History ShoutOut / PlantsVsZombies

** One of the Minigames on the UsefulNotes/Xbox360 version is called "VideoGame/HeavyWeapon", the name of another [=PopCap=] game. You play as a pea-shooting lawnmower that moves back and forth while aiming, in a similar fashion. The power-ups your lawnmower could get are also very similar to the original game.

* The upcoming ''Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare'': Does that title remind you of a [[VideoGame/ModernWarfare certain other video game series]]?

* One of the mini-games is called "VideoGame/{{Portal}} [[VideoGame/MortalKombat Combat]]".

* At the last level, Crazy Dave pops up and says [[spoiler:I know his weakness! You have to [[KonamiCode press up up down down left right left right]]... hmm....]] Sadly, there is no EasterEgg for typing that in.

* One of the Vasebreaker puzzles is called "[[VideoGame/ZeroWing All Ur Brainz R Belong 2 Us]]".

** In the Spanish version, this level was called "Seis Tontos muy Tontos" (Six very dumb dumbs), which is a reference to [[Film/DumbandDumber Dumb and Dumber]], which is called "Dos Tontos muy Tontos" in Spain.

* The fact that when a zombie reaches a lawnmower, it will go down to mow down the entire lane full of zombies. [{Film/BrainDead Where we've had seen that before?]]

* At the last level, Crazy Dave pops up and says [[spoiler:I know his weakness! You have to [[KonamiCode press up up down down left right left right]]... hmm....]]

** One of the Minigames on the {{Xbox 360}} version is called "VideoGame/HeavyWeapon", the name of another [=PopCap=] game. You play as a pea-shooting lawnmower that moves back and forth while aiming, in a similar fashion. The power-ups your lawnmower could get are also very similar to the original game.

* [[Music/MichaelJackson The Dancing Zombie]], before the Game of the Year Edition.
* "VideoGame/{{Portal}} [[VideoGame/MortalKombat Combat]]".
* One of the puzzles is called "[[VideoGame/ZeroWing All Ur Brainz R Belong 2 Us]]".

* In ''Garden Warfare'', one can find a bulletin board that has a poster reading "[[AchievementHunter Cheevo Hunters for hire]]".

** In the Spanish version, this level was called "Seis Tontos muy Tontos" (Six very dumb dumbs), which is a reference to [[Film/Dumb and Dumber Dumb and Dumber's]] Spanish name "Dos Tontos muy Tontos".

* The stump that's on fire is called [[{{Series.Torchwood}} Torchwood]].

* [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/Torchwood Torchwood]].

* The [[{{Gasshole}} unique effect]] of the Chili Bean in the second game is probably a Shout-Out to the most notorious scene in ''Film/BlazingSaddles'', since the plant is first introduced in the Western zone.

* On the second game's future zone map screen, the Gargantuar is shown [[Film/StarWarsTheEmpireStrikesBack frozen in carbonite]].
* The Citron's BreathWeapon is clearly "CHARGIN' MAH LAZER!" while the Laser Bean's Plant Food power is "IMMA FIRIN' MAH LAZOR!"
* The trailer for the "Dark Ages" world of the second game features an armored knight zombie miming riding a horse, followed by an imp [[Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail banging two coconut-shell halves together]].
* In ''It's About Time'', the almanac section for the Future Zombies says "Future fact #23: Nothing bad ever happens to [[Franchise/StarTrek red shirts]]."
* The Deep Sea Gargantuar looks like a very muscular version of the ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon''.
* The Ghost Pepper is, in real life, one of the hottest varieties of edible chilli. It may also be a reference to "Pepper's Ghost", the famous Victorian theatre special effect for creating a transparent apparition of a character using an angled pane of glass and careful lighting.
* The Zombot Sharktronic Sub looks and acts very similar to the robot shark from ''Film/JamesAndTheGiantPeach''. Both involve a robot shark that attempt to drag plants into its mouth to grind them up with a blender inside.
* A Peashooter looks almost exactly like a [[{{Videogame.Pokemon}} Bellsprout.]]
* Zomboss' mecha in Frostbite Caves is called the Zombot [[ComicBook/{{Taskmaster}} Tuskmaster]] 10,000 BC.
* In the sequel, there's the appropriately named "Star Gate" that has keyhole which, once opened by collecting enough stars, you can use it to travel to the next world. Except for collecting stars instead of using keys (which ironically have other functions in this game) to unlock the keyhole and travel to the next world, doesn't it remind you of [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII certain video game]]?
* On a level with Weasel Hoarders, if you don't let any weasel jump over floes, you will get an achievement: [[Franchise/HarryPotter Run Weasley]].
* The Relic Hunter Zombie and Turquoise Skull Zombie are very obviously based on ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull''.