A Gamer's Gotta Do, What a Gamer's Gotta Do
And I gotta review this game as fairly as I can, both as a gamer and as a game designer and fan of the Rugrats Show, I'll explain to the best of my ability what this game feels like from a gamer's perspective as well as from a fan of the show
So, you may ask yourself, what is Rugrats:Adventures in Gameland
At it's heart it feels like an amalgamation of the following games, while always treading on the lighter/"lite" side of things with it's inspirations, but it's never in a bad way. It's just that each game it takes inspiration from it only takes a pinch from each, therefore it becomes it's own little gem overall rather than fully reminding you of one thing over the other
With this in mind, Adventures in Gameland is like a mix of these titles
Super Mario Bros. 2.-Like in Mario 2, you have four characters, each with subtly different stats that may be better optimized for different stages. In this game's case, you have Tommy, Chuckie, Phil and Lil as your four main characters to choose from. There is also an emphasis on jumping on and throwing enemies and environmental objects, but instead of Shy Guys and Turnips, you'll be throwing that weird white cat looking doll from the show's intro, little bugs, and wind up toys as the enemies you encounter and building blocks used for small platforming puzzles
Ducktales-Each World in that game is set around a particular theme, but the size and pacing reminds me of levels scaled with Ducktales a lot, just a bit slower and you don't have a cane like Scrooge Mcduck does. You also get knocked back by enemies in this game similar to that game,
Mega Man-Both are Capcom titles used for comparison yes, but just straight up, each game has different small details used in it's design from both games.
When comparing this game to Mega Man, this game has an E-Tank equivalent. In this game's case cookies, which give you a full heal upon losing all your health and those are stackable (Up to four to my knowledge) and, just like Mega Man, you can tackle the stages in any order you'd like. There's probably already an optimal boss order already out there somewhere
Boss patterns, although simplified, are still a key to success in this game, just like in both Mega Man and Ducktales
DKC/Donkey Kong Country-Like in that game there are 4 collectibles per stage, similar to the KONG letters. But, more akin to DKC 2-Diddy's Kong Quest, the collectibles you gather from each stage double themselves as not only a collectible for 100% completion sake, but to unlock something special at the end of the game
This is all done while doing what a GOOD licensed game should do, make you feel like you are in an interactive take on the source material while doing great callbacks for fans and non fans alike. Another key point is to give players as much flexibility and freedom as they can, to show this isn't a lazy cash grab.
The in game dialogue and cutscenes are stylized like an episode of the show, "Babies dunno how to play bibeo games" or "Why do we gots to always listen to you Angelica?"
So, the "baby talk" is emulated for one
The game has two graphic and music styles, modern HD and NES style, allowing for cosmetic freedom, and yes, you CAN mix and match if desired. An ACTUAL NES rom was made for the game as well, which is a very nice bonus to really emulate that era. New games on old tech always brings a tear to my eye and makes both modern and retro gamers heart's flutter with a bit of joy
Some of the OST is also pretty good
One minute you'll be fighting the giant baby from Angelica's nightmare (she deserved that imo) against the giant baby brother in the sandbox, to fighting Thorg in the Backyard as you climb ropes and jump around trees, next you'll fight Bop-O, one of Stu's toys from Season 1 or 3 if I remember right, as a boss in the attic
All the levels are different parts of the house that introduce the stage's gimmick in the first minute or so in the Pickle's house itself, and then it transitions to the "babies imagination" segment afterwards
It really does capture the spirit of Rugrats, it even does the classic "episode title card and jingle" for each level, and this is all another "abenture" the babies go on after seeing a commercial for the new Reptar video game, which in a way can be thought of as a cute "in character" take on breaking the 4th wall and some meta humor
All of this would make it seem like a great game and a golden standard right? Right?
Well, the game isn't without flaws
And, to make a similar licensed game comparison, this game suffers from the same problem that "Overlord, Escape from Nazarick" suffers from (I own that game as well for the record and I do like it as well, but I digress)
Both are GREAT games for fans, and pretty good for non fans,clearly using the genres and design choices from their inspirations as a base for a fun game overall.
(In Escape from Nazarick's case it's a metroidvania, and in Gameland's case a 2D 90s Gameboy/ NES Platformer)
But they both are a bit steep price wise and are also a bit unbalanced for any seasoned vet of the genre. Meaning for what you pay, both games are a bit too short, and your best bet for getting the most money in both games if you are a professional/used to these genres of games is playing them on their hardest difficulties and going for 100% as best as you can. Sadly, this leaves for very little replay value in both games cases.
In short, easy is too easy, normal feels like easy, and hard is where the real challenge is, even if it is a bit unbalanced, its sadly the best way a familiar gamer can get the best out of the game
Fittingly, and in Rugrats's case, pun fully intended, this game and Overlord both are great as a "babies first" for their respective genres, but you need to go into the games knowing this beforehand
At 25 dollars thats a bit steep, and DON'T GET ME WRONG, as a game designer myself who also has dipped into the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ of how licensing goes, I understand, it's RARELY easy, let alone cheap to do.
But with all this in mind? Can I recommend this game or similar games like this? Yes and no
Yes if you are a fan of the source material and grew up with Rugrats like I did
Yes if you wan't a fun small scale romp that calls back to your childhood while bringing something new to the table
But what I can NOT reccomend is this
Do NOT get this game at full price, get it either on sale, as a bundle, or if all else fails, if it doesn't go on sale before getting delisted eventually, then buy it when you have the cash to spare
And for the love of God, please please PLEASE keep the game's shortcomings in mind, do not expect the game to be the best game ever or the next giant hit. If you do either of those things, Rugrats Adventure's in Gameland will disappoint you and it won't feel worth it
This is one of those licensed games that goes under the "above average/semi good category" but you ABSOLUTELY NEED to be aware of all the good and bad bits the game brings under the hood, as long as you can do that, Adventures in Gameland can be a fun romp
"Back in my day we had to walk FIFTEEN MILES to get a game review sprout!"
Small actor tribute below:
(Dedicated to the members of the original Rugrats cast from 1994 who are sadly no longer with us. God bless you all, Rest in Peace and fly high to the following)
Jack Riley-Stu's original actor- December 30, 1935 – August 19, 2016
David Doyle-Grandpa Lou's 1st actor-December 1, 1929 – February 26, 1997
Joe Alaskey-Grandpa Lou's 2nd actor- April 17, 1952 – February 3, 2016
Christina Cavenaugh-Chuckie's original actress,-August 16, 1963 – December 22, 2014
Tony Jay-Multiple voices, but primarily Dr Lipschitz-2 February 1933 – 13 August 2006
