In 1991, Rare rocked gamers’ worlds with the original Battletoads on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Battletoads combined original designs, challenging gameplay and a truly quirky sense of humor.
As great as the game was, later stocks provided diminishing returns. Sequels like Battletoads in Battlemaniacs and Battletoads & Double Dragons (both from 1993) were pale shadows of the original title. And 1994’s Battletoads Arcade Game was pretty damn fun (literally), but it wasn’t a hit with audiences.
Now, 26 years after its last installment, the toads are back in a brand new adventure. Available on PC and Xbox One, Battletoads (2020) has some great shoes to fill and an important reputation to live up to. And for the most part, the new game is successful on both counts.
The new design of Battletoads
In a way, the most divisive thing about the new Battletoads game is the new designs. While previous games made toads look like an edgy variant of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new game gives them a highly stylized, cartoonish feel.
That look is divisive among fans. While the animation is very sharp (like Cuphead with a slight grain filter), the “take control of a cartoon” aesthetic isn’t for everyone.
I was one of the players initially disabled by the new designs. They eventually won me over, but this could be a side effect of the fun gameplay rather than the artistic design.
Different toads, different styles
Battletoads has had multiplayer gaming in its DNA from the very beginning. But in those early games, toads typically played exactly the same way. And only a few aesthetic differences allow you to tell who is who.
In this new game, the differences are more than profound. Each toad has a different fighting style and different insane animation sets for their attacks.
These different styles are still balanced, though. Pimple can hit harder, for example, but moves slower. And it will be up to each player to find the toad that best suits their style.
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