Battletoads & Double Dragon

"It's EXACTLY the same as the NES version. This is not a bad thing"

Heigh ho, it's the Super Nintendo version of the NES game everybody missed! Well, at least John Q. Gamer managed to enjoy this title SOMEHOW. My blood still boils when I think of how how many cool NES games were lost to history...at least emulation enables us to relive the classic

GRAPHICS of the old series. Actually, the graphics are the only thing that dramatically changed in this version. The 'toads, the backgrounds, and the sprites all have a much higher level of detail than previously, and executing moves such as the ''Big Boot'' or the ''Battletoad Butt'' now has the extra graphical OOMPH that makes it all worthwhile. Strangely, though, the

Sound is...muted. PSH PSH PSH...POOMP! That's pretty much all you'll be hearing as you beat the enemies down. A crying shame if you ask me, considering that even the NES had that cool reverb effect whenever you took down a boss for good. Come to think of it, the music was also better on the NES, as it went much faster than this better-orchestrated but slower-paced BGM. WHY CAN'T NINTENDO DO THE MUSIC RIGHT ON THEIR REMAKES? But since the

GAMEPLAY is as intact as ever from the original, I'll forgive Rare for this oversight. You can choose between the Battletoads or the Double Dragons. The Battletoads are a little faster, while the Dragons seem to hit harder. Actually, the only reason you'd pick one or the other would be to see the various ways the two groups employ to beat down the bunches of baddies-both Toad and Dragon-related that come at you in endless waves. Yes, you can still have LOTS of fun with the Walker Leg. Yes, the Asteroid-type level 4 is still there. And yes, all the little miscellaneous actions-hanging off of ledges, riding jet scooters, rapelling down turbo-lines, tossing enemies out of windows, and generally having a PG-13 rated good time(the 13 is for the fights with the girls with whips...ow...)are pulled off easily. You don't really need the extra buttons the SNES controller has to offer, but why bother with that anyway? Besides, the simple control setup makes bringing in a second player easier than ever. So go ahead and buy this game if you see it. Or emulate it...if you don't have friends, that is....

Nintendo Logic: I'm sure a whole bunch of nit-picky scientists asked how the heck those fighters could stay on a missile speeding through space at around 100 mph. Not to mention breathing in the vaccuum. Folks, this is a CARTOON. If you didn't suspend your disbelief when the Ratship exploded out of the moon without an appreciable effect on tidal patterns, you need to be strapped into a chair and forced to play Bubble Bobble for 100 hours straight. Then, and only then, will you understand the meaning of the word ''Nintendo Logic.''

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/30/00, Updated 05/30/00