Vintage City Rampage is a Grand Theft Auto-inspired open-world game that combines driving, fighting, and shooting in a vintage 8-bit design. It began as a homebrew NES demake of Grand Theft Auto III and evolved into a full-fledged game. The game is set in the 1980s, and the protagonist is a mullet-styled mobster that causes mayhem in Theftropolis City. It borrows numerous characteristics from the series from which it was based, such as the ability to hijack any car, fight on foot with melee and ranged weapons, and elude the law when too many crimes are committed.
The primary story mode involves several tasks involving heists, extortion, and even assisting Doc Brown from the Back to the Future films in fixing his time travel car. The game has a unique design and a fast speed, and it is packed with references to popular culture, particularly movies, celebrities, and other games, with numerous cameo appearances. Aside from the primary task, the player can take on different side missions or explore the city at leisure. During various sections, 30 challenges can be triggered in which an objective must be fulfilled quickly, such as driving around a tank or obtaining air time shooting a bazooka. These can be replayed as arcade challenges from the main menu later on. Furthermore, there is an initial accessible roaming mode with the maximum quantity of money.
The protagonist, known as The Player, can fight with his fists, other melee weapons, and a wide range of weaponry. There are around 25 in total. These are either collected while playing or purchased in stores. A cover mechanism also allows you to hide behind things and fire swiftly. Any 40 available cars or bikes can be taken over, and pedestrians can be mowed down, leaving money behind. The gun targeting system includes a lock feature that allows you to strafe around an opponent without losing the target’s direction. Other choices can jump, pick up, and hurl objects like pedestrians. Too many crimes boost the threat meter, causing the cops to arrive increasingly. The main character can customize himself, play arcade games, and gamble at the casino. Five special, permanent power-ups are discovered or purchased throughout the game, such as “Speed ‘Kills’ Shoes” for faster speed. Vehicles can be repainted at spray garages, but officers can be avoided by collecting cop cloaking devices that cause them to lose their trail. Ordering hearts or purchasing food from vending machines replenishes one’s health.
Retro City Rampage: DX was released in November 2014, replacing all prior platforms and introducing new ones. It is a re-mastered version with the option to play the game’s original version. It was released earlier that year as the first version of the 3DS platform. Faster vehicles, new checkpoints, tutorials, tip screens, modified missions, challenges, visual effects, visual upgrades, and difficulty are among the changes. Weapons may now be selected from a grid rather than cycling through them, and the handheld version has a new UI with zoom, touch, and a dynamic camera. More video filter settings are available, as well as two new graphics modes: RETRO+ and 8-BIT. Weapons have been rebalanced, and you can now jump immediately after shooting. The renovation also includes parking facilities with a capacity of 54 automobiles.
