THQ Nordic has a cutesy looking side-scrolling adventure coming down the pipe. Developed by Slipgate Studios. Rad Rodgers stars a blonde boy and his sentient old-school game console, Dusty, on a fun and exciting new adventure. At least, that’s what the first few seconds of the trailer would have you believe.
Rad Rodgers is actually a game about a punk kid that plays too many video games who falls asleep during a heavy gaming session and wakes up in a world where his retro game console comes to life. This kid, Rodgers, is now starring in his own video game adventure, but it’s not cute and plucky. It’s violent and crude. A ton of blood spills from enemies, bullets fly everywhere, and everyone cracks wise and swears. The console is voiced by John St. John if that gives any indication of where this game lies.
The MIDI-inspired musical composition by Andrew Hulshult really brings out the retro inspiration in a way that nods to the past as opposed to copying it. It’s clearly for those who grew up playing the plucky, cute side-scrollers of the past and want to revisit it, but they also played too much Gears of War along the way.
Rad Rodgers is available now on PC, and is coming to PS4 and Xbox One on February 21. Check out the reveal trailer below: