Battletoads/Double Dragon, also known as Battletoads/Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team, is a 1993 beat 'em up game developed by Rare and published by Tradewest. It was originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System and later ported to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Super NES, and Game Boy. It is a crossover of both Technōs Japan's Double Dragon and Rare's own Battletoads game franchises, although Technōs had little or no credited involvement in the production of the game outside of the Double Dragon license. The game's engine and design are directly based upon the Battletoads series.
The game features the Battletoads, the three humanoid amphibian protagonists from the eponymous franchise, as well as the protagonists of the Double Dragon series, Billy and Jimmy Lee, two young martial arts experts. It is also the first Battletoads game to feature all three 'Toads as playable characters.
The NES version received a limited production run from Retro-Bit in 2020,[1] with Limited Run Games and Strictly Limited Games preorders ending on May 22.[2]
Battletoads/Double Dragon was followed up in 1994 by the release of Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls.
Plot[]
After being defeated by the Battletoads, the evil Dark Queen flees to the outer reaches of the universe and the 'Toads and their mentor, Professor T. Bird, get on with their lives. However, one day the Earth's military is neutralized and a giant spaceship called Colossus emerges from the moon. Apparently, the Dark Queen is back in another plan to dominate the galaxy and she has allied herself with the Shadow Warriors (from the Double Dragon series) to supplement her forces. Deciding to even the odds, the Battletoads get in contact with Billy and Jimmy Lee and ask them for their help. The brothers agree and all five immediately take off for the Colossus in a mission to stop this two-pronged threat.
Gameplay[]
The player has a choice of five playable characters: Billy and Jimmy Lee from Double Dragon, and Zitz, Pimple, and Rash from Battletoads. The player must then proceed through seven stages, kicking and punching each enemy that comes onscreen. A boss is included at the end of each stage, challenging the player before they can progress to a higher level of the game.
With two players, the continues are overlapping: whenever one player continues, then both players have to start at the beginning of the level (this is the opposite of games like Contra, where a strong player can tow a weak player along to advanced levels; in Battletoads/Double Dragon, a weak player will hold a strong player back).
Levels and Bosses[]
Credits[]
Release[]
The initial NES version of the game features 3D scrolling and other advanced special effects not commonly found on the console. The Game Boy version is similar to the NES version, but it is only for one player. The sprites are the same size although the screen is smaller (leaving less room for movement) and the 3D effects were removed.
The later Mega Drive/Genesis and Super Nintendo versions of the game are quite similar, the only differences being the SNES version has better graphics and higher quality sound, while the Sega version runs more smoothly, features more music tracks, has sharper sprites for the 'Toads, and more comical reactions from the characters and from defeated enemies, as well as blood from said enemies' post-defeat portraits.
Reception[]
Battletoads/Double Dragon was generally well received by the gaming press.
Nintendo Power rated the title on all three of Nintendo's platforms between June 1993 and January 1994's issues, giving the Game Boy 3.25 out of 5,[3] the NES 3.58,[4] and the SNES 3.38 respectively.[5] In the Super Power Club bonus supplement of Nintendo Power V56, the NES version was ranked #2 in the "Top 5 NES Games of 1993". It was also nominated for Nintendo Power Awards 1993 in the categories "Graphics & Sound", "Theme & Fun", "Play Control", "Villain" (Dark Queen), and "The Best Overall Game".
The Review Crew at Electronic Gaming Monthly took a look at both the NES and SNES versions of the game, with the former receiving 29 points out of 40 on June 1993,[6] and the latter earning 41 points five months later.[7] Paul Rand of Computer and Video Games (UK) rewarded the title 80 points out of 100, taking note of the briliant fun, varied gameplay, detailed graphics and clever methods to destory enemies.[8] One year later, CVG would review the SNES port in their "Super Shorts" section with 80%, lauding it for its humorous animations, rocking soundtrack, and good playability.[9] Toxic Tommy from GamePro did a write up on the NES version for Issue #47, rating it 3.75 out of 5. While he considered the graphics underpowered and the sound effects mild, he enjoyed the visual style, the acrobatic fighting techniques, and the energitic music. He ended his thoughts by saying, "These guys make a great team, and they've fired up a rousing fighting adventure, if you can live with the graphics, Battletoads/Double Dragon makes the NES a mean and green, fighting machine."[10] On Issue #54, Erik Susuki rated the SNES varient 3.5 points, ending the review by writing,"Battletoads/Double Dragon is aimed at children and beginners who can't handlw complicated controller motions. If you like the Battletoads and Double Dragon games for their stories and characters, you should definately take a look. For fighting fanatics, however, this game has about as much depth as a speed bump"[11]
Most publications were late to review the Game Boy version, with Mega Fun (DE) scoring the game 62 points out of 100 on July 1994. While the magazine dubbed it an "acceptable game", they felt the level of quality didn't quite match up to Battletoads 2 due to small sprites obscuring the player's orientation and the unimpressive sound module. They did, however, commend the variety of background graphics, selectable characters, and enemies.[12] Consoles Plus (FR) rewarded the game 86%, taking note of the gameplay variety and hilarious animations sprinkled throughout.[13] Play Time (DE) gave a 59% final score, with Ulf Schneider stating, "Overall, this game is one of the weakest adventures the Battletoads have experienced so far. The reason for this is, on the one hand, the confusing graphics, which offer nothing worth mentioning apart from the well-known exaggerated comic style, and, on the other hand, the now worn-out gameplay, which suggests that the programmers have gradually run out of ideas."[14]
Chris Bieniek of VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine reviewed the Genesis port of Battletoads/Double Dragon, rewarding it with 7 points out of 10. While Bieniek complimented the sharp graphics and solid controls, he found the game to be less challenging than previous Battletoad entries and saw fault in the lack of heavy drum sounds for the music.[15] Mega (UK) was less impressed with the title, with Andy Dyer only scoring it 42%. Dyer denounced it as a basic, unchallenging game with simplistic graphics, unconvincing sounds, and repetitive gameplay.[16]
Battletoads/Double Dragon was featured on the lists of top 11 video game crossovers" by UGO Networks, and the "15 Most Bizarre Crossovers in Gaming" by GamesRadar.[17] On January 30, 2017, IGN ranked the game at 76th in their "Top 100 NES Games of All Time".[18]
References[]
- ↑ "Classic Beat-Em-Up 'Battletoads & Double Dragon' Gets An NES Re-Release" at Nintendo Life (April 20, 2022)
- ↑ "Battletoads & Double Dragon Gets a New NES Print Run" at Co-Optimus (April 20, 2022)
- ↑ "Battletoads & Double Dragon", Nintendo Power, Vol. 56, p. 106 (January 1994)
- ↑ "Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team", Nintendo Power, Vol. 49, p. 106 (June 1993)
- ↑ "Battletoads & Double Dragon", Nintendo Power, Vol. 56, p. 104 (January 1994)
- ↑ Steve Harris, Ed Semrad, Martin Alessi, and Sushi-X, "Battletoads & Double Dragon", Electronic Gaming Monthly, Vol. 6, No. 6, p. 38 (June 1993)
- ↑ Mike Weigand, "Major Mike's Game Roundup - Super Battletoads & Double Dragon", Electronic Gaming Monthly, Vol. 6, No. 11, p. 48 (November 1993)
- ↑ "Review - Battletoads/Double Dragon", Computer and Video Games (UK), Issue #143, p. 49 (October 1993)
- ↑ "Super Shorts - Battletoads/DoubleDragon", Computer and Video Games (UK), Issue #155, p.111 (October 1994)
- ↑ Toxic Tommy, "Nintendo Pro Review - Battletoads/Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team", GamePro, Issue #47, pp. 24-25 (June 1993)
- ↑ Erik Suzuki, "Battletoads/Double Dragon", GamePro, Issue #54. p. 82. (January 1994)
- ↑ "Battletoads vs Double Dragon", Mega Fun (DE), p. 113 (July 1994)
- ↑ "Battletoads/Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team", Console Plus (FR), No. 34, p. 154 (July 1994)
- ↑ "Beat 'em Up - Batletoads & Double Dragons", Play Time (DE), p. 140, 1994-09 (September 1994)
- ↑ Chris Bieniek, Battletoads/Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team, VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine, Issue #54, p. 56 (January 1994)
- ↑ Andy Dyer, "Battletoads and Double Dragon", Mega (UK), Issue #17, p. 45 (February 1994)
- ↑ Lucas Sullivan, "The 15 most bizarre crossovers in gaming", GamesRadar, June 22, 2012 (June 22, 2012)
- ↑ "Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team #76 - Top 100 NES Games of All Time" at IGN (January 30, 2017)
External links[]
Standard links[]
Battletoads/Double Dragon manuals[]
|
Double Dragon Dojo links[] |