Battletoads

69%
Game Brain Score Based on 600 reviews
  • gameplay
  • humor
  • story
Battletoads Game Cover
Battletoads is the reboot you never knew you wanted. It's fun to play and makes you laugh, two perfect ingredients for making a game well worth playing.
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"Battletoads" is an action-packed game featuring outstanding mechanics, good graphics, and spectacular music. Up to three players can team up for a humor-filled, chaotic experience across diverse stages, with hand-animated cartoon style and unpredictable moments. The game offers drop-in/drop-out co-op gameplay that is enjoyable for all, but mastered only by true 'Toads'.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • Xbox
  • Xbox Game Pass
  • x_box_cloud_gaming
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

69%
Audience ScoreBased on 600 reviews
gameplay55 positive mentions
grinding9 negative mentions
  • The game features a vibrant art style and excellent animations that capture the spirit of the original Battletoads.
  • The humor and writing are entertaining, providing a fun and self-aware narrative that appeals to both new and old fans.
  • The gameplay offers a variety of genres, including beat 'em up, platforming, and mini-games, keeping the experience fresh and engaging.
  • Many players feel the game lacks the depth and challenge of the original, with repetitive combat and frustrating mini-games.
  • The absence of online co-op play is a significant drawback, limiting the multiplayer experience to local play only.
  • Some sections of the game, particularly the mini-games and platforming levels, are seen as tedious and detract from the overall enjoyment.
  • gameplay210 mentions

    The gameplay of Battletoads is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of beat 'em up mechanics and various mini-games that some players find enjoyable while others deem repetitive and poorly executed. While the game captures nostalgic elements and offers a variety of gameplay styles, including challenging combat and unique level designs, many reviewers criticize the inconsistency and lack of depth in the mechanics, leading to a frustrating experience at times. Overall, the game is seen as fun and visually appealing, but it struggles to maintain a cohesive gameplay experience.

    • “The art style and humor may not be for you, but the gameplay and music are top-notch.”
    • “The gameplay itself had a variety of challenging levels that were everything but repetitive, keeping you playing level after level.”
    • “Battletoads manages to stay true to the source material, all whilst offering an array of varied and fun gameplay mechanics that really spice up the experience.”
    • “The gameplay mimics old hardcore but in an absolutely unplayable way.”
    • “We got some of the most convoluted, random assortment of gameplay I've ever experienced in a video game.”
    • “The absurd story with the cutscenes and humor can't cover the bad shape of gameplay.”
  • humor158 mentions

    The humor in the game is highly polarizing, with some players finding it genuinely funny and reminiscent of 90s cartoons, while others describe it as cringe-worthy and juvenile. Many reviews highlight the self-aware and absurdist nature of the humor, which can be hit or miss, often depending on personal taste. Overall, the game's writing and voice acting receive praise for their charm, but the humor's effectiveness varies widely among players.

    • “The story is good, the writing is hilarious and overall, I think it's a really fun time.”
    • “It's short and sweet, very well drawn and animated, and fun to play, with hilarious writing and voice acting.”
    • “Battletoads (2020) keeps the soul of the notorious original game intact while revitalizing it with interesting minigames, hilarious writing, and couch co-op that makes this a worthy reason to revisit Zitz, Pimple, and Rash.”
    • “It is painfully unfunny and cringe, with some of the worst jokes I've ever heard in a video game.”
    • “The dialogue and voice acting are horrifically bad and unfunny.”
    • “The combat lacks depth and gets old quickly; the writing and humor are not funny at all.”
  • story128 mentions

    The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it entertaining and humorous, reminiscent of a Saturday morning cartoon, while others criticize it as nonsensical, juvenile, and poorly executed. Many reviewers noted that the plot feels disjointed and often detracts from the gameplay, with some mini-games feeling tedious and unnecessary. Overall, while some appreciate the comedic elements and character development, others feel it fails to capture the spirit of the original franchise, leaving a sense of disappointment among long-time fans.

    • “The story is genuinely funny and feels like a cartoon pilot; the beat-em-up segments are fun and challenging, and the old school challenge is definitely there.”
    • “I really enjoyed the single player campaign and story.”
    • “Battletoads is a surprisingly amusing and lighthearted title with a charming story and fun combat, serving as a great new start for the franchise.”
    • “The plot is just plain moronic.”
    • “The story was bizarre, childish, and I've got to think insulting to long-time fans of Battletoads.”
    • “The story is miserable with horribly unfunny comedy and obnoxious characters, pacing is wretched, skipping out on beat 'em up stages for almost the entire second half.”
  • graphics120 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant, hand-drawn art style that evokes a modern cartoon aesthetic reminiscent of the 90s. However, some long-time fans feel that the new visuals stray too far from the original's iconic look, describing them as overly cartoonish and appealing to a younger demographic. Overall, while the animation and character designs are often highlighted as impressive, the art style remains a divisive element among players.

    • “The animation and the art style is just a visual pleasure for the eyes and you can tell this game was made with a lot of love, I can only wish for a sequel because I've had a lot of fun playing this game!”
    • “The hand-drawn art style of this game is terrific, making the characters drown in charm.”
    • “The game's striking visuals, wildly varied level design, and satisfying sense of challenge easily make up for the occasional frustrating moment or groan-worthy joke.”
    • “The graphic style and cheap jokes are terrible.”
    • “The biggest blemish is the art style; it's shamefully hideous and appeals to no one.”
    • “The art style seems like something off of Cartoon Network, and that is toad-ally okay.”
  • music70 mentions

    The music in Battletoads has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its energetic and dynamic soundtrack that features a mix of remixed classic tracks and original compositions. The heavy electric guitar and drum work enhance the gameplay experience, making it enjoyable and engaging, although some players noted that certain tracks could feel repetitive or underutilized. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the standout features of the game, contributing significantly to its nostalgic and entertaining atmosphere.

    • “The music is also pretty top tier; there are a lot of tracks in this game that I really love and get pumped up for, especially that crunchy intro and battle music.”
    • “The soundtrack is surprisingly good, with all of the songs featuring heavy electric guitar and drum work.”
    • “Great visual style, awesome soundtrack, and some fun couch co-op.”
    • “A lot of the music falls flat as well.”
    • “The constant terrible music is annoying.”
    • “Excluding the art (which in of itself should have tanked this game, I can't understand why it has any positive reviews), it's very middle of the road to me like its music and action (and mini games? why???) it's dull and monotonous.”
  • character development10 mentions

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the fun and diverse gameplay alongside smooth animations, while others criticize the character designs, particularly the Dark Queen, as poorly executed and reminiscent of other franchises. Overall, while the gameplay and animations are well-received, the character design choices have left some players disappointed.

    • “Amazing cartoon art style, fun beat 'em up gameplay, incredible animations and character design, bike riding sequences are a good challenge.”
    • “Fun character development, level design is as diverse as ever, smoothly-animated in-game visuals, proper head-banging soundtrack, challenging, yet accessible, good value for $20, couch co-op.”
    • “Challenging combat, different difficulties, animations and character designs, local co-op with friends.”
    • “Character designs and the art style will probably need some getting used to, especially if you are coming here from the original Battletoads for the NES.”
    • “The developers made a bad choice in character design when it comes to enemies.”
    • “The character design of the Dark Queen is horrendous. I mean, yeah, it needed an update, but boy oh boy... that one is a big no-no.”
  • grinding9 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often feeling like a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the experience. While the core gameplay has its fun moments, the repetitive nature of the grinding and mini-games detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading many to wish for a skippable option. Despite these issues, some players suggest that the game is more enjoyable when played with friends.

    • “The rest of the game is fun, but that whole tedious sequence should be skippable.”
    • “They get tedious and they appear since the very beginning till the very end.”
    • “Battletoads: here is a tedious mini-game you will have to complete as part of the campaign.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the variety in gameplay and the challenge of finding collectibles, others feel that its short length limits replay value. Playing with friends enhances the experience, but the lack of substantial content may deter repeated playthroughs for some.

    • “The game is totally replayable, especially with friends.”
    • “Collectibles are scattered well in each of the levels, with a few exceptions that offer replay value and can be good challenges to find.”
    • “The game is short with pretty much no replayability.”
    • “Despite my gripes, I think the gameplay variety will help with replayability in the long run.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game's stability is highly inconsistent, with some users reporting frequent bugs and crashes, while others praise it for being relatively stable compared to many modern titles. However, issues with controller compatibility and troubleshooting have also been noted, leading to frustration for some players. Overall, the experience varies significantly among users.

    • “Extremely buggy; the game breaks all the time and looks quite ugly.”
    • “I can get two controllers to work, but the third won't respond. All my playtime shown was wasted troubleshooting.”
    • “The game is riddled with bugs, making it frustrating to play.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance and responsiveness, particularly on PC with an Xbox One controller, and it runs without bugs. However, some players noted minor complaints such as the lack of pause music, online co-op, and a desire for more enemy variety and story content.

    • “The Topians and Dark Queen performances are the stand-outs.”
    • “The game plays like a charm; there are no bugs or anything that messes up the experience. Based on playing it on PC, I can say the game runs smoothly and is responsive with my Xbox One controller.”
    • “Great writing and performances all around, interesting minigames, and the return of the turbo bikes is actually a lot of fun.”
    • “The performance of the topians and the dark queen are the standouts, but overall optimization is lacking.”
    • “The game struggles with optimization, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during intense moments.”
    • “Despite some interesting characters, the optimization issues severely detract from the overall experience.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game resonates deeply with players, evoking nostalgia and cherished memories from childhood experiences, particularly for those who played it with loved ones. However, some users feel that the narrative and humor fall short of their expectations, leading to a mixed emotional response overall.

    • “When I got home, I cried.”
    • “First off, Battletoads kind of has a big emotional meaning to me and I have many treasured memories thanks to it; I used to play it as a little kid with my cousin on his dad's NES, and while we barely got past the second level, we still had a blast.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    Reviewers express disappointment with the atmosphere, noting a lack of connection to the original game's ambiance.

    • “And no, there's nothing from the original atmosphere here.”
    • “The game fails to create an immersive environment, leaving players feeling disconnected.”
    • “The atmosphere feels bland and uninspired, lacking the depth that was expected.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for being disappointing, as players expected a more engaging experience given the extensive advertising and nostalgia associated with the franchise. The repetitive gameplay and lackluster story have contributed to a negative perception of its value.

    • “The monetization system feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “I was really put off by the constant prompts to purchase in-game currency; it ruins the immersion.”
    • “It's frustrating that you can't progress without paying for upgrades, which feels like a cash grab.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

71% average critic score

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