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Rescue Rangers is one of Capcom's many Disney-themed platform games that graced the NES and Super NES during the 80s and 90s. It features 2-player simultaneous play, colorful graphics, and an easy challenge level. The idea is that you play as either Chip or Dale and you must work your way through a variety of levels in order to rescue Gadget from the evil clutches of FatCat, in gameplay reminiscent of Super Mario Bros. 2. Rescue Rangers is short, but rather sweet.
GRAPHICS:
8.5/10Rescue Rangers uses Capcom's traditional, brightly-colored, cartoon-style graphics, but since this game is based on a cartoon, they fit just perfectly. The objects, backgrounds, and enemies are all drawn very large and colorfully. There are some huge boss characters that look like they walked straight out of a Mega Man game. One thing that's interesting about the game's graphics is how Capcom presents the idea of a small chipmunk in a huge world. Since you're playing as a pint-sized rodent, the objects in the background appear very large, such as giant water faucets, test tubes, books, toys, and telephones. The enemies, which consist of beetles, robotic bulldogs, bees, lizards, weasels, and other such creatures, sport a lot of personality and are all drawn in "Disney" style. The cinema scenes are a little drab, especially when compared to the game's many diverse and colorful levels.
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SOUND:
8/10Rescue Rangers has very decent sound that always seems to fit with the levels. A lot of it sounds like it came right from a cartoon. The Zone E Land of Toys theme is one of my personal favorites, as are the Malt Shop and Casino themes. The Final Zone's music, "Happy Cat Factory", is one of the best pieces of NES music I've ever heard. The only downside here is that some themes are repeated too much, and there's one particular song that not only repeats itself to the point of aggravation, but it's also used in about four different levels! The boss music is annoying, too. The sound effects also have a cartoon-like quality to them, from the mechanical ticking of the robot bulldogs to the buzzing sound of the divebombing bumblebees.
CONTROL:
9.5/10Rescue Rangers's play control possibly couldn't be any better. It's very easy to move around and perform actions such as jumping, ducking, picking things up, and throwing things. There are no real complicated moves in this game at all. The only minor nitpick that I would have is that it's sometimes easy to accidentally pick up and throw your partner in the two-player mode, but other than that, there are no real issues with the play control.
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STORY/ATMOSPHERE:
5/10Gadget's been kidnapped by Fat Cat. Pick up boxes and other things and throw them at enemies on your way to rescue her. It may be another "save the damsel in distress" plot, but Rescue Rangers has great atmosphere, fun characters, and a surprise twist here and there. It just would've been nice if the cinema scenes had been done a little better.
CHALLENGE:
3/10The one major drawback to Rescue Rangers is that it does not offer any real challenge. It's probably because this is a Disney game targeted at a younger audience. There are no real challenging obstacles or jumps, only a few tricky spots that can easily be overcome if you just practice it a few times. The bosses aren't really that difficult at all. It's also very easy to get extra lives. You don't have to beat every level to complete the game, and the game isn't very long. Since some of the levels are optional, it would have been nice if they had included some difficult bosses or other obstacles in them. That way, young gamers could skip those levels if they found them to be too hard, while experienced gamers would have had something that would actually challenge them. The gameplay is fun, but it's never utilized in such a way that it challenges the player.
FUN:
8/10One thing about Rescue Rangers is that it is fun to play. The problem is that it's a mindless kind of fun for experienced gamers. There just isn't much in the way of challenge. The gameplay, itself is similar in style to Super Mario 2 in that you can defeat enemies by picking stuff up and throwing it at them. There is usually enough stuff lying around that you won't run out of things to toss. Rescue Rangers also has two-player simultaneous play, which can make the game a lot more fun if you have a second player. It's especially fun to pick up the other player and carry him around and throw him! The levels are interesting and diverse, with different kinds of enemies and obstacles in each one, but none of them are difficult to overcome.
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The bottom line is that Rescue Rangers is a quick, easy and fun game for inexperienced or young players. The play control is excellent. It's worth a try if you're looking for a sidescroller that you haven't played yet. But just be aware that the whole game can be completed in less than an hour, and most experienced gamers probably will.
OVERALL SCORE: 7/10
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