Retro City Rampage Review
The ride's a little rough at times, but Retro City Rampage's blend of open-world action and 8-bit style is goofy, novel fun.
The Good
- Old-school graphics infuse a contemporary genre with new life
- Colorful world is fun to explore and to cause trouble in
- Packed with nostalgic 80s references
- Good assortment of enjoyable side activities
- Great visual customization options.
The Bad
- Missions stumble when trying to evoke specific games
- Unfair difficulty spikes
- Somewhat stiff controls.
Back in 1987, when the NES was at the peak of its reign, the video game world was not yet ready for the open-world urban crime adventure. But today, a quarter century later, Retro City Rampage lets you experience what the genre might have been like if it had been introduced on that now-primitive platform. In terms of its gameplay, it's often not quite faithful enough to the games of the era that inspired it, and in terms of its difficulty, it's sometimes too faithful. But all in all, Retro City Rampage is an enjoyable experience in which old meets new to create something both fresh and familiar.
In Retro City Rampage's Story mode, you play as Player, a low-ranking henchman in a supercriminal's army. Following an introductory series of stages that references The Dark Knight, Mario Bros., Mega Man 2, Frogger, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Super Mario Bros. 2, Back to the Future, and much more, you're set free in the city of Theftropolis to spend your time as you see fit. You can complete story missions or ignore them, and spend your time causing chaos and competing in the score-based challenges scattered all over town.
Every mission in Retro City Rampage's Story mode skewers video games, movies, or TV shows of the 80s. If you have any reverence for icons of 80s pop culture, don't be surprised if versions of those icons show up in RCR and are made to suffer some indignities. (The Ghostbusters, for instance, are spoofed here as the Go-Go Busters. Their job is even messier and nastier than catching and occasionally getting slimed by ghosts.) Too often, the game is raunchy just for the sake of being raunchy, without any cleverness to actually make its off-color gags funny. But the game throws so much at the wall that, while most of it doesn't stick, enough does to make for a good number of laughs, and there's some particularly scathing humor about indie game development and major publishers.
What with the danger of being run over as you stroll down the sidewalk or being stomped on by criminals flying around in hover suits, Theftropolis doesn't seem like a nice place to live. It is, however, a pleasure to look at, particularly if you have a soft spot in your heart for 8-bit worlds. The pixelated residents of Theftropolis are a wonderfully diverse bunch. Despite being quite tiny, they have a good deal of personality, thanks to their vibrant colors, their big hair, and jaunty hats--not to mention their expressive animations as they strut down the street, breakdance or otherwise pass the time.
The city has at least as much personality as its residents. Everywhere you look, there are references on shop signs and billboards to 80s video games and other pop culture artifacts. For that extra dose of nostalgia, an impressive assortment of color modes lets you make the game look as if it's running on a wide range of 80s gaming and computer hardware; a CGA mode, for example, severely limits the game's color palette and dominates it with blue and purple, recalling the visuals on early Apple computers. There's also a fine selection of borders that can make the game look like it's being played on an old TV, an arcade cabinet, or other setups, with optional scanlines to help sell the illusion. Regardless of your visual preference, the catchy 8-bit music is sure to please, and would have been right at home in an NES game.
Unfortunately, as alluring as the city is, getting around Theftropolis isn't always enjoyable. Player moves sluggishly until he gets a bit of momentum going, and although all the vehicles around you are yours for the taking, many of them are too slow to be much fun to drive. Still, there are some speedy little numbers to cruise around in. The two driving control schemes let you select between an option in which you use a button to accelerate and in which pushing left or right turns your vehicle to its left or right regardless of which way you're driving onscreen, and an option in which you push the thumbstick up to move up, down to move down, and so on. This second, far less realistic option allows for more responsive, turn-on-a-dime controls and more enjoyable vehicular shenanigans as a result. (On PC, you also have the option of playing with a keyboard, which works just fine.)
Fuck the what?
Not interested in what could have been been if what should have been is not covered. With respect Carolyn, why dump next to nothing on you?
i liked it
Fortunately, I could see it in action before having to purchase it... It's games like this that makes me miserable...
As a pure game, it's all chore and boredom... fast...
As a nostalgic, finding as much references as you can, it's a pure blast!...
In the end, it will be a no buy (or an impulsive buy at 70% discount...), because once you're bored of finding references (or found them all on wiki eventually...), this game lost his only worth and interest...
mmm might check this out
LOL, 'unfair difficulty spikes,' ah, good old NES...good times!
Got RCR for PC off GOG (DRM-free!) yesterday. Damn fun game. Also, it automaps to your USB gamepad (Logitech/360). Being 36 and having gamed since I was 14, I got alotta the references in RCR. It's both a celebration and a satire of the 8bit NES (3rd gen) era.
People insist in comparing scores of recently reviewed games (and only) as if they have a goldfish memory span that cannot serve them better and it's interesting to see that repeat.
So, according to the score this game is looooot better than RE6 hahaha! OK, just kidding... :)
This reviewer doesn't take her job serious? He gave One Piece Pirate Warriors a 4.0 and this game got 7.0 LOL
Romangelo Oh, come on - you are still upset over that review?
Gelugon_baat oh hello, GS employee.
Romangelo I have heard that many times before already. Sure feels good saying that, isn't it?
Controls mean everything to me, with this having stiff controls, guess I won't be getting it.
shinspikes Controls not as smooth as I would like,but its not unplayable or unenjoyable,you should play it bro.
A true gamer adapts to poor controls and makes them part of the challenge. (Insert Yoda mrrrmm here.)
MooncalfReviews and quoting yoda.. adapts to poor controls, a true gamer (jedi?) does.. whine, he does not
voljin1987 MooncalfReviews That's a stubborn gamer; you only said "true" gamer because it feels good. ;)
Seriously why people criticism everything GS say ?, and say this is trash or that is trash, that too serious & insult don't you think ?
honglong17 Yes, I agree. Poor wording on my part. I should have said, I disagree with quite a few of their reviews,and not disrespected with "trash". Not trying to sound like a D!ck,my apologies.
rza510 nah man no need to apologize.. you was only speaking the truth.
ImBack558855 "Truth" only because you happen to agree. ;)
honglong17 GS is ok but Caroline Petit is known as a poor reviewer.
Romangelo Caro is one of the best reviewers in the business. Unfortunately there are some narrow-minded individuals who either hate her for who she is, or hate her because they can't handle somebody having a different opinion about a game. Both examples are pathetic.
Orrrrrrr, y'know, we read what she writes and don't think it's that well written. Not everyone has it in for GLBT people.
Romangelo *Gasp* Oh, I don't know that!
I don't have to either, because that's not a fact; that's just your opinion - trumped up to sound like a fact.
honglong17 Because some people are shallow and don't understand the point of reviews because they only want someone to tell them what they want to hear.
Yeah...I feel like my feelings for gamespot are getting more and more blah. I've been watching IGN a lot more lately xD A LOT of GS reviews are trash...So I wouldn't ever take their word.
rza510 You should be watching TotalBiscuit instead. He actually knows what he's talking about, unlike Gamespot and IGN.
DAOWAce Will Do...I'll Check'em out
DAOWAce rza510 Until TotalBiscuit tells you something that you don't like to hear. ;)
Oh, he will alright - sooner or later.
Gelugon_baat DAOWAce rza510 He sucks at portal =/
Harrydapro Who?
Gelugon_baat Harrydapro Total biscuit sucks at any puzzle game.. and he does not review games.. he just posts gameplay videos with his thoughts
voljin1987 Well, tell that to the people who like him then. I am ambivalent towards him.
rza510 Reviews are just the opinions, feelings and experiences of one person with a game. They're not meant to tell you what you want to hear. You're never going to agree with a reviewer 100%.
TotalBiscuit doesn't really do "reviews". He just sorta "talks" over some gameplay footage and tries to be funny while. If that's your thing, enjoy.
rza510 IGN is even worse than GS
Carolyn Petit... lmao she completely ruined the Metal Gear marathon.. haha... she said they couldn't find anyone in the game spot staff or office at that time to play the Metal Gear game for the marathon... so they asked her to play it... which was a terrible idea if you ask me... if you work in a game related atmosphere then you should at least know how to play games... i just find it really hard to believe that they couldn't find at least one person that knew how to play a Metal Gear game... i don't think anyone in the game spot staff really knows how to play games.. all they know how to do is write articles, or give bogus score reviews... any how... this game looks pretty bada**... lol...
ImBack558855 That's an off-topic rant. :/
Gelugon_baat yeah like your BS link down there has anything to do with this topic.. :/ bite me.....
ImBack558855 Oh, damn good deflection there - at least I am not griping about how other people approach games.
Gelugon_baat Your griping now so shout up... lmao
ImBack558855 So are you - why don't you shut up first - or rather in the first place?
Gelugon_baat WOW are your still talking.. i've already made an example out of you.
awww you must be mad now.. please don't kill yourself..
@Myself damn i'm good !!
ImBack558855 You are the one that is mad if you are getting all excited like this. :\
ImBack558855
you've proven convincingly to every one that you are below 15 years old, you don't have to continue posting comments anymore.
Mega_Loser ooh shi* i'm a lil kid now.. and your a MEGA_LOSER hahaha WTF is wrong with you people.. you two must have taking the little bus together.. LMAO
ImBack558855
i'm sorry it has come to this but i called them and the grammar police are on their way.
Mega_Loser LMAO wow who's the kid now hahaha i'm rolling on the floor right now...
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The Good
User Reviews
Retro City Rampage
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- Publisher(s): Vblank Entertainment Inc.
- Genre: Adventure
- Release: Oct 9, 2012 (US)