Discussing the strength of the Ark spaceship, Primal replies "Die-cast construction... it's a lost art." This is a tribute to the original Transformer toys, which were made from die-cast parts.
Features cameo appearances by some of the original The Transformers (1984), namely: Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Ratchet, Prowl, Kup, Megatron, Thundercracker, Soundwave, and Starscream.
When Rattrap's torch goes out and he has to break through the ship with his beast mode's teeth, he calls himself the Stainless Steel Rat. This was the moniker used by a famous thief who appeared in a series of sci-fi novels by Harry Harrison.
In Japan, this episode was called "Muka-shi Mukashi," or "Once Upon a Time." This is a direct reference to The Transformers (1984), from which the Great War began, and where the Beast Wars comes full circle back to.