Battletoads

This is another of my favorite video games on the NES and an honorable mention in person favorite Beat Em Up/Platform action games. This was the first entry in the highly popular if slightly short "Battletoads" video game franchise.

It's not hard to see why this game was a hit as this came out at a time when the Anamorphic subgenre in Animation was big along with the popularity of NES console and beat em up genre in video games, all three were starting to rise in the 90's and this game didn't waste time in getting in on the action and picked the right time for it, I was swept up into this game as I was a 90's kid and was a fan of all three of these things.

I know the premise and plotline is rather ridiculous and daft when you think about it; a hot but evil queen called uninspiringly the Black Queen she kidnaps a princess along with one of your toad buddies named Pimple (charming name) and it's up to two of them a green one named "Rash" and yellow named "Zitz" (again charming names) to save them and the universe from.

That's pretty much it I know as I said ridiculous and daft but in the 80's and 90's and a lot of animated shows and video games had a lot of these and surprisingly it caught a lot of attention and became best sellers. And that's part of why I love the game as it's in on that fun, it obviously doesn't take itself too seriously as it has it's tongue firmly placed on it's cheek.

Animation is great it really looks like a 90's cartoon come to life, really like the graphical presentation as they were really pushing the power of the system a little further as the game seems to be a slight combo of both 2D and 3D animation and this game shows both make a beautiful combination.

Really like the character animation and the lifely expression of both the toads. Subvillians and bosses are also really book but I really like The Black Queen. I'll admit as a kid I had a crush on this character (I know I'm not alone in that and it's not strange), that's just me as I'm into bad girls like the Baroness on "G. I. JOE" or Morgan from the "Darkstalkers" franchise but that's another story. She basically an archetypal villainess who has long black hair which yeah that was a cliche back then on most villainous being brunettes.

And has this S and M Domenatrix outfit on, again another cliche back then of villains and villainesses wearing black and those kinds of outfits well sometimes. Both factors don't bother me as their turn ons for me, but anyway her motive is pretty cliche but what makes her standout is really in the cutscenes where she delivers some arrogance and insults to you the closer you get, it's kind of funny as you really don't take them seriously or personally as the kind you'd hear from the "Batman 66" show. But also, it was just interesting seeing a video game villain/villainous do that directly which wasn't common at the time, it's also a good motivation device just for you to continue playing and for me to see the Black Queen in person.

Music is also great there are plenty of memorable tracks some of them you could almost play in a party and dance to. One of them I like which is when you pause the game there is this short repeating smashing drumbeat, I remember sometimes just pressing the pause button just to dance to that toon for a little while. But I really love the theme song which is one of my favorite video game themes of all time, it pretty much a hard rocking tone that just sings out hard hitting action coming your way; just hearing that theme just even more motivated me to just press start and get into the action.

But of course, there is the gameplay, which is spot on, the controls are responsive as you have the typical action and jump buttons and you can tap the forward and backward button twice to get your character to run. The things that make this game unique are the fact that each level you play though is different which is cool as it keeps the game fresh but adds to the challenge because you have to quickly adjust how you play depending on what the next level requires you to do. Like in one level it's the typical beat em up routine of going from point A to B and beating the crap out of whoever is in your path. But then on the next level you have to repel down though a caecum from point A to B but you have to take the defenses down quick before they put you in for a long fall.

There are also a few boss battles which by their nature are actually pretty easy but each of them are different in some way, like in the first level you have to this "War of the Worlds" like tripod you have to take down by first avoiding it's beams and crosshairs and at the right moment throw a rock toward it, really like the 3D onscreen effect which at the time was really cool and sort of predates that same effect which was on the sequel "Ninja Turtles" arcade game "Turtles in Time" which came out two years after this game.

I also like that in each level your character have different kinds of moves which also help in keeping the game fresh. Like when you consistently deliver a combo of punches at an enemy you then have a finisher when you deliver it your fist enlarges to giant size. Or in another level you punt one of the bad guys and your foot turns into a giant boot. Sort of like the comic series "Ms. Marvel" (not a fan for the record) only in this game it's actually looks cool.

My only real problem with the game is the difficulty feels a tad imbalanced. In some parts of the game, it's fair but in others it's get turned up just a notch too high. Most notably no surprise is that darn third level which is fun but when you're on the hover bikes and Flintstones ATV those darn walls come at you too fast when you get further, though to me the worst part of that level is when you jump a gap your character for some stupid reason tends to drift away from the platforms in midair. Though you can clear the jump if you shadow meets the platform but still that damn drifting is a needless difficulty that should've been edited out. Also, that difficulty can make the stay on a particular level you haven't cleared yet longer than desired.

But I can get past this as the levels are beatable making beating the game possible.

"Battletoads" is a hard-hitting vintage classic.

Rating: 3 and a half stars.

Most games today are user friendly... they usually have undo-buttons, auto-aim features, guided tutorials and balloon-tips telling you what to do.

If you grew up with this new kind of games, "Battletoads in Ragnarock's World" (1991) will leave you wondering: This piece of software is the digital equivalent of a dragster car: Hard to control and not forgiving any mistakes. You press a wrong button, you die. You jump a little too early, you die even messier. Long story short: It takes *enormous* joypad-skills to beat this game. Without the slightest shadow of a doubt this is the most nervewreckingly difficult game I have ever played.

The graphics were top-notch when this game was released, but from today's point of view you're more likely to be revolted by the blurry 8-bit visuals. But who cares? You won't play this game for it's technical supremacy, but for the mere challenge it provides. The gameplay is an awkward mixture of a platform-beat'em up à la "Double Dragon" and 2d racing sequences of different kinds.(Those who ever played Battletoads will probably feel a slight wave of aggression rolling in, as they remember the ludicrously challenging racing parts...) Anyway, this is a rare gem among the 8-bit platformers and is well worth a look for those who like the atmosphere of retro-gaming and for those who think they could beat any game. This IS the hardest of the hard to master. You will probably not find another game which is as frustrating and as motivating at the same time. Don't believe me? Try!

I do not understand how a game like Silver Surfer gets a reputation for being insanely difficult and gets a low score here, while this one makes that one seem like a walk in the park! This game is horrifically difficult! I do not think I have played a game more difficult than this one the last few weeks I have been revisiting old Nintendo and other classic games on the older systems. I have won all the games I have played including such hard games as Batman: Revenge of the Joker (on all platforms), Ninja Gaiden I and II, Castlevania I, III, and even Dracula X, and the aforementioned Silver Surfer; however, I can not beat this game! It is difficult beyond words and how it gets such a high score baffles me. There is challenge, but then there is just some games where the high difficulty level makes the game unplayable. Here is a case where I had to stop playing because it was causing stress. Update, I was finally able to win this game and to be fair, you take out any stage involving a vehicle and high speeds and it is okay. Those levels are what make this game a two player nightmare!

The story has a toad named Pimple out on a ride with a princess. Well, he and she are captured by an evil queen and the two remaining toads must fight their way through her hellish planet to get both their friend, and princess back. During your mission, you will encounter various enemies and various stages, all designed to make you cuss the television and the makers of this game. The ending is okay for a Nintendo game; however, considering the insane difficulty, I feel a ten thousand dollar prize is in order. For winning this one, you deserve a prize. Win it with two players, you deserve the WORLD!!!

The game lulls you in during the first stage. You have your basic beat em up type game. The second level is not much harder, but then the third one comes along and kicks your tail all over the place. You will learn to dread the sight of any vehicle during your travels because they signify a fast level where you will have to try to memorize a set course or obstacle (I gave up on stage 11, that stage just did not seem beatable to me). There is also an annoying level involving racing a rat. The game has variety, but it just ramps up the difficulty way too much! As for stage 11, I found there is no strategy one can give anyone concerning that level. You win it with a lot of luck and you'd better have a good controller!

So you can try this game if you dare. I hear that it is impossible playing the game with two players (yes, there is a two player option). Which I do not really see getting passed stage three with two players. There are a limited number of continues as well, so it is one of those games you will have to memorize as you play it again and again! Even if you get good at it and you get the levels down pat, there are still many ways to die an insanely cheap death! It has good graphics for the NES, but graphics do not make a game. This one is too difficult and that difficulty makes this game one I really do not care to win. However, now that I have won it, take the vehicle stages out and it is a fun beat em up.

Battletoads is a classic game known by all, mainly for its high difficulty. In this game, The Dark Queen has kidnapped Princess Angela and Pimple while the two are on a leisurely trip in Pimple's flying car. After Pimple sends a distress call, Professor T. Bird alerts Rash and Zitz, the remaining two Battletoads, about the situation, and the two heroes are soon off to Ragnarok's World, where the Dark Queen's ship is hidden underneath the planet's surface, to rescue their friends.

So, yeah, when I said this is known for its high difficulty, I mean it. This game only gives you three continues to complete it, and the game has some difficult levels, like the infamous Turbo Tunnel, which most players will be stuck on unless they play this on the Rare Replay, and the Rat Race, which challenges players to race rat enemies, with the next being much faster. The two player mode is not going to do any favors, either, as friendly fire is not only on, but if one player loses all his lives, it cuts to game over, and on continue, both players restart at the beginning, and if continues run out, all it takes is one player to lose all lives to end the game for both).

However, it does have some good gameplay, as the controls are good, and the concept of the heroes' limbs transforming for powerful blows are a neat idea. This may be hard, but this game is worth checking out (just don't play two-player mode).

This definitely makes it to my top 20 favorite NES games. It also makes it to my top 20 hardest NES games.

This game wins the trophy for best graphics, I can't think of an NES game with better graphics (maybe Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse).

The music is also up there, it is upbeat, and fits the level very well.

The controls are modernly good; but be cautious of your timing, you can lead to your death.

Sound affects are very synchronized and satisfies me when I beat enemies.

The only 3 bad qualities that this game has (which isn't saying much) are...

1. You only get a few continues. 2. Levels can be difficult for the wrong reasons. (i.e. Rat Race) 3. It is virtually unplayable with 2-players, as you can harm the other player.

Despite these flaws, I'm happy with my rating.