Developer: Rare Publisher: Tradewest Released: June 1993 Genre: Action
Battletoads is one of the most infamous NES games of all time. It has everything you could possibly want in an action game: hard hitting action, varied gameplay, and some of the highest production values on the system. But that is not why it is remembered. You see most people never got to experience all it had to offer because the game was too damn hard. Look up Battletoads on a retro video game board and you’ll find testimonials about how it ruined childhoods and such. And that isn’t an exaggeration. However in 1993 Rare would create a “sequel” that would hopefully fix the major flaw of the original. Well it doesn’t quite do that but Battletoads in Battlemaniacs is a more accessible game and pretty great in my opinion.
Zitz, Rash, and Pimple are in Tibet visiting the Psicone Corporation and their new virtual reality system. But as soon as they arrive the Dark Queen, in alliance with Silas Voklmire, kidnap Zitz and the Psicone CEO’s daughter. It is up to Rash and Pimple to enter the virtual reality system to rescue their friends.
Don’t be fooled by the fancy title, Battletoads in Battlemaniacs is more of a remake of the original dressed up in a fancy new story. Battlemaniacs takes the most memorable levels from the first game and gives them a 16-bit makeover. While that may be disappointing to some let’s be honest, 90% of gamers never saw past the Turbo Tunnel until youtube came along. By virtue of the game being shorter it isn’t as brutal. Don’t get me wrong, it is still tough but is less frustrating overall.
Rash and Pimple are your only playable characters this time but the choice is only cosmetic. The only difference between the pair are their outrageous finishing moves, which is reason enough to go back and play as each one. The over the top finishing moves are one of the trademarks of Battletoads and Rare went to town here. Not only have they increased the number of attacks but there are level specific finishers as well. And they all look spectacular thanks to the graphics.
The other aspect that made Battletoads memorable was its variety. The original was one big roller coaster as almost every level introduced some new mechanic or set piece. The same applies to Battlemaniacs as it recreates the best moments from the original. Surprisingly the first level is the only traditional sidescroller in the bunch. That is followed up by a descent inside of a hollowed out tree, but instead of a bungee cord you are riding a hoverboard. The dreaded Turbo Tunnel returns which I’m sure will give nightmares to many. That is followed up by the Snake Pit, which pulls a mean trick at the end. Clinger Winger might be worse than the Turbo Tunnel if you can believe it, and if you survive that you still have the Rat Race to complete before the final confrontation with the Dark Queen.
At six levels Battlemaniacs has half the content of the original. That actually works in its favor though. Mechanically this is a tighter game making it far easier to play. The pacing works out better thanks to the addition of two bonus levels. Here you have the chance to earn extra lives, as many as three with some skill. These bonus stages come right before two of the more difficult levels in the game. The difficulty isn’t as high and even if you die it won’t take long to retrace your steps.
The game does still put up a fight; this is a Battletoads title after all! Outside of the bonus levels your only other chance to earn more lives comes in stage two. Even in the bonus stages it is possible to fail and earn nothing. Most of the game still relies heavily on rote memorization of each stage which, considering the size of these levels, is asking a lot. The hardest levels come at the end and most will blow through the limited continues rapidly. It is not as long as its predecessor but Battlemaniacs still makes you work to see its content. But this time it is fair about it.
Battletoads in Battlemaniacs is Rare pushing the SNES pretty hard even before Donkey Kong Country. The large sprites boast a wide range of animations and are very expressive. The outlandish special moves are creative and look great as well. The backgrounds aren’t as impressive but when you have massive sprites like this they don’t need to be. The final cherry on top is the brilliant rock soundtrack the game has been graced with.
In Closing
Battletoads in Battlemaniacs is an excellent game, bordering on phenomenal. If Rare toned down the difficulty it would probably be a top 20 SNES title. As it is it will have to settle for being just plain great.
