Summary
Creators making appearances in their own art is a fairly common practice across various media. A frequent method of achieving this without derailing the work itself is a simplecameo. These brief appearances, when made by creators, act as a sort of additional signature to their work.
In video games, which are an interactive medium by nature, these cameos often serve as direct nods to the audience. The exact form the cameo will take is often determined by the constraints of the game. It is usually sectioned off into a smaller portion of the game that takes some level of effort to reach, serving as an Easter Egg. These developers made surprise cameo appearances in their respective games, giving players (and likely themselves) a laugh in the process.
Shigeki Morimotois a programmer who has credits across thePokemonseries. He was also a character designer, having created a few of the earlier Pokemon designs in the series, most notably his apparent favorite, Mew. Eventually, he even began appearing in the games themselves. He first debuted as a trainer in the fifth generation of the series; the player could face him inPokemon Black and Whiteas well as their sequels. Morimoto’s sprites are shared with generic trainers in the game, with his first one being the male veteran sprite. However, Morimoto’s trainer class is always “GAME FREAK”, referencing his developer status more explicitly. Appropriately, he is often located in a section of the games identified as the GAME FREAK headquarters.
His most recent appearance was inBrilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, a game in which he is not actually credited, using a male swimmer sprite. In most iterations, Morimoto tends to use a full Pokemon team, a relative rarity for trainers who are less significant to the games. Morimoto is not the only developer to be a trainer in the games, either. InUltra Sun and Ultra Moon, game designer Kazumasa Iwao teams up alongside him to do a Multi Battle. Additionally, Koji Nishino, the designer whose mannerisms are said to have influenced the creation ofSnorlax(and he identifies himself as such), was also a developer the player could face inBlack 2 and White 2. Developers frequently cameo inPokemongames, typically in designated developer rooms across the entire series, though they are not always trainers the player can face.
With its frequent usage of meta humor,Mortal Kombatis a series known to frequently nod to its developers in various ways. The series co-creator, Ed Boon, voiced a handful of the male characters in earlier games. A notable soundbite from him is the infamous “GET OVER HERE!” associated with Scorpion’s spear attack, which Boon tends to reprise even when Scorpion is voiced by someone else.
Yet one developer whose face is more directly associated with the earlier work is composer and sound designerDan Forden. Said to originate from an inside joke between Forden and his coworkers, the “Toasty!” soundbite has evolved to become an iconic meme in pop culture. The most notable variations feature Forden’s likeness as he exclaims “Toasty!” in a falsetto voice. This debuted inMortal Kombat 2,when a character unleashed an especially painful uppercut.
The exact circumstances that trigger the “Toasty!” soundbite have differed across games since its inception, but it is a common Easter Egg that always gets an appreciative nod from fans. Variations, such as “Frosty!” and “Crispy!,” have also appeared in various games, but have not caught on to the level of their predecessor. Although Forden’s sound work is essential to the series, his infamous soundbite remains arguably his biggest legacy.
Japanese game developerHideo Kojimaneeds little introduction. As one of the most celebrated industry creatives on the internet, his work on theMetal Gearseries is considered seminal to the stealth genre of video games. Peers inside and outside the video game industry cite him as an influence, and he maintains a widespread level of affection and acclaim even after becoming an independent developer.
With the consistent level of fanfaresurrounding him, it comes as little surprise that he would make appearances in theMetal Gearseries, specifically appearing in threeMetal Gear Solidgames as a recruitable character often identified as “Hideo.” He first appears inPeace Walker, discovered within a truck that an MSF soldier described as containing “God.” In his appearances, Hideo is often characterized as an essential member of the Intel Team.
Hideo’s next appearance in the series wasGround Zeroesin a Side Op, where he appears as a vital intel agent, requiring extraction from a military prison camp in Cuba. His final appearance in the series was inThePhantom Pain, which was released the same year he departed from Konami. He is held hostage in Kabul, where he is cuffed inside the room where Kazuhira Miller was previously held in a similar manner. After being rescued, Hideo rejoins the Diamond Dogs. Due to Kojima parting ways with Konami and wantingThePhantom Painto be the lastMetal Gearinstallment, this will likely be his final appearance in the series.
Alfonso John Romeroco-founded id Software, helping produce games considered essential tothe first-person shooter genre. He was involved in the design of classic games such asDoom,Wolfenstein 3D,andQuake, as well as the programming of the former two.
Another game he helped program and design wasDoom 2, in which he also had a particularly strange cameo. Romero’s severed (and apparently still sentient) head is lodged within the game’s final boss, the Icon of Sin. This demonic being spouts apparent gibberish upon awakening, but carries within it a strange secret. Romero’s severed head is hidden behind the Icon, and can even react when shot, serving as an effective target sprite.
Romero claims this sprite was added as a result of trolling by the artists who designed the level, Adrian Carmack and Kevin Cloud. It could not be accessed through conventional means either, and required deactivating clipping to be seen firsthand by players. Upon discovering it, Romero recorded the awakening dialogue, with it being a pitch-shifted and reversed recording of him saying “To win the game, you must kill me, John Romero.” as a sort of response to discovering the sprite. Romero’s Head has since become an infamous joke amongDoomfans.
Chrono Triggerwas notable in part for the collective of established talents involved in its development. The hardest ending of the game, requiring the near-immediate defeat of Lavos, eventually leads the player to the End of Time. Here, players will find a series of monsters representing the developers, along with portals to other locations in the game where other developer avatars are present. Some can even be battled.
After every avatar in the various development rooms has been interacted with, Keizo Kokubo opens the final room, allowing the player to access the “Dream Team.” Here, avatars representing Akira Toriyama, Nobuo Uematsu, Yuji Horii, Kazuhiko Aoki, and Hironobu Sakaguchi are all present. The player is effectively made a member of the Dream Team for their accomplishment, and the credits are fast-forwarded to “suit [their] style.”
