Retro City Rampage is a beloved indie gem and has now come to the Nintendo Switch. But does this version hold up well? Or is the game overrated? Well, if you saw the title, you might have a hint as to what I felt.
Retro City Rampage is many things in one. It is a demake of the GTA series as well as a loving homage to the 90’s and early 90’s. Pop culture references abound from movies, tv and of course gaming, but then there is the modern ideas that are celebrated as well. These include jabs, lighthearted and otherwise, at modern gaming, as well as references to other indie games. In fact, with some like bit.trip, this goes so far as including crossover content along with some internet personalities. It seems like an odd combination but it blends really well.
Gameplay is similar to the original GTA games but also with more throwbacks to the NES era to shake things up. Platforming segments, swimming segments reminiscent of TMNT and more abound. But in addition to including parody, the game actually does have a decent narrative. It is completely bonkers but that is part of the charm and it just fits well. Plus running around in a rampage is oddly satisfying….and yes I realize how disturbing that sounds. But the best part of the game being a throwback are the cheats. Cheats aren’t done much today so this was a welcome addition. They will disable your ability to save, so it is more for having fun than completing the game. Enter some well known cheats from older games and you may be surprised.
The last thing I want to mention is how the game has a great 8 bit soundtrack and the developer went above and beyond to create and awesome audio variety for the game.it takes a great game and makes it even better, yes there are issues like the driving segments being awkward, but you get used to it. I fully recommend getting this on Switch!