10 Video Game Developer In-Jokes You Totally Missed
4. John Romero's Head - Doom II (1994)
As well-documented as this bizarre little easter egg is by now, it's still one that many players likely didn't even find in the first place, much less see the humour in.
At the ending of Doom II, you'll be tasked with raining down hellfire on the game's final boss, the Icon of Sin. Though the intended method of killing it is to fire the rocket launcher repeatedly at the opening in its forehead, the Icon's source of health actually comes from a totally unexpected source hidden out of sight.
By using a noclipping cheat and running straight through the wall below the boss, the player will be met with the severed head of John Romero, a chief developer at id Software, bloodily impaled on a pike. Essentially, the head is the real boss here, as killing it will end the fight and win you the game.
In addition, a creepy message heard at the beginning of the level will, when played backwards, say: "To win the game, you must kill me, John Romero."
If anyone found themselves truly in on this joke back in 1994, I take my hat off to you.