Seriously, what year is it, Nickelodeon?
As a kid who was born in 1988, I fall right into the era of nostalgia that includes Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, Pokémon, and, of course, Nicktoons. I also fondly remember my Nintendo Entertainment System, as well as all the other consoles from that era.
What I didn’t expect was to read the news this week and see that Rugrats, a classic original Nicktoon, is getting a brand new game next year on modern consoles and PC. Oh, and did I mention that the game is also coming to the original Nintendo Entertainment System as well?
The game, Rugrats: Adventures of Gameland, is a sidescroller that feels like kin to the classic Mega Man and Ducktales NES-era games. You can play as one of the four babies, Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, or Lil in a completely new, original story and game.
Players will be able to take the game single-player or play in co-op, which I highly assume that the NES version is local only.
The graphics offer two options. You can play in a traditional 8-bit, pixelized style that looks like a super fresh take on NES-era titles. But, for modern consoles and PC, you’ll also be able to play in a fully hand-drawn version of the game with clean lines, looking right out of one of the later seasons of the original cartoon.
Rugrats: Adventures of Gameland is being designed by Wallride Games, who previously made Jay & Silent Bob: Mall Brawl, a beat ‘em up like River City Ransom that offered both hand-drawn and pixelated options as well. This game is definitely in their wheelhouse.
According to the announcement, this game, and many more like it to come, is the byproduct of Paramount and The MIX Games coming together in a partnership. The game will offer both a digital option and a Limited Run-made NES cartridge option.
Expect to see more about this game and the other Paramount-licensed games in the near future. No exact release date is available yet, but it does say 2024 on the trailer. You can read more about it on The MIX Games official site.