Admit it, you are humming the theme.
I was just a bit too old to get into Rugrats, but I did catch some episodes when I was younger. Even being a bit out of its age range, it was a well-made show, and I totally understand its lasting appeal. There were a ton of games featuring the popular babies during the 90s and early 2000s, but they have taken a backseat since then. So, when I saw the series was making a return, my interest was piqued. With so much nostalgia for the show and retro video games it seemed like a match made in Heaven, but is it?
How do you make a Rugrats game in 2024? Well, developer Wallride has opted to tap into that nostalgia by creating a cartoon side-scroller in the mold of classic NES and SNES titles. There is even an option to swap the visuals to classic 8-bit style, which is cool. The game itself is very reminiscent of the classic Super Mario Bros. 2, in that there are multiple characters, each one with unique jumping/movement mechanics. The goal of each area is to collect enough Reptar coins to unlock the door to the boss area. Rinse and repeat.
The visual style matches the cartoon.
MSRP: $24.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $14.99
The four playable characters are Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, and Lil. They are of course constantly hounded by the bigger bullying kid Angelica. There are six levels in the game, and they are not in any order. Which means I could pick any to start with. Each one is a confusing labyrinthian maze that had me constantly getting lost. Almost to the point that I assumed at first, I was supposed to tackle them in a specific order. Each level starts off as a room in the house, but quickly transitions into a more fantastical video game type world. It is a novel concept, just not executed well.
Most of the game play revolves around jumping on enemies and solving puzzles. It isn’t exactly in-depth platforming that is required, and more a simple design. There are three difficulty levels to choose from, but the most obvious difference is being able to swap babies at any time to basically refill your health. While each character has a different jumping movement, any baby can tackle any puzzle, making this feel more like an arbitrary mechanic. Still, this is purely an NES game at heart, and if it had been released during that time, I assume would have more reverence for it.
The retro visuals actually make the game easier to play.
The visuals are good. The HD mode looks nice but has some issues with design where platforms are a little harder to read due to their complexity. Thankfully I could switch them on-the-fly if I was having issues. The music runs the same gamut swapping between newer tunes and the classic style. They are all pretty well done, but nothing I was humming after hearing it multiple times. All cut scenes are still panels and there is no voice acting, but honestly, I wasn’t expecting any coming in.
Rugrats: Adventures in Game in Gameland does exactly what it sets out to do. Nostalgia for the cartoon and characters are imperative to its enjoyment. It is a solid game with some awkward mechanics that make it feel like a passion project on most levels. I had fun with it but wouldn’t find myself coming back for more after finishing it.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
