Battletoads is a beat ’em up platformer developed by Rare and published by Tradewest for the NES, the first game in the series. Toads Rash and Zitz brawl and platform through 13 wildly varied stages — fighting, racing hoverbikes, and rappelling — to defeat the Dark Queen and rescue Pimple and Princess Angelica. It supports two-player co-op and is famous for its extreme difficulty.
How To Play Battletoads
Control
Action
D-Pad
Move; crouch; steer in vehicle and descent stages
A Button
Jump
B Button
Attack (punch, kick; pick up and use weapons); dash attack with a double-tap
Start
Start game / pause
About Battletoads
Release date
NES (NA): June 1991 · NES (JP): December 20, 1991 · NES (EU): February 18, 1993
Developer
Rare
Publisher
Tradewest (NA/EU); Masaya (JP)
Platform
NES / Famicom; later Genesis, Game Gear, Amiga, CD32
Sheldon has spent over a decade immersed in retro gaming, from NES classics to arcade gems. He's deeply passionate about preserving gaming history and helping others rediscover these timeless titles. When he's not gaming, Shaun writes about the evolution of video games and their cultural impact.
