Battletoad is a classic “beat ’em up” title mostly remembered as one of the toughest games on Xbox. Recently, Microsoft attempted a relaunch of the revered game after almost twenty-six years of inaction through Dlala Studios and the original developers, “Rare.” The reboot takes numerous elements from the original series, with the toads on the verge of reclaiming their lost glory after being locked away by Topians, an evil alien race. It also features several amazing adventures, gameplay styles, and reaction-based mini-games. 

The developers’ passion and intention to make a worthwhile title is evident through its jack-of-all-trades approach. The approach made it immersive and refreshing at the same time. It has also not been free of constructive criticism since its release for Windows and Xbox in 2020. However, BATTLETOAD still stands as a unique and amazing first-party game despite its numerous flaws. 

Reclaiming Lost Glory

The story is a direct continuation of the previous series, and I liked how the developers explained away twenty-six years of no new game in the series. Hence, you do not need a piece of background knowledge to move along. It starts by informing us that the toads are not the heroes we thought they were and are now at the brink of fading away. They eventually jumped at the chance of reclaiming their lost glory by going after their long-time arch-enemy, the “dark queen.” 

Going after the “queen” turned out to be quite more interesting than they thought as they ended up teaming up with her to fight against a bad alien tribe. This tribe was responsible for their time behind bars for twenty-six years. They were also responsible for stealing the Queen’s power, and as such, going after them was for the greater good. The storyline could sound too juvenile at some point, but I believe it ended in a good place. 

It Takes Effort To Save The Toads 

The gameplay primarily depends on the difficulty you choose. In the easy mode, most fights would be over in seconds, and you get the option to respawn on jetbike courses. The hardest level, on the other hand, brings back the memories of the game being one of the most difficult on Xbox. Finishing a mission or reaching a respawn joint on this level gives an absolute sense of achievement. 

You will also encounter some puzzle sections that are easy to figure out, and most of the combat sections will have you interacting with the environment to advance. Besides, the developers included some random missions and Olympic side missions that guarantee player immersion. You will get a rank at the end of each fight, and switching toads tends to help increase the rank quickly. 

Overall, the game ran flawlessly for me with little to no issues and crashes. Also, the achievements were correctly tracked. Some users play the game with a keyboard, but using a controller makes it a fun-filled experience. If you have friends that would like a go at the game, you can invite them as it supports up to three local co-op players. 

War Can Be Decent And Deceptive 

When you compare the combat in BATTLETOAD with some titles in the same genre, you’ll find it a bit decent and conservative.  The developers also gave us obvious combat freedom by mixing up the assault styles and giving each character a combination of some melee attack and unique features. You can use these combinations as you wish during any mission. 

Since the characters are toads, their body parts form formidable weapons that can help you attack a wide variety of enemies. An example is their tongue which can produce paralytic venoms. 

The characters have many unique combat features and you can easily switch if one of them gets knocked out. You also have a twenty-second waiting window after which a dead toad springs back up with half strength. The mission fails when all three toads get knocked out. The developers also included some dash abilities that you can use to defend yourself and avoid losing games. 

Overall, the combat style lacks the high-end features that you would like to see in a similar title, but it still offers the right amount of fun. 

Graphics and Sound Keeps You Going

Indeed, its graphics were detailed, especially during combat. The interface was very colorful and boasts many immersive features so much that one could be distracted from the primary mission. On the downside, The platforming stage is not so vibrant but I understand that I’m meant to run through this part. Each toad and enemy character also possesses numerous attack animations. On the downside, there were too many movie scenes at the beginning and end of each stage that tend to break up the gameplay. The developers could do better by making an option to skip these scenes. 

Besides, the music is surprisingly amazing with most of the soundtrack consisting of drum works and electric guitar. Even when your character gets knocked out, I like how the music continues on the reload screen without starting all over. It would even have been better if the music was available as downloadable content as the mix was top-notch. The voice acting is also good even though some of the dialogues sound juvenile. The Queen’s part was a standout performance and almost makes you forget the forced enemies’ speech that I noticed when the missions began.

Verdict

Returning after twenty-six years carries a lot of risks, but Dlala Studios tried not to disappoint fans of the franchise which was once dubbed the most difficult ever made. The reboot is slightly messy despite emulating numerous elements from its predecessors. On a lighter note, the combat is simplistic with a nice soundtrack and it also boasts a couple of immersive side missions. However, some unforgivable negatives seem to overshadow the little positives. I would say it’s not the best “beat ’em up” title out there, but it still stands as a valid option for enthusiasts of the series.