Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is a great throwback platformer that both celebrates Nickelodeon’s iconic series and stands on its own feet as a thoroughly enjoyable game. It’s a bit short, but if you can get past the minimal length, you’re in for a treat with this retro reminder of an age gone by.
Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland
Developer: The Media Indie Exchange & Wallride
Price: $25
Platforms: PS4, PS5 (reviewed), Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC
MonsterVine was provided with a PS5 code for review
Being born in the 1990s, Rugrats was naturally a show I watched quite a bit while growing up. A Rugrats platformer being made over 30 years after the show debuted wasn’t something I could have predicted, but Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is here, and better than that, it’s a ton of fun to play.
The game I could best compare Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland to is Super Mario Bros. 2. Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, and Lil are all playable with stats that reflect their personalities, such as the ability to jump higher or lift objects quicker. They also have their health bars and can be swapped between on the fly, making for an interesting method of health management.
Credit: The MIX
Jumping and tossing items throughout the game’s stages is a lot of fun and pleasantly difficult, which I wasn’t expecting in the game’s Normal difficulty (comically dubbed “Baby” mode). The levels are all diverse and filled with goofy enemies and excellent music, and I can’t think of a single stage that stood out as less enjoyable than any other.
“There’s lots of love for the series in every corner of Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland, as the babies, adults, and environments are all replicated perfectly in both graphical styles.“
The stages are themed after fantastical versions of mundane areas around the Pickes’ house, each featuring a boss from the show that ranges from the Dummi Bears to Big Boy. There’s lots of love for the series in every corner of Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland, as the babies, adults, and environments are all replicated perfectly in both graphical styles.
Credit: The MIX
The boss mechanics prove to be rather enjoyable, at times harkening back to bosses from classic Nintendo games like Kirby’s Dream Land. The final boss is especially novel, as it isn’t like anything else in the game and gives Rugrats fans a couple of the things they’ve always been wishing for.
Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland features a brilliant pixel style
Though both visual and audio styles have their appeal, I believe that the 8-bit mode is the way the game is best played. The NES/Game Boy Color graphics and sound make it truly feel like a lost game from the 1990s, and it’s incredibly impressive to see just how well replicated the two visual styles are. Being able to switch between them on the fly is a very handy feature, as well as the ability to separately swap the audio and graphic styles.
Credit: The MIX
The one problem with Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is that it’s quite short. I’d say most could beat the game within a couple of hours, tops, and that includes getting every single Reptar Coin. I don’t necessarily mind this too much as I’m interested in replaying on a harder difficulty, but be warned that it’s a pretty quick title to get through if you’re only planning on playing it once.
The Final Word
Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is a blast of a retro platformer for Rugrats fans and NES fans alike. The length is a tad bit short, but what’s here is so fun and pleasant to listen to, and look at that I can’t help but want to replay it despite having only recently beat it.
MonsterVine Rating: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
