Some people will argue that the inclusion of Easter Eggs in videogames is pointless and doesn’t really add to the experience ... I say shenanigans to them. Easter eggs are a great way to gauge the developer’s dedication in a title, and it truly does give them another way to connect with their fans on a more intimate level. Come on, let’s be honest ... Chances are, only the true hardcore fans are going to find the vast majority of them, yet alone understand them.

This year we’ve searched high and low for our favourite Easter Eggs and we present them to you in their full glory here. No spoilers today folks; nothing but good times.

Rockstar are possibly the kingpins of the Easter Egg phenomenon. I suppose you could argue that they’re a hell of a lot easier to incorporate in a sandbox title but that still doesn’t take away from their inclusion of amusingly placed signs for gamers or even subtle touches that pays homage to the games before them.

GTA IV is no different and the old skool GTA inspired mini golf course on Firefly Island is a nice touch and brings the memories flooding back. The giant cockerel from San Andreas, the lighthouse from GTA 3, the Ocean View Hotel from Vice City, the Watts Towers from Los Santos and even one of the bridges from San Andreas was all on show there. Touché on the attention to detail.

Now if only it was a playable mini-game, this bad boy could’ve been so much higher ... It’d make a great DLC feature if you’re listening Rockstar.

Now GTA IV is absolutely riddled with NYC-esque landmarks; whether you’re talking about Times Square, Central Park, the Empire State Building or even the Statue of Liberty ... They’re all there. Whilst they might not be as cool as their real life counterparts, one of Liberty City’s landmarks has something that its real life counterpart doesn’t ... Of course, I’m talking about the Statue of Happiness having its own beating heart. Check this out.

Fable 2 is littered with references to the its original title, so franchise favourites will get a nice kick out of that, but the game is also littered with a few amusing references to Microsoft’s very own Halo franchise as well.

The first of two references comes in the form of a Limited Edition Master Chief special outfit and with his very own energy sword. Known as Hal’s Outfit, you can dress your own character up head to toe in medieval Master Chief gear, fresh with energy looking sword and you can even change your heroes’ title to Master Chief ... Which is quite surreal.

Last but not least, a massive reference can be found occasionally at the Temple of Light in Oakfield. When visiting the temple, sometimes you will find a pair of monks inside shouting praise to the gods and chanting. When they aren’t making amusing comments about the light, you may find them humming the Halo tune by mistake, only to find them go “No, that’s not right” and continue with their light praise. It’s very much a “OMFG!! No fricking way!!!” moment and one that is a very nice touch.

Just behind the top spot this year is the quite random “toast scene” from Epic’s Gears of War 2. Part of the beauty of this one is the simple fact that it’s so incredibly random. It’s can be found in Act 4, Scene 5; titled Best Laid Plans, and therein lies an altar like structure that when shot has a toaster inside that can be used.

What possessed Epic to do this, I have no idea but it’s surreal as hell and hearing Baird say he likes it crispy is like seeing one of the four horseman of the apocalypse ... The end of the world is nigh. Creepy and equally as awesome.

Possibly the craziest and most long winded Easter Egg of the year, but boy, is it worth it. In a small island to the north west of the prison, there is a small staircase platform where an arrow appears ... Basically, you end up going from island to island on a massive wild goose chase only to have a gigantic rabbit suddenly appear out the water ... Yes, I’m being serious. You can’t make this up. Huge credit to Volition for this one; impressive in every sense. Just watch the vid.