Battletoads

n/a

NTSC-J/PAL NTSC-U Game Gear
Battletoads
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Game Gear
Publisher: Tradewest (US), Sega (EU/JP)
Developer: Arc System Works
Licensor: Rare
Original system(s): NES
Developer(s) of original games: Rare
Sound driver: SMPS Z80
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1-2, 1
Release Date RRP Code JP 1993-03-26 ¥6,8006,800 G-4074 US 1993-03 T-97026 EU 1993-07 DE 1993-07 DM 119.95119.95 UK 1993 £39.9939.99 AU 199x BR 1993 043260 AS 199x JP 1994-01-14 ¥3,8003,800 G-3311 US 1993-12 T-97018 EU 1993 2436 UK 1993 £29.9929.99 2436
Non-Sega versions Amiga Amiga CD32 Game Boy Nintendo Entertainment System

Battletoads (バトルトード) is a beat 'em up game developed by Rare. It was originally developed for the Nintendo Entertainment System and released in 1991, but was subsequently ported to more systems, including the Sega Mega Drive and the Sega Game Gear in 1993. A Sega Master System version was also announced by Virgin Games but was never released.

This game is the first in a series which thrived through the 8-bit and 16-bit era and its making its return in 2020. It is well known for its difficulty and humorous reactions and attacks by the games characters.

Story

As seen in the games intro, the Battletoads along with Princess Angelica are venturing to the Princesses home planet when one or two battletoads (one on Mega Drive, two on Game Gear) go missing along with a princess and must be rescued from the Dark Queen. Professor Bird sends the remaining Battletoad(s) to rescue them.

Gameplay

Two buttons are used; an attack button and a jump button. Although there is only one attack button, the attack varies based on situation. Certain objects, such as large snakes can be grabbed onto and climbed up or down. Weapons can be found at various points in levels and used against opponents. Capsules that appear occasionally can also be broken and it's contents collected. If flies are seen they can be eaten for a health boost by pressing the attack button when close enough.

There are also rope repelling levels where the objective is to be lowered down a shaft that is filled with obstacles and enemies. The enemies can be attacked but the obstacles must be dodged. By moving to the extreme side of the screen the player can transform into a wrecking ball and swing across the screen by pressing the attack button, wiping out any opponents in the way.

Vehicle levels are considered the most difficult and require quick reflexes. Depending on the level you will be in a variety of transports, such as a speedbike, a jet, and surfboards. Levels are filled with obstacles and other riders which cannot be attacked. Most vehicle levels allow you to jump and some have intermission sections that allow classic action gameplay.

Levels

There are twelve levels available in the Mega Drive version, nine in the Game Gear version. Below they are listed in the order encountered:

	Ragnarok's Canyon
	Wookie Hole (Impact Crater)
	Turbo Tunnel
	Arctic Caverns
	Surf City
	Karanth's Lair
	Volkmire's Inferno
	Intruder Excluder
	Mega Drive exclusive
	Terra Tubes
	Mega Drive exclusive
	Rat Race
	Mega Drive exclusive
	Clinger Wingers
	The Revolution

History

Legacy

A sequel to Battletoads, Battletoads in Battlemaniacs was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in June 1993, with a port to the Sega Master System eventually appearing in Brazil in 1996. A spin-off, incorporating characters from the beat-'em-up series Double Dragon was also released on the Mega Drive as Battletoads/Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team, also in 1993.

Versions

Battletoads was designed as a NES game, and no subsequent port has included all of the content of the original release. The Game Gear port of the game removes three stages; Stage 8 (Intruder Excluder), Stage 9 (Terra Tubes), and Stage 10 (Rat Race), though their respective music tracks are still present in the game code. The remaining levels were redesigned, likely to take into account of the Game Gear's small screen.

Taking a hit by an enemy in action levels causes the player to be stunned, and the recovery time is much longer in the Game Gear version. Collision detection is also not as accurate, with in turn can make action stages harder. In vehicle levels however, it is possible to take more than one hit before losing a life, however obstacles appear instantly in some vehicle levels rather than blinking on the side of the screen before appearing.

Despite being supported by more powerful hardware, the Sega Mega Drive version also makes some cutbacks, lacking much of the opening sequence and cutting sections of the ending for unknown reasons. More layers of parallax scrolling have been added to the backgrounds, though in general the upgrade is less noticeable as, for example, the jump between NES Battletoads and SNES Battlemaniacs.

Magazine articles

Main article: Battletoads/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

FI print advert

Mega Drive print advert in Sega Visions (US) #11: "February/March 1993" (199x-xx-xx)

Print advert in GamePro (US) #46: "May 1993" (1993-xx-xx)

Game Gear print advert in Todo Sega (ES) #14: "Mayo 1994" (1994-0x-xx)

Print advert in Beep! MegaDrive (JP) #1994-02: "February 1994" (1994-01-08)

Physical scans

Mega Drive version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score 1700 igr dlya Sega (RU) 50 Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J 70 Consoles + (FR) 94 Cool Gamer (RU) 70 Computer & Video Games (UK) 86 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 75 Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 7 (RU) 40 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK) 79 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 65 Game Power (IT) 76 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 83 GamesMaster (UK) PAL 78 Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J 75 Joypad (FR) 74 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) NTSC-U 79 Mega (UK) NTSC-U 75 Mega Action (UK) NTSC-U 87 Mega Force (FR) 90 Mega Fun (DE) NTSC-U 75 MegaTech (UK) PAL 80 Mean Machines Sega (UK) NTSC-U 79 Player One (FR) 88 Power Up! (UK) 82 Score (CZ) 35 Sega Magazin (DE) 76 Sega Power (UK) NTSC-U 87 Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-U 39 Sega Zone (UK) NTSC-U 90 Sega Force (UK) NTSC 58 Sega Mega Drive Review (RU) 76 Sega Opisaniy i sekretov (RU) 44 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 53 Supergame (BR) NTSC-U 83 Tricks 16 bit (RU) 34 Tricks Gold (RU) 70

	71
Based on 35 reviews

Battletoads

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, EU
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, FR
Manual

Mega Drive, FR (Blister pack)
Cover

Mega Drive, AU
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, Asia
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score Aktueller Software Markt (DE) 33 Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J 60 Computer & Video Games (UK) PAL 60 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 73 Freak (IL) 91 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 85 Gamers (DE) 33 Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J 40 Joypad (FR) 80 Mega Force (FR) 90 Micromanía (segunda época) (ES) 92 Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL 89 Player One (FR) 87 Play Time (DE) 81 Sega Magazin (DE) PAL 81 Sega Power (UK) PAL 76 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 73 Sega Zone (UK) PAL 68 Sonic the Comic (UK) PAL 85 Todo Sega (ES) PAL 85 Video Games (DE) PAL 80

	73
Based on 21 reviews

Battletoads

Game Gear, JP
Cover
Cart

Game Gear, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear, EU
Cover
Cart Manual

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
✔	CRC32 d10e103a MD5 f1e299d6eb40e3ecec6460d96e1e4dc9 SHA-1 5ef3c29b6bdd04d24552ab200d0530f647afdb08	512kB	1992-12	Cartridge (US/EU/JP)
?	CRC32 cb3cd075 MD5 2b4eb4c0fddd1753daac8fd8e043e883 SHA-1 77a284b993c6f60652d88468b836d7a2ee7b4600	256kB		Cartridge (JP/EU)
?	CRC32 817cc0ca MD5 643536bfaf945e8fa8a22de8d4653d83 SHA-1 f566a19d1cfd5c20d5b91b396f29323be2209911	256kB		Cartridge (US)

References

Battletoads games for Sega systems
	Battletoads (1993) | Battletoads/Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team (1993)
	Battletoads (1993) | Battletoads in Battlemaniacs (Cancelled)
	Battletoads (Cancelled) | Battletoads in Battlemaniacs (1996)