Dave Wise’s soundtrack is every bit as well-crafted as that of Battlemaniacs and the sounds have been enhanced to include effects like digital speech. There are both familiar elements reimagined and a ton of new enemies and ideas, all brilliantly animated and memorable. But in general, survival is no longer based on perfect timing or tight reflexes, but controlling crowds of enemies and getting a feel for invulnerability frames.ĭespite this, the games’ sense of style is still just as distinct as ever. Only the final stage mixes up the formula, as it’s a Contra-esque shooting stage where you ride on a spaceship and have to fend off attacks from all directions.
There are slight variations in the levels, but nothing too drastic: stage two is single-plane and stage four is vertical like the old Wookie Hole. Essentially, it’s Battletoads finally realized as a traditional beat-em-up without all the gimmicky platforming and vehicle stages of the console versions. You can also throw many of the enemies, which comes in handy quite often. There’s also a number of different weapons that can be picked up and used for a short time, such as exploding crates, laser pistols, and huge chunks of debris.
You’ve got your standing attack, a dashing attack, and a jumping attack, plus a move that only activates when enemies approach from both sides and special “Super Smash Attacks” in some stages that can clear the screen but can only be used a few times. All three Toads are selectable, each with his own unique animations and slightly different speed and strength despite sharing the same basic attack patterns. Most of the basic sprite-work and game engine are based on that title, but taken to the next level. In a lot of ways, this seems like the Battletoads game Rare had always wanted to make what Battlemaniacsmight have been had Nintendo been a bit more lenient in their censorship policies. Completely refocusing the series back into a straight-up brawler and upping the ante with surprisingly graphic violence and equally imposing difficulty, the arcade Battletoads is as fitting a send-off as a worthy series could deserve.
But as far as last stands go, this one’s a doozy. Simply known as Battletoads (or Super Battletoads in Japan), this would end up being the last game to feature the warty trio and their outrageous adventures. Taking one final stab at bringing the Battletoads to a wider audience, Rare teamed up with Electronic Arts to produce an arcade-exclusive installment of their franchise.
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