Released by Rare in 1991 exclusively on the Nintendo Game Boy, Battletoads is an action game has the player controlling Zitz, a toad character. Zitz has three lives to complete the game, which has multiple levels of play. The levels feature a variety of challenges based on classic side-scrolling fights and a variety of vehicle races. Battletoads for Game Boy included eight primary levels with an additional final showdown round to complete the game. Each level ended with a boss battle, featuring characters from the series like General Slaughterhouse and Robo-Manus. The player never faces the Dark Queen character, although she does come in during cut scenes to taunt your progress. While playing Battletoads for Game Boy, if Zitz loses all three of his available lives, the game ends. This requires the player to start again from the beginning and to attempt to beat the game from scratch. With this play dynamic, Battletoads was included in the range of Game Boy titles that were notoriously hard to beat. To be successful, players had to develop quick reflexes while memorizing the position of certain obstacles to increase their chance of beating all of the levels. Although another game was previously released with the same name on the NES, the Game Boy version of Battletoads was an entirely different game when compared to the original. Additionally, this version of Battletoads was never released on any other platform. The primary plot of Battletoads for Game Boy circles around events after the other games that were available in the series. The Battletoads, made up of characters name Pimple, Rash, and Zitz, are taking time off in the Lost Vega system when they succumb to the charms of an exotic dancer who is ultimately revealed as the Dark Queen. Pimple and Rash are captured and taken to planet Armagedda, while Zitz escapes from the ambush. To rescue his captured friends, Zitz must complete the challenges set forth. Professor T. Bird, another character from the series, provides insights between rounds, helping the player prepare for the next level. Zitz battles through the forces of the Dark Queen until reaching the final battle with Robo-Manus. Once Robo-Manus is defeated, Zitz is able to rescue Pimple and Rash from the Dark Queen’s clutches, allowing the Battletoads to return to the Vulture spacecraft for a triumphant ride home. At the closing of the game, the Dark Queen again swears she will have vengeance, setting up for the possibility of additional sequels. Battletoads for Game Boy was released by Tradewest in November 1991 in North America. It was subsequently released in Europe in 1992 as published by Nintendo. The cover art of these released reflected the original cover art for the NES Battletoads release. The use of the same name and cover art increased confusion regarding whether Battletoads for Game Boy was the same game as the original NES version or an entirely different experience. In 1993, a modified version of the title was released under the title Battletoads in Ragnarok’s World. The gameplay remained the same, and the change in title was meant to help differentiate this title from the original NES release.