The game's main antagonist Garrett Bobby Ferguson Jr., and his father of the same name (both originally characters featured in the series' two-part episode "Exit 9B" which the game is based on), are based on Donkey Kong record-holder Billy Mitchell, who has notably gained controversy for cheating on the Donkey Kong arcade game. At one point in 2015, Mitchell sued Cartoon Network over the characters, claiming that the show infringed on his likeness. The case was later dismissed in court by New Jersey Federal District Judge Anne Thompson, who stated in her final ruling that:

The instruction booklet for the game pays homage to the video game box art style used for games released on the Sega Master System. This also ties in with the original series where the lead characters Mordecai and Rigby can sometimes be seen playing games on a Sega Master System. Series creator J.G. Quintel revealed in a 2016 interview that it was his favorite video game console during his childhood.