Battletoads
Battletoads — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Battletoads on?
- Battletoads was released on Amiga CD32, Amiga, Family Computer, Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, NES/Famicom, Game Boy, Sega Game Gear.
- When did Battletoads release?
- Battletoads was first released on June 1, 1991.
About Battletoads
Battletoads is the first game of the Battletoads series. 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. The player has a maximum of six hit points that can be replenished by eating flies. It is by some considered to be one of the hardest games of all time, and it have previously been listed at 8th place in IGN's "Top 10 Most Difficult Games to Beat."
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Amiga CD32, Amiga, Family Computer, Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, NES/Famicom, Game Boy, Sega Game Gear
- Developer
- Rare
- Publisher
- Masaya
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Themes
- Action, Science fiction, Comedy
- Series
- Battletoads
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Built by | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | 1993 | $25 | $70 | — | 7 reviews | Rare | Medium |
Also released on: Amiga CD32 · Amiga · Family Computer · Nintendo Entertainment System · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · NES/Famicom · Game Boy · Sega Game Gear. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardboard box release | $86 | $88 | — |
| European (PAL) release | $41 | $113 | — |
| Japanese release | $120 | $206 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a week
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $10.70 in Oct 2007, $33 five years ago, and $25 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2008 | $9.95 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $9.04 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $14.07 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $9.75 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $11.97 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $20 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $18.95 | $25 |
| Jan 2015 | $25 | $45 |
| Jan 2016 | $23 | $45 |
| Jan 2017 | $25 | $40 |
| Jan 2018 | $26 | $47 |
| Jan 2019 | $21 | $44 |
| Jan 2020 | $18.95 | $49 |
| Jan 2021 | $24 | $61 |
| Jan 2022 | $35 | $85 |
| Jan 2023 | $33 | $77 |
| Jan 2024 | $24 | $66 |
| Jan 2025 | $26 | $86 |
| Jan 2026 | $22 | $76 |
| Oct 2026 | $25 | $70 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Barcode | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | March 1993 | 031719209200 | 171-5703 · MPR-15395-F |
| Europe / PAL | June 1993 | — | 171-5703 · MPR-15395-F |
| Japan | 26 March 1993 | 4974365540746 | — |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1993
- Authenticity
- Med
A competent but unexciting Genesis port of the NES brawler that costs far more in its Japanese form.
This is the Genesis version of Battletoads, in which the toads Rash and Zitz set out to defeat the Dark Queen and rescue Pimple and Princess Angelica. Rare made the NES original; Arc System Works developed this port, which Tradewest published in North America in March 1993 and Sega elsewhere, in Japan on 26 March 1993 and in Europe in June 1993. It has a toned-down difficulty based on the Japanese NES release, and more colorful graphics than the 8-bit game.
Critics found it faithful but not improved. Sega Force called it a run-of-the-mill platformer with unresponsive controls and random difficulty, and noted poor collision detection in the platforming. GamePro appreciated that the humor and gameplay survived, yet felt the presentation had barely moved on from the NES.
What the press said at the time
| Computer and Video Games | 86/100 | |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 8/10, 8/10, 7/10, 7/10 | |
| Famitsu | 6/10, 7/10, 6/10, 7/10 | |
| GameFan | 92%, 96%, 94%, 95% | |
| GamesMaster | 78% | |
| GameZone | 90/100 | |
| Mean Machines Sega | 79/100 |
“The graphics in Battletoads are slightly disappointing. You'd expect a conversion from 8-bit to 16-bit to produce superior graphics”
“Unfortunately this makes little difference to the standard of entertainment, and for me the whole thing became much too predictable.”
Undated scores are from the review table in the game's Wikipedia article, limited to reviews of the Genesis version.
In the sales charts
In one sales chart, October 1993; highest position #10.
Show the placing
- #10 in the HMV Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 24, October 1993
Sales charts as printed in the magazines of the time.
How the Sega Genesis version differs
The Genesis port was made without Rare's involvement and released in 1993, two years after the NES original.
GameFan welcomed it as the original Battletoads finally arriving on an 8 meg Genesis cartridge.
Also on other platforms
NES/Famicom · Game Boy · Game Gear · Amiga · CD32 · NES
| NES | Rare |
| Game Boy | Rare |
- Game Boy. The Game Boy port, developed by Rare, was released in 1993 as Battletoads in Ragnarok's World.
How the other versions reviewed
| Game Gear | Aktueller Software Markt | 4/12 |
| Amiga | Amiga Format | CD32: 10% |
| Amiga | Amiga Power | 9% |
| NES | Computer and Video Games | 91% |
| Game Gear | Computer and Video Games | 60/100 |
| NES | Dragon | 5/5 |
| NES | Electronic Gaming Monthly | 9/10, 9/10, 9/10, 9/10 |
| Game Gear | Electronic Gaming Monthly | 8/10, 7/10, 6/10, 8/10 |
| NES | Famitsu | 8/10, 8/10, 6/10, 8/10 |
| Game Gear | Famitsu | 6/10, 6/10, 6/10, 6/10 |
| Game Gear | Joypad | 80% |
| NES | GameZone | 93/100 |
| Game Gear | GameZone | 68% |
| NES | Mean Machines Sega | 93% |
| Game Gear | Mean Machines Sega | 89/100 |
| NES | Official Nintendo Magazine | 85% |
| NES | Player One | 93% |
| NES | Video Games & Computer Entertainment | 9/10 |
These are the other versions’ scores, not this one’s. Ports of this era were frequently built by different studios, so they do not transfer.
Before you buy
Among US carts it sits above the middle, and the risk tier is Medium, so look over a listing before paying. The notch is the quick check: a Western Genesis cart has no notch in its shell. Compare it with the board listed on this page. The European cart usually costs noticeably more than the US one, and the Japanese cart usually costs far more and has a different cartridge shape. A cardboard-box edition is priced separately from the plastic-case copy and usually costs more.
Battletoads screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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Latest news mentioning Battletoads
- Secret Base Video Shows Battletoads x Double Dragon Gaiden Crossover That Never HappenedTime Extension · Sep 23
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- "I Thought It Was A Slam Dunk" - How The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Led To A Failed Battletoads TV PilotTime Extension · Jul 30