Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The GBA compilation of PaperBoy and Rampage brings two iconic arcade experiences into the palm of your hand, and the gameplay largely lives up to the originals. In PaperBoy, you’re once again navigating suburban streets on a bicycle, aiming to deliver newspapers to the correct houses while dodging obstacles like dogs, cars, and skateboarders. The directional pad and shoulder buttons provide surprisingly precise control, allowing you to maneuver tight corners and make accurate paper tosses. Despite the small screen, the core loop remains as addictive as ever.

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On the Rampage side, you assume the roles of George, Lizzie, or Ralph as they climb buildings, smash through walls, and consume hapless civilians. The simple yet satisfying combat system translates well to the GBA, with intuitive button mapping for punches, grabs, and special actions. Multi-floor buildings scroll smoothly, and the pacing of enemy attacks keeps you constantly on your toes. Cooperative multiplayer via link cable intensifies the fun, letting you team up with friends to demolish cityscapes together.

Both games include adjustable difficulty settings, which is a welcome feature for newcomers and veterans alike. PaperBoy offers slower traffic and fewer hazards for a more relaxed experience, while Rampage’s health recovery items and enemy spawn rates can be tweaked to suit your playstyle. This level of customization helps extend replayability and ensures that each session can feel fresh, whether you’re mastering the paper route or rampaging through The Big Apple.

One minor quirk is the lack of modern save states outside of the built-in password system in PaperBoy, but the inclusion of multiple “lives” and checkpoints mitigates this to an extent. Overall, the core gameplay of both titles remains intact, offering a faithful reproduction of arcade classics that still hold up after decades.

Graphics

When these arcade titles first debuted, they were a graphical marvel; on the GBA, they’ve been scaled down but still retain their charm. PaperBoy’s blocky houses and distinct citizen sprites are all present, though the color palette is slightly muted to accommodate the handheld’s screen. Despite this, the roadside details—from mailbox styles to lawn ornaments—help recreate the nostalgic 1980s suburban vibe.

Rampage benefits from surprisingly smooth sprite animations on GBA hardware. The monsters’ stomps and building collapse effects maintain a sense of scale, even when compressed onto the smaller display. Glass shattering and debris are represented with crisp, clear pixels, ensuring that each punch or bite feels impactful. Backgrounds, while simplified, include enough variation to keep the urban landscapes from feeling repetitive.

Both titles offer an optional display mode that simulates the original arcade cabinet borders, adding decorative flourishes and scoreboards for authenticity. These borders are more than mere eye candy—they help frame the action and prevent the game world from bleeding into the GBA’s plastic shell. On the downside, the screen sometimes feels busy; small sprites and on-screen hazards can blend together, making quick reactions more challenging.

Overall, the graphics strike a balance between faithful recreation and technical necessity. While they don’t push the GBA to its limits, they capture the spirit of the arcade originals and ensure you instantly recognize each character, vehicle, and building. Fans of pixel art will appreciate the preservation of classic sprite sheets, even if some fine details are sacrificed.

Story

Arcade classics aren’t typically known for deep narratives, and PaperBoy and Rampage are no exception. PaperBoy’s premise is delightfully straightforward: deliver every newspaper while avoiding obstacles and irate residents. The lack of a complex storyline is offset by the game’s escalating difficulty and quirky obstacles—think flaming barrels or unicycling jugglers—which become their own kind of emergent narrative as you recount close calls and high-score runs.

Rampage’s “story” is equally minimal: three giant monsters seek to demolish major cities while fending off the military and frustrated civilians below. The game’s manual cheekily explains each creature’s motivation, and this tongue-in-cheek setup provides context for the on-screen mayhem. Each level feels like a new chapter in your city-smashing saga, especially when the military deploys tanks, helicopters, or the occasional boss unit to slow your progress.

While purists may miss modern cutscenes or voiceovers, the no-frills approach suits these vintage titles. The emphasis remains squarely on gameplay—there’s no penance for missing out on plot beats you never had to begin with. Instead, each new street or skyline becomes a blank canvas on which you craft your own stories of triumph, defeat, and occasional comic relief.

For players seeking deeper narrative hooks, the compilation’s lack of additional lore or unlockable story content might feel like a missed opportunity. However, the straightforward setups encourage repeated playthroughs, focusing your attention on high scores, route mastery, and monster combos rather than cutscene cinematics.

Overall Experience

This PaperBoy / Rampage compilation on Game Boy Advance is a compelling trip down arcade memory lane. The developers have done a commendable job preserving the core mechanics while providing minor quality-of-life enhancements like adjustable difficulty and border overlays. Both games stand on their own strengths: PaperBoy’s precision-based obstacle courses and Rampage’s cathartic city destruction.

The portability factor cannot be overstated. These titles were originally designed for quarter-eating cabinets with huge screens and equally large joysticks, yet they translate well to quick GBA sessions during commutes or breaks. The only caveat is that prolonged play sessions can cause some eye strain due to the cramped visuals, but that’s a small price to pay for arcade authenticity on the go.

Multiplayer support for Rampage is a genuine highlight, allowing two players to combine forces—or compete for building destruction supremacy—via the link cable. While PaperBoy remains a solitary endeavor, the quest for the perfect run and leaderboard domination adds a layer of social bragging rights. Both games offer enough replay value to justify their inclusion, especially for fans of retro gaming.

In conclusion, this compilation delivers two timeless arcade hallmarks in a convenient handheld package. Whether you’re chasing high scores on the neighborhood route or laying waste to skyscrapers, the experience is as engaging today as it was decades ago. Nostalgia alone is a powerful draw, but the tight gameplay, faithful visuals, and portable format make this collection a must-have for retro enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

Retro Replay Score

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