Developer: Dlala Studios, Rare
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Platform: PC, Xbox One
Tested on: PC
Battletoads – Review
Sometimes we just have to stop whatever we’re doing, sit down, and realize we’re just getting old. It has been 26 years since we inserted Super Battletoads in our SNES for the very first time. We loved playing with the rebellious trio of toads to kick some monstrous ass. The game was proven to be a tough-as-nails experience and very few players could actually beat the game. Of course, now with emulators and save-states, things have become a lot easier in terms of beating this classic. Nonetheless, we were quite surprised when a new entry, or sequel, appeared after 26 years as a Microsoft exclusive. Battletoads is now available for Xbox One and Windows for PC.
Story
You’ll find yourself watching the Battletoads, who were once badass heroes and are now struggling to survive. They have been in a fantasy simulator bunker for 26 years and had no clue what was going on in the real world. They now find themselves unknown to the general populace and doing menial jobs simply to keep a roof over their heads. After a while, they decide to try and become the public’s favorites again by kicking butt.
Battletoads’ story is a simple one, but a fairly elaborate one for a game such as this. The game has a fair amount of decently animated cutscenes, that give you a certain amount of story value. These cutscenes happen every few stages, and they break the otherwise button-bashing gameplay portion of the game.
Graphics
Battletoad’s aesthetics are very reminiscent of early 2000 flash games, and while that may sound bad, it’s actually meant in a positive way. You’ll be treated to very cartoony and smooth animations throughout the entire game, be it in the cutscenes or the actual gameplay portions. It feels like you’re watching and playing an actual cartoon from a few decades ago. The game does have that certain Cuphead feeling in its fluid animations, and this is a very good trait for a game such as this. The environments you find yourself in are also very diverse, the enemies are nicely designed and, of course, the trio of badass Battletoads look ready for the part they’re playing in this game.
Sound
Battletoads’ sound design is quite spot-on. The music has a proper rock-ish attitude and it gets you riled up just enough for you to want to punch (digital) bad guys. Other than that, the sound effects do a proper job of supporting what is going on in-game. The sounds also do feel quite authentic.
You’ll also have a fair amount of voice acting to listen to during the cutscenes. The voices have a certain 90s vibe, which supports the visual aspect of the game. Some voice lines are also used during the actual gameplay segments.
Gameplay
This new Battletoads entry is also a side-scrolling beat ‘em up in which you just run through separate stages beating every living thing to a pulp. The game does spice things up by altering the gameplay format now and then, ensuring a nice change of pace. Sadly, these sections are not always that fun, and sometimes it feels like the developers should have fleshed out the main portion of the game more, rather than add many different and random elements.
The controls are fairly straightforward, and even though you have to combine buttons at certain points to use new moves and skills, things stay simple. The game is all about beating up your enemies, even though there are a few segments the gameplay changes completely. Nonetheless, your goal remains simple, but the game can be extremely hard, depending on which difficulty option you pick. The move-set is limited but suffices for what is going on.
There is not that much to experience in terms of progression, as you’ll just go from one stage to another, and well, try to reach the finish line. The game is very simplistic in its concept and this worked quite well two decades ago. If it was a proper remake, it would have been justifiable, but as a modern installment in the series, it lacks a certain something.
Conclusion
Battletoads was a trip down memory lane, but it didn’t blow us out of the pond. The game proved to be somewhat repetitive, limited, and while the changes in the actual gameplay were somewhat entertaining, some segments were a bit too long. Nonetheless, if you like retro-inspired side-scrolling beat ‘em up games, you probably can’t really go wrong with this one. The game does pretty much rely on its nostalgia factor and its very comical appearance.
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