Retro City Rampage

Platforms: PS3, PS Vita, Wii, X360, Windows, 3DS

You are player, a henchman for hire. Welcome to Theftropolis.
The main attraction Retro City Rampage provides is that it is a parody of many classics. It plays like the Grand Theft Auto series with a bit of Super Mario squeezed into the gameplay (you can jump on people for coins).
I thought it was only a parody of classic games. But turns out it is a spoof of movies as well. I also learned that classic doesn't necessarily mean old. Here are a few things that did get parodied: Robocop, Metal Gear Solid, Back to the Future, Sonic the Hedgehog, Batman Dark Knight (the 2008 movie), Frogger. Theftropolis' sewer system is based off Mario (green pipes, the works). There are 16 graphics filters you can switch between to emulate different retro consoles for nostalgia of your choice.
“How are you going to make me fall in love with you this time?” -- is what I ask Retro City Rampage every time I play it. I didn't think this game would suit me but it has managed to surprise me time and time again. Even when the game isn't busy being a parody, it is still quite funny. Player breaks into a facility with information stored on computers. “Good thing I'm also a world class hacker,” he says. The humour extends to signboards as well; the same way you'll find sexual innuendos in the GTA series. The sign on a supermarket reads “All your eat are belong to us.”
There are other playable characters from popular indie games like Meat Boy from Super Meat Boy and Commander Video from Bit Trip Runner. I unlocked Meat boy after half an hour of concentrating on getting a perfect score in a retro racing game. When you play as Meat Boy in free roaming mode, he leaves his trademark trail of blood behind him.
The fun you can have from running from the police is limited as the policemen here have much better aim and driving skills than in the GTA games. Nearly perfect actually, so if you cause them to crash, get caught in friendly fire, or make them accidentally shoot civilians, you should relish that moment for a microsecond before continuing to flee.

Verdict: Much more than meets the eye.

RATING: 7.5/10