Resident Evil 3: All the coolest easter eggs in Raccoon City

A lot of things change in two decades, but Resident Evil 3 does a phenomenal job of transporting you back to the zombie-infested streets of Raccoon City circa 1999. 

Capcom’s latest remake is filled with an abundance of loving nods to the company’s history, taking players on a sneaky trip through memory lane as they’re trying desperately to survive amidst a zombie outbreak. 

We’ve compiled some of the best easter eggs you can find across Raccoon City during the opening hours of Resident Evil 3, trying to track down some of the most obscure and interesting references we could. 

Darkstalkers

After her first encounter with the Nemesis, Jill Valentine stumbles upon Brad Vickers in the Raccoon City streets. Things are safe for a moment until the undead appear, and our heroes are forced to seek shelter in a nearby pub. If you look carefully, you’ll notice the establishment’s sign features Morrigan from the Darkstalkers franchise – a fighting series Capcom hasn’t done much with in recent years. 

Ridley Scott’s Alien

There’s a bunch of references to this beloved science-fiction franchise in Resident Evil 3, with the pesky xenomorphs likely being a huge inspiration for Nemesis itself. After leaving Jill’s apartment, you’ll stumble across “Sigourney’s Coffee Shop” which could be a reference to Ellen Ripley actress: Sigourney Weaver. 

Raccoon City’s subway is also filled with movie posters that poke fun at existing franchises like Alien, Terminator and Final Destination. They’re fun little nods at popular culture and fit perfectly in the broader world of Resident Evil, especially when it’s set in the 1990s. My favourite is a bowling horror film with this puntastic tagline – “No Spares in This Game.” 

Mega-Man/Ghosts and Goblins

The blue bomber is rife throughout Raccoon City, situated in a variety of locations in the game’s opening hours. You’ll need a lockpick to gain access, but the local toy shop is awash with memorabilia dedicated to the iconic platforming mascot. 

You’ll find a giant statue alongside toy helmets, cannons, costumes, action figures and more. Sadly, they remain untouched amidst the ongoing apocalypse. The shop also contains a poster advertising what appears to be a card game focused on Arthur from Ghosts and Goblins. 

The subway also houses a poster featuring Doctor Wily and Doctor Light, two prominent figures in Mega-Man lore. They’re holding a talk at the Science Forum on the subject of robots potentially surpassing humanity, which is a potential hint that the franchise exists in the same universe of Resident Evil. 

Eagle’s Pet Shop

This one is a little harder to spot, situated on a sign amidst the city’s growing pile of rubble. It’s also more niche than all the references we’ve pointed out so far. Eagle hails from Capcom’s Street Fighter series as a non-playable character, having made his first hands-on experience in Capcom VS. SNK 2 and Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper shortly after that.