Battletoads & Double Dragon - NES Review

Two Iconic Beat 'em Up Franchises Form the Ultimate Team

Nov 5, 2009 David Sanchez

In 1993, a crossover of Battletoads and Double Dragon was released on the NES. Despite the questionable plot details, the game offers a fun and exciting experience.

After a few releases, both good and bad, the Double Dragon franchise made its return to the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was not a standalone Double Dragon title, but a crossover game featuring characters from Battletoads. Aside from the Game Boy port of the original game, this was the first time since the 1991 release that the Battletoads license was being used.

Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team is essentially a pure-action beat ‘em up game. It was popular during the time of its release for featuring two memorable licenses in one game, and not surprisingly, the game still holds up to this very day. The blend of action gameplay, cooperative play, and quirky details all add to the game’s personality, and it’s no wonder the game has withstood the test of time.

Battletoads & Double Dragon Storyline

The plot in Battletoads & Double Dragon serves merely as a means to bring the two series together. It’s a plot for plot’s sake, really. After having vanquished the Dark Queen at the end of the first game, the Battletoads discover that she has returned and recruited the Shadow Warriors (of Double Dragon fame) to help her take over the world.

Upon finding out about the Dark Queen’s return, the Toads seek the aid of brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee, and so the five heroes’ quest begins. It’s a questionable plot to say the least, and it serves mainly as a backdrop to the main focus of the game: beat ‘em up gameplay.

Battletoads & Double Dragon Gameplay

The gameplay in Battletoads & Double Dragon is, for all intents and purposes, a lot more similar to the Battletoads series than it is to the Double Dragon series. Attacks and combos are all executed like they were in Battletoads, and the game features platforming and obstacle stages much like that game did.

The game’s difficulty is on par with Battletoads, which means that the level of challenge is high. There are numerous tough spots throughout the game, but the level of difficulty is as rewarding as it is grueling. In short, the game is rarely ever too forgiving, but it’s not impossible to play.

The game features two-player co-op. Players can select from either Rash, Zitz, or Pimple (Battletoads) or Billy and Jimmy Lee (Double Dragon). The characters all play similarly, though the way they execute their moves may vary. Like the previous Battletoads game and Double Dragon games, cooperative play is a fun and welcome feature, and being able to mix characters from both series is a nostalgia-inducing concept.

Graphics and Sound

Like its gameplay, Battletoads & Double Dragon’s presentation is based off of the original Battletoads game. Character sprites as well as environments have the look and feel of those found in that game, but this isn’t a bad thing. The graphics in that game were colorful and pleasing to the eye, so the fact that the developers decided to go that route is understandable.

The sound also falls under the same category, though the music is not as catchy as it was in Battletoads. The sound effects work well enough, but the game’s soundtrack is a bit too basic, even for a beat ‘em up. Still, it does the trick, and it has a welcome old-school vibe to it.

Lasting Value

Battletoads & Double Dragon is likely to keep players busy for some time. This can be largely attributed to the game’s difficulty, which will cause players to encounter the “Game Over” screen numerous times. The game’s value is amped up thanks to cooperative play, which is a lot more fun than single-player.

Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team

Ultimately, Battletoads & Double Dragon feels more like a Battletoads game than a Double Dragon game. The mechanics and gameplay are all taken from that game and used here, so it would have been possible to omit Billy and Jimmy and make this a pure Battletoads sequel. Still, Rare and Tradewest had another vision: to bring together two of retro gaming’s most iconic franchises in one game.

Ultimately, the game’s difficulty level may cause some gamers to find solace in one of the first two Double Dragon games on the NES; but for those looking for a fun and challenging beat ‘em up after having played the first Battletoads game, Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team satisfies.

Score: 7.5/10

The copyright of the article Battletoads & Double Dragon - NES Review in Video & Online Games is owned by David Sanchez. Permission to republish Battletoads & Double Dragon - NES Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team	Battletoads & Double Dragon - Character Select	Battletoads & Double Dragon - Level 1
Battletoads & Double Dragon - Level 2	Battletoads & Double Dragon - Boss Fight