Laughing heartily from 1990
Enjoy this fun throwback to the past. This week's Arcade Archives release is Jaleco's sickeningly charming single-screen platformer Rod Land, selected by the vintage enthusiasts over at Hamster.
In 1990, Rod Land was released in arcades and quickly moved on to several home platforms. It is a simple but entertaining platformer that is similar to games like Bubble Bobble, Tumble Pop!, and Snow Bros.. In Rod Land, Tam and Rit, two magical children, are controlled by one or two players who must save their mother, an anime damsel who is always lovely, from the top of a tower full with monsters.
Tam and Rit navigate each screen by collecting enough flowers to finish the game and utilizing their magical wands to smash or tame the roving adversaries. Similar to many other games of this kind, Tam and Rit's abilities will grow as they find hidden objects, and if they collect the letters "EXTRA," a fairy goddess will grant them an additional life. Rod Land's entertaining pixel graphics and endearing sense of style are largely responsible for its continued appeal as a pleasant, albeit basic, arcade platformer.
For just $8, you can get Rod Land from the PS4 and Nintendo Switch right now. Retro gaming YouTuber Janet has provided a playthrough of the game for you to enjoy.