Nostalgia is in the air with the new Battletoads game developed by Dlala Studios and Rare. Originally release in 1991, this beat ‘em up game was designed to rival the favored Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games of the time. For many, this game will be a blast from the past, but with some upgrades. A series that is remembered for aging people from rage actually brings the right amount of fun.
The Toads have been gone. For a very long time. The game goes meta right away as the boys have been locked away for 20 years and nobody remembers them (closer to 26 but who’s counting.) There is still a galaxy to save and The Dark Queen to overcome. The humor is pretty funny, as jokes that kids will enjoy and some that adults will understand a little bit more.
Players still play as Rash, Pimple and Zitz and up to three people can play co-op mode. The environment of the game is still bright and colorful. Now with updated graphics the game even better. Backgrounds were all hand drawn which offers a new fresh feel as well. The boys always seemed like a cartoon that we never got to see and this new style allows them to reach their full potential.
Like the original, Battletoads is still a side scrolling game but some things have changed such as the camera. Players will now see the camera behind the bikes instead of from the sides. Don’t think this will just be a beat um up with some bike levels. There are plenty of levels that allow players to have different experiences The levels however are still difficult and the Game Over screen still offers words of encouragement. At least this time however, you can set the difficulty to your liking.
Battletoads was a franchise that was always remembered for it’s difficulty, but the game itself was always fun. This new game fleshes out the boys and allows them to be more then just a take off of TMNT. The game is beautiful to look at and you will find yourself wishing it was just a little bit longer. If you want to really experience your childhood, you can even put the difficulty to hard. Just be sure not to break anything you can’t replace in your house.
9/10
Available on Xbox and PC
https://www.rare.co.uk/games/battletoads