Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale/Shout-Out

There are a lot of shout outs in Recettear. It's part of what makes the game so enjoyable.

"Recette: Given how "Lost" you seem to be, I hope the trees don't start shaking.... Recette: (Reading a quest posting) "Drive away the God of Destruction. Beware pickaxes." Recette: (Reading a quest posting) "Slay the lord of Dragons for all of us!" Recette: (Reading a quest posting) "My inner mind has become a reality-cracking Overgod. He torments me! Please help!" Recette: (Upon being surprised by Griff) "Oh Carp!" Tear: "We automatically refuse to place horse heads in anyone's bed." Euria: "Son of a SUBMARINER!""
 * This game is full of good one liners.


 * When Tear is explaining Recette's father's disappearance, she shows a photo of man ontop of a volcano fighting a dragon, a reference to Ortega from Dragon Quest III.
 * Tear notes that meeting someone was not unlike meeting a hurricane in human form
 * Some back to other tropes - the description of a cloth newsboy-style cap describes it as being popular with young runaway boys and girls who want to look like runaway boys.
 * In the description of a "Fur ball" - "Contrary to popular opinion, it does not coo."
 * A Man's Fist: Made by a line of men who believed in others who believed in them. Unrefined but burns with passion.
 * Divine Finger: He who uses this with love and sorrow cannot lose.
 * TH Shield: Uses a Total Horror Field to use the wielder's own psyche to protect him.
 * Eldon's final two books are titled Eldon: Doom/Reborn and End of Eldon, likely references to Evangelion's Death and Rebirth and End of Evangelion movies (especially since their descriptions imply a Gainax Ending).
 * 200 Warriors - Surprisingly, a slapstick comedy about 200 warriors saving a village. This is humor!
 * Silver Watch: An old watch that still works perfectly. The inner cover seems to have an inscription, but you can't read it.
 * Louie thought eating a mushroom will make him bigger.
 * Recette meets Alouette for the first time when the other girl infiltrates her store by hiding in a cardboard box whose insignia suggests that it came from Amazon.com.
 * Description for a Tail: "The long, flexible tail of a giant mouse. Useful as an ingredient. Occasionally searched for by dragons."
 * Recette comments that despite staying out of the sun, dark-skinned Griff has a great tan.
 * Elan's Fist Flurry ability is fundamentally Akuma's Shun Goku Satsu without the screen going black. The icon for it even looks like Akuma!
 * Some monsters looks very much like ones in other games. Example, Bombs, Ahrimans/Evil Eyes and Ropers.
 * The fire-shooting teleporter wizards are quite reminiscent of those in another top-down action RPG.
 * Ropers were originally from The Tower of Druaga but most Americans have probably never heard of that series.
 * One man that Recette (and Griff) meets stargazing comments on the constellations. One of them being "Tannhauser Gate".
 * The Survival Knife: "Cuts rope, food, crocodiles, and throats with ease."
 * Power Glove: "A glove which enhances the user's strength, though not enough to lift boulders. Not so bad after all."
 * The Picnic Basket tells you to you "Beware of bears" while carrying it.
 * Relatedly, an ingredient called the Jellystone.
 * Shortcake: "Does not transform into a little girl."
 * The Plaid Muffler is "oddly popular with wizards."
 * Candy: "People keep saying you can find golden prize wrappers, but no luck today."
 * The icon for Nagi's Hundred Thrusts attack resembles Miku Hatsune
 * Brave Heart: Medicines made from this increase a person's courage tremendously. Not actually taken from from Blue-faced men.
 * Louie plays almost identically to the 2D incarnations of another hero who battles with a sword and shield.
 * Caillou's Teleport ability shows Dhalsim as the icon.
 * His Gemini Force spell has Youmu Konpaku as its icon.
 * Dudely Mitts: "Gloves made by a race of beings obsessed with fighting. All for the perfect punch."
 * Star Glove: "The foes of he who wears this glove are already defeated."
 * Melon: The very paragon of a palatable papaya-gourd.
 * Recette refers to the act of leaving a dungeon as "going home." Tear really wishes she wouldn't.
 * The icon for Griff's Dark Claw ability is Hsien-Ko.
 * Near the beginning of the game when Recette is aware of the bill, she doesn't know how to pay it back. She considers selling a internal organ, thinking that if she eats enough spinach it could replace her blood, but is worried because she doesn't want to become a sailor.
 * The knight-type enemies all have rare drops in the form of crystals. Admittedly, there are crystals for Earth, Water, Air, and Fire.
 * The Guildmaster is occasionally ordered to buy and sell stuff from "She Who Must Be Obeyed".
 * One of the quest listings in the pub reads "Please kill 10 crows around the garbage dump. Green item offered".
 * Blue Line Shield: "The old shield of the Golden Knight. There's one with a red line too, but this one is better."
 * Again from The Tower of Druaga, the Golden Helmet: "The helm of the Golden Knight. He used this helm to scale a tower full of demons, aided only by a priestess."
 * Ak-kai Claw: "Claws of a legendary demon that could travel on water and land. The red color triples their value.
 * One item is a book called "Les Infortunes". The description comments on the difficulty in keeping track of its large cast.
 * Upon your first trip into a dungeon, Tear opens up with, "'Welcome to the jungle', as they say."
 * Upon your first trip into a dungeon, Tear opens up with, "'Welcome to the jungle', as they say."