Limited Run Games is having a great run of releases in 2026, especially if you grew up glued to the TV on Nickelodeon in the 1990s. Of all the cartoons from my childhood, few bring me that cozy warmth like Rugrats, and many of the games were among my first experiences on the PlayStation and Game Boy. That said, revisiting them in the newly released Rugrats: Retro Rewind isn’t quite the trip down memory lane I’d hope for, which is no fault of Limited Run. Here’s why I’m torn on this new collection.

Rugrats: Retro Rewind includes six classic titles from the landmark Nickelodeon cartoon. Ranging from entries released on the Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, and Game Boy Advance, nostalgia is certainly required for revisiting the majority of the games in this collection. While the Nickelodeon Splat Pack, another recent Limited Run Games-published compendium, delivered some solid game moments, there are more misses than hits with our favorite pint-sized protagonists.

For example, the 90s kids are going to be thrilled to see Rugrats: Search for Reptar on this list. Arguably, the game that looms largest in my memory among Nickelodeon properties in the 90s is etched into my brain. Still, the actual gameplay is a little rough around the edges, even with quality-of-life updates included in the refresh. Rugrats: Studio Tour, another PlayStation release, is similarly servicable, but the others get a bit tougher to push through.

The Game Boy entries, particularly Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, The Rugrats Movie, and Rugrats: Time Travelers, fall short compared to many other licensed IPs from the same period. I always think back to the surprisingly consistent Disney games of the 90s and 00s, delivering at least a tolerable experience that can help you feel validated for buying a game simply for the characters on the box.

Even if the games don’t stand the test of time, it is fun to test them again after 25-30 years, depending on the title. You can enjoy every entry with retro CRT TV colorization and take advantage of a save-anywhere feature to ensure progress is never lost. There’s a helpful rewind feature that goes a long way to navigate the jank of these old games as well. If you’re dying just to enjoy the sounds of these games, there’s even an included music player.

Like many retro collections, Rugrats: Retro Rewind only feels disappointing if you’re not going into it with a healthy heaping of nostalgia on deck. As game experiences, these aren’t the places I’d return to if I were in the mood for a mid to late-90s experience. Still, these games were a part of my childhood, so I’m not disappointed they’re around in a modern format that’s easy to play. I just don’t know who I’d exactly recommend paying money to play them.

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