ðə ɡˈeɪm wʌz pɹədˈuːst baɪ ðə sˈeɪm mˈæn hˌuː pɹədˈuːst mˈɛtɹɔɪd, ɡˈʌnpeɪ jˈɑːkɔɪ, hˌuː pɹˈiːviəsli pɹədˈuːst dˈɔŋki kˈɑːŋ, dˈɔŋki kˈɑːŋ dʒˈuːnjɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi tˈuː ænd ðɪ ɚɹˈɪdʒɪnəl mˈɑːɹɹɪˌoʊ bɹˈoʊz. nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi θɹˈiː, ænd ɪt fˈiːtʃɚd mjˈuːzɪk ɹˈɪʔn̩ baɪ hˌɪɹəkˈɑːzuː tænˈɑːkə, hˌuː ˈɔːlsoʊ kəmpˈoʊzd fɔːɹ dˈʌk hˈʌnt nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈoːɹ.
The game was produced by the same man who produced Metroid, Gunpei Yokoi, who previously produced Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Junior (1982) and the original Mario Bros. (1983), and it featured music written by Hirokazu Tanaka, who also composed for Duck Hunt (1984).