Secrets and Easter Eggs in GTA IV

The following is a list of secrets, Easter eggs, and hidden trivia references in Grand Theft Auto IV.

Easter eggs



 * In Three Leaf Clover with Packie, if you position the camera properly you can look inside his head - inside there is a box with a picture of a skull on it.
 * In the missions done for Gerald McReary while he is in prison, a chart can be seen behind Gerald during the cutscenes for the mission. There are several names written on it, all of which are puns, including "Isaac Hunt" (I's a cunt), "Seymour Fani" (see more fanny), "Richard Head" (dick head), and "Phil Mcreavis" (fill my crevice).
 * Within the Statue of Happiness is a giant beating heart, supposedly the "Heart of Liberty City." In GTA IV, access into the area is only achievable via an entrance marked by a "No Hidden Content This Way" sign at the upper level of the the statue's pedestal, which can only be reached by helicopter. Once inside the pedestal, the player must scale a ladder up to the midsection of the statue, where the heart is located. It can be shot at, but nothing happens. In Ballad of Gay Tony if you drink too much you will respawn at random locations, one of which may be the Heart of Liberty City.
 * The lake in Middle Park resemebles the shape of an alien. This can easily be noticed on the map or from the air in a helicopter.
 * In northern Alderney, where you make the jump in the revenge ending Out of Commission, there is a person doing tai-chi on top of a high rock which is impossible to get to without a helicopter or trainer.
 * At the Firefly Projects, there is a park with a swing set. If you drive backwards (or forwards with some vehicles such as a Voodoo) onto it, the swing set will catapult the vehicle you're in high in the air. This is likely a bug in the game's physics simulation. See Swing Glitch article for more details.
 * While driving the Mr. Tasty, you can trigger songs to play by clicking the horn. One of these songs is the theme song of GTA IV. While this song is playing, call ZiT and they will text you back with "ZiT! Spotted GTA IV Theme". This is a cheat that gives the player health, armor and ammo, but also disables some achievements.
 * During one of Brucie's missions "Easy as Can Be", If you look on the lower part of his stomach, you will see a tattoo that says "Mommy" on his stomach. You will be able to see that when he has his shirt off.
 * At all TW@ internet cafes, behind the cashier's desk, and also inside various vehicle dealerships, the screen of the Kakagawa Power Ultra 3000 Pro photocopier reads: ERROR Unleash ninja guru lol. This can only be seen through the scope of a Sniper Rifle.
 * If you take a helicopter ride from Brucie Kibbutz, or you go for a helitour, there's an unsettling warning message about the helicopter inside the cockpit that you can see if you look in first person mode that says "This helicopter might crash but we really don't care if it does, refer to flight manual for help."
 * In The Lost and the Damned, the dash of the Rhapsody has a sticker of Wayne and Garth from the movie Wayne's World.
 * While playing multiplayer, all TVs in safehouses show the game's pause menu without the map.
 * On random occasions, if you shoot a paramedic while they are still in the ambulance, a horn might honk, even if the alarm is going off.
 * Both Johnny Klebitz & Luis Lopez, the two Protagonists of the two Episodes of the game, can be killed.
 * When you meet Johnny at the side of The Libertonian in Museum Piece, before you get close to him, you can shoot him (though this is non-canonical and fails the mission).
 * During Three Leaf Clover, when you have to flee the bank too battle/escape the cops, if you look at the floor of the bank you can see the hostages of the robbery; one of which is Luis Lopez, who you can kill (again, this is non-canonical). Also, in Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend, if you're quick, you can shoot Luis and Gracie as they're getting away on the boat, but this is non-canonical.

Secrets

 * Behind an old, rundown mansion in Westdyke, Alderney at the end of the dirt roads, there is the hidden, extremely rare Sultan RS parked in some bushes. This is practically the only way to find the car ingame. The only other way to obtain it is if the game has it stored in the temporary memory (perhaps because one appeared in one of Brucie's Races), and automatically spawns it parked or driving around the streets.
 * On the west side of Happiness Island there is a random spawn that can be a car. This is unusual as there is no way a vehicle can be brought on to the island unless unloaded by a ship.
 * Normally hostile pedestrians flee. Go into any strip club and either shoot it up or spend some time with a stripper. Then go to areas where there are gang members that will become hostile if they are bumped. Punch them and they will run away. Drivers that normally would get out and try to hurt you if you punch or hit their car will also flee. This only has a temporary effect.

References to previous games



 * On the staircases in most apartment blocks in the game, you may spot some graffiti referring to past protagonists set in GTA III canon (Claude, Tommy, Carl (CJ), Toni, and Vic), that suggests they have passed away, though it is likely metaphorical as GTA III canon is over so they won't be seen again. The only onscreen death of a protagonist so far is Victor Vance. The graffiti is intended to serve as "a little joke for fans of the series", as a different design approach to GTA IV meant the games' timeline could only inherit various fictional brand names and certain radio personalities; it is, however, no indication as to whether or not GTA III canon has been retired.
 * There is a Sprunk manufacturing plant in Alderney. Sprunk was featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Manhunt. It has returned to GTA IV with a brand new look. Also notice that "Sprunk" is a mix of the words "Sprite" and "Spunk". The sign outside the factory is very similar to a sign for Pepsi-Cola that appears in the film "The Great Gatsby."
 * One of the TV shows is a program called The Venturas Poker Challenge. It features a casino in Las Venturas from GTA San Andreas. When shown, the commercial doesn't have GTA IV graphics and art, it features GTA San Andreas graphics, the most obvious being the Taxi.
 * In Star Junction there is sign for Love Fist. Love Fist was featured in GTA Vice City, and was also on a sign in GTA San Andreas and GTA Liberty City Stories.
 * In the apartment in Bohan, next to the coffee table and in front of the bed, are a few CDs laying on the floor. Zoom in with a sniper to see that one of the CDs is by OG Loc from GTA San Andreas. There is also one by Madd Dogg.
 * There is a laundromat in Alderney called Mr. Wong's Laundromat; this is presumably a nod to that particular location.
 * When Playboy X is killed, it is possible to go to his apartment and open the wardrobe to get a change of clothes that look like the clothing of Claude, the protagonist of GTA III.
 * On the front of the Liberty Tree is Donald Love, who disappeared in GTA III.
 * The Securicars are owned by the Gruppe Sechs security firm (also seen in GTA III and Vice City), although in GTA IV the name is rendered as "Gruppe 6". "Sechs" is the German word for Six and "Gruppe" means group.
 * In the bars are postcards featuring Vice City. Vice City is also advertised in airfare billboards near the airport.
 * The "Pager" ringtone on Niko's cell phone is the pager sound from GTA III.
 * Niko can receive an email from Chiliad8888, which calls the recipient "Pilgrim", makes many spiritually- and philosophically-charged (and anti-government) comments, ends with "Feel the Truth, Live the Freedom", and links to whattheydonotwantyoutoknow.com. On this website there is a discussion topic titled, "Jump to a new level of Spirituality" posted by "Trooth". This discussion thread includes more philosophical thoughts, mentions Peyote, and provides a map of the Unique Stunt Jumps in Liberty City. "Chiliad" was also the name of a location in San Andreas (the highest mountain, in the southwestern wilderness). These clues suggest that the author of the email and discussion topic is The Truth, a character from GTA San Andreas.
 * On Happiness Island, in front of the entrance to the statue, it is possible to find a street-artist's easel/display stand with several pictures. These pictures are all concept works of many previous GTA characters. The easel can also be seen in south-central Algonquin, very close to where Hossan's random encounter takes place and in front of the The Libertonian.
 * A while after the mission Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend, the news reports that a homeless man, Jerry Kapowitz, found the diamonds used in the exchange and planned to use the money to open a gun store in Vice City.
 * If you look closely at the chart behind Gerry on the prison, you can see the penis-shape drawing the students at GTA III had drawn.
 * A building near the RON Gas Station in Downtown Broker has graffiti on GTA III Era characters.
 * A billboard outside the Algonquin safehouse shows a man who is said to be CJ, Carl Johnson, drinking wine.
 * During a multiplayer race in GTA IV if the player equips a certain Female face (possibly 2) then hits a car in traffic or another player's car while pressing the talk button (L1 PS3), the character will sometimes exclaim,"This isn't San Andreas you hippie, DRIVE!"
 * In GTA Chinatown Wars, a graffiti a block next to the South Bohan safehouse has references to the GTA III-era.
 * Vipluxuryringtones.com offers MP3 ringtones of songs from Lips 106 in GTA Liberty City Stories.
 * CDs from pre-GTA IV musicians are found in different places in GTA IV: Madd Dogg - Still Madd and OG Loc - Str8 From Tha Streetz, both rappers in GTA San Andreas, and Rudy LaFontaine - Funk in Time and Sunshine Shine - Mine Until Monday, both of which can be heard in Lips 106 in GTA Liberty City Stories.

References to other games

 * There is a show on the TV on weazel called spittoon. It is based off of Red Dead Revolver, another game made by Rockstar.
 * In the amusement park in Broker there are blue/purple Hippo Statues, just like the ones from Manhunt.
 * Numerous references are made to Carcer City, the setting of Manhunt.
 * On the website Yourmexicandoctor.com, two drugs first seen in Manhunt 2 (Hingmyralgan and H4PP1) are shown to be for sale.
 * On the TV channel Weazel, there is an animated TV show called Republican Space Rangers, which spoofs the Halo series, as it features space marines wearing a green armor that resembles the MJOLNIR armor as seen in Halo. In one scene, the Rangers fly their spaceship through a ring that resembles a HALO ring.

Real-world references

 * For GTA IV's renditions of New York City landmarks, see Liberty City in GTA IV/New York Landmarks.


 * The game references to the economic recession faced by the United States on a few occasions.
 * Rockstar Games has a habit of putting its logo in its games; the bowling pins at the bowling alley have the Rockstar logo on them.
 * In Cluckin' Bell restaurants, near the back of the store, there's an action figure of a man in a martial arts position wearing a chicken hat; printed on the glass is "Cluck Norris," a reference to film/television star and martial artist Chuck Norris.
 * In the second apartment you unlock (Located in Bohan) there are books sitting on a table near the TV. Shoot one of the books and there is another underneath that says it was written by Nuck Chorris. This is also a reference to Chuck Norris.
 * The mission Weekend at Florian's is a reference to the comedy movie Weekend at Bernie's (Florian insists that his new name is Bernie).
 * The mission called I Need Your Clothes, Your Boots and Your Motorcycle is a reference to Terminator 2: Judgment Day, in which Arnold Schwarzenegger says this famous line.
 * Avenues running north-south (vertically) in Algonquin are named alphabetically after American cities. "A" is at the eastern side of Algonquin; "G" at the western. The names, in order, are Albany, Bismarck, Columbus, Denver, Exeter, Frankfort, Galveston. Denver and Exeter run concurrently ("Denver-Exeter Ave.") south of Middle Park into Star Junction.
 * Streets running east-to-west (horizontally) in Algonquin are named alphabetically after different types of minerals. "A" is at the southern end of Algonquin; "X" at the northern end. The names in order are Amethyst, Barium, Calcium, Diamond, Emerald, Feldspar, Garnet, Hematite, Iron, Jade, Kunzite, Lorimar, Manganese, Nickel, Obsidian, Pyrite, Quartz, Ruby, Silicon, Topaz, Uranium, Vauxite, Wardite, Xenotime.
 * Many street names in Bohan are named after prisons -- Leavenworth Ave, Alcatraz Ave, Sing Sing Ave, Guantanamo Ave, Attica Ave, San Quentin Ave, Folsom Way (best known from "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash), Rykers Ave (named after the Rikers Island prison on the East River of New York City), and Joliet Street (Joliet, Illinois).
 * In South Alderney, the street names reflect (mostly antiquated) military terms -- Musketeer, Grenadier, Chariot, Phalanx etc.
 * In Broker, roads running North-South are named after Native American tribes -- Iroquois, Oneida, Mohawk, Onondaga etc.
 * In Broker there are the street names "Cassidy" and "Sundance", a reference to the outlaws, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
 * The Beatles: Broker contains the streets "Ringo St" and "Starr St", both references to the Beatles member Ringo Starr. In Dukes there's a Harrison St., probably a reference to George Harrison, and the northwest section of Liberty City contains the Long John Ave, name that John Lennon used at the beginning of his career. Paul McCartney references not found yet.
 * Rockstar uses cartoon characters names as street names such as, "Bart (Simpson), Crockerell Ave (Possible reference to a Fairly Odd Parents character named Mr. Crocker), (Hubert) Farnsworth", the direct link to South Park, "South Parkway" and (Craig) Feldspar, from Malcom in the Middle.
 * In Alderney, some streets are named after cult leaders: Hubbard St., Applewhite St., Koresh Square
 * Some streets are named after tools -- Jackhammer, Plumbbob, Tinderbox.
 * Some streets are named after insects -- Caterpillar, Worm, Butterfly.
 * Some streets are named after foods -- Onion, Asparagus, Chive.
 * Some streets are named after colonial Settlements -- Yorktown, Delaware.
 * Some streets are named after famous surnames -- Harrison, Hancock, Livingston.
 * Some streets are named after nuclear tests -- Plumbbob, Emery, and Niblick.
 * Some streets are named after inventors -- Edison, Schneider, Moog, Drebbel, Farnsworth, Cockerell.
 * Some streets are named after American cities -- Columbus, Huntington, Denver
 * The street in Northwood named Astoria's full name is Astoria Place. This could possibly be a take on Astor Place in the Lower East Side.
 * At the beginning of Clean Getaway, Vlad is nearly hit by a taxi and shouts "Hey! I'm walking here!" in reference to the movie Midnight Cowboy.
 * On the stairway leading to the sea at Meadow Hills there is a 'Banksy-esque' style graffiti piece.
 * There is a Liberty Tree article that talks about urban myths in Liberty City. This could be referring to the myths that were created around San Andreas.
 * An online article on Liberty Tree's website, an Air Sol flight has 212 passengers on board, 212 a reference to the area code in New York City.
 * In Willis, there is a shop called Al's Furniture. This is a reference to Italian-American gangster Al Capone, who was officially the owner of a furniture shop.
 * The fact that a secretive government body operates out of a paper factory may be a reference to the TV show Heroes. A secretive organization in that show also uses a paper factory as a cover and much of the action takes place in New York.
 * The viral video, 2 Girls 1 Cup, is indirectly referenced to numerous times on the radio.
 * In the mission Final Interview, if you shoot the guard standing at the top of the last flight of stairs when escaping from Goldberg, Ligner & Shyster, he will do a Wilhelm Scream as he falls down.
 * There are a lot of people complaining that they have to smoke outside. This is a reference to New York City, where you can't smoke inside either.
 * On many alley walls there is grafitti that says 'Cope' a famous grafitti artist in the real world.
 * When you wound a cop sometimes they will say "I'm gonna be okay!" referring to Reservoir Dogs, when Mr. Orange who has been shot in the abdomen and is bleeding while screaming in delirium.
 * Patrick McReary may be a reference to the song, "Packy Go Home" by the Irish American folk band, The Elders. In this song, the protagonist, named Packy, tires of constantly being punished at school so he decides to blow it up. In the game, Packie can give Niko car bombs. This may reflect the connection with the song.

Adult humor

 * As with previous games, the number 69 is used on various occasions in Liberty City, one such instance being on the Fire Trucks. 69 is a reference to the sexual position of the same name.


 * The outside sign for the Memory Lanes bowling alley depicts a bowling pin with two bowling balls on either side of it. Inside, however, the sign is only a neon outline, and resembles a crude drawing of male sex organs.
 * In many spots around Liberty City, there is rubble on the ground; in some of this rubble, you can see a purple dildo sticking out. This is the same dildo used as a weapon in GTA San Andreas.
 * There are signs scattered throughout Liberty City that say "Hot Coffee Shop", clearly a reference to the Hot Coffee sexual content and controversy from GTA San Andreas
 * Looking at the golf courses carefully from a height reveals that they are penis-shaped.
 * A brand of beer in the game is called "Dusche Gold". "Dusche" is German for "shower", so it translates into "shower gold", a reference to "golden shower", the act of urinating on someone.
 * Another beer brand is named "Pißwasser", "wasser" being German for "water" and "ß" is a German letter for "ss". An advertisement for Pißwasser shows a woman with the bottle in her mouth as if in an act of fellatio.
 * The logo for AutoEroticar is a car resembling a penis.
 * In East Island City, there is a building called the National Union of Contemporary Arts, within which is a statue of what looks like a stick figure man with an erection.
 * In Middle Park there is a monument that resembles male genitalia. According to a plaque at its base, it is called "Le Knobeliske" and was presented to Liberty City by C. Shutchomouf in 2007.