Why does my Fallout desktop shortcut have a picture of some fat guy's head?

Yeah, I've got that same thing too. Weird thing is, when I go to the icon's location in Program Files it looks normal until I assign it or open it. I bought Tactics too and it is actually the Vault/Pip Boy like it's supposed to be so I just re-did the shortcuts for FO1&2 with that one.

This is Tim Cain, producer, lead programmer and designer for Fallout (and many other games).
Also take look at this thread:
http://www.gog.com/en/forum/Fallout_Series/fallout_desktop_icon/16

one of the fallout easter eggs :) just enable small icons and you will have original Fallout icon.

OK thanks guys, I was thinking it was some sort of Easter Egg. Plus I wasn't sure why my icons were so big but I like them smaller anyways.

thank you so much

You're very welcome.

Fallout sucks. Play a real game.

Fallout is more of a "real game" than anything you would recommend.

It's an easter egg. Windows 98 displays small icons by default. But Windows XP and later display large icons by default if they exist, so Fallout's large icon, originally intended as an easter egg, is now default behavior.

Would you recommand one kind sir?
i seriously cant wait to see whats your impression of a real game.