Rascal (video game)

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Rascal is a 1998 platform game for the PlayStation. It was made by Traveller's Tales and published by Psygnosis. The game features a boy named Rascal who travels through time using a Bubble Gun to rescue his father from a time master named Chronon. Some of the enemies and designs were created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

Plot and setting
Rascal’s father, Professor Casper Clockwise, is taken by Chronon while adjusting a time machine. Rascal grabs the Bubble Gun and chases Chronon through different time periods, trying to save his dad. The adventure takes him from Castle Hackalott in the medieval era to an Aztec temple, the underwater city of Atlantis, a pirate ship, and a Wild West town. Each world has past, present, and future versions, with the future versions leading to boss battles against Chronon.

Gameplay
In each world, you must complete the past level to open the next world. In the past and present stages, you collect six Time Clock pieces to unlock the Time Bubble and move to the next form of that world. The future levels are boss battles against Chronon, and beating him in all five worlds opens the final stage in Chronon’s lair. Rascal fights with the Bubble Gun, which has limited ammo. The power of the bubbles depends on how much ammo you have. Small enemies can appear from Time Bubbles, and they drop items like more ammo, health hearts, or Chronon’s Gift (a dangerous red item).

Development and reception
Rascal was shown at the 1997 Electronic Entertainment Expo. The game’s controls were changed from directional movement to tank controls, a move publishers asked for, which also affected the camera. The game received generally unfavorable reviews. Critics praised the graphics but said camera work and controls were weak, making the game frustrating to play. It was noted that the camera could obscure what’s ahead and that the level design was sometimes dull. On review aggregators, the game scored around 49%.

Release details
In North America, Rascal released on March 24, 1998, followed by Europe on March 27, 1998. In Japan, the game was released later as Bubble Gun Kid on March 18, 1999, published by Takara.