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Retro City Rampage's first trailer is a blast from the past
Sure, the open-world gameplay of Retro City Rampage might look like a GTA clone with a coat of 8-bit paint, but as you can clearly tell from this first glimpse of the game in action, it's a wild tribute to -- and riff on -- some of the most memorable (and obscure) NES titles ever made. "Downloading to your console in 2010," this WiiWare release looks to contain more IJPS (inside jokes per square inch) than any before it. Just a selection of the games referenced (visually and in play mechanics) during this trailer: Metal Gear, Bionic Commando, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Skate or Die, Super Mario Bros., Punch-Out!! and Ninja Gaiden. Developer VBlank plans to have a playable version of Retro City Rampage up and running at PAX Prime next month. If, at any time, you'd like to chat with a Joystiq editor during the show, you'll find at least one of us glued to the game.
Retro City Rampage parodies sandbox games, everything else
If you're not familiar with Retro City Rampage, you'll at least be familiar with the references contained within VBlank's WiiWare game. The retro-style open-world game is filled with jokes about DuckTales, Back to the Future, TMNT Contra, and even the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" video. And that's just what can be seen in these screenshots! You might, in fact, be more familiar with the PAX 10 winner than you think. Retro City Rampage began its life as Grand Theftendo, a faithful NES remake of Grand Theft Auto III, back in 2004. Since then, it's become less "faithful" and more "original," and it's moved from the NES to WiiWare, but creator Brian Provinciano has kept the irresistible central idea of a GTA-style game rendered with NES-style visuals. %Gallery-97765%
