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What references have you spotted?

AuthorMessage
Ensign
Oct 21, 2013
12
KI games always have ton of references so I was wondering what ones people have noticed?

One that really caught my eye is a quest in Mooshu named 'The Winds of Change' . I believe it's a reference to the song by The Scorpions 'Winds of Change'. (absolute must-listen, by the way).

Will be interesting to see all the references people have spotted.

Commodore
Feb 12, 2015
970
Oh, the references are endless! Seriously, you have no idea.

Chumba Wumba in Volcano! is a reference to a music band on the same name. Also, quotes during the battle are nearly identical to one of their songs.

Bonnie Anne is a reference to the famous pirate Anne Bonnie.

Rooster Cogburn is a reference to a character of the same name from the story "True Grit".

And infinity more of them, seriously.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Too many to mention. But if you're a musketeer, Ridolpho Cappoferro was a real historic person. So was Muyamoto Musashi. ( Mooyamoto Moosashi in MooShu ).

Admiral
Oct 27, 2009
1439
The Rat Pack is a huge reference to singers Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, and others.
There are even some silent movie references.

Noticed the quest thread that is a Penn and Teller reference?

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
This is a very subtle one, but if you ever competed in fencing - Aquilo Santelli is a reference to Santelli Arms, a provider of equipment for fencers. It is also neat that he is used in a swashbuckler class promotion.

Admiral
Nov 01, 2013
1413
Lookit Light on Apr 29, 2019 wrote:
Oh, the references are endless! Seriously, you have no idea.

Chumba Wumba in Volcano! is a reference to a music band on the same name. Also, quotes during the battle are nearly identical to one of their songs.

Bonnie Anne is a reference to the famous pirate Anne Bonnie.

Rooster Cogburn is a reference to a character of the same name from the story "True Grit".

And infinity more of them, seriously.
This is a huge reference that I think everyone caught, but El Toro is based off of Zorro - a swashbuckling Mexican fighter known best by his flaming Z.

Commodore
Sep 20, 2009
989
I enjoy that these reference posts seem to keep popping up. Pirate101 is so full of references, many people have collaborated to build lists of the Easter eggs found in the game.

The largest (and oldest list) was started by PeaBotz way back in 2012.
Check it out here Easter Eggs

I'm still not sure why these posts don't get pinned or something, There's clearly interest to keep adding on to them.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
In Va2 there were references to Shakespeare & The Princess Bride.

Lieutenant
Jan 27, 2015
151
All I have to say is someone in development was a fan of Monty Python

Commodore
Feb 12, 2015
970
In Search of Yum on May 22, 2019 wrote:
All I have to say is someone in development was a fan of Monty Python
It is a known fact that the KI team loves Monty Python (Though I've never watched it... I probably should.)

Captain
Dec 06, 2012
613
Kobe Yojimo is a cow and there's a special kind of beef called Kobe beef. Kobe beef is very expensive and you have to have a certification just to buy it for your restaurant, it's crazy expensive so some restaurants will try and pass off Wagyu as Kobe Beef, explaining Kobe's crown shop clone being called Wagyu.

Ensign
Apr 28, 2019
19
As a person who rocks a tarot card, the tarot cards reference from the two fortune-teller horse sisters that tell you what you must do to defeat Caption Blood was one of my personal favorite so far.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
I was recently re-reading "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras Couny" by Mark Twain. Of course Mark Clemens & Huck Sawyer are references to Samuel L. Clemens' stories under the name of Mark Twain; but I was also struck by the name of Jim Smiley in the Frog story.
Could Mr. Smiley ( who we meet in Marleybone ) also be a reference to this story?

Dread Pirate
May 27, 2009
2131
anecorbie on May 29, 2019 wrote:
I was recently re-reading "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras Couny" by Mark Twain. Of course Mark Clemens & Huck Sawyer are references to Samuel L. Clemens' stories under the name of Mark Twain; but I was also struck by the name of Jim Smiley in the Frog story.
Could Mr. Smiley ( who we meet in Marleybone ) also be a reference to this story?
I think the Mr. Smiley in Marleybone relates to another genre - espionage. "Smiley's People" was a popular Cold War-based miniseries, and the Mr. Smiley in Marleybone is working with Special Branch on top secret stuff.


Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
I don't know if this has ever been reported, but Corporal Iams is a reference to a dog food brand - Iams.
The slogan was: "I am an Iams dog!"

Admiral
Nov 01, 2013
1413
anecorbie on Jun 2, 2019 wrote:
I don't know if this has ever been reported, but Corporal Iams is a reference to a dog food brand - Iams.
The slogan was: "I am an Iams dog!"
Yeah, I did catch that, actually. Good one!

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
I wonder if Samocles is reference to Sam the Bald Eagle from the old TV show: The Muppet Show? Or maybe I'm just reaching here.

Ensign
May 19, 2015
5
I am convinced someone of the dev team had a soft spot for Marlon Brando...

The Frogfather as the Godfather

and Gortez as Colonel Kurtz!

I love the Golden Monkey plot... so much nostalgia on previous accounts that I have had!

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
theholyhandgrenade on Jun 5, 2019 wrote:
I am convinced someone of the dev team had a soft spot for Marlon Brando...

The Frogfather as the Godfather

and Gortez as Colonel Kurtz!

I love the Golden Monkey plot... so much nostalgia on previous accounts that I have had!
Then all we need now is a Mutiny on the Bounty or On the Waterfront reference.
Also: I love your board name! 1, 2, 5 ( 3, sire ) 3!

Commodore
Feb 12, 2015
970
Many characters in Aquila are based off characters from Greek legend. For example:

Hawkrates (Socrates)

Emperor Tibirdius (Tiberius)

Eagilles (Achilles)

Hawkules (Hercules, Hercules!)

Orpheus and the Agronauts (From the Odyssey, I think (?) it was)

The Oracle of Delphos (Oracle of Delphi)

The Golden Egg and the Trojan War (Based off something everyone should know about)

Typhon (Based off the lava giant that Zeus imprisoned)

Dread Pirate
May 27, 2009
2131
Kingsisle was predicting the future when the game was created -- this speech from Donkey Hotay is currently my mantra.

"I await your commands. Another quest, I pray you! I am ready."

Who knew how apt this reference would be?


Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Lookit Light on Jun 5, 2019 wrote:
Many characters in Aquila are based off characters from Greek legend. For example:

Hawkrates (Socrates)

Emperor Tibirdius (Tiberius)

Eagilles (Achilles)

Hawkules (Hercules, Hercules!)

Orpheus and the Agronauts (From the Odyssey, I think (?) it was)

The Oracle of Delphos (Oracle of Delphi)

The Golden Egg and the Trojan War (Based off something everyone should know about)

Typhon (Based off the lava giant that Zeus imprisoned)
Orpheus and the Argonauts aren't from the Odyssey, The story is Jason and the Argonauts ( sailors of the ship Argos ) and is about the quest to find the Golden Fleece. Medea from that story also shows up later.
Actually, Typhon was a Titan that Apollo destroyed. His name gives us the word typhoon.

And Hercules is the Roman name, the Greek name was Heracles.

Commodore
Feb 12, 2015
970
anecorbie on Jun 5, 2019 wrote:
Orpheus and the Argonauts aren't from the Odyssey, The story is Jason and the Argonauts ( sailors of the ship Argos ) and is about the quest to find the Golden Fleece. Medea from that story also shows up later.
Actually, Typhon was a Titan that Apollo destroyed. His name gives us the word typhoon.

And Hercules is the Roman name, the Greek name was Heracles.
Just goes to show that I need to study my legends more.