Description:
Doctor Spooky has created one whopper of a problem for the Rugrats: accidental exposure to his time machine has caused Kimi, Tommy, and the others to age 10 years in an instant. Now the preteens' only chance of returning to their natural baby state lies in helping the doctor build an un-time machine. Unfortunately, the plans and parts are scattered throughout his laboratory. Based on the special of the same name, Rugrats: All Growed-Up is an arcade game aimed at kids in the 7-years-and-older age range, offering minimal educational content and lots of action. The prematurely aged Rugrats move through maze after maze, dodging falling books in the library, avoiding kid-eating plants in the greenhouse, and ducking bats in the basement. Along the way they must climb ladders, jump gaps in their path, and solve puzzles to unlock stubborn doors. Finishing one maze will create opportunities to explore others, and along the way players can collect Spooky spheres which will enable them to free another time-accelerated Rugrat for use in gameplay. As maze games go, All Growed-Up offers plenty of entertainment and challenge. Its graphics are bright and easy to decipher, making it a good game for children who are frustrated when their next step is obscure or nonintuitive. The player feedback is as supportive as fans of the show might expect: miss a jump or fall prey to a spooky spider, and the other Rugrats will heckle you. The game structure is more forgiving, though, allowing you to restart partway through a completed maze--instead of having to begin at the very start--when you fall or are otherwise put out of commission. This game is tough, in other words, but fair. It is also fully enjoyable, offering a pleasant romp through game rooms of increasing difficulty, with plenty of excitement along the way. (Ages 7 and older) --Alyx Dellamonica
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