The Out-of-this-World 8-Bit Beat 'Em Up Receives a Limited Collector’s Cartridge Re-Release from Retro-Bit Publishing
From now until May 22nd, 2002, you can pre-order Battletoads & Double Dragon in an officially licensed limited collector’s NES cartridge re-release [1] of the classic Nintendo Entertainment System brawler from Retro-Bit Publishing. This will only be available during an open pre-order window from April 19th through May 22nd, 2022, at a price of $59.99/€64.99. You can secure your copy from either Castlemania or Limited Run Games.
Battletoads & Double Dragon is an incredibly difficult brawler that I’ve always struggled with. I tend to play a few rounds and get frustrated. The again, I kinda suck at older video games. Gamers generally seem mixed about this release, though collectors are more than happy to add it to their library of games. The price for an original copy hovers around $100 on eBay. Price Charting shows a complete in box price of around $300.
That is to say, if you’re not particularly concerned with owning an original copy, at $60, the re-release (which comes complete with numbered hardcover packaging, a manual, the game itself in “jumpin’ jade” see-though coloring, and an acrylic display stand) is a great value.
Of course, it has to be said that there are always those other ways of playing the game via emulation, but frankly, that’s not who this release is for. This is for those collectors who fall somewhere in between emulator-gamers and purists. Unfortunately, this release does also leave behind those who may want to play the game on a physical release for a contemporary console, like the Switch or PS5.
The re-release is region free and will work on original hardware (NTSC and PAL). Retro-Bit reports that the game will also play on a variety of third-party hardware and lists the following specifically: Super Retro Trio, Analogue Nt, RetroUSB AVS. Their officially list ends with “and others,” suggesting that it may work on a Retron 5 device, though they have not confirmed this. So if you’re planning on playing it on any third-party hardware not listed specifically, I might consider it a gamble.
Worth mentioning here is the choice to leave pre-orders open for a full month to allow for purchases. Admittedly, I am in love with this strategy. For one, it reduces the number of scalped items since no limited number has yet been determined. Anyone can go grab a copy without worrying about the game selling out and hitting eBay for ridiculously inflated prices[2]. The downside is of course this is still a limited release, and there will no doubt be people who miss the pre-order simply because they didn’t know about it.
Do you plan on pre-ordering a copy, or will you wait for the 16-bit option?
[1] Retro-Bit Publishing also intends to release the 16-bit version of the game later this year. [2] In fact, if you check eBay, someone is already trying to scalp the game for twice the current price even though the game is still available from the retailer.