Top 10 Fallout Facts

The Dogmeat canine family name is one that’s been passed down from doggie to doggie since 1997. We’re first introduced to him in the original “Fallout,” but sadly, our furry friend loses his life. The next set of dogs you meet in Fallout 2 and 3 not only carry on the Dogmeat name, but according to developers, the third dog is a descendant of the first. It’s also confirmed that man’s meatiest friend will be back in “Fallout 4” and cannot be killed.

This particular gem is for the sci-fi fans out there. Fans of Douglas Adams’ “Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy” may have noticed something in “Fallout 2. There’s a part in the game where you can come across... a splattered whale surrounded by blood and a pot of flowers? It’s odd, to say the least, but it’s also a clever nod to a certain part in the popular sci-fi franchise that involves missiles, a sperm whale, and a bowl of petunias. Their dig at Indiana Jones was good, but this was better.

It’s no secret that drugs are bad so we won’t get all after school special on you. However... Australia might? Drugs have always been part of the Fallout franchise, but normally, drugs are given made up names. So when developers decided to put the real drug, “Morphine,” into “Fallout 3,”Australian censors protested. This led to the drug being re-vamped into “Med-X,” which actually fits better with the trend of having made-up drugs. So, in a strange twist, censorship worked in the game’s favor.

The similarities between “Fallout” and “Mad Max” aren’t too surprising to fans of both franchises, but we’ll mention some of our favorites: the back cover of “Fallout 3” is a callback to the iconic image of Max and his dog, and there’s a leather jacket you can wear in the games that makes you look a lot like Max. You can even meet Mel Gibson in “Fallout 3” ... sort of... there’s a character named Mel who carries an unloaded shotgun just like Max. Close enough.

What if “Fallout 3” had been done by the publishers of “Baldur’s Gate II”? What wouldFallout have been like if Black Isle Studios had a hand in its creation? Well, to be honest, they did for a short period of time. Codenamed “Van Buren,” the game was all set to be developed by them until the end of 2003 when, on December 8th, the PC development team was laid off. Not that we don’t love what “Fallout 3” is now, but... damn.

If you want to get a feel for what it was like back in the Stone Age... well... this isn’t terribly accurate because it’s one-sided, but it can still be both entertaining. If you want an extra challenge as you traverse through the Mojave wasteland, create a character with only one intelligence point. Your dialogue will become a bit disjointed, much like a caveman. Of course, most NPCs don’t like talking to a caveman, a fact they will surely remind you of.

We just love recurring characters in video games, and apparently, the developers ofFallout do, too. Meet Harold, a mutant who made his debut in the original Fallout. Sadly, “Bob” becomes too much, and by the time we get to “Fallout 3” all that’s left is Harold’s face in the now full grown tree.

That’s what we’re led to believe, but not even Ford can survive a nuclear apocalypse. The cars in game bare a striking resemblance to the model of a car from 1958 called the Ford Nucleon. It was going to be nuclear powered and use a steam powered engine like a nuclear submarine, qualities that it does have in the game. Unfortunately, these cars in game are useless and explode when they take damage. Maybe it’s best that they never made it off the lot.

The Great War is the reason behind the desolation in Fallout 3, and the terrible tragedy started -- and ended -- on October 23rd, 2077. No one knows for sure who launched their nuclear weapons first, but what we do know is that it only took two hours to destroy the world. We also know that October 23rd was when the game was supposed to be released. Unfortunately, it was delayed a week, therefore missing the war by seven days. Oops?

Before this video comes to an end, let’s open up a bottle of Nuka-Cola and toast to these honorable mentions:

Apocalypse, Then Oblivion
“Fallout 3” (2008)

VATS inspired by Burnout replay mode.
“Fallout 3” (2008)

No Ladders anywhere in Fallout 3
“Fallout 3” (2008)

Fat Man’s Bell is Bethesda’s Lunch Bell
“Fallout" series (2008-)

To the future game developers out there, do not toss out those old sketchbooks full of your drawings and initial ideas. You never know when you’ll need them, in fact, they may become the cover to one of your games someday. That’s exactly what happened with Bethesda and “Fallout 3.” In 2004, lead artist Istvan Pely sketched the game’s very first piece of art. Surprisingly, that piece became the face of the game 4 years later and is still iconic today. We’ll never crumple up our sketches again.

Do you agree with our list? Which of these facts are going to help get you through the nuclear end of days? For more apocalyptic top tens published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.