NDI Stamped on Drake's Holster
Look closely at the back of Nathan Drake's holster and you'll spot the letters NDI branded onto it. It's a cheeky little in-joke standing for Naughty Dog Incorporated, hiding in plain sight on the character's own gear.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Knowledge
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Sully's Seaplane Pays Tribute to Crash Bandicoot
Sully's trusty seaplane is named the Hog Wild, which isn't a random pick. It's lifted straight from a level of the same name in Crash Bandicoot, another Naughty Dog classic, giving longtime fans a little nostalgic nudge.
Sic Parvis Magna
Drake wears a ring around his neck engraved with Sic Parvis Magna, Latin for 'greatness from small beginnings'. It's introduced almost casually here, but the phrase becomes a genuine throughline for who Nathan Drake actually is by the time later games roll around.
A Throwaway Line That Was Actually Foreshadowing
Early on someone points out that Sir Francis Drake never actually had a family, and Nate just brushes it off. Play the later games and that offhand moment turns into proper foreshadowing, since it's eventually revealed Nate isn't a real descendant of Sir Francis at all, and 'Nathan Drake' isn't even his birth name.
The Real Sir Francis Drake's Coffin Is Still Missing
The historical Sir Francis Drake really was buried at sea in a lead coffin somewhere near Portobelo, Panama, and to this day nobody has ever found it. It's a nice bit of real-world mystery that lines up neatly with the treasure-hunting premise of the game.
The German Version Edited Out 'Nazi'
When the game got localized for Germany, the word 'Nazi' was scrubbed out of the dialogue entirely. It's a fairly common move for German releases dealing with that era, but it does mean a few lines land a bit differently for German players.
Drake Was Originally Modeled on Johnny Knoxville
Before Nathan Drake looked the way we know him, the design team was actually referencing Jackass star Johnny Knoxville. Lead designer Richard Lemarchand explained the team liked the mix of 'coolness and goodness' Knoxville gave off, and figured it fit exactly what they wanted Drake to be.
Nolan North Was Already a Naughty Dog Regular
Before he ever picked up Drake's holsters, Nolan North had already lent his voice to Naughty Dog, playing the mad scientist N. Gin across several Crash Bandicoot games. So when he walked in to audition for Uncharted, he wasn't exactly a stranger to the studio.
Amy Hennig and Richard Lemarchand Led the Charge
Amy Hennig directed the very first Uncharted, with Richard Lemarchand handling the design work alongside her. Between the two of them, they set the template for the pulpy, cinematic tone the whole series would end up chasing for years afterward.
A Spider Swarm Almost Made the Cut
For the Amazon ruins section, the team actually sketched concept art of Sully getting swarmed by spiders as a potential obstacle. It never made it into the finished game, but the idea didn't go to waste, since something very similar turned up years later in Uncharted 3.