All three Toads are selectable, each with his own unique animations and slightly different speed and strength despite sharing the same basic attack patterns. Most of the basic sprite-work and game engine are based on that title, but taken to the next level. In a lot of ways, this seems like the Battletoads game Rare had always wanted to make what Battlemaniacsmight have been had Nintendo been a bit more lenient in their censorship policies.

Completely refocusing the series back into a straight-up brawler and upping the ante with surprisingly graphic violence and equally imposing difficulty, the arcade Battletoads is as fitting a send-off as a worthy series could deserve. But as far as last stands go, this one’s a doozy. Simply known as Battletoads (or Super Battletoads in Japan), this would end up being the last game to feature the warty trio and their outrageous adventures.

Taking one final stab at bringing the Battletoads to a wider audience, Rare teamed up with Electronic Arts to produce an arcade-exclusive installment of their franchise.

Download battletoads switch