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Rugrats Adventure Game
 This game is part of the Rugrats family of merchandise that now includes books, computer games, a movie and the TV show. Although I'm no expert the characters did appear to step straight out of the TV. Hence this game features Tommy Pickles along with the rest of the family (mum, dad and grandpa) plus Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Angelica and, of course, Reptar, cartoon character and beloved soft-toy lizard.
The object of the game is to rescue Reptar who has been spirited away and piled onto the rubbish by Angelica who is her usual angelic self. The player directs and interacts with the four other kids in order to make this daring rescue. To simplify matters the task is divided into three mini quests: escape the locked house, find an implement long enough to reach Reptar who is perched high on top of a bin, and make a suitable disguise to scare away Hubert, the ravenous rubbish truck. These three objectives can be undertaken in any order and, if in doubt, the player can select one of the kids for a hint about what to do next.
The game is aimed at children aged 6 to 10. The graphics are clear and uncluttered so as not to overwhelm younger players. Also there are three difficulty levels and each player 'logs in' when they begin playing so that several kids can have their games saved separately under their own name. This is a very useful feature because the game saves automatically when the player quits.
Rugrats Adventure Game is easy point and click using a cursor that changes colour when there is something to do. Navigation is very simple and the gameplay involves carefully searching the Pickles'house for various objects to fulfil the three tasks. Only a few objects are needed at one time and Tommy stows them away in his diapie (diaper/nappy) which acts as the game inventory. Sometimes getting hold of an object simply involves careful searching to find it whilst at other times it involves completing an activity or playing a game such as negotiating the tube maze, smashing the trash or following instructions to piece together a picture. There are a dozen or so of these 'activities' and as they are completed the player can access a menu to return and play them whenever they like and as many times as they like.
 This is a game definitely made from a kid's perspective, both visually and verbally. As the player moves the perspective is such that they appear to pass under the table with the tabletop looming above. Everything is 'big' so the gameworld gives a sense of wide open spaces even within the house and it's only possible, for instance, to open the bottom drawer of a cupboard. All this works extremely well but I wasn't so sure about the language. Of course, parents of Rugrats fans will know what to expect but other parents should take note that the characters use 'kids-speak'. This means that they haven't yet mastered the basics of English grammar, which in turn means words such as 'gots', ' firstest' 'finded' (my spell checker is going crazy here) are uttered with alarming regularity.
Rugrats Adventure Game has some amusing moments and some very entertaining cut scenes but it also has some possibly questionable features! Really, the transformation of the English Language into kid-speak feels more like a reflection of adult humour ('us' laughing at 'them') rather than kids' humour. Maybe not all kids will see this and I wouldn't like to guarantee that some younger players wouldn't be in danger of picking up bad language habits. Also, a couple of the activities may cause some concern. Kids might need to be warned not to try piling up toys precariously and climbing them to reach high places, or turning the staircase into an obstacle course, or attempting to climb a high cupboard using the drawers as footholds.
Rugrats fans are sure to love this one as it is a lot of fun and they will be familiar with the characters. However, it might not be suitable for all kids and parental guidance is recommended.
Copyright © Rosemary Young 2001.
All rights reserved.
System Requirements:
Win 95/98, Pentium 120Mh or faster, 16MB RAM, Min 50MB Hard Disk Space, 4x CD ROM or faster, 640x480 display, 256 colors, DirectX compatible video and sound card.
Power PC System 7.5 or higher, 120Mh or faster, 9.5 MB RAM free, Min 50MB Hard Disk Space, 4x CD ROM or faster, 640x480 display, 256 colors.
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