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| PLATFORM: GAMECUBE |
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| PUNCH THAT BUILDING! |
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 emakes of old games are a decidedly mixed bag. Sometimes, it’s like playing a newly remastered version of an old Beatles record, as you get a new appreciation for an all-time classic. Other times, it’s more like finding a Spin Doctors CD in the closet of your old room at your parent’s house, evoking little more than a feeling of “What was I thinking?” While it does hold some nostalgic fun for fans, I’m afraid the experience of playing this new version of Rampage is much closer to the latter than the former.
I can’t really fault the developers. They’ve stuck close to the old arcade game’s formula, while offering more variety in the form of new monsters and modes, as well as special challenges and unlockable moves. If they were told to emulate what made Rampage a classic in the first place, they’ve done their job well. However, the fact is that this game just hasn’t aged well. I swear I used to love this; now I’m almost shocked at how repetitive and shallow it is. It might as well be called “Super Building Puncher.”
And, for a while, that’s enough. The game, despite a decidedly old-school graphical look, is fairly well done for what it is, and still has the series’ trademark wacky humor and over-the-top character designs. I must admit there is still some satisfaction to be had by flinging around buses and stomping skyscrapers into rubble. That being said, I still don’t see the average person putting in more than an hour on this game. What’s more, the recent Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction offers the same sense of power and destruction with 10 times the gameplay. In the end, I really don’t see this title connecting with an audience beyond the most hardcore Rampage fans.
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Rampage: Total Destruction doesn’t ask a lot from players besides the ability to constantly mash buttons. This flashback lacks huge glaring flaws (besides the controls being a bit clunky), but it does little very well…except to stroke the nostalgia cortex in my brain that makes vapid, repetitive entertainment really excellent if I enjoyed it as a kid. This game will tickle that part of us that remembers Rampage as a bitchin’ way to spend a quarter, but that doesn’t mean it’s an awesome game – it means it’s an awesome memory. I know I might sound a little bitter, but sometimes it’s sound advice to let the past be and, for me, revisiting Rampage is my lesson learned. |
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6.5 |
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| CONCEPT: |
| A redux of the classic monster movie arcade brawler |
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| GRAPHICS: |
| Has a great art style and a colorful, vibrant look that brings the old game into the new century |
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| SOUND: |
| Forgettable music coupled with lots and lots of explosions |
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| PLAYABILITY: |
| The unlockable moves add a modicum of depth, but it’s mostly just simple button mashing |
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| ENTERTAINMENT: |
| It’s a nice trip down memory lane for about an hour, then you realize that this is all there is |
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| Copyright
1991 -
2008
:: Game Informer Magazine
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