History ShoutOut / Deltarune

* Rudinn's bio in the Recruits section has the phrase "Shine on, you lazy diamond!" at the very end, riffing on the Music/PinkFloyd song [[Music/WishYouWereHere "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"]].

** Previously referenced by name in-game, the "Cat Petterz" games are given a more fleshed-out explanation on Noelle's blog, and are confirmed to be expies of the VideoGame/{{Petz}} series.

* There is an Addison that sells tea based on the flavor of your teammates. When drank by their respective team member, they only taste water, but other people's tea taste like how they imagine that person. In {{Literature/Wayside School}}, the students receive ice cream that functions similarly.
* The boss theme against GIGA Queen, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fgAYdxM0bY "Knock You Down !!"]], is a shout out to ''VideoGame/LiveALive'' and the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHMLixBRpNI battle theme of the modern-day chapter]], "The Strongest", of the same name.[[note]]''Live A Live'' even has a giant mecha battle in it, albeit in a different chapter.[[/note]] Toby has previously referenced the game with [[VideoGame/{{Undertale}} "Megalovania"]], titled after the ''Live A Live'' song "Megalomania". Additionally, the double exclamation marks at the end of the title are a reference to the "Right On!!" quote that plays at the end of every successful battle there.

* The boss theme against GIGA Queen, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fgAYdxM0bY "Knock You Down !!"]], is a shout out to ''VideoGame/LiveALive'' and the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHMLixBRpNI battle theme of the modern-day chapter]], "The Strongest", of the same name.[[note]]''Live A Live'' even has a giant mecha battle in it, albeit in a different chapter.[[/note]] Toby has previously referenced the game with [[VideoGame/{{Undertale}} "Megalovania"]], titled after the ''Live A Live'' song "Megalomania".

* When Lancer enters your inventory as a key item, his initial quote is "Hohoho! I'm a tough boy! Treat me like one of your ITEMS!", referencing a line of dialogue from ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}'' that an NPC tells you upon getting an Exit Mouse ("He's a tough boy. You can treat him as one of your Items.").

* Spamton on the Weird Route refuses to be an "Extra Boss"-- while the concept of a BonusBoss isn't unique to the series, and the phrase "Extra Boss" sees usage elsewhere, the term is most commonly associated with the ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' and the bosses of its [[BonusStage Extra Stages.]]

* While battling the {{superboss}}, one of your party members can use an ACT to "make something spin around", in reference to the [[VideoGame/EarthBound Mad Duck's]] equally vague description of their ManaBurn ability.

* Talking to a Jisawry at the Castle Town's cafe will have it say "Lemonade? ...please.", a reference to a line from the sanitized Itchy and Scratchy short from [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS2E9ItchyAndScratchyAndMarge S2E9]] of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.

* While battling the SuperBoss, one of your party members can use an ACT to "make something spin around", in reference to the [[VideoGame/EarthBound Mad Duck's]] equally vague description of their ManaBurn ability.

* Before the SuperBoss with Spamton NEO, he asks, "[Heaven], are you [[ElectronicSpeechImpediment WATCHING?]]" This evokes an infamous line from Junko in ''VideoGame/TouhouKanjudenLegacyOfLunaticKingdom''. The line in question, "Chang'e, are you watching?", precedes a similarly intense boss battle with a similarly obsessive character.

* While battling the BonusBoss, one of your party members can use an ACT to "make something spin around", in reference to the [[VideoGame/EarthBound Mad Duck's]] equally vague description of their ManaBurn ability.

* Before the BonusBoss with Spamton NEO, he asks, "[Heaven], are you [[ElectronicSpeechImpediment WATCHING?]]" This evokes an infamous line from Junko in ''VideoGame/TouhouKanjudenLegacyOfLunaticKingdom''. The line in question, "Chang'e, are you watching?", precedes a similarly intense boss battle with a similarly obsessive character.

* Before the BonusBoss with Spamton Neo, he asks, "[Heaven], are you [[ElectronicSpeechImpediment WATCHING?]]" This evokes an infamous line from Junko in ''VideoGame/TouhouKanjudenLegacyOfLunaticKingdom''. The line in question, "Chang'e, are you watching?", precedes a similarly intense boss battle with a similarly obsessive character.

* The music-themed rebels in Cyber City introduce themselves as "Sweet Cap'n Cakes", a nod to Strong Bad's made-up crazy cartoon "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes" on ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner''. K_K even plays a song similar to the tune played by Keyboard Strong Bad, which is listed in the Deltarune soundtrack as "When I Get Mad I Dance Like This".
** Also, after defeating Queen in the ''Punch-Out'' style arcade game, her on-screen (vector-based) character's head explodes using a VERY similar graphic to the one used in the vector game portion of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R22zSrpeSA4&t=87s video games]].

* Ralsei and Susie's dances during the fight against the Sweet Cap'n Cakes trio are copied wholesale from one of the [[EverybodyDoTheEndlessLoop dance cycles]] in the SignatureScene of ''WesternAnimation/ACharlieBrownChristmas''. (Susie is doing Linus's dance, and Ralsei is doing 5's dance) [[invoked]]

* If you press F1 for Help during a fight with Spamton, a tiny angel with Spamton’s face will fly down and heal you. The angel’s body sprite, and the pattern in which it flies down, are very similar to the animation of the Raise spell in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI''.

** If you win the battle through violence, he'll mock you for thinking you won because you depleted his "[[TabletopGame/YuGiOh 8000 life points]]"

* Giga Queen's design looks remarkably like [[Franchise/StevenUniverse White Diamond]]. As a matter of fact, Queen's entire reasons for her actions are similar to White Diamond's as well; both are [[AntiVillain Anti-Villains]] of the [[WellIntentionedExtremist Well-Intentioned type]] who genuinely want to do what they think is best for their people and they think that their people would be happier if they followed their rules and did exactly as they said, but they're both going about the wrong way, and they eventually realize that their plans aren't worth carrying out and that they'll actually ''hurt'' their people if they succeed.

* The background when Queen contacts you via Video Chat in her castle features her in front of an pastiche of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bliss_(image) Bliss]], the default wallpaper for [[UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows Windows XP]].

* The low-res wireframe render of Queen's head, which appears when starting Chapter 2 and as one of attacks during her boss battle, resembles the Sigma Virus from ''VideoGame/MegaManX2''.

** Speaking of the Wet-Nose Bandits, the name of their gang is a clear reference to the Wet Bandits from ''Film/HomeAlone''.

* Just like in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', ''Deltarune'' has specific references to {{Creator/Falcom}}'s forgotten dungeon crawler series ''VideoGame/{{Brandish}}'', particularly the scene where Kris and Susie's falling to the Dark World, which [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dr_falldown.png references the intro]] of ''Brandish 1'' where [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brandish__u_____001.png Ares/Varik and Dela/Alexis' fall to the underground ruins]], while Kris' Dark World outfit gives them iron armor and a cape, which alongside their HiddenEyes [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/unknown_2_71.png creates a likeness]] to [[VideoGame/{{Brandish}} Ares]]/[[VideoGame/TheHalloweenHack Varik]].

* Much like the Onett PD in, again, ''VideoGame/EarthBound'', the local police department-- Police Chief Undyne in particular-- has the exit to town sealed off with a barricade and police tape for no particular reason.

* Checking out one of the holes in Lancer's leads to a line saying "You found 20 [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Rupys]] in the hole! Unfortunately, that's not a useful currency here...".

** Another ''Homestuck'' reference can be found when first encountering and speaking to Jevil from outside of his cell. If you refuse his offer to play his game, he'll exclaim, "HOW CAN YOU REFUSE, WHEN YOU ARE ALREADY PLAYING...?" -- referencing one of Lord English's signature quotes, "HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO OUTRUN ME, WHEN I AM ALREADY HERE?"

* The Forest Maze section (named as such if you save the game there) is a ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' reference, complete with following the other characters to find your way through-- or, in this case, to find the wrong way through.

* The way Queen's dialogue is formatted is almost a dead ringer for [[Webcomic/{{Homestuck}} Kanaya's]] typing quirk (capitalizing the first letter of each individual word -- the difference being Queen sometimes still uses punctuation, whereas Kanaya doesn't use them at all), with occasional mood words in parentheses and chatspeak sprinkled in.

* Berdly's Dark World design [[WholeCostumeReference is a dead ringer]] for [[VideoGame/StarFox Falco Lombardi]], to the point where [[spoiler:his death sprite in the Weird Route resembles Falco's reflector in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' games]]. Additionally, one of his battle flavour texts has him [[Anime/DragonBallZ crush his Smart Scouter in his hand out of frustration.]] Finally, he complains about cheating in a puzzle by comparing it to [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee wavedashing]].

* If you manage to recruit Hacker into your town, you can chat with him on the giant stone pillar west of the town's entrance -- he'll say that the town is nearly as good as the one he made in ''[[WebVideo/MinecraftWithGadget Minecrap]]''. Another reference to "Minecrap" is made by Spamton on the Weird route.

* After Susie and Ralsei split off from Kris, checking Lancer will have him say "Split up? We'll solve this mystery fast! You? You can be the un-talking dog," referencing ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'''s tendency to have [[LetsSplitUpGang the gang split up]].

* The name of the battle theme, "Rude Buster," appears to be a homage to a PC-98 ShootEmUp game titled "Rude Breaker."
* The mechanic used for gaining TP is essentially the graze system from ''[[Franchise/TouhouProject Touhou]]'', complete with a near-identical sound effect.

** Also counts as a reference to the Wombo Combo meme from Super Smash Bros. Melee.

* If you buy the Keygen from Spamton and then ask him about it, he will say nothing but "KEYGEN," and start flashing rainbow colors while dramatic {{chiptune}} music plays. This is a reference to, of all things, the classic WebAnimation/YouTubePoop "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bM2b5cfeZo The King Downloads Sony Vegas]]", which itself nods to the prevalence of {{chiptune}} music and rainbow colors in keygen, cracktro, and installer programs among digital pirates and {{demoscene}} creators.

* A possible example: in this universe, Alphys's and Undyne's first meeting of consequence consisted of Undyne destroying the former's bicycle (over a misunderstanding). This also happens to be the way [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} Ash met Misty]].

* When you meet Onion and they ask for the human's name, your options are "Kris" and [[VideoGame/MegaManLegends "Hippopotamus".]]

* After defeating Spamton NEO non-violently, the track that plays is called "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UJ5aTlQiDs A Real Boy!]]" This is, of course, a reference to ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'', a story about a sentient wooden puppet who wants to become a real boy.

* If you manage to recruit Hacker into your town, you can chat with him on the giant stone pillar west of the town's entrance -- he'll say that the town is nearly as good as the one he made in ''[[WebVideo/MinecraftWithGadget Minecrap]]''. Another reference to "Minecrap" is made by Spamton on the Weird route. The jokes themselves could also be a reference to Music/SiIvaGunner, who prominently uses the "Minecraft with Gadget" video in rips.

* After defeating Spamton NEO non-violently, the track that plays is called "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSXxltE8mQE A Real Boy!]]" This is, of course, a reference to ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'', a story about a sentient wooden puppet who wants to become a real boy.

* Before the BonusBoss with Spamton Neo, he asks, "[Heaven], are you [[ElectronicSpeechImpediment WATCHING?]]" This evokes [[VideoGame/TouhouKanjudenLegacyOfLunaticKingdom Junko of the Touhou Project's]] infamous line, "Chang'e, are you watching?", which precedes a similarly intense boss battle with a similarly obsessive character.

* The low-res wireframe render of Queen's head, which appears when starting Chapter 2 and as one of attacks during her boss battle, resembles the Sigma Virus from ''VideoGame/MegaManX''.

* Before the BonusBoss with Spamton Neo, he asks, "[Heaven], are you [[ElectronicSpeechImpediment WATCHING?]]" This evokes [[VideoGame/TouhouKanjudenLegacyOfLunaticKingdom Junko of the Touhou Series's]] infamous line, "Chang'e, are you watching?", which precedes a similarly intense boss battle with a similarly obsessive character.

* Before the BonusBoss with Spamton Neo, he asks, "[Heaven], are you [[ElectronicSpeechImpediment WATCHING?]]" This evokes [[VideoGame/TouhouKanjudenLegacyOfLunaticKingdom Junko's]] infamous line, "Chang'e, are you watching?", which precedes a similarly intense boss battle with a similarly obsessive character.

* Jevil's voice clips in the fight against him were inspired by Joker from ''VideoGame/FightersDestiny'', who uses similar voice clips.