The world of Rugrats is no stranger to video games, with fans of the iconic 1990s animated series likely remembering the late 1990s-early 2000s being filled with countless platformers where you play as Tommy Pickles and his friends.
It’s in that vein that The MIX Games and Limited Run are set to release Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland, a brand-new game modeled after the retro platformers of old.
At last month’s PAX East 2024, I got the chance to check out some of Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland, a game that’s actually designed for NES hardware but will also be coming to modern consoles as well. While other games that try to capture the retro feel often do it with filters or certain visual cues, The MIX Games actually designed the game as an NES title from the very start.
Having the foundation laid allowed them to essentially build out the rest of the more modern amenities more easily. These include the ability to toggle between classic 8-bit graphics and more modern HD art. To its credit, the game looks absolutely incredible in either setting, with the 8-bit graphics capturing the nostalgic feel of playing a classic console platformer and the HD art also looking crisp and almost like it was ripped right out of the original television show.
As far as gameplay goes, fans of classic platformers will be right at home here. In the game, you play as one of the four lead characters in the Rugrats (Tommy Pickles, Chuckie Finster, and Phil & Lil DeVille), each of which has their own unique powers. Chuckie, for instance, can jump a bit higher than the rest of the babies, while Phil has a ground-pound ability that allows him to drop straight down through obstacles in his path.
Fans of the original Mega Man or Super Mario Bros. games will be right at home here, as gameplay mirrors them almost identically. You’ll have to navigate a level moving left to right while avoiding various enemies and occasionally running into bosses. Certain enemies are quick to be beaten with a stomp or by simply avoiding them, but as you progress, enemies become a bit trickier, with some able to throw objects at you as you get near.
Level exploration is not exactly required, but it is recommended. Similar to platformers of the past, hidden collectibles can be found throughout each level. In one particular playthrough of the game’s sand level (hilariously titled “Sand in my Diapie”), there comes a point where you can see a cookie item stuck behind a wall of cacti.
In order to get it, you must traverse backward and then higher up in the level before making your way over and down behind the cactus. While the collectibles themselves act more as just extra things to do in the game, it’s a nice touch and does make each level feel more worth exploring than they normally did.
When it comes to controls, folks who have experience in platformers will feel right at home. The Mega Man and Super Mario Bros. comparison is especially on point here, as movement feels just as stiff and unforgiving in Rugrats as it did in those classic titles. Thankfully, it didn’t take too long to adjust to here, and after one or two times jumping off a cliff, I was able to maneuver through levels with ease.
For those looking for a more challenging experience, Adventures in Gameland will offer a ton of options. At its hardest difficulty, the game harkens way back in video game history, making it so you can’t swap characters at all, and dying in the level makes you restart the entire thing from the very beginning.
Although my time with the game was limited, it’s clear that Adventures in Gameland is going to be a big hit amongst a certain type of audience when it is released later this year. The game scratches an itch for a classic platformer that few games have been able to accomplish this generation. Between the look and feel of the game, the modern amenities, and the ability to play in 8-bit, Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland promises to be the nostalgia game of your dreams.
