Battletoads is a 2D beat ’em up from Dlala Studios and a reboot of the ‘90s TMNT-inspired franchise. It also borrows from a handful of other game genres like shoot ’em ups, platformers, and even WarioWare-style microgames.
While the side-scrolling beat ’em up is where the roots of the franchise lie, Battletoads treats this entry as an homage to classic gaming in general, jumping from fighting, to racing, to platforming, and back again. Smaller diversions like rock paper scissors or pathing puzzles mix things up even further. No one genre feels deep enough on its own, including the main beat ’em up mechanics, which, aside from some differences in speed and power, all feel pretty samey.
But where the fighting gameplay struggles, the minigames shine. With friends, control gets split between all players, making some of the pretty difficult arcade sections near impossible without everyone pulling their weight, yet oddly hilarious to share in the joint frustration of failure.
Ultimately, Battletoads is a good time. It somehow emerges from its mish-mash of basic arcade genres as a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Despite the glaring omission of online play and a few rough edges, new and returning fans should be pleased.
The game is out now for $19.99 on PC and Xbox One and included in Xbox Game Pass.
Watch our full Review in 3 Minutes for Battletoads.
Review copy provided by the publisher. Reviewed on PC.
