It was the year 1991 and the NES was on the crest of the wave. console Nintendo seemed unstoppable, especially thanks to games of the caliber of Super Mario Bros.. A golden age for the Japanese company in which we were able to discover Battletoads, one of the most popular games in the history of rare.
The developer pulled a beat’em up out of her hat in which we controlled some mutant toads that slapped everything that moved. A title that was seasoned by phases of platforms, hilarious humor and a bump that was practically impossible to overcome. After eight minutes into the game, Turbo Tunnel appeared before us, a phase in which we had to use flying motorcycles to avoid obstacles. The problem arises when the vast majority of players fail miserably in each attempt.
That is how battletoads acquired an unusual fame for being considered one of the most difficult video games of all time. Almost 30 years later, Rare returned to the franchise with a more colorful twist, even more naughty and above all, more fun. You can try the game on Xbox Game Pass for Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S, PC and Xbox Cloud Gaming if you feel like getting slapped anywhere.
Share cane in company
Where have they been all this time? battletoads? The answer is as simple as that they have been trapped in a bunker full of fantasy simulators for the last 26 years. They have lost all the glory of yore, their days as intergalactic heroes are behind them, and now a golden opportunity lies before them: to recapture the glory. The objective is more than clear and it is to finish off the Dark Queen, her eternal nemesis.
However, the initial plans change radically, as an alien race known as Topians rise up as responsible for imprisoning them and stealing the queen’s powers. So that, Rash, Zitz and Pimple have to clench their fists to deliver cannon fire of all the colors. One of the strengths of the adventure is that we can play both alone and with two other players, which is highly recommended.
Yes, we are facing a beat’em up in which to hit the ground, but battletoads It is defined by completely unexpected mechanics and levels. You go from grabbing an enemy by the chest to being on top of one of the flying bikes in sections where you have to avoid crashing. Indeed, the legendary Turbo Tunnel returns so that the ghosts of the past haunt us and we can overcome it once and for all. Not to mention that in the middle of the discussion you have to play a kind of rock-paper-scissors to decide who is right. As surreal as it is fun.
As a result, we have scenes filled with humor to a point where you’ll end up laughing your ass off. The scenes are hilarious, with great moments and jokes that make you smile, even with meta-jokes about how Sea of Thieves is much more popular today than the trio of run-down toads.
nostalgic drawings
The Dlala Studios team was commissioned to work on the project under the supervision of Rare and they were completely successful with a unique visual bet. At all times we will hallucinate with the designs and settings that have been drawn by hand for Battletoads, since they are powerfully reminiscent of the classic cartoons of our childhood. It’s not just what’s happening in the foreground that matters, but the backgrounds are packed with details to discover.
Despite the fact that we are not talking about an arcade beat’em up, without the depth of other genre companions, there is enough variety of combos to feel that we are masters. We can switch between the three toads with a simple button press, not only because we are more comfortable playing with their different abilities, but also to chain blows and keep the score counter at the top.
Also, if you are fed up with very long titles in which it takes tens of hours to finish the main story, here you come across the opposite side of the coin. Battletoads lasts for 4 hours so that you can spend it in just one afternoon, but it’s so utterly bizarre that it’s a rollercoaster ride that will stick in your mind.