A quick opinion about Battletoads 2020

[mrkonasoni]

START

It seems that 2019 brought back a lot of loved franchise from the 80s and 90s, and one of them was Battletoads, it is certainly special because alongside some small attemps to bring back the franchise, there wasnt a serious attemp until this game.

Talking about the most controversial subject, I dont care at all about the toads designs, I could prefered something more rude and serious like everyone but is okay, at least the animation is pretty varied and it looks like something that someone felt proud of.

The whole story of the game is like a short animation movie with some truly noods to dark humour or controversial subjects, I think it fits the whole concept of Battletoads overall, I certainly laughed a lot with how faceless, the script of the game is sometimes, also I will give it credit that I liked all characters, the three toads and the dark queen has a nice development and all have memorable moments, something I wasnt expecting at all, the ending of the game is certainly cathartic and it ended well if for some reason they never make other game ever again.

The gameplay is like the arcade game with new mechanics, the beat em up part is quick and has a lot of varied enemies and movements, I liked that at least they tried to make something new to a genre that is not very accepted nowadays like is a beat em up, and also at least they put some obstacles and stuff like mini puzzles for make something else that just beat down enemies.

There is also a 3D bike level, a sky level, some platforming levels, a ship game and some minigames, I think most of them are fine, not super great but dont feel like quanty over quality at least in my opinion, reading comments some people truly disliked the minigames but I thought they were like interactive cutscenes instead of something for fill gaps, I dont know, I dont want to overthink a simple smashing button minigame that dont last more that 20 seconds.

Overall, I dont think Battletoads 2020 is a bad game, I certainly think it is a decent enough games with good fun.

The music is good, the animation has a lot of frames and something else that made it feel like someone tried to make it good, the voice acting is truly good, and the story has memorable moments that made me feel both amused and comfortable.

So, yeah, I like Battletoads 2020, it is maybe not a classic, but I think it is worthy game for the franchise and a game that is not bad like some people mentioned.

You are welcome to disagree with me.

[kamikazekeeg]

I thought as a reboot it really missed the mark, because they spend so much of the game not as a beat 'em up.  The majority of the game feels like it's taken up by cutscenes, minigames, and alternate game modes.  Battletoads originally had a little of that from what I remember with the hover bikes and the descending rope fights, but Battletoads just feels like a chaotic mess of ideas.  I'm alright with the characters and the humor, it didn't work for me often, but there were times that were funny, but I'm not a fan of the art style here.  It's a common modern look which generally is fine for other shows, but not here.  I didn't need it to be all 90's edge, but I think it needed something more visually striking than what we got, which comes across very cheap feeling.  I'd say that it comes across like a cheap web show or something on Youtube, but I've seen way better work on Youtube.

With that art style and humor and gameplay changes, I don't really know who this was for.  It comes across as trying to appeal to everyone, both a new younger audience and old fans, but in the end doesn't have the proper appeal for either side.  I played it on Game Pass, practically paid nothing for it, so I wasn't as hard about in my initial review of it, but had I paid 20 bucks for it, I probably would've been more annoyed with the game.  It's not a bad game like you said, but to me, this isn't a very good reboot.  Something more like what they did with the new Crash Bandicoot seems more proper as it feels like something that is doing what the original series did, while adding new stuff to build off of it, and still looking very Crash Bandicoot.

[mrkonasoni]

- Answering to @kamikazekeeg

I certainly think they tried to make it the closest possible the original game, SNES one or the Arcade game, what I certainly don't understand is why the half of the game dropped apart the beat em up and then the rest of the game is the 4 platforming levels and the ship, I think it mostly work, at least the platforming has some challenge and the ship levels felt like something better than the attemp in the Battletoads & Double Dragon game, I am aware most people nowadays prefer that a game focus on once gameplay mode instead of including multiple genres making most of them half baked, I think this game is in the decent key of the ladder but maybe is because I have played worse

What I think about the graphic design is indeed, they don't had a clear idea of what make, making something like a comic book from the 90s could appeal to the older fans like me but something more modern make more sense for a franchise that was dormant since the 90s.

So yeah indeed it looks like the standard of modern animation found in shows like Rick and Morty, Adult Swim or Disney/Nick, I can certainly agree with the people that mentioned it looked like the newest TMNT show, but since I like that show I hadn't much problem.

The story is fine, it is the classic cliche of the forgotten heroes learning new life lessons and ending with a happy ending, its alright, what I truly liked is that the main 4 characters had memorable moments or at least something I laughed at, I was truly expecting that only Rash could be memorable since he is the most famous character.

Overall, yeah I agree with you that Crash 4 made a better job bringing back the classic gameplay from a dormant franchise, I just think Battletoads is a fine game, I certainly don't see someone that played the original games that this is not at least better designed and more fun than the NES and GB game, maybe if they make other game they will at least try to inprove the gameplay based on people opinions.

Thank you for the comment.

[pzeke]

Just like with the newest iteration of TMNT, I can't get behind this one either. I just don't like the art style, nor do I like the overall feel as a whole. I'm not sure if I'm making any sense with that last part, but I just genuinely don't like it. I mean, don't get me wrong, I certainly am glad others like you do like and enjoy it, after all that's why it was made for.

I've noticed that as I get older very few things excite me as I they used to when I was younger. Taking TMNT as an example, the last time I enjoyed them was back during their 2003-2010 series where they ended on a high note with Turtles Forever, which was really good. Then came the 2012 reboot and things went downhill, at least in my eyes and personal opinion. And then after that we got Rise and well...whatever. Think of me as that grumpy old man that hardly gets satisfied by anything.

[kamikazekeeg]

Just like with the newest iteration of TMNT, I can't get behind this one either. I just don't like the art style, nor do I like the overall feel as a whole. I'm not sure if I'm making any sense with that last part, but I just genuinely don't like it. I mean, don't get me wrong, I certainly am glad others like you do like and enjoy it, after all that's why it was made for.

I've noticed that as I get older very few things excite me as I they used to when I was younger. Taking TMNT as an example, the last time I enjoyed them was back during their 2003-2010 series where they ended on a high note with Turtles Forever, which was really good. Then came the 2012 reboot and things went downhill, at least in my eyes and personal opinion. And then after that we got Rise and well...whatever. Think of me as that grumpy old man that hardly gets satisfied by anything.

I'm not into Rise as much visually for their designs, they aren't bad, but god damn the action scenes in that show are ridiculous, I need to properly watch it just for that stuff some day lol

[pzeke]

I saw some fight scenes on YouTube, and at least the one I saw it felt like Final Fantasy XV with all the warping and teleporting around. So yea, definitely some flashy stuff.

Not my cup tea, in all honesty; it tries too hard, in my opinion.

[sworddude]

Even if both have tons of actions, I don't think that i can ever appreciate the 2012 or 2018 versions. The art style is horrible. This doesn't have anything to do with nostalgia moreso that 2012 and 2018 are made to appeal for 5 to 10 year olds, it looks so cute. It's the same road a ton of other cartoons went very simular roads to appeal to an even younger audience and to follow the guidelines more so that even the youngest can enjoy it withouth any harmfull content that the classic stuff maybe had. a simplistic, even more round less detailed look, pretty much removing anything that was cool and to make it try hard little kids cool. it's also easier to animate more simplistic art styles yet another factor why so many cartoons gotten the same treatment.

2012 rise with 3d models. nothing against 3d models but damm it pains me to see the series falloff and turn into this.



Or the 2d one from 2018 it ain't much better.

I really hate this art style, allot of modern cartoons use the art style below, even modern disney has traces of this art style. It's such a turnoff for most modern cartoons imo. I hate it. no amount of action scenes are going to save a series with this art style for me, but again, great that people can enjoy it and that especially that the younger audience can watch it withouth parents complaining about it's content.



Seriously where are the cartoons with the cool art styles. the 2003 - 2010 version was still pretty nice, if I had to guess the change in art style plus violence is all thanks to over worried parents. Tons of cartoons have turned to trash. Almost all are pretty shit these days. even videogames like battle toads and sparkster suffered the same fate with those modern reboots.



And I do get why turtles forever is great with them guest appareances of older characters in the more classic art style. but this wouldn't clash with the moder art style for the turtles cartoon. The 2003 looks where pretty nice in the first place, if they where to do the same thing with the 2018 series It would be horrible the classic art style ain't going to save it aside from the fact that it's probably not going to clash all that well.


Different audiences really it's nice to see tons of people still enjoying them new cartoons, but I don't think nostalgia has anything to do with the appeal of the older cartoons. Allot of cartoons have experienced a simular treatment after all. It's kinda funny though, videogames have only seen advancement while western cartoons degraded over time. even though there is more advanced tech to make cool cartoons today.


Videogames in modern days are allowed to get more violent than in the past with lower age ratings being more acceptable for more violent stuff, but for cartoons in the modern era the opposite seems to have happened. Making the barriers so low that parent's can't complain about anything and that as many people as possible can enjoy it. it's definitely nice that everyone can enjoy it but the quality might be a turnoff for a part of the audience. Higher age ratings would solve the problem but I do get that keeping it as low as possible keeps it accesible. it's just the fate of modern day cartoons.

Check classic tom & jerry and donald duck, and check them modern releases. all are a mere shell of their glory days because the stuff that happened in them older series ain't allowed in this day and age with those same age ratings. obviously popularity is also a thing it ain't just the age ratings and parents.

[mrkonasoni]

- Answering to @pzeke
Don't worry my dude, if you dont like it, you dont like it and thats okay, I personally prefer to be always positive and play everything but that doesnt mean everyone should be like me.

- Answering to @sworddude

I certainly loved TMNT 2003