Number 11 [Most Memorable NES Games]

11.  Battletoads

Battletoads!  Yeah, Battletoads!  Everybody remembers the Battletoads, right?  You know, they were the reptilian ninja mutants in their teenage years named for famous Renaissance painters.  There was Leonardo, and Michelangelo, and... Oh wait.  I'm thinking of something else.  The Battletoads were- well I'm not sure what they were.  But it was pretty clear what they were trying to be.

This was THE game to have in the summer of 1991.  My brother and I saved up for so long to get this one too.  Scrounging panhandlers would've been an apt description for us as the school year drew to a close that sultry May.  

My wonderful mom finally had pity on us and helped us buy it.  She was always so supportive of my hobbies.  Two years later she fueled my comic book phase by passing me a few bucks every week for the latest copy of Detective Comics or The Uncanny X-Men.  Four years after that she helped me buy my first guitar.  I'll always be grateful.  A supportive mom is a special blessing in life.

It felt amazing to be one of the lucky few who actually owned this game.  Kids at school were jealous.  I kind of liked it.  Okay, I really liked it.  It was one of the only times in my younger years I ever felt popular.

This was a top-notch game by NES standards.  It's just insanely difficult.  This game was responsible for much controller biting.  I even blame it for my premature hair loss.  I enjoyed it, but simply got sick of playing the first two levels for, well, forever basically.  I still can't get past level three.

What was with the crazy difficulty of games back then?  Why did they have to make things so hard?  What is it with me and level three on Nintendo games?  I need to watch some Ninja Turtles and go calm down a bit.

Come back tomorrow for my next game.  And be sure to check out all the posts in my Most Memorable NES Games list.

[Screenshots courtesy of GameFAQs]