I never thought I'd ever see a game show up over 3 decades after its home console's launch to become the best game on that system, but life can be funny sometimes, I guess.
Rikki & Vikki is a shockingly well-made puzzle platformer released in 2018 for the... checks notes Atari 7800. Atari homebrew developers have always been talented die-hards, but this is on an entirely different level. The game stars two fox parents trying to rescue their children who have been kitnapped by an evil dragon who runs a subterranean theme park called Misery Land. Each of the character designs have a distinct "90s furry" vibe to them that I quite enjoy - a cartoon of this game would fit in seamlessly as an Animaniacs short.
Gameplay involves creative twists on standard block-throwing puzzle platforming, often leaving you surprised the lengths the level design will go to to make the same base set of components and actions feel fresh. It's very much the kind of game where you're saying "oh my gosh you can actually DO that?" every couple of levels, when you were sure you saw everything the game had to offer already.
But most interestingly, this game has proven to be one of the most fun and challenging co-op experiences I've ever played. Trying to figure out puzzles with a friend as you coordinate in real-time is addictive in a way that stands toe-to-toe with the greatest modern luminaries of the genre. Seriously, if you're looking for the next great co-op platformer to play with your friend or partner, look no further, because the 2-player mode alone in this game is worth the cost of entry.
Unfortunately, the 7800 cartridge itself is long since out of print, and since the cart contains a special mapper chip for the audio, you can't play it on real hardware without it. Thankfully, there's a PC port on Steam which contains the game in a custom emulator, and that's much more accessible for most people anyway, so that's the version I recommend. Give it a shot, even if this kind of game isn't typically your thing - you might be surprised!
This game is absolutely brilliant. Sadly the Steam version didn't sell well enough to warrant the developer to shell out for Nintendo Switch dev tools to bring the game to the Switch - this is a game that would work perfectly on that platform!
