Battletoads
Developer(s)	Rare
Publisher(s)	Tradewest
Platform(s)	Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicom, Amiga, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Game Gear, Game Boy, Amiga CD32
Release date	June 1991 NES/FC 1992 Amiga December 1992 MD/GEN 1993 GG 1993 GB 1994 ACD32
Genre(s)	Beat 'em up, Platformer, Action
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Media	2-megabit cartridge

Battletoads is a video game by Rare Ltd. created to rival the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games. The first game was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991 and then ported to the Amiga in 1992, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1993, Sega Game Gear in 1993, and Amiga CD32 in 1994. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates video games. ... Rare, Ltd is a United Kingdom-based video game development company. ... Tradewest is a now-defunct video game company based in Corsicana, Texas that produced numerous games in the 1980s and early 1990s. ... In computing, a platform describes some sort of framework, either in hardware or software, which allows software to run. ... “NES” redirects here. ... This article is about the family of home computers. ... The Sega Mega Drive ) is a video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988, North America in 1989, and the PAL region in 1990. ... The Sega Game Gear is a handheld game console which was Segas response to Nintendos Game Boy. ... For the entire Game Boy series of handheld consoles, see Game Boy line. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Further information: Game classification Video games are categorized into genres based on their gameplay interaction. ... Beat Em Up is the Iggy Pop album on which the band were first labeled as The Trolls: Iggy Pop, Whitey Kirst, Pete Marshall, Alex Kirst, Lloyd Mooseman Roberts. ... Platform games, or platformers, are a very popular genre of video games that originated in the early 1980s. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In computer games and video games, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. ... A multiplayer game is a video game in which more than one person can play the same game at the same time. ... The Megabit is a unit of information storage, abbreviated Mbit or sometimes Mb. ... Cartridge for the VIC 20 homecomputer In various types of electronic equipment, a cartridge can refer one method of adding different functionality or content (e. ... Namcos Pac-Man is one of the most popular video games ever made. ... Rare, Ltd is a United Kingdom-based video game development company. ... TMNT redirects here. ... “NES” redirects here. ... This article is about the family of home computers. ... The Sega Mega Drive ) is a video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988, North America in 1989, and the PAL region in 1990. ... The Sega Game Gear is a handheld game console which was Segas response to Nintendos Game Boy. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

It is arguably one of the most graphically advanced video games for the NES, at a time when the video game market was turning to Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The Sega Mega Drive ) is a video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988, North America in 1989, and the PAL region in 1990. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) was a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia, and Brazil between 1990 and 1993. ...

The distinctive music of the Battletoads series was composed by David Wise. David Wise in Rares sound studio (2004) David Wise (often also credited as Dave Wise or D. Wise) is a British video game music composer. ...

Story

Two anthropomorphic toads named after skin disorders (Rash and Zitz) have to save their friends Pimple and the Princess Angelica from the Dark Queen, ruler of Planet Ragnarok, with the assistance of Professor T. Bird and his space ship, The Vulture. Anthropomorphism, also referred to as personification or prosopopeia, is the attribution of human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, forces of nature, and others. ... Dark Queen in the Super Battletoads. ...

The back story of Battletoads, written by Rare employee, Guy Miller, was also published in a Nintendo Power comic. The storyline in Battletoads in Battlemaniacs is somewhat based on this back story. Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo. ... The first boss of Battletoads in Battlemaniacs, menacing Pimple Battletoads in Battlemaniacs is a Super Nintendo mainly side-scrolling platform game released by Tradewest in 1994. ...

Characters

Heroes

Main article: List of Battletoads

The Battletoads are the main protagonists of Battletoads, a video game franchise developed by Rare and published by Tradewest and Electronic Arts. ...

Villains

Main article: List of villains in the Battletoads series

Dark Queen, Robo-Manus, and Big Blag are antagonists from Battletoads, a video game franchise developed by Rare. ...

Other characters

Princess Angelica
The damsel in distress in the original Battletoads game.

Gameplay

“Battletoads” appears on the title screen, with the text logo on the upper portion, and three Battletoads icons on the lower.

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 maze", 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. Battletoads NES Title Screen This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game. ... Battletoads NES Title Screen This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game. ... In computer and video games, a level (sometimes called a stage, course, round, world, map or landscape) is a separate area in a games virtual world, in modern games typically representing a specific location such as a building or a city. ...

Part of the series's marketable appeal is due to its exaggerated ways of finishing off enemies. These include a headbutt that would have the battletoad sprout ram's 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 vertically on either the right or left side of the playing field. Raping an enemy after defeat caused controversey, so it was removed from the game.

Reception

The original Battletoads was well-received by most gaming critics. However, it has remained somewhat maligned in the eyes of more casual gamers, due mostly to its capriciously-high difficulty. It earned 8th place in IGN's Top 10 most difficult games to beat.^[1]

Battletoads is notorious among NES games for its brutal difficulty. Because of its mix of powerful enemies, high-speed obstacle courses, limited continues, and numerous instant-death hazards, the game requires a great deal of skill, practice, memory, and most of all, patience. Even in the first level, there are many ways to meet quick death from "falling off the edge" by walking too close to the bottom or top of the screen (unlike most games, there was no artificial barrier to prevent such occurrences).

In contrast to most games, which become harder gradually as the player progresses, the third level of Battletoads presents an extreme leap in difficulty. The first of the obstacle-course levels (which involves driving a speed bike and maneuvering around tricky sequences of roadblocks and enemies) is a formidable challenge, even for experienced players.

Another aspect of the difficulty is that during a 2-player co-op game, one player may attack the other at anytime. This may be intentional, such as attacking the other directly, or unintentional, such as one player attacking an enemy and the other playing gets in the way. This can be especially annoying with attacks that result in a one-hit knockout. There was no option to disable "friendly fire". For other uses, see Friendly Fire (disambiguation). ...

To compound the problem even further, Battletoads gives the player only 3 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 sessions. Therefore, only the most dedicated of players were able to beat the game. Many players have also expressed extreme disappointment with Battletoads' lackluster ending sequence, feeling that they should be much better rewarded for having conquered such a difficult game. A continue screen for Marvel vs. ... A regular password-inserting screen (from Gods). ...

Unlike many side-scrolling games in which two players cooperating can complete the game more easily than one, Battletoads becomes even more difficult to complete with two players, because of the many obstacle levels. If either player crashes during an obstacle course, both are sent back to the start to try again; thus both players need perfect play to get through many of the levels.

The game is also littered with minor glitches that suggested poor beta testing. The most critical flaw occurs in level 11, entitled Clinger Winger. During a 2-player game, the second player is unable to move in level 11, and therefore must lose all of his or her lives before player one can continue the level. This makes finishing the game even more difficult for the second player, as that player had one less continue and any accumulated extra lives at his or her disposal. This glitch was removed in the versions of the game released outside the United States.

Two features did reduce the otherwise crippling difficulty of the game. In the second level, a quick player could gain multiple lives by repeatedly hitting defeated enemies before they fell offscreen; thus a skilled player could build up a store of ten or more lives to spend in future levels. Second, there were several "warp points" scattered throughout the game that let the player skip ahead two levels. A knowledgeable player could avoid approximately half of the levels in the game through judicious use of warp points. 1-up (or 1UP, 1-UP, etc. ...

Despite these concessions to the player, Battletoads for the NES has a reputation as being virtually impossible to finish, even among hardcore gamers. The Mega Drive/Genesis version tones down the difficulty considerably, awarding the players with more lives and generally featuring more forgiving controls and gameplay than the NES version. Contrary to an otherwise common trend of Japanese releases of games being more difficult than their American or European counterparts, the Famicom version of Battletoads was also made significantly easier than the American NES release.

Sequels

Battletoads proved to be a hit and was followed up with sequels released over the ensuing years

Super Battletoads

• Battletoads (Game Boy): The Dark Queen has captured Rash and Pimple, leaving Zitz to go out and try to rescue his teammates. Despite having the same box art and title as the 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 Dragon: A crossover 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 toads and the Lee brothers) to stop them. Released in 1993 for the NES, Game Boy, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, and SNES.
• Battletoads in Battlemaniacs: The characters are bigger and the graphics are better. 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. Released in 1993 for the SNES and in 1994 for the Sega Master System.
• Battletoads 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) Also, during vehicle levels, combat is emphasized rather than memorizing and avoiding obstacles.

Image File history File links Battletoads_arcade. ... Image File history File links Battletoads_arcade. ... An animated series called Battletoads (upon which the games were based) was made by DiC Entertainment in the early 1990s. ... Jumping obstacles. ... It has been suggested that Gaming crossovers be merged into this article or section. ... Billy and Jimmy Lee, the protagonists of the Double Dragon series. ... The first boss of Battletoads in Battlemaniacs, menacing Pimple Battletoads in Battlemaniacs is a Super Nintendo mainly side-scrolling platform game released by Tradewest in 1994. ... The Sega Master System ) or SMS for short (1986 - 2000), is an 8-bit cartridge-based video game console that was manufactured by Sega. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ...

Animated series

Battletoads also spun off a half-hour, traditionally animated television special produced by DiC Entertainment, airing on Fox in 1992, about three kids who turn into humanoid toads to rescue a princess. However, only the pilot made it to the airwaves; it was never picked up as a full series, despite comic-style ads in GamePro magazine claiming otherwise. The DIC Incredible World logo used from the late 2001-present. ... FOX redirects here. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Families At least 9, see article. ... For other uses, see Princess (disambiguation). ... GamePro is an American video game magazine published monthly. ...

Set in Oxnard, California, the show stars three kids (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. Nickname: Location in Ventura County and the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Ventura Government  - Mayor Dr. Thomas E. Holden Area  - City  36. ...

It is likely that the show was an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Incidentally, DiC would try this again with Street Sharks, then with Extreme Dinosaurs TMNT redirects here. ... A screenshot of the TV show Street Sharks. Clockwise from upper left: Jab, Streex, Slammu, Ripster Street Sharks was an animated television series about crime-fighting half-man/half-sharks similar to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. ... Extreme Dinosaurs is an American animated series from 1997 based on a toy line from Mattel starring a foursome of heroic anthropomorphic dinosaurs and their nemeses: a trio of malevolent dromeosaurids with plans for world domination. ...

See also

• List of beat 'em ups
• Anthropomorphic Superheroes

This section is an ongoing effort to catalogue every fighting title or series featured on Wikipedia. ... This list consists of animal characters that walk, talk, act and sometimes look like humans. ...

References

1. ^ Top 10 Tuesday: Toughest Games to Beat

External links

• Battletoads at the Killer List of Videogames
• Battletoads series at MobyGames
• Battletoads Fan-site
• ClassicGaming - The World of Battletoads
• BatteToads at TV.com
• BattleToads at IMDB
• Battletoads Speed Runs at Speed Demos Archive
• The Battletoads comic