List of references to Back to the Future (Video games)

This page is for references to the Back to the Future trilogy in video games.

Bully

• The clock tower of Bullworth Academy is stopped at 10:04, similar to the clock tower on the Hill Valley Courthouse after lightning struck it in 1955.
• While riding his skateboard, Jimmy can hold on to the rear of vehicles and hitch a ride, much like Marty does at the beginning of the first film.

Burnout Paradise

• DLC Legendary Cars Pack one of cars, the Jansen P12 88 special, is an obvious parody of the DeLorean. Its look similar, and when a player activates nitro, the tires will leave behind long flame trails. The car is also able to hover.

Carmageddon

• When after getting all money depleted and seeing the "game over" cutscene where the Red Eagle goes very fast and explodes into bits, leaving only the car's skeleton and its license plate saying "OUTTALIFE". Even the flames for when the car goes off reminds people about 88 mph!
  • The expansion, and later game, Carmageddon: Splat Pack and Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now, both have a vehicle based on the DeLorean. Splat Pack has the DeGory'Un, and Carmageddon II has its second version, called the DeGory'Un 2, driven by Russ T, who is reminiscent of Marty McFly.

Colin McRae Rally

• The game has a cheat mode (enter your name as 'HOVERCRAFT' (PS1) or 'DELOREAN' (PC)) which enables your rally car to fly. At the beginning of the stage, it takes off in precisely the same manner as at the end of Back to the Future.

Conflict: Freespace

• Similarly, in a cut scene, a prototype energy shield is being tested in a laboratory, and one scientist notes that the power delivered to it is 1.21 gigawatts. He states the digits separately ("one-point-two-one"), so it isn't immediately identifiable with the phrase spoken in the films.

Dakota Season Three

• A character says he must go "back to the future".

Driver: San Francisco

• There's an easter egg mission in the game called "Blast From The Past" that can be unlocked by driving the DeLorean DMC-12 up to 88 MPH.

Forza Motorsport 4

There is an achievement that can be unlocked called "Outta Time", and you get it by accelerating a DeLorean DMC-12 to 88 MPH.

Fallout 2

• One of the slaves was reported to be yelling "Run for it Marty!" during a slaver mission. [1]

Game Dev Tycoon

• In the beginning office, it says "You have been traveled back in time", and has a Delorean DMC-12 covered in blue cloth.

The God of War Collection

• There's a trophy called "1.21 Gigawatts" when Kratos obtains the Poseidon's Rage power.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

• Set in 1986, features many references to 80's pop-culture, including some to Back to the Future in the form of pedestrian dialogue. Some examples are, "I'll erase you from existence!" and, ""No! My time machine!!!""
• A mission in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories involves controlling a robot. The robot will sometimes display the text, "Flux Capacitor at 110%".
• There is even a mod of BTTF,  called Back to the Future: Hill Valley, and it includes all the DeLorean machines and the Jules Verne Train. You start out in a regular DeLorean, and can go to Sunshine Autos to construct one of the time machines.

Guitar Hero World Tour

• There is an achievement called "1.21 Jigowatts?!?!", the same value required by the flux capacitor in order to work.

MegaMan Legends

• At the beginning of the game after MegaMan defeats the boss, it activates again and corners him to the edge of the roof. MegaMan then jumps off of the roof, only to come back up on the Flutter similar to Marty's return in Back to the Future Part II after jumping of the roof of Biff's hotel.

Oni

• The yield of an explosive device (contained within a self-destruct system) is noted as "1.21 Gigawatts"- the same value required by the flux capacitor in BTTF in order to work.

The Polar Express

• As in the film, there is a flux capacitor present in the cab of the locomotive.

Project Gotham Racing 4

• There's an Easter egg achievement, that can be unlocked by driving a DeLorean at 88 miles per hour in stormy weather.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

• The trophy gained after beating the game is called "88 MPH"

Scribblenauts

• Level 8-11 of the game is clearly based on the climax of the first film. The levels shows a mad scientist standing on top of a courthouse during a stormy night, with a long road leading towards the courthouse. A cable is attached from the courthouse to a tree. To complete the level, the player has to create a car that is either high enough on its own, or make it higher by attaching a metal pole to it, and then have Maxwell drive it at full speed against the cable. Upon doing so, a lightning will strike the cable and the starrite appears. The hint for the level is "Timing is Everything! Get a charge at eighty-eight!"
  • Also, the same level has a farm and two pine trees at the start where Maxwell is standing, clearly a reference to the twin pines of Otis Peabody

Simpsons Road Rage

• See main article: The Simpsons

Sonic CD (2011 re-release

• There Is an achievement called "88 Miles Per Hour".

Stars!

• The flux capacitor is an electrical slot tech in the turn-based space empire game. The function however, is to increase beam weapon damage by 20%, nothing like in Back to the Future, although the image of it maintains a glowing Y-shape.

Star Sonata

• A piece of ship equipment in the game is called the Flux Capacitor.

The Sims 3

• There is a PS3 trophy entitled "Great Scott!", which is obtained by building a "flux combobulator.

Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose!

• On the second stage, you make your way across an out-of-control train and jump onto a handcart. You then pump the handcart up to 88MPH, at which point the cart disappears off the side of the screen with fire trails. [2]