Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland Switch Review

I can’t remember if I first watched Rugrats when I was growing up or if I only really watched them when I became a father. Either way they are one of those shows that works on many levels… children can enjoy it for the antics of the children, adults can enjoy it for some of the more “mature” comments and jokes. Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is more likely to be enjoyed by younger gamers or those who enjoy “classic” platforming.

Visually… well, you have two options, you can either play in 8-bit style or you can go HD. Essentially the 8-bit version makes the game look like it’s on an older console such as the original NES. It does a great job of providing that retro feel but I must admit I did prefer the more vibrant colours of the HD version which feels more like watching the cartoons. Audio… well that’s a bit lacking. There’s the familiar theme tune (albeit I believe a slightly simplified version), but very disappointingly there is no voice in this game. Even if it was just the odd comment from the playable characters I think I would have been happy… but to not have any at all feels like a real let down. I don’t know whether the developers just didn’t want to pay the voice actors or perhaps it was too much hassle to record and work into the game with the time frame they were working with? Either way… it was a shame to not hear the Rugrats speak.

Gameplay is… well quite frustrating at times. Transitions from screen to screen (i.e. moving to the left and the screen loading the continuation of your journey rather than seamlessly scrolling) result in a reset of items and enemies if you go back and forth… this is good and bad as it means you can tackle a “puzzle” again without restarting… but it can lead to some unpleasant encounters with enemies. The enemies are a variety of oddities, spawned from the minds of our little stars and move in patterns, meaning getting past them or defeating them is mostly a matter of timing and button pressing. In regards to the co-op option… I was unable to try it as for some reason the game would not let us use our second controller (both being taken for controlling the one character). I’m not sure if this is an issue with our controllers (they can be a bit unresponsive these days)… if it is to do with setting the controllers before starting the game versus within the game… but we certainly couldn’t work out how to get it to allow two players.

The game itself is not overly long… there are six different levels, each a different location of/around the house. Each of those locations aren’t overly long and once you figure out how best to tackle the set enemies, they should be able to be completed fairly quickly. The final boss battle is mercifully easy (after some of the frustrations that may occur with timings on the way there). All in all you are probably looking at maybe a few hours… but not much more than that.

Final Thoughts?

It’s fun enough and the visuals are lovely. If you want to feel like you are playing an old retro Rugrats game, go with the 8-bit option… otherwise for a more cartoon feel stick with HD. Don’t expect a long game (and therefore maybe wait for a sale)… but there’s a touch of nostalgia to be had (if there was voice then it would have hit the feels more though). Take it or leave it really… if you are a huge fan, grab it for your collection. If you enjoyed the show but prefer longer gaming experiences… maybe give it a miss.