What are these references? (in PS IV)

[j_factor]

In Phantasy Star IV you can go up to any bookshelf in the game and Chaz will either describe the books generally or name a particular book. Usually the books are related to the location. Early in the game, in Krup, there's a school, and Chaz describes the children's books. They seem to be videogame references, but I don't get them. Help me fill in the blanks.

Run, Hedgehog, Run! - Sonic
Biography of the Great Professor Lubetz - Phantasy Star
A Day With Ecco - Ecco, obviously
The Bare Queen - ?
The Ceramic Soldiers - ?
The Golden Axe, Volume III - Golden Axe III, obviously (and strangely since it wasn't released in the US)
The Eight Armed Ant and the Six Legged Spider - ?
Spoiled Rabbit of the Prairies - ?

[TheEdge]

I guess the spider one could be any of the Spider-Man and Venom games.

But....

The Bare Queen
Ceramic Soldiers
&
Spoiled Rabbit on the prairies

I have no idea about these.

[MrMatthews]

Spoiled rabbit of the orairies? Sonic was originally supposed to be a rabbit, so maybe during PS's development Sega was still kicking around the idea of a rabbit character. Perhaps at the last minute they changed this character into a star?

[NeoVamp]

The Ceramic Soldiers - ?


Clay Fighters

[Phantar]

Maybe "Spoiled Rabbit of the Prairies" is a jab at "Jazz Jackrabbit", the Sonic-clone that was released on PC's back in the day.

[TmEE]

Jazz Jack is no Sonic clone IMO... its only fast, and that's all there is in common...

[Jesse813]

I have no Clue but I liked playing those Jazz games when I was younger, too bad they never to any of the consoles.

[Zebbe]

Keep in mind that PSIV was released in 1993 in Japan. So the references are probably for games from that year like Ecco or earlier like Sonic. I personally think of Alisia Dragoon when hearing "The Bare Queen":

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/84/Alisia_Dragoon_PAL.jpg

Yes, I know the JP boxart looks different, but still... That horns comment Raja makes on Rika is based on the western boxart of Phantasy Star II.

[NeoVamp]

Keep in mind that PSIV was released in 1993 in Japan.

But were the books translated correctly, thats the question.

I mean PS4 was released on Dec93 in Japan and Feb95 in America,
yet Clay Fighter was a 94 release.

So either Ceramic Soldiers does not refer to Clay Fighter or they changed
some references to be more about games that were released world wide instead of just Japan.

[Rusty Venture]

Ceramic Soldiers = Chinese Terra Cotta Warriors.

Mystery Solved!

[Phantar]

Jazz Jack is no Sonic clone IMO... its only fast, and that's all there is in common...

Well, I remember that when it came out, many magazines compared it to Sonic (since there weren't so many PC platformers), and even the makers claimed that they wanted to create a fast-paced platformer and were particularly inspired by Sonic the Hedgehog. The Wikipedia-Article also draws several parallels to Sonic (yeah, I know it's wikipedia, but nonetheless...)

Jazz was released in early '94, during that time PSIV was localized for the States... so I think there might be a connection still.

Also rabbit of the prairies = jackrabbit

[Joe Redifer]

Who says they have to do anything with games? Could just be random stuff with game references thrown in here and there. A lot of Working Designs titles are like that, for example.