Retro City Rampage's first trailer is a blast from the past

Sure, the open-world gameplay of Retro City Rampage might look like a GTA clone with a coat of 8-bit paint, but as you can clearly tell from this first glimpse of the game in action, it's a wild tribute to -- and riff on -- some of the most memorable (and obscure) NES titles ever made.

"Downloading to your console in 2010," this WiiWare release looks to contain more IJPS (inside jokes per square inch) than any before it. Just a selection of the games referenced (visually and in play mechanics) during this trailer: Metal Gear, Bionic Commando, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Skate or Die, Super Mario Bros., Punch-Out!! and Ninja Gaiden.

Developer VBlank plans to have a playable version of Retro City Rampage up and running at PAX Prime next month. If, at any time, you'd like to chat with a Joystiq editor during the show, you'll find at least one of us glued to the game.