1. The development team
It’s no secret that Bayonetta’s developer, Platinum Games, is largely made up of refugees from Capcom’s sadly defunct Clover Studios. What’s slightly less well-known is that a lot of those same people also worked on the first Devil May Cry, something that’s alluded to in the name of Team Little Angels, the dev team behind Bayonetta.
Fans with long memories will recognize this as a direct callback to DMC, which was created by an internal team at Capcom then known as Team Little Devils.
11. Let’s rock, baby!
This next quote comes courtesy of Bayonetta herself, although if you’re not aware of the context for it, a line like “Let’s rock, baby!” probably seems way too generic to be considered a “reference.” But there’s a history here…
… and that history is that “Let’s rock, baby!” was actually the first line ever spoken by Devil May Cry’s Dante, just before the game’s title screen popped up.
12. Flock off, feather face!
This line, meanwhile – spoken when Bayonetta faces off against the giant boss creature Fortitudo in Chapter IV – is
way too weird to be generic, or a coincidence.
In fact, it wouldn’t surprise us if Bayonetta and Devil May Cry were the only two instances in history when it was actually spoken by human beings.
17. Luka’s girlfriends
Near the beginning of Chapter V, Bayonetta’s confronted by comic-relief journalist Luka, who practically dares her to kill him. He quickly follows up by giving her reasons not to, though, which include the potentially broken hearts of four women: Claire, Trish, Silvia and Ammy. These are, of course, more than just random names.
This one’s another bout of Capcom references: Claire is Claire Redfield from the Resident Evil series, Trish is from Devil May Cry, and Silvia is Viewtiful Joe’s big-headed girlfriend. Ammy, meanwhile, is a nickname for Amaterasu, the white-wolf heroine of Clover’s Okami.
Above: Ha ha, Luka’s girlfriend is a dog
21. The lava spider
One of the most – if not
the most – iconic enemies in Devil May Cry was Phantom, better known as the Giant Lava Spider. While Dante put him down more than once, a monster this cool just can’t be retired forever, and so he makes his return as one of Bayonetta’s summoned demons.
It’s good to see him back in action, and it’s even better to have him on our side for a change – especially considering what a bastard he could be to kill in DMC.
Above: You’re damn right it is
You might rightly argue that one lava-filled spider looks like any others, but our case here is helped by the fact that they more or less have the same name, as proven by this journal entry:
28. Ebony and Ivory
The DMC references just won’t stop coming, not even once you’ve finished the game. In fact, if you finish it on Normal, you’ll be awarded the Handguns, a pair of black-and-silver .45s that are dead ringers for Dante’s hand-cannons of choice, Ebony and Ivory.
29. Time Out
Another end-of-game unlockable, the Bracelet of Time is awarded if you’re able to finish the game on Normal in under three hours. It’s also a callback to the Bangle of Time, an artifact that froze time for Dante in the first Devil May Cry.
Description: Eva, a truly extraordinary witch, entered into contract with a legendary dark knight, and then faced the amassed armies of Inferno. These bracelets were made by her hand, and those wearing them are said to become true masters of Witch Time at their very will.
30. Angel May Cry
At once a blatant shout-out to Platinum’s glorious past and an affirmation that Bayonetta is really just Devil May Cry with an opposite premise, we have this Achievement/Trophy, awarded once you’ve finished half of the hidden Alfheim arenas. Good hunting.
Antonio Redgrave is a world famous journalist who was once in the employ of the
Ithavoll Group.
Antonio's Notebook can be found throughout the game, consisting of his many notes and excerpts on the history of the
Lumen Sages, the
Umbra Witches,
Vigrid, the Ithavoll Group and the realms of
Paradiso,
Purgatorio, and
Inferno, as well as a number of mystical and technological findings worthy of note. He is never actually seen, save for the flashback of his horrifying demise, seen only in diving gear. His diving gear is interestingly designed in that his mask takes the place of the conventional airtank. Upon discovering Bayonetta's body inside the coffin at the bottom of an unnamed lake (possibly near or within Vigrid's limits) he is killed by an
Affinity sent by Balder immediately after Bayonetta's awakening. His child son,
Luka, witnessed the entire affair unfold before his eyes. Because of the timing of the circumstances and the fact that untrained humans like Luka cannot inherently see the otherworldly beings, it appeared as if Bayonetta was the one who killed Antonio. It is later revealed in an addition to the flashback that Bayonetta was actually the one who tried to save Antonio.
Tony Redgrave
In
Devil May Cry, "
Tony Redgrave" is an alias used by Dante in his early days of demon slaying. The name can also be seen on Dante's notorious handguns, Ebony and Ivory: "For Tony Redgrave. By .45 Art Warks". When asked about the connection over twitter, Kamiya answered that Antonio Redgrave was a journalist that Dante respected, so he used it as his fake name during his days as a mercenary in Bobby's Cellar.
