Hey, kids, remember the good ol’ days of Nickelodeon? When we could watch cartoons during Prime Time and All That!was a key piece of entertainment. Those days are long gone, but at least we have Nickelodeon Splat Pack to remind us of some of those memories. To an extent, that is.
The Splat Pack contains three games – Aaahh!! Real Monsters, Rocko’s Modern Life and G.U.T.S., and they’re all quite different from one another in terms of presentation. Probably the best of the bunch is Rocko, mainly because it’s a joyous platformer with plenty of elements from the departed show.
As for the rest of the package, ehhh. Limited Run Games did a good job with the remasters, but the problem is some of these games weren’t stellar to begin with. Aaahh!! comes across as a Lost Vikings wannabe that’s painstakingly difficult. And G.U.T.S. is a reminder why titles based on game shows went away – they’re just hard to translate.
There are some cool options here, and the $15 price tag makes this a trip down memory lane that won’t destroy your wallet. But the highlight with Nickelodeon Splat Pack is clearly Rocko. Everything else just falls off the slime-covered wayside. Your mileage may vary.
Let’s Talk Nickelodeon Splat Pack Games
As I mentioned above, the package includes three different Nickelodeon 16-bit games.
Aaahh!! Real Monsters is based on the TV show of the same name, where you control three different monstrosities across side-scrolling levels. This one’s way harder than I really wished it would be. And if it wasn’t for the rewind feature, I’d definitely be more frustrated with it. That said, it is cool to see the SNES and Genesis versions included, though you’ll likely be equally mad at both. Fans of the show may love it, depending on how they like a challenge.
Then there’s G.U.T.S., based on the Double Dare style game show of the same name. In this, you compete across a number of sporting activities with a younger aged contestant. The problem is they’re just not that enjoyable to play. It seems like many of them have stiff controls that force you to improvise just to stay ahead. Limited Run Games did try to add some tweaks here and there, but the game is just terribly aged.
The highlight, obviously, is Rocko’s Modern Life. It’s a side-scroller with some art inspired by the original show, and has a variety of missions to complete. I actually had a great time with this one, mainly because of the sense of humor and responsive controls. And Limited Run Games gave this one the most care, it feels like. Good. Rocko clearly deserves it.
So, yeah, three games for $15, and only one of them is good. But Rocko might justify the price in itself, depending how much of a fan you are. The other two serve as novelty titles, at best. I just wish more was done with them, especially with control mapping. Where’s that feature when you need it?
How’s the Nickelodeon Splat Pack Presentation?
Nickelodeon Splat Pack does get emulation right, at the very least. Limited Run, working off its Carbon Engine tech, makes each of these games look as good as they can get. However, G.U.T.S. has seen better days, and Real Monsters’ level design is all over the place. Rocko, however, shines like the golden nugget it is. It still looks as pleasant as it did in the SNES era.
As for audio, it too is translated very nicely. The G.U.T.S. soundtrack isn’t worth writing home about, but Monsters has some appeal with its tunes. But, really, Rocko wins yet again, thanks to its familiar score from the TV show.
The extra features – namely rewind and being able to save anywhere – are a nice touch, as we’ve seen in other Limited Run releases. But it’s clear that some of these games just don’t stand the test of time.
Buy Nickelodeon Splat Pack For Rocko, At the Very Least
One out of three ain’t bad? I know it’s usually two, but…yeah, G.U.T.S. and Aaahh!! Real Monsters won’t win any awards. They’re both nicely emulated, but won’t hold your attention for very long. However, Nickelodeon Splat Packmight be worth it just for Rocko’s Modern Life by itself. It’s certainly cheaper than the actual cartridge, with extra features that prove useful.
I just hope with future collections like this, Limited Run brings more of the games that we deserve. It’s like the company’s Ren and Stimpy collection, which just came out. Is it jam-packed? Yes. But it desperately needed Stimpy’s Invention from the Genesis era. Seems similar to what’s missing to make Splat work more smoothly.
GAMERHUB RATING: 2.5 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Thanks to the wonderful folks at Overload PR for providing us with a review code! Nickelodeon Splat Pack is available now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and PC/Steam!
Need more nostalgic goodness? Check out our review of R-Type Delta HD Boosted!
