Available on: PC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox
Played on: Switch
Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is the first video game to star the iconic Nickelodeon 90s toddlers in 20 years. The retro platforming gameplay is heavily inspired by 8-bit games of the NES era — with all the frustration, difficulty, and limitations that most players would rather leave behind.
Read on for our review of Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland!
8-bit Babies
Adventures in Gameland doesn’t tell much of a story: Tommy and friends are left alone while the parents are busy (as usual), leaving them to roam around and make up adventures in various areas. The icy world inside the fridge, the mysterious caves beneath the sandbox, and so on. The few cutscenes are undercut by the lack of voice acting, though the cartoon visuals are spot-on.
The game only includes half a dozen levels, and they can be completed in any order. The goal is to collect all the Reptar coins in each level, which unlocks the final level.
With mostly non-linear level design, the ability to lift and throw blocks (in addition to jumping), and the inclusion of local two player co-op, the gameplay is most similar to (and clearly inspired by) one of the best 8-bit platformers of the NES era: Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers.
Unfortunately, Rugrats is worse in every way.
Controls are far floatier, enemies more numerous (and quick to respawn when accidentally leaving the screen), and the HD art style is way too zoomed in and detailed to the point of distraction. I actually had to switch to the 8-bit mode to make it through many areas.
Usually I like swapping in to the retro mode for a fun glance — but I shouldn’t feel forced to use it!
Playing co-op also adds to the challenge, as one player’s missed jump can send both plummeting to a lower area (or taking damage from a pit), and health isn’t nearly numerous enough to consistently share and revive one another. I consistently had a worse time playing co-op.
Players can swap babies on easy and normal difficulty, and each character has a different lift and jump rating. The better jump characters are vastly superior in almost every situation, however; only in boss fights do players need to lift and throw things with speed.
The Rating
Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is rated E for Everyone, with Mild Fantasy Violence. The unnecessarily brutal difficulty will turn off most kids and nostalgic adults, however.
The Takeaway
Though Adventures in Gameland absolutely nails the visual style and references of the classic 90s cartoon, it’s a frustrating, brutal slog to actually play, with little content to show for it. Creating a nostalgic 8-bit adventure with HD art just isn’t enough when we have amazing modern-retro games such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom.
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