Battletoads

This article is about the franchise. For other uses, see Battletoads (disambiguation).
Battletoads
Genres Beat 'em up, platform game
Developers Rare
Creators Tim and Chris Stamper
Platform of origin NES
First release Battletoads
June 1991
Latest release Battletoads Arcade
1994

Battletoads is a video game media franchise by Rare that began with the original beat 'em up game Battletoads in 1991. Starring three anthropomorphic toads named after skin conditions, Rash, Zitz, and Pimple, the series was created to rival the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games.[1] The series as a whole has been quite popular with five installments up to this date and at its apex spawned an animated television pilot.

The initial Battletoads game for the NES was renowned for its difficulty, but also received a cult following and spawned sequels for various platforms including a crossover with the Double Dragon series. In each of the games, the objective is to defeat the toads' nemesis the Dark Queen and her army of space mutants.

Video games


A canceled sequel/remake game was being developed for the Game Boy Advance.[2][3] In 2013, Phil Spencer from Microsoft's Xbox team mentioned his fondness of Battletoads while asking the fans what Rare games should be brought back for the Xbox One.[4] On November 10, 2014, "Battletoads" was re-trademarked in the United States.[5] Spencer appeared publicly in a Battletoads t-shirt in January 2015,[6] just days after Microsoft Studios' Ken Lobb (creator of 2013's Killer Instinct reboot) said they have plans to bring it and the other classic Rare series back "someday".[7]

The Battletoads appear in a bonus boss encounter in the Xbox One version of Shovel Knight.[8] Battletoads and Battletoads Arcade are included in Rare Replay, a compilation of 30 Rare games released for the Xbox One in 2015.[9] Rash appears in the Xbox One fighting game Killer Instinct as a playable guest character for the game's third season.[10]

Battletoads: The Official Battlebook, the Tradewest-authorized guide to the Battletoads console games, was written by Steve Schwartz and published in 1994 by Prima Publishing. Detailed playing tips, strategies, and secrets were provided for the following games: Battletoads (NES and Genesis), Battletoads in Battlemaniacs (Super NES), and Battletoads/Double Dragon (NES, Genesis, and Super NES).

Cartoon

Battletoads

Title card
Genre Comedy
Created by Tim and Chris Stamper (original characters)
Written by David Wise
Directed by Kent Butterworth
Voices of Kathleen Barr
Ian James Corlett
Michael Donovan
Andrew Kavadas
Lalainia Lindbjerg
Scott McNeil
Jason Michas
Alvin Sanders
Theme music composer Kip Lennon
Ron Hicklin
Susan Boyd
Jon Joyce
Jim Haas
Opening theme "Battletoads"
Composer(s) Murray McFadden
Michael Watts
Country of origin Canada
Original language(s) English
No. of episodes 1
Production
Executive producer(s) Andy Heyward
Robby London
Producer(s) Kent Butterworth
Editor(s) Mark A. McNally
Cindy Horness
Running time 22 minutes
Production company(s) DIC Entertainment
Tradewest, Inc.
Rare Ltd.
Release
Original network Syndicated
Original release November 1992

Battletoads spun off a half-hour animated television special produced by Canadian DIC Entertainment, that aired in syndication in the United States on the weekend of Thanksgiving 1992 in an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (DiC would try this again later on by producing Street Sharks and then later Extreme Dinosaurs). However, only the pilot episode made it to the airwaves; it was never picked up as a full animated series, despite comic-style ads in GamePro magazine claiming otherwise. A VHS tape with the pilot was released in the United States on January 15, 1994.

The story served as a prequel to the video game franchise. Set in Oxnard, California, it stars three junior high schoolers. The trio is given the ability to transform into anthropomorphic toads with superhuman strength and the ability to change their arms and legs into weapons in techniques called "Smash Hits". They are charged with protecting Professor T. Bird and Princess Angelica from the Dark Queen, who wants to steal Angelica's magical amulet for her plans of universal conquest.

The cartoon was adapted and written by David Wise (Wise has no relation to the Battletoads video games composer of the same name, but was the main writer of the 1987 TMNT TV cartoon series). A comic with the backstory of Battletoads, written by Rare employee Guy Miller, was also published in Nintendo Power.

Reception

In 2010, Game Informer included Battletoads among ten gaming franchises that deserve a revival, and precisely, "a true HD sequel".[11] In 2012, Forbes listed it as one of five video game franchises "that need to come back from the dead", adding that a modern Battletoads "should retain its side-scroller qualities while adopting the 2.5D style" similar to Mark of the Ninja.[12] The series' return was also demanded by other outlets,[13][14] including Complex, Maxim and GameRevolution.[15][16][17]

On the other hand, the animated version of Battletoads was very badly received. It was included on the lists of five "worst one-shot TV cartoons ever made" by Topless Robot in 2008[18] and eight "awful TV shows that were clearly doomed to fail" by WhatCulture in 2013.[19]

References

  1. Battletoads Retrospective | What happened to Rare's popular hardcore beat-'em-up, IGN, January 13, 2009.
  2. "Battletoads GBA - Proto / Cancelled". Unseen 64. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
  3. "Battletoads GBA". RareWareCentral. 2011-11-13. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
  4. "Microsoft asks fans what Rare should do next, points towards Battletoads". Gimmegimmegames.com. 2013-09-12. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  5. "New Battletoads Trademark Appears In United States Trademark Database". GamerInformer.com. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
  6. "Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Teases New Battletoads Game - Niche Gamer". nichegamer.net.
  7. "Microsoft has Plans for Rare Games like Banjo Kazooie, Perfect Dark, & Battletoads - Niche Gamer". nichegamer.net.
  8. "Yacht Club Games on Twitter: "The Battletoads drop in for a fight! Shovel Knight is headed to Xbox One and meets up with @RareLtd brawling trio!". Twitter.com. 2015-03-04. Retrieved 2015-08-24.
  9. "David Arnold - OHMSS Orchestral Cover VERY RARE VERSION". YouTube. 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2015-08-24.
  10. "Killer Instinct season 3 coming in 2016, Battletoads' Rash joins the game today". Polygon. Retrieved 2015-08-24.
  11. "Ten Franchises That Deserve A Revival - Features". GameInformer.com. 2010-06-30. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
  12. "5 Video Game Franchises That Need To Come Back From The Dead". Forbes. 2012-09-23. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
  13. Melton, Steve (2010-07-24). "XBLA’s Most Wanted: Battletoads". Xblafans.com. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  14. "Back from the dead: Five franchises the Xbox 360 could resurrect". Siliconera. 2006-02-16. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  15. "Battle Toads — 20 Game Franchises We Want to See Make a Triumphant Comeback". Complex. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
  16. "5 Classic Video Games That Deserve Awesome Remakes". Maxim. 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2013-12-20.
  17. "Xbox One: A Rare Opportunity". Gamerevolution.com. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  18. Rob Bricken. "The 5 Best (and 5 Worst) One-Shot TV Cartoons Ever Made". Topless Robot.
  19. "8 Awful TV Shows That Were Clearly Doomed To Fail". Whatculture.com. 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2013-12-20.

External links

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