The game's introduction, challenging the player to be a "bad enough dude to rescue the President", became a popular Internet meme and is often lampooned on various websites. The 2008 video game "Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space" spoofs on the "Bad Dudes" intro in the episode "Chariots of the Dogs". Alternative rock band Lostprophets' first release, "The Fake Sound of Progress", includes a track titled "Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja" in a reference to the video games "Shinobi" and "Bad Dudes vs. DragonNinja". The webcomic "The Adventures of Dr. McNinja" often references the Bad Dudes, among many other 1980s pop culture touchstones.