Battletoads
Reviewed by Dr. Mabuse
I have Battletoads for NES, Super NES, and Game Boy. The best
version is the NES one, mainly because I hate the snake level in
the Super Nintendo version. The Game Boy game is a distant third.
In this incarnation, you play Zitz, and you have to rescue Rash and
Pimple and a princess from the Dark Queen, once again. After the
Super NES version tried a stale attempt at the humor of the original,
the Game Boy one was completely dried up. Even though it's a lousy
Battletoads game, it's still a decent Game Boy game.
Graphics 7 out of 10
As far as Game Boy games go, this one has some surprisingly
detailed graphics. However, when you're dealing with graphite-coloured
graphics, sometimes less is more. The first level, which is always
the most fun level in Battletoads games, suffers because it's nearly
impossible to pick the characters out in the background. After that,
things sort of clear up a bit, and it gets easier to find your way around.
Music and Sound 9 out of 10
I'm always easily impressed by music in Battletoads games. This
game is no exception. The music is good for a Game Boy game, heck,
it's good for a Nintendo game, and whoever they got to program this
music sure knew what the Game Boy sound system can and can't do.
Seriously, sometimes I got the melody for the music stuck in my head,
and I found myself wondering, "who did that song?", and then I
remembered it was from the Game Boy version of Battletoads.
The sound effects aren't as memorable, but they get the job done.
Game Challenge 9 out of 10
I find all Battletoads games challenging, because you have to master
each level. This game is slightly harder, because it has a lot of new
ideas not used in the other two games. There is no snake pit (that
I've seen), and there is no descent level. There are a few additional
fighting levels, an addition I welcome. The flyer level is completely
new, even though it's so obviously a low tech knock off of the
speedster levels in the other two games. This game definitely
deserves points for originality.
Game Play-Fun 7 out of 10
This game lacks in the fun department. What made the other two
games fun was the teamwork involved, or the lack thereof. In this
game, you're on your own, and it makes the game less fun. That
aside, it's just as fun as the other two games played in one-player mode.
Frustration
The first level has too much detail for you to see what you're doing,
and you'll find yourself running blindly through the entire level. The
second level, the flyer level, is too hard. It's just like the speedster
level in the other two games. If you're not a Battletoads-obsessed
hooligan, you're not going to make it past this level.
Replayability 7 out of 10
Just like the other two Battletoads games, if you can't get past a
certain level, you're going to get bored of the levels you can pass
and you'll give up sooner. This game tires out quicker than the other
two because you can't beat up your friend when things go bad.
Game Value 6 out of 10
If you could find it for cheap, go for it, otherwise get the NES version.
It's only a couple of bucks more by now.
Overall 7 out of 10
I've always seen Battletoads as a parody of video games. You've got
the original one, where the main characters were ordinary humans
who were some sort of virtual reality stars. There was a lot of humor
involved. The Super NES game was a pale shadow of the first one,
and the third was even less inspired. Battletoads has fallen into a
formulaic rut, where every game has to be pretty much the same.
There's always the fighting level, then the descent level (except in
Game Boy), then the racer level, then the water level....you get the idea.