Gang was designed in cooperation with, and endorsed by, the American Medical Association and the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information.

[3][4] Wally Bear and related characters were originally conceived by Walter J. Marsh,[citation needed] founder of Foglesville, Pennsylvania Edutainment, Inc.[5][6] The company was founded in April 1990,[citation needed] and a trademark for "Wally Bear and the No Gang" was established in September of that year.

[7] Long after the release of this NES game, and separate from it, Wally Bear and related characters are still used by the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information in publications, for the purposes of substance abuse awareness and prevention, and the promotion of general health.

Gang was originally going to be titled Wally Bear and the Just Say No Team, but due to an existing trademark of the phrase "Just Say No", it was renamed during development.

Newer NES consoles, with a "revision 11" circuit board, contained hardware protections preventing unlicensed game cartridges from running properly.

A club member received a poster, stickers, and a bi-monthly newsletter with the "gang's adventures, and products with special membership discounts".

NCADI rebranded the team "Wally Bear and the KNOW Gang" before 1994,[9] and expanded their message to include social and general health topics.

Callers to 1-800-HI-WALLY (1-800-449-2559) would be greeted by Wally Bear, and could hear various anti drug and messages relating to topics like alcohol, cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and marijuana.

[16] They could join the Wally Bear and the KNOW Gang Club through the mailing address for the NCADI, a post-office box in Rockville, Maryland.

[17] The hotline received national exposure in the February 18, 1996 issue of Parade magazine,[18] and was used on the health.org website in its kids area in the early 2000s.

The new program still featured Wally Bear, but his six animal friends had different names or genders (and the second rabbit of the team was changed into a cat).

The program featuring the team focused on childhood development, parental interaction with children, and drug and alcohol awareness.