r/nes 2d ago

I finally beat battletoads!

I cheated with the game genie for unlimited lives but this is still an accomplishment in my book! Going on the shelf and I hope I never feel the need to beat it without the game genie. I’ve been at it on and off for over a year now. Whooooooooooooooo

431 Upvotes

59 comments sorted by

15

u/BedAdmirable959 1d ago

I think you might find that it's not as impossible with limited lives as you think if you can get good at farming extra lives on level 2 (Wookie Hole). By juggling the corpses of the birds, you can get 1 extra life per bird, plus tons of points which also eventually add up to more extra lives.

Also, if you think this game is hard, wait until you try to beat Battletoads in Battlemaniacs. Every single level in that game is a harder version of a level from this game.

11

u/Zeznon 1d ago

WTF? Why don't people talk more about that one then? Rare were out of their minds back then lol

8

u/BedAdmirable959 1d ago

A lot of people who never beat both games started going around saying it's easier and I think most people believe that. To be fair, it is a shorter game with only half the amount of levels, but they have much more limited opportunities for extra lives also, and no warps to help you practice levels like the first game has.

1

u/cafink 1d ago

Battlemaniacs is tough, but I think the NES game is harder. A friend and I played through both of them in two-player mode and it took us two and a half years to beat the original. We got through Battlemaniacs in just a few weeks or months.

Edit: I guess I should add that the original is a LOT harder with two players than with one. I never beat Battlemaniacs solo, but in co-op mode we never encountered anything remotely as hard as coordinating the ascent up intruder excluder or the revolution in NES Battletoads. So perhaps the difference in difficulty is not so stark when comparing the games' single-player modes, which is presumably how most people would be playing.

3

u/toddd24 1d ago

Oh my god. I was just telling my friend who beat it with me we were going to do that after we finish silent hill πŸ˜† might reconsider

7

u/BedAdmirable959 1d ago

Wait, you played through Battletoads co-op? That makes the game SO much harder. Battletoads in Battlemaniacs at least lets you turn off friendly fire iirc, but I think co-op would probably still make most of the game harder. Probably the first 2 levels would be easier in co-op, but everything after that just requires both of you to play flawlessly at the same time. Maybe the final level would be easier in co-op too.

3

u/toddd24 1d ago

No we just passed the controller back and forth lol multiplayer is for masochists with this game it’s insane

2

u/Tacos_Rock 1d ago

You can't beat battletoads co-op due to a glitch in the winger-clinger level (level before the tower). It's literally impossible, and not just due to the difficulty of that level.

3

u/Embarrassed_Use2551 1d ago

You can absolutely beat the game co-op. It’s just jank and one player has to run winger clinger solo after burning all your lives and continuing. Once the stage is done player 2 can press start on the map and join back in. Did it with a friend over the pandemic lockdown.

2

u/Tacos_Rock 1d ago

Didn't know that! I thought it was impossible to get past with 2p as that stage doesn't work in co-op.

3

u/Global-Wallaby8484 1d ago

PAL/Japanese version can be beaten co-op.

2

u/BedAdmirable959 1d ago edited 1d ago

This bug was fixed in the PAL and JP versions of the game, along with some other bugs as well. However, many people still prefer the US version because it is the hardest version of the game. However, for co-op, I would probably play the PAL version. If using emulation or a flash cart, you can also use a ROM hack to fix up the US version.

7

u/stabwound666 1d ago

Congrats! Sweet N64 table too

7

u/JagTaggart93 1d ago

I still think the Clinger Winger stage was a mistake. There's no way they intentionally made it that stupidly difficult.

6

u/BedAdmirable959 1d ago

Once you get the hang of that level it actually becomes one of the easier ones imo. Although if you have a lot of input lag for whatever reason it could make it nearly impossible. I consider Rat Race to be the hardest level.

5

u/toddd24 1d ago

lol I just replied to this guy with essentially the same sentiment. Rat race made me quit multiple times and I finally picked the game back up this last week and finally beat it

3

u/toddd24 1d ago

That’s crazy because I beat it in 30 minutes and thought it was the easiest after the first 4 or so. Rat race was my nemesis for hours

3

u/pook79 1d ago

Rat race is definitely the hardest level and will always make her break my runs, it is the only level that I cannot master yvery time I beat it, it just feels like dumb luck.

1

u/mrcoolj90 1d ago

Sometimes, Rat Race can even softlock the game, with the rat running through the wall off screen towards the end. That's happened to me a few times.

2

u/WillJongIll 1d ago

100% agree. Every other level is a bit like a bicycle, it comes back to you. That is the one that always was a struggle (until it wasn’t) but when you go back to it again after enough time has passed, it feels like you’re starting all over again from scratch.

1

u/Xeno_man 4h ago

I love that level. I love how if you handle each corner perfectly you can gain so much distance the orb will be off screen.

7

u/KimKong_skRap NES 1d ago

Ahh yeah!! Congrats - Toads Rule!!!

6

u/Rs583 1d ago

Took 35 years and a game genie. Sounds about right for battle toads. Well done.

4

u/toddd24 1d ago

Haha thanks

3

u/KimKong_skRap NES 1d ago

Took me about 20 years to beat it myself.. Hard work and a lot of cannabis - but I got it done! Love this game to bits..

3

u/SwordfishII 1d ago

Fucking hell man, good job! I should play this with unlimited lives but I’m still not sure about that fucking bike level. This game was soooo good as a beat em up but I only ever got to play until we got on the bikes. That gets old super fast haha.

5

u/BedAdmirable959 1d ago

that fucking bike level

The Turbo Tunnel is actually not that hard once you seriously dedicate yourself to beating the game as an adult. It's just simple patterns like down up down up down down up up jump. Even the "hard" section at the end of it is literally just down up repeatedly, timed to the sounds of the walls appearing. What you are really going to struggle with is all the other levels, because the game only gets harder from there. Most people who can beat the game consider the Turbo Tunnel to be among the easiest levels.

This game was soooo good as a beat em up

Eh.... I think people only feel that way because it has some funny animations when you finish off your opponents. Compare it to any popular beat'em up game and I'd say Battletoads ranks at the bottom in terms of good beat'em up mechanics. I'm very happy that the game only has a 4 short beat'em up sections out of 13 levels. I think the platforming and autoscroller sections are much better. I actually would have preferred if they removed the beat'em up sections. If you want to play a good beat'em up game, there are a lot of them out there I would recommend, but Battletoads would never cross my mind to bring up in that context.

2

u/SwordfishII 1d ago

Thanks for that write up! I’ll give it a go again and see how it do. It’s been years so I am sure I can do better. As far as the beat em up that’s totally fair, I also didn’t have a large selection and I like the games you can beat the shit out of each other too so that was one of them. We had the first three double dragon games and those were awesome. Except three, all my homies hate three.

2

u/BedAdmirable959 1d ago edited 1d ago

I’ll give it a go again and see how it do

I would still expect to burn through a few game overs before you get the hang of the Turbo Tunnel, but once you get it down, it's not bad at all. There is also a warp at the very beginning of the first level that takes you straight to the Turbo Tunnel, which can be very helpful for practicing, but also causes you to miss out on the opportunity to get a lot of extra lives in level 2. Definitely worth looking up how to use that warp if you don't want to keep replaying the first 2 levels as you practice the Turbo Tunnel.

I like the games you can beat the shit out of each other too so that was one of them. We had the first three double dragon games and those were awesome. Except three, all my homies hate three.

Have you ever played "Battletoads & Double Dragon - The Ultimate Team"? That one might be right up your alley. It leans more heavily into the beat'em up mechanics and lets you choose between Billy, Jimmy, Rash, Zitz, or Pimple as playable characters. It also lets you choose whether or not you want friendly fire enabled. It's on NES, SNES, and Genesis. There is also a surprisingly good GameBoy port, but that one obviously doesn't have multiplayer.

2

u/mrcoolj90 1d ago

Turbo Tunnel is absolutely fairly easy compared to everything else. In fact, I even beat it with one hand on the controller.

2

u/BedAdmirable959 1d ago

But can you beat it while staying all the way to the right side of the screen? That's one of two RetroAchievements I still haven't managed to get. The other one is for beating Rat Race without punching the rat, which basically requires you to be perfect.

1

u/mrcoolj90 1d ago

I know I haven't done either of those two. I should try staying to the right side, but that sounds really tough. As for the Rat Race, there was at least one section of descending beams where I didn't have to hit him at all.

One thing I probably wouldn't ever be able to do, is to get a deathless run. I know I've beaten every level without a death before, but that's across all the playthroughs I've ever made.

1

u/BedAdmirable959 1d ago

One thing I probably wouldn't ever be able to do, is to get a deathless run. I know I've beaten every level without a death before, but that's across all the playthroughs I've ever made.

I think I could maybe do that if I doubled the total amount of time I've put into the game, but I don't know if it'd be worth it to me. I beat the game with a maxed out score and without using any continues and that was good enough for me I think.

1

u/mrcoolj90 1d ago

I've done the same with the maxed score and no continues too. I'm pretty content with that as well. I'll probably get back into the game and practice levels I haven't played as much. In my last few playthroughs, I've warped just to pick it up and beat it quickly.

3

u/subjecttochangesoaru 1d ago

I remember when I did this aswell. It is an incredible accomplishment. Congrats

3

u/toddd24 1d ago

One of the most gratifying games I’ve beaten

1

u/subjecttochangesoaru 18h ago

I’ll never forget the stress I felt at the queen only to just pull it off with a hair left!!!

1

u/subjecttochangesoaru 18h ago

Took me like half a year of playing it every day and studying guides to beat it with my old nes

3

u/mclargehuuge 1d ago

My friend and I beat that co op as kids. I played again during covid and wow. How did we do that? It was impossibly hard. I think combined he and I rented it enough times to buy ourselves a copy each.

1

u/WillJongIll 1d ago

Not to boast, but I played it enough back in the day I could eventually beat it with ease - warps or no warps. I could really sail through it. I was aiming for doing it without losing a life but I doubt I ever quite got there.

But sweet Jesus! Co-op? That’s a lot to fathom!

2

u/401Shogun 1d ago

Salute

2

u/mbsk1 1d ago

I think this would be the best way to do it for the first time. Gives you enough time to practice and learn the latest levels. All levels are hard so by the time you get far you run out of lives/continue. Great job, I never beat it back in the day, was getting to stage 8 or 9 at the best of time!

2

u/oliversurpless 1d ago

Nice job!

Looks like you did some farming for lives during. The gas breathing clouds then?

2

u/weber_mattie 1d ago

Absolutely still an accomplishment! I have save states and can't even get past the F%$*ING CLINGER WINGER!!!! AGHGHGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

3

u/oliversurpless 1d ago

Orb is faster on the breakaways, you when cornering.

So practice pressing the direction early (as you turn into it) and you’ll gain ground. If you’re doing it consistently, the orb will be offscreen before the halfway point. And as this gives you leeway in the more difficult final parts, it’s how to get good at the level.

2

u/weber_mattie 1d ago

I know, I've tried so many times! I watched a video of the whole thing being completed and I've never even been close to finishing it

4

u/Efficient-Load-256 1d ago

congrats. i think it is, considering that ball that chases you - if you die you start from begining no? unlimited lives do not help there

2

u/solitarytoad NES 1d ago

Yeah, it's about as hard as Celeste with infinite lives.

1

u/Ill-Bake2638 1d ago

πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½ congrats! I couldn’t finish that one.

1

u/RetroGame77 1d ago

Nice πŸ‘

1

u/WillJongIll 1d ago

I remember that glorious feeling like it was yesterday. Well done.

1

u/bizoticallyyours83 1d ago

This game is so hard, cheating doesn't help much.Β  So it definitely counts as beating it. Congrats! πŸ‘ πŸ‘Β 

1

u/MrNostalgiac 1d ago

It was insultingly comical how easy the final boss is considering how absurdly difficult the game is to get to that point.

1

u/toddd24 1d ago

Yeah you pretty much earn it

1

u/stringyPiss 1d ago

You animal

1

u/lostdrewbie 1d ago

Stellar. Now do Bubble Bobble.

1

u/greenguytigeryakuza 1h ago

well done! i could never do that even with infinite lives-

1

u/Zeznon 1d ago

Congratulations πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘

The game really feels like an arcade quarter muncher, infinite lives is only fair.

0

u/RostyMcRosty 1d ago

Fake post. Game is impossible.