Dark Queen (Battletoads)

Dark Queen
Battletoads character

Dark Queen in Super Battletoads
First game Battletoads (1991)[1]
Created by Tim Stamper[2] and Guy Miller[3]
Designed by Kevin Bayliss[3]
Voiced by Louise Stamper (games)
Kathleen Barr (cartoon)[4]

The Dark Queen is a fictional character in the Battletoads video game series by Rare introduced in the original Battletoads in 1991. Dark Queen is a nemesis of the protagonistic Battletoads. She is a mysterious master of evil magic and the supreme commander of a space army bent on galactic conquest. The character has received considerable attention due to her sex appeal as well as for being one of the first major female villains in video games.

Appearances

The immortal[5] Dark Queen is the ultimate enemy to the Battletoads, as she attempts to eliminate the 'Toads and Professor T. Bird in order to stop them from hindering her plans to rule the universe.[6] She is depicted as a sinisterily beautiful woman with black big hair who shows off voluptuous body clad in a dominatrix-style skimpy and tight black outfit with high boots.[6][7] Throughout the games there have been several inconsistencies regarding her actual size. Even though her height is stated to be six-feet tall on her profile screen in the arcade game (which would mean she is actually smaller than the Battletoads), she normally appears to be of a tremendous size in the games, usually roughly four times the height of the 'Toads. Throughout the series she usually appears to taunt the 'Toads during the cutscenes; despite her royal stature, she prefers to be no more cultured than the Battletoads themselves, due to the crude nature of her speech which consists primarily of surfer slang and offensive puns (such as calling them "cattle-loads" and "wartfeatures"). She leads a renegade army consisting primarily of anthropomorphic pigs and rats is usually fought as the end boss of the game. Her main sidekicks are initially Big Blag, General Vermin and Robo-Manus,[6] later joined by General Slaughter, Karnath and Admiral Oink.[8]

In Battletoads games

She has an unquenchable thirst for power and is a highly dangerous megalomaniacal psychopath. She uses her magical talents and her dark and terrible beauty to her advantage. Many a man has fallen foul of their combined effects. Her 'life quest' (as she calls her vicious lust for power) is to claim what she has deluded herself into believing is her rightful place on the Terran Corporate throne. She will stop at nothing lo achieve this end and has destroyed entire solar systems - millions of lives - in her relentless drive for galactic, and ultimately universal domination.[5]

Battletoads user manual

The Dark Queen is introduced in the first Battletoads game. In it, following her defeat by the Galactic Corporation at the Battle of Canis Major, she and her remaining forces have escaped to hide in the planet Ragnarok's World "in dark spaces between the stars." As Professor T. Bird and the Battletoads Rash, Zitz and Pimple are escorting the Princess Angelica, daughter of the Terran Emperor, when the Dark Queen, disguised as a Thallian thorax dancer, suddenly strikes and kidnaps the Princess along with Pimple (or Rash and Pimple in the Game Boy version[9]), taking them away in the enormous spaceship Gargantua to the planet Armagedda (Ragnarok's World).[10][11][12] The other two Battletoads go after her to rescue the captives and eventually confront the Dark Queen at her Tower of Shadows. During the final boss fight, she only has one special move besides basic kicks, spinning until turning into a tornado and then attempting to hit the player (how much damage is done to the player is based on how fast she is spinning). After her defeat, the Dark Queen flees into space, "retreating into to the shadowy margins of the galaxy to recoup her losses."[13]

In Battletoads in Battlemaniacs, the returning Dark Queen has partnered with the vengeful computer engineer Silas Volkmire to kidnap Zitz and Michiko Tashoku, the daughter of the President of the Psicone Corporation, creators of the computer-generated portal Gamescape, intending to transform the entire world into Gamescape Kingdom over which they would rule together.[14] In this game, she is wearing a red cape and wielding a snake-themed staff. The other two 'Toads showdown with the Dark Queen again, this time at her Dark Tower, During the boss fight, she teleports and attacks the players with magical projectiles from staff. After her defeat, she flees again "to the outer reaches of the Universe," vowing revenge.

In the crossover game Battletoads & Double Dragon, the Dark Queen teams up with the Shadow Boss, a Double Dragon character created specially for this game. Together, they use a mysterious energy beam from outer space to render Earth's military might powerless and use a giant spaceship called the Colossus to take over the Earth. The Battletoads join up with Billy and Jimmy Lee, otherwise known as the Double Dragons, to once again foil her plans.[15] In this game, she is capable of transforming into a flame and moving across the floor, remaining untouchable by doing so, and can also attack by emerging from the flame and tossing fireballs. Once "beaten and humbled," she makes her escape into space, promising to return.[16]

The Dark Queen comes back to antagonize the Battletoads in the largely plot-less arcade game Super Battletoads. In it, she was "sexed up a bit for the allegedly more mature arcade crowd,"[17] having her erect nipples visible through her outfit and a breast bounce effect.[18][19] An in-game portrait also shows her hair spread out in a fashion much like Medusa's. During the gameplay parts, she only appears as a holographic projection in the third stage, where she is watching the boss fight between the 'Toads and Scuzz's Robo-Rat.

Other appearances

The Dark Queen also appears in the Nintendo Power comic tie-in and an abortive cartoon adaptation of Battletoads.[8] The Xbox One version of Shovel Knight hints at possibility that this game's villain the Enchantress might be actually a form of the Dark Queen.[20] A San Diego Comic-Con 2015-exclusive Batteltoads compilation vinyl soundtrack with music by David Wise features a Dark Queen artwork drawn by Vice Magazine art editor Nick Gazin[21] and she was also featured in the musical trailer "Rare Replay Opening Number".[22]

Reception

Theres no shortage of leather-clad bad girls in videogames these days, but they all owe a little something to this enterprising villainess. She paved the way for the women of the future. Like a suffragette... except that comparison is grossly inappropriate.[23]

Jim Sterling, GamesRadar

The Dark Queen was well received by critics upon her introduction, having been twice nominated by Nintendo Power for the Nintendo Power Awards in the category villain of the year for 1991 and 1993.[24][25] Dark Queen was included on UGO.com's 2008 list of the top 50 evil women in all media,[26] and on Geek World list of the greatest villains of the 8-bit era.[27] In 2011, Complex ranked her as tenth on the list of "most diabolical video game she-villains", calling her "as hot as Jessica Rabbit"[28] That same year, Universo Online ranked her ninth on the list of ten most beautiful and deadly game villainesses.[29] Ryan Bates of Game Revolution placed her fourth on his 2014 list of top "mean girls in gaming", stating that "though the Dark Queen is often noted for her sex appeal, she was one of the first antagonists to set the bar for villainesses in video games," having "showcased she can be as cruel and calculating as the men."[30]

Female villains were quite rare in the early days of video games, with the fairer sex usually reserved as kidnapped princesses in another castle. Not only was the Dark Queen revolutionary, she was also dead sexy possibly the hottest babe of the 8-bit era, with her Veronica Lake hair and huge bazooms.[26]

UGO.com

Both Seanbaby and Geek World declared her the sexiest NES game character.[27][31] In 2008, Ripten ranked this "one of the original hotties of the digital screen" as the seventh "nicest ass" in video games,[32] In 2010, the Dark Queen placed ninth on ScrewAttack's list of the gaming's top "cleavagey" characters;[33] Jason F.C. Clarke of Topless Robot stated she "rivals Sin's Elexis Sinclaire and Soulcalibur's Ivy for sheer cleavage"[34] and Hardcore Gaming 101 described her as "basically a sexy Shredder".[8] Gawker commented on the short-lived Battletoads cartoon how "Shredder had nothing on the Toads' sexy nemesis, The Dark Queen"[35] and Meristation similarly stated that if they would have to choose between her and the Shredder there would be no contest.[36] The Dark Queen has been also compared to the witch from Hugo[37] and repeatedly to Cassandra Peterson's character Elvira.[38][39][40] GamesRadar featured her in a 2011 retrospective article featuring the sexy video game women of the sprite era,[23] also noting her to be "hot looking for a 2D sprite."[41] UGO editors commented that the Battletoads series is "notorious for its insanely high difficulty, juvenile sense of humor and big-boobed antagonist"[42] and adding that "the anger we felt at losing was only compounded by how hot and unattainable the Dark Queen was."[43] Luke McKinney and Matthew Moffitt of Cracked.com wrote she has "helped [the young gamers] manipulate themselves, and was just as physically mutated as the giant talking animals."[44]

Her inclusion is both memorable and kind of awkward. I mean, look at her. She’s got this whole sinister, sultry Jessica Rabbit thing going on in a game made in the overly-kiddy Nintendo era, back when they wouldn’t even let blood in their Mortal Kombat port. When you’re a kid in the early 90s and you have a buxom dominatrix-type dressing you down after every level while wearing only a leather one-piece and a cape, part of you has to wonder, “Wait, am I even allowed to be playing this?”[19]

Gavin Jasper, Den of Geek

Previewing Battletoads in Battlemaniacs, GamePro praised the series' "cartoony, bizarre, radical style" and how the "gorgeous character sprites endow the 'Toads and their foes with personality and attitude," noting "the Dark Queen definitely has more hex appeal than ever."[45] Alex Langley of Arcade Sushi called the Dark Queen the "breakdown character", noting that "in a time where princesses and queens were there to be kidnapped, the Dark Queen turned the depiction of video game matriarchy on its head and boldly declared that shed be the one doing the kidnapping."[46] Complex noted that "where the TMNT had April O'Neil to flirt with, the most bodacious chick in the Battletoads universe is ironically the final boss who wants them all dead."[47] According to Charmaine Williams of WhatCulture, actually "the only thing [the cartoon] had going for it was the sexy Dark Queen. I guess if you think your show wont live to see a full season, might has well have a character with big boobs that lives in a penis shaped castle."[48] Rare Gamer included the Dark Queen in their lists of "Top 5 Classic Rare Villains Who Just Didn't Know When To Quit" and "Top 5 Rare Femme Fatales (That Would Have Us Switching Sides)".[49][50] Raze described her as "one bitch who deserves to die"[6] and the original game's ending where the Battletoads "simply just allow her to escape" was included on the 2010 list of ten biggest ending letdowns in video game history by Danny Gallagher of SPIKE.[51] Requesting an 'awesome remake" of Battletoads, Brian Cullen of Maxim wrote that "we would rain hot, repressed justice all over our consoles, just for a chance to hate-fight the foxy, infuriating Dark Queen;"[52] Sean Velasco, lead designer of 2012's Double Dragon remake Double Dragon Neon, said: "I wanna high five Zitz and punch the Dark Queen in the gut!"[53] Alternatively, Gaming Nexus' Cyril Lachel stated: "Forget reviving the Battletoads, all I want is a game based on the Dark Queen!"[54]

References

  1. ↑ "Dark Queen". Uk.ign.com. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
  2. ↑ Retro Gamer 84, page 33.
  3. 1 2 Retro Gamer 125, page 89.
  4. ↑ "Battletoads Voice Of Dark Queen". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
  5. 1 2 "Battletoads (1994)(Mindscape)". Archive.org. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Raze Magazine Issue 12". Archive.org. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  7. ↑ "Throwback Thursdays: "Battletoads", Difficult Titles, NES Era". Complex. 2014-01-09. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  8. 1 2 3 Provenza, Eric (2015-03-02). "Battletoads". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  9. ↑ "N-Force Magazine Issue 01". Archive.org. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  10. ↑ "Amiga Game Zone - Issue 3 (1994-10)(Amiga Game Zone)(US)". Archive.org. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  11. ↑ "CVG Magazine Issue 120". Archive.org. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  12. ↑ "Raze Magazine Issue 11". Archive.org. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  13. ↑ "Ending for Battletoads(NES)". Vgmuseum.com. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  14. ↑ "Batletoads Preview", GamePro July 1993, p.24.
  15. ↑ "N-Force Magazine Issue V201". Archive.org. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  16. ↑ "Ending for Battletoads & Double Dragon-Good End(NES)". Vgmuseum.com. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  17. ↑ "Battletoads Retrospective IGN". Uk.ign.com. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  18. ↑ "The Forgotten: Battletoads on the go and in the arcades". Destructoid. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  19. 1 2 Gavin Jasper. "Battletoads: The Strange History of a Nigh-Impossible Franchise". Denofgeek.us. Retrieved 2015-10-19.
  20. ↑ "Xbox One Releases Tomorrow!". Yachtclubgames.com. 2015-04-28. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  21. ↑ Dornbush, Jonathon (2015-07-08). "Comic-Con exclusive Battletoads vinyl soundtrack design, Rare Replay poster". EW.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  22. ↑ "'Rare Replay' Musical Features Popular Characters In Rare Games : T-Lounge". Tech Times. Retrieved 2015-10-19.
  23. 1 2 "The sexiest sprites of all time". GamesRadar. 2011-03-02. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  24. ↑ Nintendo Power #34 (March 1992).
  25. ↑ Nintendo Power #60 (March 1994).
  26. 1 2 "The Dark Queen". UGO.com. 2008-11-19. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  27. 1 2 "Najwięksi dranie ośmiu bitów, cz. II Dark Queen Geek World" (in Polish). Geek-world.pl. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
  28. ↑ "10. Dark Queen, Battletoads Series Bad Girls Club: The 25 Most Diabolical Video Game She-Villains". Complex. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  29. ↑ "Top 10 Vilãs dos Games Lindas e Mortais « GameHall Network" (in Portuguese). Gamehall.uol.com.br. 2011-03-29. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  30. ↑ "Top 20 Mean Girls in Gaming". Gamerevolution.com. 2004-04-30. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  31. ↑ ""Congratulation! Award for Sexiest Game Character" by Seanbaby". Digitpress.com. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
  32. ↑ "Top 10 Nicest Asses in Videogames #7 Dark Queen". Ripten.com. 2008-12-07. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
  33. ↑ Top 10 Cleavagey Characters, machinima of YouTube, May 29, 2010.
  34. ↑ Jason F.C. Clarke, Ten Video Games that Should Have Gotten Toys, Topless Robot, December 3, 2012.
  35. ↑ "Television News, Video and Gossip Gawker". Tv.gawker.com. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  36. ↑ "Reportaje Regreso al Pasado: Battletoads PC, page 1". MeriStation.com. Retrieved 2015-10-19.
  37. ↑ Game Senior issue 5 page 19.
  38. ↑ "Video Games (1992-06)(Markt & Technik)(DE)". Archive.org. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
  39. ↑ "Power Play Magazine (June 1993)". Archive.org. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
  40. ↑ "Oddities 28: Switched at Birth? Part 8". Flyingomelette.com. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
  41. ↑ "Game characters that time forgot". GamesRadar. 2008-09-11. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  42. ↑ "25 Games That Need Sequels". UGO.com. 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  43. ↑ Meli, Marissa (2011-05-24). "Super-Hard Video Games You Never Finished". UGO.com. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  44. ↑ O'Brien, Jack. "7 Dick Moves Everyone Pulled in Classic Video Games". Cracked.com. Retrieved 2013-12-20.
  45. ↑ Slo Mo, "Super NES ProPreview: Battletoads in Battlemaniacs". GamePro issue 48 (July 1993).
  46. ↑ "Battletoads vs. Double Dragon: Whose Fight Has the Most Might?". Arcadesushi.com. 2013-02-25. Retrieved 2013-12-20.
  47. ↑ "Rash, Zitz and Pimple Battletoads 10 Really Ugly Good Guys". Complex. 2011-09-21. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  48. ↑ "8 Awful TV Shows That Were Clearly Doomed To Fail". Whatculture.com. 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2013-12-20.
  49. ↑ "Top 5 Classic Rare Villians Who Just Didnt Know When To Quit". Raregamer.co.uk. 2012-05-25. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  50. ↑ "Top 5 Rare Femme Fatales (That Would Have Us Switching Sides)". Raregamer.co.uk. 2012-11-29. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  51. ↑ "The 10 Biggest Letdowns in Video Game Endings". SPIKE. 2010-05-24. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
  52. ↑ "5 Classic Video Games That Deserve Awesome Remakes". Maxim. 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2013-12-20.
  53. ↑ "WayForward Wants Battletoads DLC in Double Dragon Neon IGN". Uk.ps3.ign.com. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  54. ↑ "Battletoads in Battlemaniacs: Slippery Puck Ride". Defunct Games. Retrieved 2012-12-26.

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