Developer: Rare Publisher: Tradewest Release: 12/93 Genre: Beat em up
Battletoads & Double Dragon is the crossover that no one asked for. I am sure many would have preferred the Ninja Turtles but that was not happening for obvious reasons. But in spite of that it turned out better than expected. Unfortunately Rare has once again created an unbearably difficult game that overshadows many of its good points. This could have been an incredible game with some minor tweaking. It is fun but damn does it try your patience.
The Dark Queen has returned and has teamed up with the Shadow Boss to bolster her forces. Facing overwhelming odds the Toads team up with the Lee Brothers to even the score. Battletoads & Double Dragon for the NES was the original version of the game and was an incredible technical achievement for the system. The 16-bit ports enhance the graphics and keep the gameplay intact, for better and for worse.
Since this is a crossover you have a choice of all five characters: Zitz, Rash, Pimple, Billy and Jimmy Lee. As cool as it sounds the choice is largely irrelevant. This is not your typical beat em up where everyone has distinct moves and differences in strength and speed. All of the Toads are identical and lack the individual flourishes from Battletoads in Battlemaniacs. The Lee duo gains the most. They now have a number of situational attacks using the environment to match up with their compatriots. Since this was originally a NES game it only uses two buttons to simplify the controls and gameplay. For those that remember the nightmare of executing certain moves in the Double Dragon games this is a godsend although it robs the game of some depth.
Make no mistake; although the Shadow Boss and his goons are present this is very much a Battletoads game overall. Battletoads & Double Dragon focuses on the fisticuffs rather than platforming and vehicle based content however. It is what the original Battletoads would have been. Although the gameplay is lacking in distinct moves you can use nearly every part of the environment with suitable moves to match. The pacing is one of the game’s best aspects. For the most part enemies die faster than in your typical brawler. The game avoids the repetition inherit in the genre by being more measured with its enemy waves as well.
Even though brawling is the focus Battletoads & Double Dragon still has some of the vehicle mechanics of the prior games. These are just a small part of the individual stages rather than an entire level unto itself. If you are having PTSD flashbacks of the Turbo Tunnel be at ease. What is here is very short and devoid of the maddening jumps that caused controllers to fly. I daresay it is even an enjoyable distraction. The oddest one is an asteroids themed level that is functional but not terribly interesting. Up until now the game sounds like what Battletoads should have been. But in fixing a few of that game’s flaws they have created some new ones that are detrimental to the game.
The most critical flaw with the game is the lack of invincibility frames after being hit. Nearly every beat em up gives you a brief window of invulnerability after a knockdown. Without that here you can be juggled to a cheap and easy death. And trust me it happens frequently. Get caught between two enemies and you can kiss one of your lives good bye.
As this is primarily a Battletoads game the difficulty is incredibly high. You have six bars of health and they drain fast. Nearly every enemy attack takes two slivers of life leaving little margin for error. Bosses are a nightmare and can sap one of your lives in one shot if they get their hands on you. Nearly everyone has an exploit but until you find it prepare for pain. By the midpoint environmental hazards that cause instant death are common. Someone must have noticed how punishing the game is as you gain extra lives frequently. But they do little to offset just how cruel the game can be. If you play in coop if one player continues you both restart the level. It just doesn’t stop. Few will finish this without cheating I feel. Whether you want to take that challenge will vary.
In Closing
I do not understand Rare’s thinking in making the Battletoads games so hard. Why go to the trouble of creating so much great content that few will ever see? Battletoads & Double Dragon has its moments. But those are sandwiched between many instances of frustration. This is a hard one for me to recommend even though I like the game. It’s a good game at its core but you have to overlook a lot to enjoy it.
