Before Photorealism: Why Watching 'Rugrats in Paris' Longplays Is the Ultimate Comfort Food

October 10, 2026

I have very clear memories of playing Rugrats in Paris: The Video Game. To be clear, I’m a Rugrats fan through and through, and whenever I feel the need to connect back to my inner child, I rewatch the episodes, movies, and gameplay longplays.

Over these past few weeks, I’ve been rewatching playthroughs of Rugrats in Paris: The Video Game to help me wind down at the end of the night, and it’s such a fun reminder of what video games were like toward the end of the 1990s and early 2000s.

The graphics are terrible, but in an endearing way. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been cool to see technology advance to the point where games look virtually human, but I miss when video games actually looked like video games—crappy low-poly graphics and all.

It’s also hilarious how just about every video game from that time period had character models shouting canned catchphrases every few seconds just for the sole purpose of, well, saying something

The game itself is a total blast. You get to dally around Paris as a toddler whose parents have essentially given you complete reign over a massive theme park with zero rules or restrictions. Between collecting ticket stubs, taking on bumper car minigames, and controlling Robo-Reptar, it captured the chaotic, imaginative spirit that made the Nickelodeon series a juggernaut in the first place.

In an era dominated by hyper-realistic graphics and complex mechanics, revisiting these Y2K tie-in games serves as a comforting reminder that sometimes, simple low-poly fun is all you need to recharge your inner child.

And that’s exactly why I love it.

Featured Photo: THQ