Battletoads is a 1991 beat 'em up platform video game developed by Rare and published by Tradewest for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The first installment of the Battletoads series, it was released in North America and Japan in 1991 and in Europe in 1993. Ports without Rare's involvement were released on the Mega Drive and Game Gear in 1993, and on the Amiga and Amiga CD32 in 1994 (despite the former having been developed in 1992); a port developed by Rare for the Game Boy was released in 1993 as Battletoads in Ragnarok's World. In the game, three space humanoid warrior toads form a group known as the Battletoads. Two of the Battletoads, Rash and Zitz, embark on a mission to defeat the evil Dark Queen on her planet and rescue their kidnapped friends: Pimple, the third member of the Battletoads, and Princess Angelica.
The game was developed in response to the interest in Mirage Studios' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. It received mostly positive reviews upon release, with critics praising the graphics and variations of gameplay; however, many critics were divided over the game's difficulty. It won seven awards from the 1991 Nintendo Power Awards, and has since been renowned as one of the most difficult video games ever created. It was later included in Rare's 2015 Xbox One retrospective compilation, Rare Replay, and was re-released on the Nintendo Classics service on November 26, 2025.
Gameplay
thumb|left|The "Turbo Tunnel" level in the NES version
The game is a platform scrolling beat 'em up, with varying elements of racing, climbing and vehicle-based obstacle courses. Players start with three lives each time the game is started, which get replenished every time the player continues after getting defeated. The game contains no saving system or password features. they are ambushed and captured by the Dark Queen's ship, the Gargantua. The Dark Queen and her minions have been hiding in the dark spaces between the stars following their loss to the Galactic Corporation in the battle of Canis Major. Pimple then sends out a distress signal to the Vulture, alerting Professor T. Bird, Rash, and Zitz. Learning that the Gargantua is hidden beneath the surface of a nearby planet called Ragnarok's World, Professor T. Bird flies Rash and Zitz there in the Vulture to rescue them. Between levels, the toads receive briefing comments from Professor T. Bird, along with teasing from the Dark Queen.
The professor drops the toads to the first level, Ragnarok Canyon, the surface of the planet guarded by axe-wielding Psyko-Pigs and Dragons that the player can fly on after taking them out; its boss is the Tall Walker, which throws boulders the heroes must throw back at it while avoiding its lasers. Then in the second level, Wookie Hole, the toads descend through a downward-scrolling impact crater, where they face the threat of ravens that can cut off the toads' Turbo Cable, plants named Saturn Toadtraps that eat toads, Retro Blasters that pop out of the wall and shoot electrical bolts, and Electro Zappers that form a line of 2,000 volts of energy.
Ride levels include the third stage, Turbo Tunnel, where the players dodges stone walls while riding on a Speed Bike and having to use ramps to get across long gaps; "retreating into the shadowy margins of the galaxy to recoup her losses". With Pimple and Princess Angelica rescued, the four are brought back into the Vulture and fly away from the planet.