi-Fi Rush is full of people with big personalities. Like the many robots who live at Vanderlay Technologies. SEB-AAA and JSF-001, two bots from the HR department of the company, stand out more than most. Throughout the adventure, you’ll see these two talking in cryptic ways that fans of the game’s creator, Tango Dreamworks, should recognize.

Tango made the popular horror game series The Evil Within before making Hi-Fi Rush. The two HR robots are a clear reference to Sebastian, the main character of that game, and his partner, Joseph. This sly reference to the developer’s past work helps connect their very different styles.

Tango Dreamworks Logo

Tango Dreamworks doesn’t just make jokes about itself in The Evil Within. There is another reference that breaks the fourth wall in the games. Most players will miss it, but you can find it on more than one level.

During your journey through Hi-Fi Rush, you might see a small snail with an odd shape in the background of different environments. This is the company’s mascot, which you can see in the logo. You can see the snail doing different things. And one level even has a wanted poster with its picture on it.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

The head of Research and Development, Zanzo, is one of the most interesting bosses in Hi-Fi Rush. Todd Haberkorn, who also voices Ungalo in the English dub of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, gives the character its English voice.

Since there are so many connections between Zanzo and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. It’s not surprising that he talks a lot about the whole series. The strange character strikes a number of poses that are direct references to the anime and manga characters. In some scenes of the game, the famous “MENACING” sound effect can be seen floating around him.

Twin Peaks

At one point in your adventure, Chai is in the middle of an exciting escape when he is violently taken away. When he opens his eyes again, he finds himself back in Peppermint’s hideout with his friends. Who start praising him for how brave he’s been.

Soon, the characters start to snap their fingers at the same time, a sign that they think Chai is asleep and that they want him to “wake up.” This snapping is accompanied by jazzy music, and the popular robotic cat 808 steps out of the shadows and does a strange dance-like routine. This is a direct reference to the second episode of the weird TV show Twin Peaks. Where a small man does a dance that is almost exactly the same during a long dream sequence.

808’s Sound Effects

Speaking of 808, the cute robot cat makes a big impression almost as soon as you start playing. She will spend some of the game repeating what your group of friends says to you. But you’ll eventually get to know her for her cat-like moves and interesting sounds.

If you watch how 808 moves, touches things, and even licks your face. You might find similarities between her and her namesake. All of the sounds that 808 makes come from an 808 drum machine. Which is a popular tool for making music that has been used in many different styles since the 1980s.

Street Fighter

During the course of Hi-Fi Rush, Chai can get a wide range of Special Attacks. Even though they range from long-range blasts to close-range claw strikes to Chai riding his guitar into enemies, Street Fighter fans should recognize one attack.

Chai’s Hi Pitch Punch is a powerful uppercut that sends his opponents flying. The way the punch comes in, the pause before contact, and the way the body stays in the air after the blow are all very similar to the famous animation of Shoryuken from Street Fighter. In particular, the move looks a lot like Metsu Shoryuken, the more powerful version of the attack.

Xenogears

Even though Hi-Fi Rush has a lot of over-the-top action, you might not think of it as a turn-based RPG. However, 8 Ball Pool game does make one clear reference to a PS1 favorite. It happens near the beginning of Track 10 near the end of the game.

During the beginning of this mission, Chai is seen sitting in a dark area with a lot of stars and talking about how to handle the next part of the adventure. The events are explained, and then they happen off-screen. This is a reference to a level that didn’t make it into the final game. This is a direct reference to the second disc of Xenogears, which has similar exposition over a dark background. Much of the second disc of that game had to be cut because it was too long.