The movie's video game high scores are based on real scores:
- Sam Brenner's Pac-Man score of 3,333,360 is the highest attainable score for the game, first achieved by Billy Mitchell. A higher score is possible on the Namco Pac-Man Anniversary edition machines.
- Ludlow Lamonsoff's Centipede score of 16,389,548 is one point higher than the real-life marathon world record set by Jim Schneider.
- Eddie Plant's Donkey Kong score of 1,068,100 is 100 points higher than Hank Chien's former world record.
Lamonsoff is a recurring surname in Adam Sandler's films under the Happy Madison label. It's a tribute to Sandler's college roommate, Eric Lamonsoff, who has made cameo appearances in Sandler films.
Matt Frewer portrays an alien version of Max Headroom, a role he made famous in numerous 1980s television productions. It's the first appearance of Max since 2007 when he appeared in Channel 4 commercials promoting their switch to digital broadcasts. Max was always presented as a computer generated character, but was always portrayed by Frewer in make-up. This movie marks the first time Max Headroom was an actual computer generated character.
Dan Aykroyd co-founded and co-owns Crystal Head Vodka, which the two main characters drink in the pub after the Centipede battle in England.
Director Chris Columbus said that President Cooper was modelled after New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Toru Iwatani: An arcade repairman. The Pac-Man Creator did not play himself because he doesn't speak English.