I played a preview version of Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland back in March. That title was announced from out of thin air, and not by one of the usual suspects GameMill or Outright Games, the publishers usually dropping licensed titles at a near-industrial pace. It was a brand new indie platformer, using the Rugrats license, and taking inspiration from titles like Super Mario Bros 2. Despite being about babies, the title was clearly aimed at retro enthusiasts, all thanks to its gameplay loop and the choice between cartoonish and 8-bit visuals, interchangeable via the pause menu.

With the game finally out, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed by the end result, even if there are some really strong selling points. The cartoon visuals do look like they were taken straight out of the 90s cartoon, looking downright adorable on the Nintendo Switch’s smaller screen. Likewise, the 8-bit visual mode looks identical to an NES game, using the same screen size and color pallette. Although you can use a 16:9 aspect ratio when using the “remastered” (as in, cartoon) visual mode, all it does is zoom the screen in, closer to your character, hindering your overall visibility. Considering the gameplay issues I’ll get into, using anything but a 4:3 aspect ratio is a complete waste of time.

The previously covered demo only featured two levels, and only one of them was an actual “main stage”, complete with bosses, puzzles, etc. I think I had previously played the best level Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland had to offer, as other stages, which can be tackled in any order, suffer from the occasional poor platform and enemy placement. This is one of the games where getting hit knocks your character back; as a result, falling into a pit because of a flying enemy just spawning in front of you is actually quite common. You do have four lives per level, each one representing a baby, but it’s shockingly easy to lose a few of them before reaching a level’s boss battle.

 The other main issue: the game is painfully, abhorrently short. You can beat it in about two hours, and that’s already considering possible deaths and restarts. I did not expect for the demo played months ago to represent between a fourth and a third of all of the main game’s content. That’s possibly the most disappointing aspect of Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland. By the end I was finally getting used to some of its mechanics, and starting to get used to its issues, the game was already over.

Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland was a mixed experience. I loved its presentation, with its amazing visuals and pretty decent soundtrack, but its level design felt a bit cheap, its platforming can be faulty at times, and, well, it’s just too damn short. By the time you’re starting to get used to its intricacies, the game is already over. I did appreciate the intention of making it a remaster of a fictional long-lost 8-bit title that had never been released before, but even games from back then featured a bit more meat and lasting appeal. If you’re a fan of the show, by all means, this is worth your time and money, but for everyone else, just wait for a sale.

 

Graphics: 9.0 Without a doubt, Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland‘s main highlight. Both modes look great. The modern mode looks just like the cartoon, and the 8-bit mode looks identical to what you’d expect from a NES game.	Gameplay: 6.5 The platforming is simple and easy to understand, but the enemy placement is really cheap and unfair. Play the game in 4:3 mode in order to fully look at the screen, and not be attacked or fall into a pit without being able to plan ahead.
Sound: 7.0 Both the “remastered” and 8-bit variants of the soundtrack are cute and retro-styled, but I prefer the 8-bit variant.	Fun Factor: 6.0 I was actually looking forward to Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland when first announced, but I did not expect for the demo played months ago to represent nearly a third of all of its content. It’s way too short and in need of one or two fixes.
Final Verdict: 7.0

Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch.

A copy of Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland was provided by the publisher.