With a story that spans dozens of hours at a bare minimum, Persona 4 Golden is a massive undertaking of a game. In it, you follow a ragtag group of high school students living in a small country village called Inaba, as they try to solve increasingly stranger murders by entering the television sets at the local superstore.

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But in a game this huge, you’re bound to miss a thing or two the first time round, since it’s pretty tough to see everything in one go. As you progress the story and discover what’s going on in Inaba, though, saying you’re in for a handful of surprises feels like an understatement. With so much excitement happening at the forefront, we wanted to look back at some Easter eggs that Atlus included for us as we work on “accepting who we really are.”

10 Real-Life Inaba

A shot from Fuefuki, the real city that inspired Inaba in Persona 4 Golden
Fuefuki City Hall by Sakaori, via Wikipedia

The Persona games take place all across Japan, and Persona 4’s town was inspired by Fuefuki, located in Yamanashi Prefecture. It’s more forest than town with almost 60 percent of the land covered by trees, but it’s still home to just shy of 70,000 people.

Photos from around Fuefuki should look familiar to players who’ve spent any amount of time in Yu’s shoes. The Ichinomiya Asama Shrine is located in town, the Fuefuki River carves a path through the town, and the train station that was demolished in the mid-2010s was the architectural basis for the Yasoinaba Station in-game.

9 The Legend Of Teddie

Teddie making a Zelda reference in Persona 4 Golden

It’s almost impossible by now to be a fan of video games and not at least have HEARD of The Legend of Zelda. Even if you’re not a fan, you’re almost certainly familiar with the infamous line uttered by the old man at the beginning of the first game, when he gives you the Master Sword: “It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this.”

Teddie will reference this iconic statement when trying to accompany the protagonist to the garden, of all places, for the sake of harvesting bugs. This dialogue happens in January, meaning Teddie has had more than enough time to digest the horrors your team is up against. But still, bugs are what get him nervous.

8 Atlus Nods In-Game

Yu with a calendar featuring Persona 3 art in Persona 4 Golden

The developer of the Persona games, Atlus, really seems to enjoy slipping nods to themselves and their previous work into their games — and they deserve their moment in the sun. Persona 4 Golden has a couple different places where you can find these fun little references.

In Yu’s bedroom, the calendar hanging on his wall features artwork from Persona 3. Additionally, you’ll see a number of vending machines all around Inaba, and they’ll usually feature either Atlus’ name, Jack Frost, or Pyro Frost as their decoration.

7 Tanabata Tradition

The wishes Yu can make for Tanabata in Persona 4 Golden

As the Persona games take place in Japan, the protagonists are often seen celebrating traditional Japanese holidays with their friends and found-families. One such holiday is Tanabata, The Star Festival, celebrating the folkloric meeting of Orihime and Hikoboshi, two Japanese deities.

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One way to celebrate is by writing a wish on a piece of paper called a tanzaku, to be hung on a celebratory bamboo tree. Yu will have a couple different options between July 1 and July 7 to write his wish, and Dojima will have a different reaction to each wish. Unsurprisingly, his heart is warmed more by wishes to spend more time with his daughter than ones for world domination...

6 Respectfully Courageous

Yu contemplating using the women's room in Persona 4 Golden

An easter egg in itself if you’re not familiar with it already, but the boy’s bathroom at school is a great source of items, oddly enough. We’ll try not to think too much about the specifics of taking ointments and cursed paper from a public restroom.

However, you’re prevented from using the women’s bathroom. Should you attempt to enter after you’ve maxed your Courage stat, you’ll receive a message saying, “This is the women’s bathroom… Even with the Courage you have, you can find it in yourself to go inside…” Very respectful.

5 A Preview Of Friendship

Marie is visible while Yu first explores Inaba in Persona 4 Golden

While Inaba is based on Fuefuki, a place that just barely crosses the population threshold in Japan from town to city, we definitely get a more tight-knit feel in Persona 4 Golden. Inaba can’t be that big, considering you’ll see some of your future social links walking around before you even meet them.

Marie will be by the gas station at the beginning of the game. When you venture into the shopping district, Saki and Naoki Konishi can be seen arguing over a snack, and Naoki will reference this dispute to you during one of her social link conversations. On your way to school, you’ll spot athletes Daisuke Nagase, Ai Ebihara, and a couple other Yasogami High students as well.

4 So Many Callbacks To Persona 3

The nightclub from Persona 3 in Persona 4 Golden

Yu’s calendar isn’t the only reference Persona 4 Golden makes back to Persona 3 — far from it. For instance, Kanji will tell you a story of a pink alligator that references Akinari Kamiki, the dying teen who serves as the Sun arcana in the previous game. Yosuke’s ghost story on the camping trip is about Fuuka Yamagishi’s initial disappearance. The fish at the Shiroku Store is named Akihiro, after your Electric-powered friend from P3.

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Not only that, but players of the third game in the series will feel right at home on the school trip during Persona 4 Golden. The ramen shop and night club are old features, you’ll see familiar faces, and you’ll even hear whispers about a “traffic accident” — hinting at an incident that got the mother of one of your teammates in that game killed.

3 Channeling The Previous Cast

Rise reacting to Yu's outfit from Gekkoukan High in Persona 4 Golden

Those aren’t the only ways to invoke the spirit of Persona 3 into your playthrough of Persona 4 Golden, though. You can dress your party members in outfits from Gekkoukan High, where Persona 3’s students attend. You’ll earn the male outfit for getting the top score on your October exam, and the female one with the same score in December.

When you put them on your party members, they’ll invoke the likeness of their P3 counterparts during battles. After each victory, you’ll see them striking similar poses to the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad members, as well as saying battle victory lines more in the vein of their counterpart’s personality than their own.

2 Teddie's Trivia Trophy

Teddie hosting his television quiz show in Persona 4 Golden

As you’ve definitely figured out before long in Persona 4 Golden, televisions are everything in this game. They’re how you fight, they’re how you shop, and they’re also how you earn a trophy from Teddie, too.

Available from the TV Listing menu on Inaba Public Access, Teddie runs a quiz show called The Midnight Trivia Miracle Quiz. He’ll be asking Yu, Yosuke, Chie and Yukiko a series of questions all about life in Inaba or the happenings in the Midnight Channel. They’re tough, zooming in on the most minute details of your time so far. Answer all of them correctly to earn a trophy for your room.

1 May The Force Be With Yu

The menu for the Metalworks shop in Persona 4 Golden

Though it’s a bit of a challenge to actually get, one that’ll take you some time, Yu is able to fight using the Light Sword – and it’s definitely a Star Wars reference.

You’ll need to bring a good amount of endgame materials to Master Daidara, the swordsmith. If you’ve got everything you need, he’ll offer a sword called Triumph, which you’ll have to trade with a student on the second floor of the practice building. In exchange, he’ll give you the Light Sword, described as “a strange sword with a blade made of light [that] makes a distinct sound when swung.” The sound it makes when you swing it at an enemy in a dungeon should sound awfully familiar.

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