Battletoads

Battletoads
a game by Rareware, Tradewest, and Rare, Ltd.
Genres: Action, Arcade Classics, Platformer
Platforms: PC, Sega GenesisGenesis, Arcade, NESNES, GameGear, GameBoy
Editor Rating: 7.6/10, based on 15 reviews, 19 reviews are shown
User Rating: 6.9/10 - 15 votes
Rate this game:
See also: Beat 'em-Up, Retro Games, Battletoads Games

Rash, and Pim-pie are bringing the same amphibious adventure and mayhem to the Game Gear that they brought to Other systems. A faithful conversion of the original NB cart, this pint-size, streamlined version of Battletoads is a blast.

Toad-a! Action

The evil Dark Queen has captured a Princess. It's up to the warty trio to rescue her. Eight action-packed, side-scrolling stages of Toad fun lie before you in this one-player game. On each level, you control one of the three toad heroes and then run, jump, and punch through endless waves of the most bizarre-looking enemies ever. Pyscho Pigs, Rabid Rodents, and other mutant goons drop out of nowhere, bent on grinding you into slimy frog patties.

The game play is pretty straightforward - take out all the enemies and progress through each level until you've lost all your lives. However, you start with only three lives, five health units, and three continues, so it's as tough to beat as the original (remember those Speeder Bike levels?!).

Lean, Mean, and Green

The Toads look great on the Game Gear's tiny screen, warts and all. Each level is well rendered and has very detailed backgrounds. Although the sprites are small, the characters move smoothly across the screen. If you're familiar with the game and its characters, though, you'll notice that many of the whimsical details of the bizarre characters are lost on the small screen.

The two-button controls are easily learned - just punch and jump. The on-screen action responds perfectly to your directional commands. No fancy moves and combos are required - all you need are split-second timing and quick reflexes.

The sound is above-average for the Game Gear. A nice variety of sound effects and musical tracks livens up the action on each stage. It's nothing fancy, but then, hey, they're just frogs, ya know! Ribbet!

Hop To It!

Webbed hands-down, Battle-toads is a solid action/adventure cart for the Game Gear. It offers interesting characters, sharp graphics, simple game play, and a tough, but not insurmountable challenge. Gamers who've already played the NES, Genesis, or Game Boy versions won't find anything new and may want to wait for the sequel. On the other hand, Battletoads neophytes can't miss with this fun cart. Last one in the pond is a rotten egg!

ProTips:

  • Slam opponents into the edges of the screen, and continue hammering away at them. This keeps them off-balance and prevents them from retaliating.
  • In Stage 2, pull up on the rope each time you automatically descend Into the tunnel. This pulls you out of any new dangers lurking below.
  • Hit the Stage 1 Boss three times to destroy it Use the boss' own targeting display to aim your throws. To guarantee that your rock will hit its mark, position yourself in the center of the target before throwing.
  • It's most effective to time your jumps to avoid obstacles. Stay near the top half of the screen and jump accordingly. Remember to maintain full speed as you hit the ramp for the super-long jump to the next level.

Download Battletoads

PC

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Genesis

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • Game modes: Single game mode

Player controls:

  • Up, Down, Left, Right - Arrow keys
  • Start - Enter (Pause, Menu select, Skip intro, Inventory)
  • "A" Gamepad button - Ctrl (usually Jump or Change weapon)
  • "B" button - Space (Jump, Fire, Menu select)
  • "C" button - Left Shift (Item select)

Use the F12 key to toggle mouse capture / release when using the mouse as a controller.

Arcade

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
NES

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • P-200, 32 MB RAM
GameGear

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Gameboy

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP

Game Reviews

What's green, super powerful, and kicks butt like it's goin' out of style? No, not your math teacher's breathe. It's Battletoads, and the infamous Tadpole Trio is hopping their way to the Genesis.

Here We Toad Again

Battletoads by Tradewest is a one- or two-player, side-scrolling, action game based on a classic NES game that has leapt its way into little green hearts everywhere. Now the Genesis takes a shot at the frog-fighting antics of the Battletoads, and the results are a little disappointing for die-hard gamers. If you're a first-time Toadster, however, read on.

ProTips:

  • Pick up anything that's laying on the ground. Rocks, metal, and other creatures all make wonderful projectiles.
  • If you repeatedly whack ravens with your feet while you're hanging around in a cavern, you'll score a ton of points and a 1-up. Comer those crows!

For those of you who haven't played the NES game, here's the story line: The Dark Queen, who got her royal throne kicked in some intergalactic war, now holds a grudge against the Universe. Along comes Professor T. Bird and the Battletoads (Rash, Zitz, and Pimple). They're escorting Princess Angelica home to her father, the Terran Emperor.

Pimple takes a licking (yecchhh!) to Princess Angelica, and before you can say "worry wart," they're off cruising in his Toadster. The Dark Queen kidnaps 'em for laughs, and now it's up to you and your frog friends to rescue 'em.

When you cruise on your speed bike, push forward as you jump. If you're lucky, you may dear a whole bunch of barriers.

Of Course You Know This Means Warts

You can play as the remaining two toads, Rash (in a one-player game) or Zitz (in the two-player mode), and battle your way across the Queen's 'hood. The action is really hip-hop as you fight your way in and out of volcanoes and winter wonderlands. You'll also run space races while bustin' up baddies like there was no tomorrow. The Queen populates her planet with some of the most fearsome frog fighters ever to hit the pond. Dragons, Rat Rockets, Psyko Pigs, and mechanical Walkers try their hardest to see you on the menu of a French restaurant.

In the snake level, jump from the snake's body well before his tail disappears into the wall. Hey, that's what you got those long legs for.

For fierce fighters, the Toads are definitely in control. Each one has his own set of easy-to-pull supermoves, like the Swinging Size Thirteens (a butt-crunching boot), the Kiss My Fist (a ferocious frog flattener), or the Battletoad Butt (a head banger). These automatically come into play whenever your amphibian starts fighting. Simply use your B button to punch and your A button to jump. When you're hit, you can power-up on some fly fricassee, which you catch with your long and slimy tongue. You can also pick up items, such as rocks and mechanical pieces left over from destroyed Walkers, and use them to bash the bubbles out of your opponents.

  • Chill in the ice caves with this tip. When you get to the last part of the screen, jump down the chasm and hang a right to reach the next level.
  • Whomp Big Blag, the Rodent King, with your Super Head Butt He'll soon be crawling back to whatever hole he crawled out from.
  • Knock out these spaced invaders. Then whack those yellow cubes back to your health meter, or you're gonna feel green all over.

Makes Ya Wanna Jump, Jump

The graphics in Battletoads are slightly disappointing. You'd expect a conversion from 8-bit to 16-bit to produce superior graphics. This title falls a little short. Although, it's safe to say that there's no flicker and the backgrounds are a little more colorful. Otherwise, this game looks just like the NES version.

Let the ice do the work in the caves. When a block comes flying toward you, jump over it and follow it. It may break a wall somewhere.

The toad tunes in this game are also very similar to the NES game. There's no soaring stereo orchestration or digitized voices to keep gamers who finished the first game glued to this one. One croak could have made the difference.

The game seems deceptively easy at first, but don't be fooled. The stages where you ride the motorize vehicles (the Speed Bike, the Jet Turbo, and the Surf Board) are challenging and frustrating. Hang on, though, and you'll be on the next level before you know it.

Frog Fun

The game's resemblance to the NES version does not detract from the game play or fun, unless you've already played the NES version. First-time frog fanatics will leap with joy over the innovative game play and the comic timing of this game. It's a shame that those who've played the first Battietoads will have seen it all before.

Zitz! Rash! Pimple! Sounds like a teenager's worst nightmare, but they're actually the names of the Battletoads, the most outrageous gang of star-trekking amphibians to hop through the NES in a long time.

Web-footed Friends

Battletoads from Tradewest is a rip-snortin' outer space chase that's as good an NES action/adventure game as there is. You can play a one-player session or two-player simultaneous games; either way it's a blast!

The story begins aboard the spaceship Vulture as the Toads and their mentor, Professor T. Bird, escort Princess Angelica back to her home planet. But the Dark Queen is on a rampage, and this girl is bad, BADDD! She kidnaps Pimple and Angelica and imprisons them at her planetary hideout.

Get the Frog Outta' Here

You play Zitz (your friend is Rash) as you invade the Dark Queen's domain. Her world is deadly, but great-looking. You tackle 12 excruciating levels of horizontally and vertically-scrolling sideview action.

This outrageous adventure is guaranteed to keep you on your toads, uhh, and your toes. Your challenges include leapfrogging deadly obstacles on Speed Bikes through the Turbo Tunnel, slipping and sliding through the Ice Cavern, splashing through the Water Rapids, and space surfing through Surf City.

ProTips:

  • In the Chasm (Level 3) barricades seem to pause briefly at the right edge of the screen before you ride towards them.
  • When the airborne Rat Pods try to bomb you at the end of the Chasm, watch their shadows and move to the opposite side.

Three levels consist of several sections, which provide diverse problems for you to master. Each of these levels is a mini-game unto itself. For example, in Kamath's Lair (Level 6) you must ride four sneaky snakes which glide in and out of four different vertical mazes. In Volkmire's Inferno (Level 7) you fight head-butting Skuzz rats and shoot down Rat Rockets, then you hop onto a single-toad Jet Turbo and fly through four tricky sections.

  • It's easier to beat the Retro-Blaster at the end ol Level 2 with the demolition hall move than with the bird leather.
  • On Level 7, Volkmire's Inferno, stay to the left side of the screen so you have plenty ot time to dodge the flames.

Great Graphics

Battletoads sports some of the most innovative and fun graphics and sound around. The Toads, their friends, and their friends are excellently drawn in a slick cartoon style. The multi-scrolling backgrounds are knock outs.

This game packs some really rad, imaginative views. One of the most unusual is versus the Giant Red Walker (It's so big you never see the entire thing).

You control the Toads but you guide their attack as you look at them through the Walker's rose-colored lenses. It's a simple visual twist that's great fun.

The Toads' 9 power hits feature great cartoon-style graphics. For instance the Jawbuster turns your hand into a giant fist at impact, and Full Metal Ear-Muffs makes your hands huge cymbals.

Naturally, you eat flies for power ups, and you snatch them out of the air with a long, sticky tongue.

Space Cases

The Toads aren't the only characters with attitude here. You face 18 types of weird creatures. The Dark Queen's lethal hench-things also feature great cartoon graphics. For example, you meet a Snowman with no Christmas spirit, the porky Psyko-Pigs, and Hornhead, an extraterrestrial rhinoceros in a very bad mood. There's even a special guest villain "invading" this game from a classic arcade game.

  • When you knock out creatures as you drop down the Impact Crater, bit them again as they fall for extra points.
  • If an enemy beats you to the punch, you can't hit them back while they're attacking you. However, you can jump away and then counterattack.

If the critters don't get you, the traps will. It takes plenty of practice to trip up 11 types of traps such as the Saturn Toadtrap plant, the smelly Gasser, the Sucka vacuum, and the gross (but lethal) Snotball.

Rough-it, Ride-it, Ribbit

The fighting's ferocious so you must master Toad-fu if you want to make it to the end. This game has a great grab 'em feature where you can snatch any object from the landscape. Pick up a piece of metal and use it as a club or heave it at an enemy. A bird feather becomes a slashing sword. If your buddy falls, pick him up and carry him.

After you bust up a Toll Walker or any other machine, wack the broken pieces for extra points.

But the interactivity works both ways. In two player games it's one lose, all lose. You can accidentally beat-up your buddy, and if either one of you loses a life, you both start the level over.

If a bad guy knocks your buddy unconscious, you can pick him up and carry him to safety. In a pinch, toss him into creeps: however, he'll take a hit.

For variety you also drive three vehicles: a road-hopping Speed Bike, a rocket-powered Jet Turbo, and a shaky Space Board (look out Silver Surfer).

Hop into the Future

Battletoads is a monster! Sixteen-bit game systems making you nervous about the longevity of your humble NES? If NES games to come can be this good and this much fun, you can hold off on that upgrade a while longer.

We all know about how brutal the Battletoads game for the NES is. It has been talked about to death, but what about the version for the Sega Genesis which was released a short while after. This one does not get as much attention, but I thought today I would take a closer look at it and see if it does enough to be better than its 8-bit brother. Which by the way I do not think is a “horrible” game it is just brutally difficult?

Three Buff Dudes With Attitudes

The Battletoads were created to cash in on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles craze. We have three badass dudes called Rash, Zitz, and Pimple and they are trying to save a hot babe from the evil queen. That is all the story we get here and to be honest, it is more than enough for a game like this. It is meathead action movie stuff and it is full of 90s “tude” and I love it.

Is This The NES?

One of the most alarming things about Battletoads for the Sega Genesis is how it looks. It looks like a sharper more colorful version of the NES game and I do not mean that as a compliment. I am not saying this is a bad looking game or anything like that. I like the character designs, there is a nice variety to the levels and the animations are solid too. It is just everything in this game is so small! If you look at this then the SNES Battletoads game it is alarming how much better the SNES game looks.

The soundtrack is pretty solid. This is one area where the franchise has always gotten it right in my opinion. Kickass tunes really fit the beat-em-up action very well.

Hard, But Not Super Hard

We all know how hard the NES Battletoads game is. Thankfully as this was released a little while later, they did tone down the difficulty a tad. When I say a tad, I do mean a tad as this game is still very, very challenging. It features the same stages as the NES game, including the turbo tunnel and you will die a great deal, but overall, the game does feel a bit more forgiving.

The gameplay is that of a side-scrolling beat-em-up. You go through each level beating up the bag guys. Part of what makes this fun is the way when you do a combo, a foot, fist, or whatever will enlarge and you get a funny final attack. The gameplay is not bad or anything like that, it is just not all that great either. Although, I will say it plays better than the NES version.

I do not hate Battletoads like many other people do and I do feel the Sega Battletoads game is way better than the NES one. However, on the same console, we also have the Streets of Rage series and TMNT Hyperstone Heist which are a million times better than this. If you are going to play the original Battletoads game I would recommend that you play this one over the NES version. It plays a bit better, is a tad less frustrating and it has better visuals as well.

6

Final Score

Pros:

  • I like the premise of the game
  • It looks brighter and more colorful
  • The soundtrack is very fitting
  • They have toned down the difficulty a bit
  • It is full of 90s tude and that is always a good thing

Cons:

  • Even with the difficulty toned down, this game is still ridiculously hard
  • The visuals could have been so much better

Rash, Zitz and Pimple have been busy since their NES game swept industry 8-bit awards. Not only will they be moving to the SNES, Genesis and arcade machines, but they'll be turning up on the IBM PC and Amiga as well.

Following the Dark Queen's defeat by the Galactic Corporation, she sets her sights on Princess Angelica, who is flying with the Battletoads to Terra. The obvious target for a kidnapping, Angelica is nabbed while on a date with Pimple. Luckily, the big amphibian managed to alert his comrades.

Battletoads features one- and two-player-simul-taneous modes and 12 levels of action. Players will have to master riding the jet turbo, space board and giant snake if they hope to rescue the latest in a long line of princesses to fall into an evildoer's clutches.

Those bad boy outer space amphibians, Zitz, Rash, and Pimple, are up to their bug-eyes in "toad-acious" trouble in Tradewest's Battletoads for the Game Boy. Posing as a Thallian Thorax Dancer (a hot ticket tootsie in the toad world) the wicked Dark Queen distracted the trio and blasted them. Then Queeny dumped Rash and Pimple into her wicked rocket, the Gargantua, and shipped them off to the planet Amnagedda.

Hit the Road, Toad

This awesome GB cart packs one heck of a whallop. The three lives and three continues are a mere spit in the toad pond against the TWELVE, hellacious levels of Armagedda. And rumor has it that there be a bonus level or two.

A Toad Alone

As the lone Battletoad in a hostile land, you've got alot to contend with including 20 different species of toad haters and an outrageous variety of gameplay situations. One moment you're running and jumping to avoid death-blows from land creatures, perhaps an enraged Psyko Pig or a shark-toothed Kruncha. The next moment you're swinging from ropes or riding a jet ski dodging logs, rats-on-rafts, and giant whirlpools.

Basic Toad-fu

And how battle-eth a Battletoad? First of all, Zitz is capable of delivering ten different blows and body slams. He begins with basic jabs and uppercuts. However, when he goes for the knockout punch, his fist often balloons up to twice its normal size or transforms into an anvil or a hammer. Secondly, Zitz can knock a stick or an axe right outta' an enemy's hand and use it right back at 'em.

While we're on the subject of ballooning fists, let's talk graphics. Nirvana would be a slightly larger toad sprite. Everything else, scrolling, animation, detail, is top o' the line.

Toad-ally Amazing

Battietoads is a truly impressive piece of work. All the basic features are Hard-hit-ters: great multi-scrolling graphics, big Jevels with plenty of varied-gameplay, and great sound. What more Could-you ask for? Well, maybe a few more continues. The challenge is tough enough to make even steel-nerved Game Boy vets scream. If you'd like a good scream and you want a great value for your money, then go for the toads.

The Toads are back for more on the Gameboy. With the same basic theme found in the Nintendo 8-Bit adventure, the toads use all of the same unique fighting moves that they used in their first adventure. This is a whole new adventure though, with original levels and Bosses. The game still employs the same detailed graphics as its Nintendo counterpart, and no play control is lost in translation.

People say:

8

I loved the Battletoads on the NES and I think they hold up just as well on the GameBoy. It's one of the few action games that really has the power to pull you back for more. GB Toads shares a lot in common with its 8-Bit cousin and throws some new features in for good measure!

8

One of the best GameBoy games I've ever played! GB Battletoads takes the best portions of the original NES game and throws in just enough to make the adventure seem completely unique. A great game with all the back-up features done with a superb style!

8

The Toads actually make a pretty good GameBoy cart. The animations are still intact and the most of the funky moves are there as well. The music is well done and sounds great in stereo. The game play is just as intense as the NES version and well-deserving of the name.

7

The adventures of the Battletoads continues on the Gameboy! Too bad the Gameboy is so limiting or this would have been a great title! The graphics and music are ruined on this inferior system. Look toward the Super NES, Battletoads, the GameBoy just doesn't do you justice.

And you thought the Ninja Turtles were tough! Tradewest's Battletoads have jumped onto the Genesis for a battle to save their friends. Help Rash and Zitz rescue Pimple and his girlfriend Angelica from the evil clutches of the Dark Queen. Combat this sinister lady with punches, kicks and jumps. Re-energize your strength meter with flies you catch along the way. Listen to your vulture friend... or it may be too late!

People say:

7.0

If a company is going to bring out the same game for different systems, it is important to make each version the best that the system can handle. While the control is very good, the graphics just aren't up to the Genesis' standards. It still is Toads and a lot of fun, but with more effort it could have been spectacular.

8.0

Tradewest did a good job in translating the Battletoads game over to the Genesis. The cute animations are built in as are all the troublesome enemies. I would have liked more variety but the game is very challenging and downright difficult. Almost frustratingly hard. If you haven't played the 8-Bit version get this one.

8.0

This is basically the 8-Bit game with a littie bit of graphic and audio enhancement. Nothing wrong with it, but the improvement is that drastic The game is still great with lots of moves and hilarious animation. The game Is very hard and will challenge the best. While not as pretty as the Super NES version, it plays very well.

7.0

I'm really beginning to wonder if the Genesis is really 16-Bit! After disasters like Fatal Fury, it's hard not to wonder. Battle-toads is no exception. Where did the 16-Bit go? I felt like I was playing the 8-Bit, and in fact, I like the 8-Bit better. It's a good game, but it doesn't feel like a solid 16-Bit title. I'm just disappointed with it.

The Toads are back for more on the Gameboy. With the same basic theme found in the Nintendo 8-Bit adventure, the toads use all of the same unique fighting moves that they used in their first adventure. This is a whole new adventure though, with original levels and Bosses. The game still employs the same detailed graphics as its Nintendo counterpart, and no play control is lost in translation.

People say:

8

I loved the Battletoads on the NES and I think they hold up just as well on the GameBoy. It's one of the few action games that really has the power to pull you back for more. GB Toads shares a lot in common with its 8-Bit cousin and throws some new features in for good measure!

8

One of the best GameBoy games I've ever played! GB Battletoads takes the best portions of the original NES game and throws in just enough to make the adventure seem completely unique. A great game with all the back-up features done with a superb style!

8

The Toads actually make a pretty good GameBoy cart. The animations are still intact and the most of the funky moves are there as well. The music is well done and sounds great in stereo. The game play is just as intense as the NES version and well-deserving of the name.

7

The adventures of the Battletoads continues on the Gameboy! Too bad the Gameboy is so limiting or this would have been a great title! The graphics and music are ruined on this inferior system. Look toward the Super NES, Battletoads, the GameBoy just doesn't do you justice.

  • Manufacturer: TRADEWEST
  • Machine: Nintendo Entertainment System

Are you one of the growing numbers of VideoGames & Computer Entertainment readers who have sold their NES consoles in order to help finance the purchase of a Genesis, TurboGrafx-16 or even (gasp) a Neo-Geo? Are you proud of the fact that you gave up Mario in favor of Keith Courage or Michael Jackson? Well, I hope you're enjoying that shiny new 16-bitter, because when you get a look at Battletoads, you might regret it.

It's pretty obvious that the 'toads are a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles spoof, right down to their skin color, but these guys don't mess around with any fancy ninja weaponry; their hands and feet are just as effective as a "sai" or a "bo" (or a battering ram, or an anvil - I'll explain later). Their leader is not a soft-spoken rodent, like the Turtles follow; the toads' efforts are coordinated by a tough-talking old buzzard known as Professor T. Bird. Lastly, where the heroes-in-a-half-shell have assumed the monikers of Renaissance painters, each of the three Battletoads is named after a skin condition: Pimple, Zitz and Rash.

As explained in the game's introductory sequence, Pimple and Princess Angelica have been captured by the incredibly evil (and incredibly curvaceous) Dark Queen. Your job is to rescue your fellow Battletoad and "the best-looking girl this side of the Mazallion Star Cluster". But in order to do this, you have to get past the scuzzy varmints who make up the Queen's alien army: the Psyko-Pigs, the Saturn Toadtraps and bigger beasts like Robo-Manus and Big Blag.

There's a two-player cooperative mode that proves to be more humorous then helpful; you'll spend a lot of time apologizing to your partner for inadvertently clobbering him or her with a "toad chop" or a "three-finger jab".

These specialty moves are one of the main reasons why Battletoads is so much fun. At different points in the game, the controller buttons are automatically reconfigured to set you up with different methods of attack. In other words, the button that allows you to deliver a "jawbuster" to the tall walker in Area 1 is the same button that administers a "big bad boot" to the giblets in Area 3. There's no need to memorize a whole menu of complicated control-pad functions - just press "B" and watch your enemies fly!

The animation that depicts each of these actions is absolutely hilarious; during the "anvil slam", for example, your toad's fist actually takes the shape of a giant anvil. And when you use the "full metal earmuffs" attack, his hands transform into a huge pair of cymbals that crash together - with your opponent's head between them.

The whole game is loaded with stunning features; some, like the multi-plane scrolling effects, are rarely seen on the NES. Others are completely new to this type of game. The Area 1 boss is a perfect example of the uniqueness that Battletoads seems to take for granted. When you reach the end of that level, your toad's eyes bulge out in terror as he sees the boss character, and his jaw literally drops to the ground; yet another clever bit of cartoonish animation. But as a giant leg steps into the screen from the right, the screen's perspective changes to a first-person view from the eyes of the boss, and you watch as your toad picks up boulders and flings them at you, the boss. Incredibly, the boss character is never shown on the screen.

This type of variety is typical of the rest of the game. During the 12 levels that make up the Battletoads experience, you'll do everything from swinging on a rope to riding on a super-fast air car. The only thing that keeps the graphics from rating a perfect 10 is the "flickering" that appears in some areas; it's most noticeable in the two-player mode. The sound effects are worth mentioning, though: I love the weighty "thump" that accompanies some of the more powerful punches, and the snapping sounds of the Saturn Toadtraps couldn't be better.

Battletoads has it all: charismatic characters, gorgeous graphics, innovative play options, a perfectly balanced difficulty level and a wonderfully inane sense of humor. There's no doubt in my mind that this is going to be the biggest NES game of 1991.

  • Release: 1993

People say:

8

Battletoads is great. The colors and graphics are nearly identical to the Genesis version. The music isn't the best, but it's bearable. If you complain that games are too easy, this cart will make you eat your words. The difficulty gets a little too hard sometimes, but it just extends the life of the cart. The game play is well done and there is a lot of technique involved. A very good action title for the Game Gear.

7

Hey, I think I remember this game from a couple of years ago. Will the trend of bringing older games to the portable systems ever end? Anyway, for those who thoroughly enjoyed the old Battletoads games, you know what to expect here. This is a solid game that offers plenty of action with tons of enemies and a difficulty level sure to challenge any avid player. Now, about that age thing...

6

Games for the Game Gear keep getting better. Tradewest follows the trend with Battletoads. The game is very close in almost every way to the Genesis version. The sound is the only downside, but who cares? You can finally take the 'Toads on the road plus the game plays great. You better bring a lot of batteries, because this is also one of the toughest GG games. A solid game on any format game review.

8

This is a great reproduction of the Genesis version. It has all the cool 'Toad moves. The levels follow the Genesis closely and the graphics are quite good for the Game Gear. Sounds aren't the best, but the game is fun to play and isn't impossible to finish. The game play takes a little while to get into, but once you do you'll be bashing away. Any portable player should consider adding this to their library.

  • GameBoy
  • Action
  • 12 levels

It's Rash against the world in Battletoads in Ragnarok's World by Tradewest for the GameBoy. His friends were taken hostage by the gnarly Dark Queen and her gurus. You must rely on Rash's fighting skills for survival. Grab 1-Ups when you can and smash the walker for the extra leg. Beware of the crazed Psyko Pigs! They're the Dark Queen's pawns. Prof. T. Bird gives you inspirational tips. Toad power!

People say:

8

Yes! I love Battletoads, and this is the best portable version so far! This is identical to the 8-Bit smash down to every detail! The story is different and has been altered to accommodate one player (you play as Rash), but the two-player mode is the only thing that is missing! A bit slow, but still packs a punch! Move to this!

8

The toads are back! This new adventure is a blast to play! All those famous punches and kicks really add humor to a side-scrolling game. The music isn't too shabby either. Although the concept is really nothing new, playing Battletoads is a fun game while on the go. The speed of the game is incredible!

8

This game plays almost exactly like the NES and Genesis versions. The graphics are good for a GameBoy and the sounds are cool in stereo. The game play and control are faithfully reproduced and the fun never seems to stop. The screen blurs a little in some scenes but not enough to distract from the game.

7

Battletoads are everywhere. After an impressive showing on the Super NES, it's a little hard to play this version, but it's worth a look. Same idea, different plot. The animation is good, and the screen is somewhat tolerable. If you must pick up a new GameBoy title this year, you may want to pick up this one.

Shells? They don't need no stinking shells!

Those mean green machines Rash, Zitz and Pimple have busted out of NES-ville and into the world of 16-Bit systems! This time the evil Dark Queen has kidnapped toad friend Pimple and his babe Princess Angelica! It's up to Zitz and Rash, faithful fellow toads, to get them back! But the Dark Queen has a few surprises of her own up her long sleeve and getting them back will be anything but easy! Like its NES counterpart, Battletoads can be played alone, or with two players simultaneously. These toads can run, jump, walk and beat the living daylights out of anything standing in their way! Some enemies take more than one hit to eliminate, and there are some Boss characters that will require all your skills to beat! Look for flies, too; these are items that re-energize your strength meter! However, the game isn't all punching as some levels require strategy and quick reflexes! The Genesis version takes the 8-Bit favorite one step further, with the addition of better music, sound effects, enhanced graphics and no trace of slowdown! Battle on with some tough toads!

  • Levels: 6
  • Theme: Action
  • Difficulty: Average
  • Players: 1
  • Available: September 1991

The Toads Are Back in Black And White!

This time the Batteltoads are making there debut on the GameBoy. Prepare yourself for the same great action that made the NES version so enjoyable. In this version there are a variety of special moves at your disposal. One of which is especially cool, as it allows you to hurl one enemy at another and kill two birds with one stone! Special vehicles such as planes and jet skis give even more variety to the gameplay. At the end of each round you'll have to fight an exceptionally strong end boss. Battletoads is fast action combined with humorous animations and great graphics.

Funky Keen Frog Machines!

Time to toss your shells aside and get ready for some totally awesome fighting action. Princess Angelica and Pimple were out cruising and were kidnapped by the evil Dark Queen. Now it's up to Zitz and Rash to rescue the princess and their captured comrade. You're no ordinary amphibian though, you're radder than a reptile and nastier than a ninja when there's a battle to be fought. You have over 20 different moves at your disposal as well as turning the tables on the bad guys by using their arms and legs, lost in battle, as even more powerful weapons.

Bullets

You'll find these or get them when you defeat certain enemies. You must have a lot of ammo to survive.

Heart

These also can be found or earned by beating enemies. Make sure that you always have enough health.

Step aside turtles as here come the toads. Rescue Princess Angelica and your best buddy Pimple who have been kidnapped by the Dark Queen. It's 12 levels of fighting through endless canyons, dark holes and terrifying tunnels loaded with ice and fire before you get to the Tower of Shadows where the ultimate battle awaits you. Take a friend along as this is also a two player cooperative game.

People say:

9

This is without a doubt one of the best video games I've played on any system in recent memory! Battle-toads combines a great story line with superb graphics, adequate sound and smashing game play! It's sort of an extended Double Dragon with personality! A winner all the way!

9

Unbelievable! Toads has my vote for the best Nintendo game so far this year! Everything is done perfectly - it is long, challenging and most importantly - fun. As a two player game, it is hilarious! The animations and sound effects are also well done. Better than a 9 but not quite a 10.

9

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Amazing graphics and animation will blow you away! Best of all the game is extremely fun to play, a quality that's hard to find on any system. With new concepts and techniques on each level, the Toads almost got a 10.

9

Excellent! Radical! Most Triumphant! If Battletoads doesn't make you laugh at the hysterical animations, or fry your brain cells with utter amazement, you are reading the wrong mag! The amount of work that went into this game is phenomenal! This'll make up for Double Dragon.

Rash, Zitz, and Pimple are back, but don't go runnin' for the Clearasil. It's just those darned Battletoads, the meanest amphibian fighting force in the galaxy! Since they first leaped out of the NES pond in June '91, the Battletoads have high hopped after the Dark Queen through video game systems everywhere. They even plan a jaunt into personal computers. The Genesis, however, is their next hop... err, stop.

An Amphibian Assault

Unlike the SNES version, Genesis Battletoads will mirror the NES game. The Dark Queen and her evil cronies have slimed out of the darkest regions of space to put the snatch on the fair princess, Angelica. In the process, she nabs the princess' pal, Pimple. Rash and Zitz aren't about to take that squatting down! They take off after Queenie in their star cruiser, the Vulture, with their mentor, Professor T. Bird, at the controls.

You'll get 12 multi-scrolling levels of action/adventure fighting and fun. Two players can play two Toads, or they can try to croak each other. Each level will feature a unique frog-frying challenge.

You even ride Speed Bikes and fly Jet Turbos. You can bet that the combat will be Toad-ally tough, and that our web-footed heroes will come prepared with their trademark power-hits, such as the Jawbuster that turns your hand into a giant fist. You'll fight across mountain-tops, in a fiery volcano, through icey caverns, and finally through the Dark Queen's high-tech house of horrors.

The Queen's crew has a taste for Toad stew. Among the space vermin you face are the Psyko Pigs, the ravenous Robo Manus, and Hornhead (a rhino Terminator).

Toads in Space

Battle toads is a futuristic action adventure game where you can play one or two far out frogs from outer space. Zitz, Rash, and Pimple are a trio of totally tubular toads who along with their precocious avian pal, Professor T. Bird, are just cruising the galaxy looking for adventure. They find more than they can handle when the Dark Queen's gigantic battle-cruiser swallows up Pimple and Princess Angelica as they're joyriding in his rocket-engine super car.

Naturally, Zitz and Rash are off to the rescue with the help of the Professor. Your search spans 12 awesome levels which either scroll vertically or horizontally. The Queen's gang includes the Psyko Pigs, the Mutant Ratpack, Robo-Manus, and the vicious Saturn Toadtrap.

While the Toads do all the dirty work, the Prof monitors their progress across a game map screen from inside their starship, the S.S. Vulture (it looks like one, too). You'll get a kick out of the hand-to-hand fighting here. The Toads pack a massive power punch as well as a spectacular web-footed kick. They pick up weapons dropped by their enemies, hurl stones (or snowballs), or fight with fixtures they rip off the walls. If you're playing a two-player game, you can even carry your buddy if he gets knocked out. Better yet, throw him at your enemies! When the going gets really tough you shoot your Toady tongue out at the bad guys. Yuk!

The graphics in Battle toads are a real knockout. The Toads and their foes are some of the best-looking cartoon-style video characters to hit the small screen in a while. And the multi-scrolling backgrounds will blow your mind.

Cowabunga, Toad!

Battletoads should be hopping along some time in May. It's sure to draw comparisons to a certain group of teenage mutant ninja amphibians. But as this preview shows, at least in the NES arena, it appears that these Toady dudes can more than hold their own - even without the pizza.

Battletoads is a video game created by Tim and Chris Stamper and developed and published by Rare. The game is featuring three anthropomorphic toads named Rash, Zitz and Pimple, and was created to rival Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a more popular beat ‘em up game.

The first game was developed and published in 1991 for Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and was ported to the Amiga in 1992, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Sega Game Gear in 1993, GameBoy in 1993 and to Amiga CD32 in 1994. Developers were also planning ports for IBM PC and Atari ST, but those two versions were unfortunately never released. Sega also developed a Sega Master System game, but it was never released either.

Many consider this game as being one of the most graphically advanced games for NES, appeared in a period when the whole market was turning to Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The game was difficult, but also hilarious. The players had to beat their enemies all over the game and, during fishing attacks, could transform their body into gigantic and exaggerated appendages. The game was also considered as being very comic.

The game follows the story of the three toads named before. After the evil Dark Queen was defeated by the Galactic Corporation, she and her troops retreat and hide out between stars. Meanwhile, Professor T. Bird and the three Battletoads escort Princess Angelica back to her planet where Terran Emperor awaits for his daughter’s safe arrival.

But the Dark Queen ambushes and kidnaps Pimple and Angelica. The remaining Battletoads are sent to rescue the two hostages. They will have to encounter enemy forces, traps and dangerous environments on the planes, and have to go a long way to finally meet the Dark Queen.

The game has different levels, with traditional 2D levels and few 3D ones. The player progresses by defeating enemies. The most difficult levels are the race and course ones. In those levels the player has to dodge obstacles while driving or flying at high speed, and outrun his enemies. Players will have to memorize the sequence of obstacles in order to finish those levels, but also have to be rapid and pay attention to the environment. There is also an underwater level with spikes and monsters and also two difficult “tower climb” levels.

The game was fairly popular and was nominated for the 1991 Nintendo Power Awards in nine categories. The game won in Graphics and Sound, Theme and Fun, Best Play Control and Best Multi-Player or Simultaneous. The game was also awarded the title of the Overall Best Game for NES of 1991. The game had its flaws as well. It was considered very difficult, even for experienced players, and was considered also one of the most difficult games ever created. UGO ranked it as number 6 on its list with “sequels needed”, and the game was followed up by several other releases later on.

Snapshots and Media

Arcade Screenshots

PC Screenshots

Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Screenshots

NES/Famicom/Dendy Screenshots

GameGear Screenshots

GameBoy Screenshots

See Also

Viewing games 1 to 2
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