Could Battletoads (NES) be beaten on 1 life?

[tony_good]

I had a discussion with someone about this. He insisted that it could be done, but IMO, it is impossible. Possible on paper, it being pattern-based and all. But I honestly don't believe it could be beaten on 1 life.

I told the guy to email me if he ever accomplished it. That was about a year ago. He said he had beaten the game on 2 lives. After that, I never heard back.

Does anybody else have an opinion on this?

[silver_surfer]

Not unless you where vidiot god, or have the Game Genie pumpin' out invinsibility.

[Arcade Antics]

I definitely think it's possible, but the odds of it happening are pretty low. I couldn't do it, I'm awful at Battletoads. :)

Great gamers are able to complete games like N.A.R.C. and Smash TV on one credit, so getting through Battletoads on one life might well be within their grasp.

[Gamereviewgod]

I couldn't beat it WITH the assistance of a Game Genie. I vowed never to play it again, and I haven't (with the exception of the CD32 version for review purposes).

[Slimedog]

Its totally possible, but I haven't/wouldn't. When I beat it it took many many tries but by the end, I could get to the last level without losing a life. I'm sure with enough practice, that level could be beaten without dying too. Its just a matter of memorization. However, once I beat it, I was done.

[lendelin]

Sure it is possible. It is just a matter of practice; it is a playable game, the controls are good, and it is a matter of pattern memorization, so Battletoads doesn't fall in the 'unbeatable' category with one live, it is just very hard and will take some time.

Even I beat Battletodas numerous times, at the end I had no probs whatsoever; however, never with one live (I wacked those flying critters good to earn extra lives in the early stage where you scroll down hanging on a rope)

I remember that I beat the game three times in a row w/o problems before it got boring. It is a great game, one of the best NES games.

[jajaja]

Its possible, Ive seen a speedrun of it. Was insane..

[Trevor Belmont]

I suppose it's possible, like you guys have said, but it'd be very difficult to do. I have to admit that those of you saying you've actually completed the game amaze me. I can usually get to the third or fourth level before crawling into a fetal position and giving up. My hat's off to you for that accomplishment alone!

[Daft Punk]

yeah it's possible .


could I do it ? hell no , I can't beat the first level without getting killed.

[imanerd0011]

I believe that it is physically possible, but HIGHLY unlikely! That game is brutal as far as difficulty goes. The furthest I have ever got was to the level where you are riding motercycles. It seems damn impossible for me.

I also thought that Contra was an impossible game (without the code) growing up, and I can now beat it without dying once. So with enough practice I would imagine any game is possible to beat without dying.

[Mitch_Naz]

I was just playing that game and I say HELL NOOO, unless maybe you know excatly where everything is and have nothing better to do LOL

[Mr.FoodMonster]

Looked at Google, this (http://speeddemosarchive.com/Battletoads.html) speed-run comes up. I didn't watch it, so I dont know if its only one life or whatever, but that is the most likely place for it.

[studvicious]

Looked at Google, this (http://speeddemosarchive.com/Battletoads.html) speed-run comes up. I didn't watch it, so I dont know if its only one life or whatever, but that is the most likely place for it.

Well, for most "speed runs" it just a video of a "perfect run" compiled together by someone using save states with an emulator.

[pookninja]

i guess it would be possible,but i know i couldnt do it.battletoads is one hella tough game,fun but tough.

[Slimedog]

I suppose it's possible, like you guys have said, but it'd be very difficult to do. I have to admit that those of you saying you've actually completed the game amaze me. I can usually get to the third or fourth level before crawling into a fetal position and giving up. My hat's off to you for that accomplishment alone!

I'd love to be able to say "It wasn't that hard" but actually it was probably the hardest game I ever beat. Thanks.

[jajaja]

Looked at Google, this (http://speeddemosarchive.com/Battletoads.html) speed-run comes up. I didn't watch it, so I dont know if its only one life or whatever, but that is the most likely place for it.

Well, for most "speed runs" it just a video of a "perfect run" compiled together by someone using save states with an emulator.

How can you compile a movie together with FCEu? Havnt tried it so I dont know. There are alot of crazy gamers out there. You might have seen some japanese DDR and tetris stuff. So its fully possible not to lose 1 life.

[CartCollector]

Looked at Google, this (http://speeddemosarchive.com/Battletoads.html) speed-run comes up. I didn't watch it, so I dont know if its only one life or whatever, but that is the most likely place for it.

Well, for most "speed runs" it just a video of a "perfect run" compiled together by someone using save states with an emulator.
Check the site - it's legit.

[Sotenga]

Well, I know it's at least beatable! Trust me when I say that I'm probably never going to beat it without any codes or warps ever again. ;) ... :(

But with just a single life?!? Eugh... well... I guess it CAN be done, but you'll have to have a bunch of horseshoes plugged up your butt and make a heap big necklace of rabbit's feet to add a lot of gravity on your neck... which, actually, in the long run, might hinder your gameplay a lot more, soooooooo... ummmmmmmm... vaya con dios? Ay. :eek 2:

[Garry Silljo]

Of course its possible. The better question is whether or not there is a game that actaully does REQUIRE one or more deaths to finish. That would be Kooky.

[suppafly]

The chance is SO small that I might as well consider that IMPOSSIBLE. The game is just too hard and difficult to complete it in one life without making any mistakes.

I say its practically impossible to finish it playing it in a console with no cheats of any kind.

[Garry Silljo]

Eh, you're just impatient. If I still had a copy I bet I could train up and be able to do it in less than a month. 2 weeks maybe. It's a hard game, and took me a while to beat, but it all boils down to memorization and repetition.

[felix]

I think it could. There have been a lot of stuff in gaming that have amazed me (see the Mario 64 in 20 min thread). Somebody out there could do it.

[Red Hedgehog]

The answer is a definite yes. While I have to admit that when I beat the game I continued once (and used the 5-toad code), I can't see why, with more practice, I couldn't beat it on one life. Many have cited Contra as a good example - when I first played it, I always used the Konami code. Now, I never have to.

As others have said, a lot of it is pattern memorization. You can even help yourself by having a walkthrough in front of you while you play it so you know what to do and where to go when. I know the only way I was able to beat the lava level (where you are on the flying speeder and there are the various barriers you have to get through) was to write down the order of where the openings in the barriers were. I'd then pause the game before one section, see it was up, middle, down, down and know to go there.

I'm almost tempted to try this. Almost. I have so many (good) NES games I haven't played, let alone beaten, that I think I should get to them first.

[tony_good]

I understand that the patterns could indeed be memorized and completed with a LOT of practice. But that on top of beating the VERY cheap bosses Robo Mantus and the Dark Queen... I doubt it.

I have to say it's so unlikely that it is, for all practical purposes, impossible.

However, if you asked me if Smash TV or N.A.R.C. could be beaten on 1 life, I'd say it couldn't be done, either.

Battletoads was without question the hardest game I ever completed. One life... Um... I SERIOUSLY doubt it!

[Dr. Morbis]

A few months ago I went on a mission to beat Battletoads legitimately without using a continue or any warps. I played the game a lot and finally got down to a 3-death run, which was with no continues. After that, I had accomplished my mission and stopped playing. But as mentioned, it's all about patterns and memorization so anyone could do a no-warp no death run if they just ate and slept Battletoads for a couple of weeks.

[Damon Plus]

Well, I´ve reached the last level without losing a life... Then, I lost some on that stupid rotating tower because of the cheapness of the deaths. Yes it´s possible.

[jajaja]

It seems that most ppl here answer from how good they are at battletoads themself. But dont forget all the crazy gamers out there who are really really good :) Its probly possible to beat ghost & goblins without losing a life too.

[rbudrick]

Bah, you all lie. Battletoads is impossible, and all mortals know it. 8-)

-Rob

[Dr. Morbis]

Its probly possible to beat ghost & goblins without losing a life too.
Ha ha, now you're just being silly. I would pay $100 to see someone do that (in real life, not some internet video that used savestates and 10,000 re-records).

Ghosts 'n Goblins is in it's own league of difficulty. G'n'G makes Battletoads look like DuckTales.

[Red Hedgehog]

G'n'G makes Battletoads look like DuckTales.

Now this is a line worth quoting.

[Slimedog]

Ghosts 'n Goblins is in it's own league of difficulty. G'n'G makes Battletoads look like DuckTales.

I wouldn't say that. Battletoads took me months to beat, but Ghosts 'n Goblins took me a few weeks. The biggest differnce being the unlimited continues in GnG. I left my NES on for 3 days to finally beat it the second time. Didn't know about the stage select.

Seems like the biggest factor in a games difficulty generally is the number and placement of "deathpoints". Deathpoints would be really hard situations in a level that take a few tries before they can be correctly navigated. In GnG, you had time to plan for a situation and ready yourself if you already knew what to do. Battletoads had entire levels that were basically one huge running deathpoint with little to no break in the action. I mean, sure you can pause, but since the pacing was forced, it would probably just screw up your timing.

The more I think about it, the more I think Battletoads was made just to sell replacement controllers.

[sabre2922]

Ah Battletoads what a great game ....for me to poop on :angry: I never was able to finish this game the difficulty gave me nightmares when I was a kid LOL

This game truly showed what the aging (at the time) NES could do. I remember the reviews raving how Rare created a 16-bit game on an 8-bit console.

Wasnt this rares second game after the excellent PINBOT?

[Dr. Morbis]

Ghosts 'n Goblins is in it's own league of difficulty. G'n'G makes Battletoads look like DuckTales.

I wouldn't say that. Battletoads took me months to beat, but Ghosts 'n Goblins took me a few weeks. The biggest differnce being the unlimited continues in GnG. I left my NES on for 3 days to finally beat it the second time. Didn't know about the stage select.

Seems like the biggest factor in a games difficulty generally is the number and placement of "deathpoints". Deathpoints would be really hard situations in a level that take a few tries before they can be correctly navigated. In GnG, you had time to plan for a situation and ready yourself if you already knew what to do. Battletoads had entire levels that were basically one huge running deathpoint with little to no break in the action. I mean, sure you can pause, but since the pacing was forced, it would probably just screw up your timing.
I disagree. Every time I play Battletoads I get a little bit better. When I rented it as a boy, I couldn't get past level 3. Now I've practically mastered the whole game. As for Ghosts 'N Goblins, I've played it a million times and it always takes me the same amount of time to beat the second ending (2.5 hours on average). Try beating both games without using a continue and then come back and tell me which is more difficult.

Until I see otherwise, I declare Ghosts 'N Goblins to be UNMASTERABLE (I know, probably not even a word). And yet, G'n'G is so damn fun. What a wonderfully rare combination.

[jajaja]

Ghosts 'n Goblins is in it's own league of difficulty. G'n'G makes Battletoads look like DuckTales.

I wouldn't say that. Battletoads took me months to beat, but Ghosts 'n Goblins took me a few weeks. The biggest differnce being the unlimited continues in GnG. I left my NES on for 3 days to finally beat it the second time. Didn't know about the stage select.

Seems like the biggest factor in a games difficulty generally is the number and placement of "deathpoints". Deathpoints would be really hard situations in a level that take a few tries before they can be correctly navigated. In GnG, you had time to plan for a situation and ready yourself if you already knew what to do. Battletoads had entire levels that were basically one huge running deathpoint with little to no break in the action. I mean, sure you can pause, but since the pacing was forced, it would probably just screw up your timing.
I disagree. Every time I play Battletoads I get a little bit better. When I rented it as a boy, I couldn't get past level 3. Now I've practically mastered the whole game. As for Ghosts 'N Goblins, I've played it a million times and it always takes me the same amount of time to beat the second ending (2.5 hours on average). Try beating both games without using a continue and then come back and tell me which is more difficult.

Until I see otherwise, I declare Ghosts 'N Goblins to be UNMASTERABLE (I know, probably not even a word). And yet, G'n'G is so damn fun. What a wonderfully rare combination.

Again, dont forget the crazy gamers out there. Espesaly in Japan. They are fucking good at games. So nothing is impossible there. Just check out some of the arcade game videos from Japan. Its insane.

[Damon Plus]

Ah Battletoads what a great game ....for me to poop on :angry: I never was able to finish this game the difficulty gave me nightmares when I was a kid LOL

This game truly showed what the aging (at the time) NES could do. I remember the reviews raving how Rare created a 16-bit game on an 8-bit console.

Wasnt this rares second game after the excellent PINBOT?

I´m pretty sure it wasn´t. They did Snake Rattle´n Roll, right?