Battletoads (NES)

This page details pre-release information and/or media for Battletoads (NES).

Early Version Footage#

Watch on YouTube

On March 31, 2025, Chris Bieniek (a former editor of VideoGames & Computer Entertainment and chief editor of Tips & Tricks Magazine, two US gaming publications) posted to YouTube what seems to be a playthrough of a pre-release version of Battletoads on the NES, which was submitted to him "for review" back in the 90's. In addition to including the "Jet Turbo" version of Level 7, there are several other differences of note.

Cutscene Differences#

• The game title is included in the "A RARE Production" screen.
• The 'toad emblems on the title screen are based on an earlier design concept, more of a full-body bullfrog than just the toad heads. The change to the new emblems introduced a tiny palette error and a little bit of pink bled into the bottom left of the "Battletoads" logo.

Prerelease title screen	Final title screen

These earlier emblems are also visible in Rare's internal design documents, such as for example in this concept art for proposed Battletoads merchandise.

• The "Press Start" screen lacks the Tradewest and Rare Coin-It copyright information.
• All three 'Toads are green on the "Starring" screen.
  • There seems to be a sprite layering issue with Zitz's eyes and Pimple's wrist spikes, too.
• The story cutscene has the following differences:
  • The trailing apostrophe is missing on the word "cruisin'".
  • The text and interior shot of the Toadster are shades of red instead of being colored appropriately.
  • The "meanwhile" text is double-spaced instead of triple-spaced.
• The screens at Vulture Control are always blank.
• The scenes of the 'Toads and the Dark Queen is missing from the intro.
• The Dark Queen's interjections are missing from the stage intros.
• The Battle Map doesn't display the level number and name at the bottom yet.

Professor T. Bird's Dialogue#

• There's a heavy pause between "the" and "Gargantua" in the opening cutscene.
• T. Bird's text is a little slower.
• T. Bird's in-between level text is very simplistic in this version.
  • (Note: T. Bird and the Dark Queen can say one of four different things in the final. For ease of comparison, only one of the messages is used here.)

YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN

FROM NOW GUYS!

 GET READY 'TOADS! DOWN TO

THE SURFACE ON THE

TURBO-CABLES!

 USE THE HYDRO-CABLES AND 

 TACKLE THAT CHASM,YOU'RE 

 ON YOUR OWN FROM NOW ON. 

LET'S GET MAD, BAD AND

CRAZY, 'TOADS! USE THE

TURBO-CABLES TO

TACKLE THAT CHASM!

 I'VE SCANNED SOME CRAZY

LOOKING SICKIES TOADS!

BETTER STEP ON IT,

'TOADS - THE RATPACK'S HOT

ON YOUR HEELS!

TIME TO PUT THE FREEZE

ON OLD JACK FROST.

 LET'S BREAK THE ICE,

 'TOADS! IT'S PARTY TIME!

READY TOADS ! I'LL LOWER

YOU TO THE SURFACE
    
ON THE HYDRO-CABLES.

 TIME TO GRAB A PIECE OF

TAIL, 'TOADS - AND

HANG ON TIGHT!

SENSORS SHOW NOT MUCH TIME

LEFT! YOUR'RE GOING TO
  
HAVE TO GO LIKE SMOKE TO
  
 MAKE IT THRU'

 LOOKS LIKE THE DARK

QUEEN'S GOT A WARM

 RECEPTION PLANNED FOR

THE BATTLETOADS!

 WORK YOUR WAY ALONG THE

SURFACE,BUT FIND
     
 ANGELICA, AND HURRY!

YOU 'TOADS ARE

 DEFINITELY MOVIN'

UP IN THE WORLD!

FIND THE PRINCESS, AND

I'LL SEE YOU IN 5 MINUTES.

HEY,'TOADS! YOU HAVE THREE

BOMBS TO DEFUSE BEFORE THE

RATPACK BLOWS US ALL

TO TOAD-HEAVEN !

Level Differences#

Level 2: Wookie Hole#

• This is the only level with Flies.
• When clinging to a wall, a 'Toad will curl up, but does not turn into the BT Bashing Ball until launching off the wall.

Level 3: Turbo Tunnel#

• There are no Invaders in the level, just Giblets.
• Walls don't make a sound when appearing or when dropped by Rat Rockets.
• The "Jump!" graphic for Section 4 uses placeholder garbage data.
• The Mega Warp in Section 5 doesn't seem to be implemented yet.
• When a Turbo Bike crashes into a wall, it makes a loud "explosion" sound.

Level 4: Arctic Caverns#

• Icicles make a "snip" sound when hitting the floor.
• Barrier walls take considerably less punishment before getting destroyed.
• The first Mr. Frosty section hasn't been completed yet, thus only has one Mr. Frosty and one long platform.
• It's possible to jump through the ice and into the wall in some areas. The player gets shunted back into the valid play area if this happens.

Level 6: Karnath's Lair#

• All snakes share the same red-and-blue color scheme.
• All shown sections share the same brownish-red color scheme.
• Snakes make no sound before changing directions.
• The lower ground and at least one side-spike are missing from the second snake hole in Section 2.

Level 7: Volkmire's Inferno#

This level is completely different, playing like a harder version of Level 3: Turbo Tunnel.

• There are no enemies or platforming at the start, and the walk to the vehicle section is much shorter.
• There is no sound when the background transitions into fire.
• The fiery background doesn't flash, but the purple blaze above does sway.
• Instead of jets, the 'Toads drive a different kind of Turbo Bike with wheels.
• Instead of full vertical firewalls, mound-sized walls of fire block the way.
  • Because the designers are monsters, some of the fire mounds can come from behind!
• The ramp graphics are slightly glitched, using tiles from the Turbo Bikes.
• The static fire in the background changes color with every checkpoint passed.
  • After a player death, the fire stays the same color it was, but still fades out and back in after a reset.

Level 8: Intruder Excluder#

• There are considerably more Sentry Drones and grabable pipes throughout the level.
• The very first platform is a moving one, but there is no Sentry Drone on it.
• There is no warning before an electrified moving platform turns on.
• The boulders move much slower than in the final.
• There are two types of Sentry Drones:
  • Yellow Sentry Drones hurt the player on contact instead of firing electricity.
  • Red Sentry Drones fire electricity, but in a slow-moving spiral pattern.

Other Observations#

• The score resets after every level transition.
• The Lives counter only displays 3 Lives, but both 'Toads have considerably more than that (possibly infinite, for testing purposes).
• There are no Bonus Points or 1-ups in any level.
• A considerable amount of sound effects have not yet been implemented.
• Checkpoints in Levels 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 don't make a sound or award points.
• The players do not earn points for simply surviving Turbo Bike sections.
• If one 'Toad is carrying the other, the carried 'Toad can't be knocked out of the first one's hands.
• The following levels are never loaded. They may be missing from this build or are likely incomplete:
  • Level 1: Ragnarok Canyon
  • Level 5: Surf City
  • Level 9: Terra Tubes
• The following levels might be missing or incomplete, but the video stops before we can see them:
  • Level 11: Clinger-Winger
  • Level 12: The Dark Queen's Tower
• A level can be skipped at any time - again, for testing purposes. This happens on three levels in the video:
  • Level 6: Karnath's Lair
  • Level 7: Volkmire's Inferno
  • Level 8: Intruder Excluder

Different Level 7 in Manual#

Box	Manual

The instruction manual appears to be based on the version of the game seen in the footage above, or slightly earlier. It shows Level 7, Volkmire's Inferno, originally featuring a race similar to Level 3, Turbo Tunnel, with the toads using vehicles that look similar to the Flintstones car. The picture includes the ramp that’s not in the final Level 7, with the top part of the vehicle’s wheel incorrectly placed on top. The footage also has the same visual bug. The final game features a painfully difficult jet race in this stage instead.