The Absolute Best NES Game Is Getting A Re-Release
Shut up and take our money!
This article is more than 2 years old
The original Battletoads & Double Dragon – The Ultimate Team was released in 1993 as a beat ‘em up platformer developed by Rare for Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It was an interesting crossover between Double Dragon and Battletoads franchises of the time that reached critical acclaim and levels of success that warranted a ported version of the game to Sega MegaDrive/Genesis, Super NES, and Game Boy. You can see the announcement trailer below:
According to Destructoid, publisher Retro-Bit Gaming partnered up with several retailers to produce a full re-release of Battletoads & Double Dragon – The Ultimate Team. Apparently, the re-release is just that — a re-release. We previously reported that Konami is re-releasing a bundled-up baker’s dozen of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the Switch console, but that release is ultimately very different than the one we’re currently discussing. Retro-Bit Gaming isn’t porting the game to a new console; it’s re-releasing the game on its original cartridge.
For those that aren’t acquainted with Battletoads & Double Dragon – The Ultimate Team, the game is a crossover between Technos Japan’s Double Dragon and Rare’s own Battletoads gaming franchises, though Technos had little to no credited involvement in the game’s development outside licensing Double Dragon. The original game, which is currently being re-released in its original medium, featured Battletoads’ protagonists Rash, Pimple, and Zitz, team up with Billy and Jimmy Lee — the heroes of Double Dragon.
The Battletoads & Double Dragon – The Ultimate Team protagonists were set up against the main villain of the game, Dark Queen, though the quintet of heroes goes after an ominously looking spaceship and fist-fighting adventures throughout the galaxy. The game resembled the action-packed gameplay of the Battletoads series and featured non-stop action across forgiving game difficulties. Of course, the original developer used villains from both gaming series in the crossover, which brought plenty of fun for NES gamers of the golden NES era of gaming.
The re-release of the game is coming on a fully-working NES cartridge in an exclusive transparent jade casing, altogether housed in a hardcover box with a fully-colored instructions manual included in the package. There’s also a transparent acrylic stand that allows owners of this gem to put the glorious 8-bit cart on display. The game is currently available for preorder at North American and European outlets and can be ordered at Retro-Bit’s website.
It’s worth mentioning that the preorder of Battletoads & Double Dragon – The Ultimate Team will close on May 22, so those interested better put their name on the preorder list before the period expires. Those that miss the opportunity will be able to preorder a 16-bit version of the game Retro-Bit Gaming intends to release later this year. The 8-bit version of the game discussed in this report will retail for approx. $60, shipping not included.
Retro-Bit Gaming is a company that strives to re-release some of the rarest and unattainable titles, bringing retro games to modern gamers at a price that allows affordable collecting. However, it’s worth noting that the company isn’t porting the game to modern platforms, like Nintendo Switch — instead, it releases them on their original medium, so you might want to invest in some retro gaming gear if you want to revisit certain titles.
