Rugrats Video Games

A baby’s gotta do what a baby’s gotta do.

90s kids, rejoice! The video games based on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon are being reviewed on Substack! Since we’re gearing up for the Paris Olympics, let’s review the Rugrats¹ video games. When my niece was a baby (born in 2002), she would be the female version of Tommy Pickles, but that didn’t work. Then my other niece (born in 2004) would be the female version of Dil Pickles. That neither.

This post also pays tribute to:

• Christine Cavanaugh, the original Chuckie Finster

• Jack Riley, the original Stu Pickles (father of the main protagonist Tommy Pickles)

• Davis Doyle, the original Lou Pickles

• Joe Alaskey, the second Lou Pickles

Rugrats: Search for Reptar

The first order of business is Rugrats: Search for Reptar, released in late 1998 for the PlayStation as I remember this video game. It was developed by the now-closed n-Space and published by the now-closed THQ. The game was developed with the intent of appealing to ages seven through twelve. A marketing campaign, which was the second-biggest of 1998, was formed in conjunction between Sony Computer Entertainment America and THQ for its North American release, in order to bolster the children's market on the PlayStation.

Playable characters include Thomas “Tommy” Pickles (“Tommy Cornichon” in the French version; E.G. Daily), the main protagonist who is always clad in a baby blue shirt and a diaper, Charles “Chuckie” Finster, Jr. (“Charles-Édouard ‘La binocle’ Fifrelin” in the French version; Christine Cavanaugh, thereafter Simpsons star Nancy Cartwright), the main protagonist’s clumsy and timid best friend who is always seen with his oft-untied red sneakers, or Angelica Pickles (“Angelica Cornichon” in the French version; Cheryl Chase), the main protagonist’s three-year-old cousin who frequently bullies or manipulates the babies for her own gain, and often refers to them as “dumb babies”. The game has fourteen levels that are accessed when players pick up certain objects, and also has bonus levels with Reptar bars. The levels can be played in any order, but the more difficult levels have to be unlocked to be playable. Other characters included fraternal twins Philip “Phil” and Lillian “Lil” Deville (“Alphonse et Sophie de la Tranche” in the French version; both Kath Soucie) and Susie Carmichael (KND star Cree Summer). The game was released before the introduction of Dylan “Dil” Pickles (“Jules Cornichon” in the French version; Tara Strong), the main protagonist’s younger brother, who first appeared in The Rugrats Movie.

Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt

Next up is a Nintendo 64 exclusive. Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt² is an interactive board video game developed by the still-active-but-dormant Realtime Associates. I never owned the game as I didn’t own an N64, nothing special. The game features three game boards: Angelica’s Temple of Gloom, which has an Aztec setting; Pirate Treasure Hunt, where the babies scuba dive underwater to find hidden treasure near a sunken ship; and Reptar Rally, which is the only stage that changes the babies into dinosaurs, resembling the form of Reptar. It was released in the summer of 1999 and is known in the UK and Australia as Rugrats: Treasure Hunt. The game also marks the debut of Dil Pickles.

Rugrats: Studio Tour

In late 1999, just before Rugrarts in Paris hits in theatres, there was Rugrats: Studio Tour³ for the PlayStation. Like the first Rugrats game, it was developed by the now-closed n-Space and published by the now-closed THQ. I sadly never owned the game. The game also includes Tommy Pickles as “Okey Dokey Jones” (a pun on Indiana Jones).

Rugrats in Paris: The Movie

The next one up is based on the 2000 animated movie of the same name which we saw in theatres as children (in turn based on the Nickelodeon animated series Rugrats). The game follows the adventures of the Rugrats in a European theme park, and the game marks the debut of Kimiko “Kimi” Watanabe-Finster (“Kimi Watanabe-Fifrelin” in the French version; Dionne Quan), a Japanese-American baby who becomes the stepsister of Chuckie Finster. Her mother, Kira Watanabe-Finster, marries Chuckie's father, Charles “Chas” Finster, Sr., in the said film, and he later adopts her, assuming the role of her father.

I only had the Game Boy version, which was borrowed but not owned. A console version of the game was released in late 2000 (early 2001 in Europe) for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and a handheld version for Game Boy Color. A version for Microsoft Windows was later released on New Year’s Day 2001 (2003 in Europe). The console version's gameplay is similar to Rugrats: Studio Tour, but Paris’ attractions sometimes have minigames too. The handheld gameplay is a side-scrolling platformer. The Windows version's gameplay is an adventure game in which the player must find Chuckie's Wawa Bear. It was developed by Avalanche Software for the PS1 and the N64, the now-closed Software Creations (Acclaim Studios Manchester) for the GBC, and the now-closed Foundation 9 Entertainment, Inc. (formerly KnowWonder) for the PC. They call it Rugrats in Paris: The Movie because… that is its name.

Rugrats: Royal Ransom

Breaking up the rear, Rugrats: Royal Ransom⁴ was released in late 2002 for the PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo GameCube, as it was developed by the still-active Avalanche Software. In this game, Chuckie is voiced by Dexter’s Lab star Candi Milo instead of Nancy Cartwright, and all other Rugrats characters’ voice actors reprised their roles. In the game, the Play Palace 3000 is divided into nine levels, with each one further divided into sections. The player is typically tasked with finding items and playing mini-games in order to advance.

Stu Pickles is a Christian, and his wife Didi is Jewish, which makes Tommy Pickles half-Christian and half-Jewish. That’s the first post on Substack. I hope you enjoy watching the Olympics!

1. Known in France as Les Razmoket, in Latin America as Aventuras en pañales (lit. “Adventures in diapers”), in Italy as I Rugrats, in Brazil as Rugrats: Os Anjinhos (lit. “Rugrats: The Little Angels”), in Portugal as Rugrats: Os Meninos do Coro (lit. “Rugrats: The Choir Boys”) in Finland as Ipanat, in Japan as ラグラッツ (Ragurattsu), depending on what country or region you reside in.

2. Known in France as Les Razmoket: La Chasse aux Trésors (Rugrats: Treasure Hunt in Europe, but outside of France)

3. Known in France as Les Razmoket font leur Cinéma

4. Known in France as Les Razmoket: La rançon royale