Battletoads
Encyclopedia
Battletoads is a platformer
video game created by Tim and Chris Stamper
and developed by Rare. Starring three anthropomorphic
toad
s named after skin conditions (Rash, Zitz and Pimple), the game was created to rival the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games.
The first game was developed by Rare for the Nintendo Entertainment System
in 1991. It was subsequently ported by Mindscape to the Amiga
in 1992, by Sega
to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
and Sega Game Gear
both in 1993, by Rare to the Game Boy
in 1993 retitled as Battletoads in Ragnarok's World, and by Mindscape to the Amiga CD32
in 1994. Ports for IBM PC
and Atari ST
were planned by Mindscape but never released.
It is arguably one of the most graphically advanced video games ever released for the NES, at a time when the video game market was turning to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
and Super Nintendo Entertainment System
. The game became famous for its extreme difficulty and humorous ways of beating enemies, as during finishing attacks, the character's body parts transform into gigantic, exaggerated appendages for devastating attacks and comic effect.
's World, the Dark Queen's planet. Professor Bird sends the remaining Battletoads down on Ragnarok to save Pimple and Angelica, knowing it will be a hard battle against the planet's dangerous environments, traps and enemy forces. They have to go a long way from the planet's rough surface to deep caves and landed Gargantua and ultimately to the Tower of Shadows, where the Dark Queen herself awaits.
", an underwater level with lethal spikes and dangerous monsters, and two difficult "tower climb" levels, including the final climb of the Dark Queen's tower.
Part of the series' marketable appeal is due to its exaggerated ways of finishing off enemies. These include a headbutt
that has the Battletoad sprout ram horns (or, in Pimple's case, a football helmet
in the arcade game), a punch with an extremely enlarged fist, a two-handed smash into the ground that yielded only the enemy's head sticking out, a kick move with the character sprouting a very enlarged boot, and on climbing/falling levels, the ability to transform into a wrecking ball
by having your character line up with the wall on either side of the screen.
While in "brawler" levels, two players cooperating can push forward more easily than one, Battletoads' obstacle levels often become even more difficult to complete with two players due to the fact that either player crashing during an obstacle course, causes them both to be sent back to the last checkpoint. One aspect of the difficulty is the lack of an option to disable friendly fire
. During a 2-player game, one player may attack the other at anytime either intentionally or unintentionally, as it often happens with one player attacking an enemy and the other player getting in the way. This can be especially annoying with attacks that result in a one-hit knockout.
The game also suffers from several minor glitches. The most critical flaw occurs in level 11, titled Clinger Winger. During a 2-player game, the second player is sometimes unable to move, and therefore must lose all of his lives before player one can continue the level. This makes finishing the game even more difficult for the second player, as that player would have one less continue and any accumulated extra lives at his disposal lost. To further the problem even more, Battletoads gives the player only three opportunities to continue
after being defeated (many other games of this size gave unlimited opportunities), and has no password
or save feature to enable the player to continue the game across multiple playing sessions. Therefore, only the most skilled players were able to beat the game.
Some features however, did reduce the otherwise crippling difficulty of the game. By means of a cheat code, it is possible to get five lives instead of the usual three you get every time you start or continue the game. Then, in the second level, a quick player could gain multiple lives
by repeatedly hitting defeated enemies before they fell off the screens. And most importantly, there were four "warp points" scattered throughout the game that let the player skip ahead two levels. A knowledgeable player could avoid three levels in the game through judicious use of warp points. Despite these concessions to the player, Battletoads for the NES is considered to be among the most difficult games ever made. The Mega Drive/Genesis version, for the most part, tones down the difficulty considerably, rewarding the players with more lives and generally featuring more forgiving controls and gameplay than the NES version. However, falling platforms in the fourth stage move faster than in the NES version, making it easier to fall into any hazards below.
In 2008, Topless Robot ranked it as the #1 "Least Terrible Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Rip-Off", also naming it as one of the 10 best beat-'em-ups of all time in 2010. In 2010, UGO
included it on the list of the games that need sequels, also featuring the Arctic Cavern levels on the list of the coolest ice levels", while SPIKE ranked the game's ending as #6 on the list of the biggest letdowns in video game endings.
However, the first Battletoads game has been most remembered for its extreme difficulty, even for experienced players. The game has even been included in numerous occasions among the hardest games ever made, including the number one spot as determined by GameTrailers
. According to Destructoid
, "Despite the game's brutal and unbalanced difficulty, it is remembered as one of the most beloved titles of the eight-bit
generation."
half-hour, traditionally animated television special produced by DIC Entertainment
, airing in syndication on the weekend of Thanksgiving 1992. It is assumed that the series was an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Incidentally, DiC Entertainment
would try this again later on by producing Street Sharks
and then later Extreme Dinosaurs
. However, only the pilot episode made it to the airwaves; it was never picked up as a full animated series, despite comic-style ads in GamePro
magazine claiming otherwise. A VHS
tape with the pilot was released in the United States
on January 15, 1994. It was developed and written by Phil Harnage
and David Wise
, which the latter is or has no relation to the composer of the Battletoads video games of the same name.
Set in Oxnard, California
, the show stars three teens (despite the fact that the comic's story revolved around three video game testers). The trio is given the ability to transform into anthropomorphic toads with superhuman strength and the ability to change their arms and legs into weapons in techniques called "Smash Hits". They are charged with protecting Professor T. Bird and Princess Angelica from the Dark Queen, who wants to steal Angelica's magical amulet for her plans of universal conquest.
The pilot served more as a prequel
to the video game franchise. The comic with the backstory of Battletoads, written by Rare employee Guy Miller, was also published in Nintendo Power
. In 2008, Battletoads was given the #5 place on the list of The 5 Worst One-Shot TV Cartoons Ever Made by Topless Robot. According to Gawker, "Some say it was nothing more than a blatant Ninja Turtles rip off, but Shredder had nothing on the Toads' sexy nemesis, The Dark Queen."
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game created by Tim and Chris Stamper
Tim and Chris Stamper
Tim and Chris Stamper are the co-founders of Ashby Computers & Graphics and later Rare...
and developed by Rare. Starring three anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
toad
Toad
A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura characterized by dry, leathery skin , short legs, and snoat-like parotoid glands...
s named after skin conditions (Rash, Zitz and Pimple), the game was created to rival the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games.
The first game was developed by Rare for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
in 1991. It was subsequently ported by Mindscape to the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
in 1992, by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
and Sega Game Gear
Sega Game Gear
The was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
both in 1993, by Rare to the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
in 1993 retitled as Battletoads in Ragnarok's World, and by Mindscape to the Amiga CD32
Amiga CD32
The Amiga CD32, styled "CD32" , was the first 32-bit CD-ROM based video game console released in western Europe, Australia, Canada and Brazil. It was first announced at the Science Museum in London, United Kingdom on 16 July 1993, and was released in September of the same year...
in 1994. Ports for IBM PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
and Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
were planned by Mindscape but never released.
It is arguably one of the most graphically advanced video games ever released for the NES, at a time when the video game market was turning to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
and Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
. The game became famous for its extreme difficulty and humorous ways of beating enemies, as during finishing attacks, the character's body parts transform into gigantic, exaggerated appendages for devastating attacks and comic effect.
Story
After her defeat by the Galactic Corporation at the battle of Canis Major, the evil Dark Queen and her renegade space troops retreat to the outer reaches of the universe, hiding out in dark spaces between the stars. Meanwhile, on board the spaceship Vulture, Professor T. Bird and the trio of Battletoads - Rash, Zitz and Pimple - are escorting the Princess Angelica back to her home planet, where her father, the Terran Emperor, awaits her safe arrival. Along the way, Pimple, the biggest Battletoad, takes Angelica out for a cruise in the Toadster to a nearby Leisure Station. However, the Dark Queen ambushes them before they can get there, and they are kidnapped and carried away to RagnarokRagnarök
In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water...
's World, the Dark Queen's planet. Professor Bird sends the remaining Battletoads down on Ragnarok to save Pimple and Angelica, knowing it will be a hard battle against the planet's dangerous environments, traps and enemy forces. They have to go a long way from the planet's rough surface to deep caves and landed Gargantua and ultimately to the Tower of Shadows, where the Dark Queen herself awaits.
Gameplay
Different levels of the game have very different play styles. There are a few 3D and traditional 2D "beat-em-up" levels in which the player progresses by defeating enemies, though even these levels tend to have many lethal obstacles. The most difficult levels are the obstacle course and race levels, where the character must dodge a series of obstacles while driving or flying at high speed, or outrun an enemy that can instantly kill the player. These levels typically required the player to memorize the sequence of obstacles in the way, and to have extremely rapid reflexes. Other levels include a climbing/jumping "snake mazeSnake (video game)
Snake is a video game that originated during the late 1970s in arcades and has maintained popularity since then, becoming something of a classic...
", an underwater level with lethal spikes and dangerous monsters, and two difficult "tower climb" levels, including the final climb of the Dark Queen's tower.
Part of the series' marketable appeal is due to its exaggerated ways of finishing off enemies. These include a headbutt
Headbutt
A headbutt is a strike with the head, typically involving the use of robust parts of the cranium as areas of impact. Effective headbutting revolves around striking a sensitive area with a less sensitive area, such as striking the nose of an opponent with the forehead...
that has the Battletoad sprout ram horns (or, in Pimple's case, a football helmet
Football helmet
A football helmet is a protective device used primarily in American football and Canadian football. It consists of a hard plastic top with thick padding on the inside, a face mask made of one or more plastic bars, and a chinstrap. Some players add polycarbonate visors to their helmets, which are...
in the arcade game), a punch with an extremely enlarged fist, a two-handed smash into the ground that yielded only the enemy's head sticking out, a kick move with the character sprouting a very enlarged boot, and on climbing/falling levels, the ability to transform into a wrecking ball
Wrecking ball
A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a crane, that is used for demolishing large buildings. It was most common during the 1950s and 1960s. Several wrecking companies claim to have invented the wrecking ball...
by having your character line up with the wall on either side of the screen.
While in "brawler" levels, two players cooperating can push forward more easily than one, Battletoads
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
. During a 2-player game, one player may attack the other at anytime either intentionally or unintentionally, as it often happens with one player attacking an enemy and the other player getting in the way. This can be especially annoying with attacks that result in a one-hit knockout.
The game also suffers from several minor glitches. The most critical flaw occurs in level 11, titled Clinger Winger. During a 2-player game, the second player is sometimes unable to move, and therefore must lose all of his lives before player one can continue the level. This makes finishing the game even more difficult for the second player, as that player would have one less continue and any accumulated extra lives at his disposal lost. To further the problem even more, Battletoads gives the player only three opportunities to continue
Continue
Continue may refer to:*Continue , an option to continue a video game after all the player's lives have been lost*Continue , a 2008 Cantopop album by Pakho Chau*Continue , a programming language keyword-See also:...
after being defeated (many other games of this size gave unlimited opportunities), and has no password
Password (video games)
In many video games of the 8-bit and, to a lesser extent, 16-bit eras , after a level was beaten and/or when all continues were used, the game would display a password, that when entered in the game would allow the player to return to this part in the game...
or save feature to enable the player to continue the game across multiple playing sessions. Therefore, only the most skilled players were able to beat the game.
Some features however, did reduce the otherwise crippling difficulty of the game. By means of a cheat code, it is possible to get five lives instead of the usual three you get every time you start or continue the game. Then, in the second level, a quick player could gain multiple lives
1-up
1-up , pronounced "one up", is a term in console video gaming that commonly refers to an item that gives the player an extra life, to complete the game. In certain games, it is possible to receive multiple extra lives at once...
by repeatedly hitting defeated enemies before they fell off the screens. And most importantly, there were four "warp points" scattered throughout the game that let the player skip ahead two levels. A knowledgeable player could avoid three levels in the game through judicious use of warp points. Despite these concessions to the player, Battletoads for the NES is considered to be among the most difficult games ever made. The Mega Drive/Genesis version, for the most part, tones down the difficulty considerably, rewarding the players with more lives and generally featuring more forgiving controls and gameplay than the NES version. However, falling platforms in the fourth stage move faster than in the NES version, making it easier to fall into any hazards below.
Reception
The game was well-received by most gaming critics. It was nominated for the 1991 Nintendo Power Awards in nine categories, winning the 1st places in the categories: Graphics and Sound (NES) ("well-defined characters and backgrounds"), Theme and Fun (NES) ("extremely entertaining adventure"), Best Play Control (NES) ("again, tip of the hat to a fantastic game") and Best Multi-Player or Simultaneous (NES) ("no surprise here"), the 2nd place in the category Best Play Control (Game Boy), and the 3rd place in the category Best Challenge (NES); it was also given the title of the "by far" Overall Best Game for NES of 1990.In 2008, Topless Robot ranked it as the #1 "Least Terrible Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Rip-Off", also naming it as one of the 10 best beat-'em-ups of all time in 2010. In 2010, UGO
UGO
UGO Entertainment, Inc. is a website providing coverage of online media in entertainment targeting males age 18–34. The company is currently based in New York, New York, United States. On July 24, 2007 it was announced that Hearst Corporation would acquire UGO Entertainment...
included it on the list of the games that need sequels, also featuring the Arctic Cavern levels on the list of the coolest ice levels", while SPIKE ranked the game's ending as #6 on the list of the biggest letdowns in video game endings.
However, the first Battletoads game has been most remembered for its extreme difficulty, even for experienced players. The game has even been included in numerous occasions among the hardest games ever made, including the number one spot as determined by GameTrailers
GameTrailers
GameTrailers is a media website that specializes in video game related content. It provides free access to original programming , game trailers and recorded game play. Along with standard definition , many of the video clips are offered in a higher resolution .Users can upload videos, create...
. According to Destructoid
Destructoid
Destructoid is an independent video game-focused blog based in San Francisco, California that was founded in March 2006. It has since grown into one of the most widely read video game sites on the Internet, reaching more than 3 million unique visitors per month...
, "Despite the game's brutal and unbalanced difficulty, it is remembered as one of the most beloved titles of the eight-bit
8-bit
The first widely adopted 8-bit microprocessor was the Intel 8080, being used in many hobbyist computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, often running the CP/M operating system. The Zilog Z80 and the Motorola 6800 were also used in similar computers...
generation."
Sequels
Battletoads proved to be a hit and was followed up with sequels released over the ensuing years.- Battletoads (Game Boy): The Dark Queen has captured Rash and Pimple, leaving Zitz to go out and try to rescue his teammates in a solo effort. Despite having the same box art and title as the original NES release, Battletoads for Game Boy is a completely different game with new levels. A modified version of the original game was later released on the Game Boy as Battletoads in Ragnarok's World. This version of the game has fewer levels in it and is only single player.
- Battletoads & Double DragonBattletoads & Double DragonBattletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team is a 1993 beat 'em up developed by Rare and published by Tradewest. It was originally released for the NES and later ported to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Super NES, and Game Boy....
: A crossoverFictional crossoverA fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
with the characters from the Double Dragon series with liberties taken. The Dark Queen and Shadow Boss team up and it's up to the five heroes (the three toads, Zitz, Rash and Pimple, and the two Lee brothers, Billy and Jimmy) to stop them. The game allows players full and free choice of playable characters for the first time through a selection screen. Released in 1993 for the NES, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, SNES and Game Boy.
- Battletoads in BattlemaniacsBattletoads in BattlemaniacsBattletoads in Battlemaniacs is a game released by Tradewest in 1993 for the Super NES. It is a sequel to Battletoads.-Story:The story opens with the 'Toads visiting the Gyachung-La fortress in northern Tibet, where the Psicone Corporation is demoing their new virtual reality game system, TRIPS...
: Released in 1993 for the SNES and in 1994 for the Sega Master System. In this game, Zitz and the daughter of Psicone Industries' CEO have been captured and it's up to Rash and Pimple to save them from the Dark Queen's clutches. Different from the previous games, in this one each character has its own specific abilities and combos. The player 1 character, Pimple, is the powerhouse, big and with huge range with punches (like his aerial anvil-fist finisher), while the player 2 character, Rash, is nimble and smaller, fighting using kicking attacks (like his aerial battle axe finisher attack). Aside from cooperative play, a solo player is able to play as Rash by switching to the second controller.
- Battletoads (arcade game) aka Super Battletoads: An arcade game released in 1994. The arcade game, unlike the other games, featured voiceovers and several other features that distinguish it from the other games, such as an increased level of violence (players could bloodily decapitate some of their enemies with specific attacks). It follows the Battletoads in Battlemaniacs updated formula of each character having his own design and specific abilities and combos, but this time featuring the three toads, Zitz, Rash and Pimple, as selectable characters. While Rash is kept as the nimble and smaller character and Pimple as the powerhouse, Zitz is represented as the intermediate and balanced character. Also, during vehicle levels, combat is emphasized rather than memorizing and avoiding obstacles.
Cartoon
Battletoads also spun-off an AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
half-hour, traditionally animated television special produced by DIC Entertainment
DiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
, airing in syndication on the weekend of Thanksgiving 1992. It is assumed that the series was an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Incidentally, DiC Entertainment
DiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
would try this again later on by producing Street Sharks
Street Sharks
Street Sharks is an American animated television series about crime-fighting half-man/half-sharks. It was produced by DIC Entertainment and aired from 1994 to 1995, originally as a part of the Amazin' Adventures lineup. Later, in 1996, the Street Sharks teamed up with the Dino Vengers and the...
and then later Extreme Dinosaurs
Extreme Dinosaurs
Extreme Dinosaurs is an American animated series from 1997 based on a 1996 toy line from Mattel starring a group of dinosaurs that were transformed into super warriors by an interdimensional criminal. They rebelled against their creator and do battle with his second group of warriors, the evil...
. However, only the pilot episode made it to the airwaves; it was never picked up as a full animated series, despite comic-style ads in GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
magazine claiming otherwise. A VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
tape with the pilot was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on January 15, 1994. It was developed and written by Phil Harnage
Phil Harnage
Phil Harnage is an American screenwriter. He resides in Santa Monica, California with his family.- Filmography :* 1987 : Banzai Runner * 1987 : Maxie's World * 1989 : The Super Mario Bros...
and David Wise
David Wise
David Wise is a British video game music composer. He was one of the in-house composers at Rare, and his music appears in many Rare-developed titles. He started his career there in 1985 and was the company's sole musician up until 1994...
, which the latter is or has no relation to the composer of the Battletoads video games of the same name.
Set in Oxnard, California
Oxnard, California
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
, the show stars three teens (despite the fact that the comic's story revolved around three video game testers). The trio is given the ability to transform into anthropomorphic toads with superhuman strength and the ability to change their arms and legs into weapons in techniques called "Smash Hits". They are charged with protecting Professor T. Bird and Princess Angelica from the Dark Queen, who wants to steal Angelica's magical amulet for her plans of universal conquest.
The pilot served more as a prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
to the video game franchise. The comic with the backstory of Battletoads, written by Rare employee Guy Miller, was also published in Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
. In 2008, Battletoads was given the #5 place on the list of The 5 Worst One-Shot TV Cartoons Ever Made by Topless Robot. According to Gawker, "Some say it was nothing more than a blatant Ninja Turtles rip off, but Shredder had nothing on the Toads' sexy nemesis, The Dark Queen."
External links
- Battletoads on vNES
- Battletoads at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...