The episode title, "Gamers Never Say Die", the lighthouse, characters wrapped in blankets, gamers "setting sail" are just a few of the references to the movie The Goonies (1985).
The console Mordecai and Rigby play the game on is based on the Atari 2600.
The character of video game creator Maury Moto is a reference to Pokemon game designer Shigeki Morimoto.