Rugrats in Paris is really a mix of mini-games based on a carnival theme and puzzle levels that have some light platforming. The carnival theme is all through the game, in that you start off playing mini-games to earn coins that you use to access the larger levels. Completing the puzzle levels opens up more levels and more mini-games. Sometimes you'll have a choice between several of the 7 Rugrats to play for a puzzle level, but some levels are specific to one Rugrat. Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Dil, Angelica and Kimi are all playable at some point, and some control differently than others. The youngest ones seem to have a harder time getting around, but what they lack in mobility, they make up in cuteness.
Both the mini-game and puzzle levels are timed. The mini-games are about getting the most points before the clock runs out; when time does run out, you cash in points for coins. Mini-game levels are free to play, and it's not a wager or gambling thing, so you keep whatever you can win. I found some of the mini-games better than others, and at least one was impossible. The objectives are usually clear, but the control is bad at times. One example is a game that involves throwing a beanbag at a sumo wrestler. The wrestlers move side-to-side as you throw, and you have to adjust up and down since they move at different heights. Sound easy enough, but the weird thing is that you throw at an off-angle from the little hand you see on screen, making it almost impossible to judge where the beanbag's going. Apart from this and a few other bad mini-games, there are some real gems. A game like 'Whack-A-Mole' is here, and has you bopping moles with a mallet as they pop up in little holes. A basketball hoop-shoot game is fun, and I liked a shooting game similar to the sumo game, but with better control. Thankfully, you can play any game as many times as you want to earn coins.
Once you've got the right number of coins, tackle the puzzle levels. Each one shows the number of coins required to play, and after you play a level (win or lose), those coins are gone. Beating levels opens more of the game, but at least a few of the levels suffer from control issues and design flaws. The biggest problem is lack of direction. You're briefed at the beginning of each level on what the objective is, but more than a few are just too open for most kids to grasp quickly. I'm no genius, but with a decade more than the target audience under my belt, getting confused or lost in this game doesn't bode well for the average 10 year-old kid. Each level has a number of items to find, and reaching the exit under time is considered a win. Running out of energy or time means you lose, and have to try again. Problem is, I had the experience of finding all my items and then going, 'Where is the exit?' And it's really frustrating to have to go back and replay the level, using more coins in the process.
Each level is really different in looks, and playing different Rugrats keeps things nice and fresh, but I couldn't help feeling let down by poor design in the levels and confusing gameplay. Characters are funny to watch, but don't move responsively in situations where there's jumping or you have to get away from bad guys. Energy power-ups are scattered through levels, and I definitely ran out of time more often than energy, trying to figure out where to go next and what to do
