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Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is bringing 90s gaming back to the NES

Tomas Guinan of Mix Games talks about what it's like developing a game for the NES in 2024.

Sam Chandler

January 18, 2024 9:30 PM

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Anyone that grew up in the 90s will have fond memories of Rugrats. The cartoon started as an animated series before expanding into other mediums including video games. We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Tomas Guinan, co-founder and game developer of Mix Games, about Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland. Please take a look!

While some developers like to push graphical fidelity forward to new heights, there are those like Guinan who delight in bringing gamers retro experiences. Together with his business partner Justin Woodward, Guinan developed Mall Brawl, which was a Limited Run Games exclusive. After its success, the duo looked around to see what other franchise deserved the NES treatment and managed to snag Rugrats.

In Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland, the four babies see an advert for a new Reptar video game and, through the power of their incredible imagination, turn Tommy’s house into a game. “We try to take all the nostalgia from the NES era and cram in into this one game,” Guinan said when asked about the team’s inspiration behind the design. Players will note Castlevania-like levels, sections that evoke a sense of early Kirby games, and much more.

While the game will be available on the Nintendo Entertainment System (yes, an actual NES game launching in 2024), it will also be released on Steam. For the non-NES versions, players can switch to a HD mode that has all hand-drawn images of the Rugrats and environments. It’s such a neat feature that should absolutely be implemented in more games that feature HD visuals. You can learn more about Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland on the Steam page while Limited Run Games will be handling the physical release (including the NES one). For more of these developer insights, check out our Shacknews Interviews YouTube channel.

Sam Chandler

Guides Editor

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as a Guides Editor. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler