Retronauts Episode 396: Battletoads
Because "Fighting Frogs" must have been taken
For all the Turtle talk we have had here on Retronauts over the years, it was high time we dedicated an episode to their most famous derivative. Capitalism does not reward innovation, so as soon as every kid in the United States was hooked on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the media landscape had to endure a slew of shameless copycat heroic animal teams (and yes, at least one of them was full of cats).
Most of these TMNT wannabees were quickly forgotten, but Rare's Battletoads was an exception as the 1991 NES game was a hit and Rash, Zitz, and Pimple quickly found themselves as legitimate franchise stars, even teaming up with the Lee brothers from Double Dragon in a pre-King of Fighters crossover brawler.
Allying with Bob and Jeremy to form a quartet of Proactive Primate Podcasters are YouTube's Matt McMuscles and the United Kingdom's Stuart Gipp. And if anyone in the action figure business is reading this, I've already got a catchy name and I would make an excellent supporting character in the Retronauts universe deserving of their own merchandise!
Description: When Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles struck gold at the start of the '90s, everyone wanted the piece of the action. That included British developer Rare, who created a similar group of green heroes to capitalize on Turtlemania: the Battletoads. Though it's mostly remembered for a singular stage within the first game, and only lasted a few short years, the Battletoads series attracted enough nostalgia to receive a brand-new release 26 years after the last one. But is there any appeal for this IP outside of sheer irony? On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Matt McMuscles, and Stuart Gipp as the crew clings to their speeder bikes and zooms through a history of Battletoads. It'll be mad, bad, and crazy!
Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get exclusive episodes every month, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon.
MP3, 47 MB | 1:41:46 Direct download Retronauts on iTunes Retronauts at Libsyn
As with all of the episodes Bob produces, this week’s cover art is by Nick Daniel. Check out his Twitter, or patronize his Patreon!
