For even more fun, try playing the bike level in two-player mode. You get sent back to the last checkpoint anytime either player hits an obstacle or misses a jump. I'm honestly surprised that two-player Battletoads was never codified into law as a valid grounds for divorce.
Well if you even get passed the bike level you cant beat the game there's a programming error in the two player mode witch basically makes the game unbeatable on a level one player gets stuck on a track while the other takes off and gets stuck when they hit the edge of the screen getting the characters stuck making it impossible
@@bloodeagle6458 I'm curious, do you know if they fixed the 2-player bug in the Japanese version? Or how about the Genesis version? *Edit:* Nevermind, I found my answers. Japanese version does fix the bug, and so does the Genesis version.
@@bloodeagle6458 I was going to post exactly this. You know the games is hard when a bug this game breaking is left in near the end of it (because the devs and testers never got far enough in 2 player mode to find it).
Step 1. - Find how the secret warp is spawned Step 2. - Spawn it in front of first wall placement as a new cheesy warp. Step 3. - Change level to next level when cheesey warp is entered
Years ago I started working on a Battletoads disassembly. I came up with a few interesting ideas. Invincible PYNZIUVS Die in one hit PYVTPESU Automatically defeat enemies OOUAGVOU Jump in mid-air TYSLEIIY TYSUPZIY SUKXEOVN AOSZKPEY SUKUESSO Jump in mid-air short version (Has no effect in bike race.) TYSLEIIY SUKXEOVN SUKUESSO Never encounter health invaders EPKIYLOL Stay on all partial platforms (Makes it harder to fall off platforms that are close to pits and allows free roaming to an extent.) EYUUSIEI Free-movement mode (Mode anywhere on screen using the D-PAD. Cannot fall off pits. Use with Hit anywhere, invincibility, infinite lives, etc codes. Animations will be frozen since the last frame but the game functions normally except for the Wookie Hole because the player will not appear unless the code is switched on before starting level and going offscreen in this stage will crash the game.) GXOXVEGK Disable locked screen-scrolling (Too many enemies on the screen will bog down the game and may cause glitches.) AENUZSTP AAOYTKTP AEUAOOTP Disable locked screen-scrolling in Wookie Hole AENOTVTP No flame obstacles in Volkmire's Inferno - Level 7 OPSIAUSO Play unused song at title screen (Final Boss theme? Found by www.flyingomelette.com/oddities/oddities27.html) YAOVYIAP Title screen music modifier E51F:??:10 Disable title demo sequences (press start to commence game. The selected song will be interrupted by the title sequences without this code) TTEEIYVT Activate before level finish cutscene to hear second unused song (I found this well over a year ago. Basically, there is another unused song and unused jingle that plays when starting the level before the game resets the level, and a full song that might have been an early cutscene song.) ZAXESEPL I barely have enough time as it is to finish large-scale projects but I thought these were interesting (there are more though would have to dig them up) Battletoads was a game I played at a friends' house well over 20 years ago and I was not old enough to finish the turbo Tunnel, much less the game itself.
The Japanese version of the game is far more balanced (and therefore better in my opinion). I've long been hoping that somebody eventually will either translate the Japanese ROM to English, or port the changes over to the US ROM (whichever is more practical) to make a definitive edition of sorts.
The same could be said about the Ghosts n Goblins series. That being said, Ghouls n Ghosts managed to hit a sweet spot regardless of if you were playing its easier (North American) or harder (Japanese) iteration. It's possible to make something difficult without it being "cuckoo" to the point of it not even being fun...like with NA battletoads.
@@lainwired3946 Yeah, your best shot is playing on a CRT, unless you have a lot of practice the lag induced by retroarch, lcd display, usb polling can make the game even more difficult but no impossible. Last week I played the turbo tunnel on my mISTer fpga and I didn't feel I was struggling too much but I need practice a lot more to reach the level I once had when I was a kid.
So every finish line resets speed to 2, except the last one which ends the level. If each of these is jumping to a set of instructions somewhere, could we change the address of the first finish line to jump to the end level event?
Heh. Could other checkpoints be similarly coded? Imagine finishing Karnath's Lair by only going through the first "safe" pit. Wouldn't help with Clinger Winger, though.
In other words, like Keanu Reeves said in the movie Speed... "We just take them out of the equation!" Skip one? *Skip all.* And the level is over, and plenty of childhood frustrations are finally avenged...
Turbo Tunnel always gets talked about but nobody seems to ever talk about the Clinger Winger level which is a whole lot harder since you need literal pixel perfect timing for just about every turn you make
I think it’s because none of us ever encountered that level as kids. The Turbo Tunnel was always my block. Although it became Clinger Winger as an adult.
@@mustardseed Speak for yourself; I got there plenty of times as a kid. Though to be fair, I did need a GG to be able to practice each of the levels to get good enough to beat them. That is, I didn't spend hours playing levels 1-9 just to have a chance at the Rat Race.
I d e s p i s e d Clinger Winger as a child because i played on the emulator, and this level isnt suited for the keyboard AT ALL! Dpad design allows for a smoother turns using only 1 thumb, but on the keyboard I had 4 separate arrow buttons, and my fingers and the wrist HURT from all of that quick precise presses! I had to do the insane manic tapdance with the fingers on my right hand! Needles to say it took 1 whole month to beat the level with saves.
@@BorsaMANIAC thats not even the worst part. emulators have varying levels of input lag that can render the stage virtually impossible if your setup has too much lag, especially HDTVs and older emulators
This was super interesting! I recently loaded up BT on an emulator, and Turbo Tunnel only took 2-3 lives to get through - still had all the muscle memory intact after 30 years!! p.s. just about every level after turbo tunnel is harder than turbo tunnel haha - have fun!
I was about 7, spending night after night playing Battletoads on my NES and 12" CRT TV on my Styrofoam beanbag chair, dying to the wave/bike race level over and over and over again. I eventually learned to beat it but when I got to Clinger Winger I got stuck again and never beat the game.
@@CarbonRollerCaco Surf City is one of the easiest levels in the game, in my opinion. The Clinger Winger is also another easy level for how late in the game it is.
@@CarbonRollerCaco The last section of the terra tubes. The randomness of the shark right before you jump over to the last section where you glide down to the exit. My most hated level would be the rat race simply because it can lock the game up.
This is a trick I learned when playing the NES PAL version during the 1990s; you can position the toad perfectly in the middle and go past every slab. I managed to do this only a handful of times, but it is possible.
I found an old family video of myself playing this game. I looked visibly frustrated. I can only remember a handful of times passing this level. I don’t think I ever got passed the surfing level.
Secret. Don't look at the bike, Look at the shadow. The bike wobbles up and down, The Bike gets confused with the moving shapes, the bike floats making it hard to determine the right moment to jump. The shadow is stationary, the only black circle in the level and is stuck to the ground. Done, you won the Turbo Tunnel. I can also help you with Volksmire Inferno. There is no hacks for Clinger Winger, pause a lot there.
i guess since in europe we played at 50 hz the turbo tunnel was easier for us so that would be my recommendation. to rack up lives just repeat hitting birds and keep them onscreen in the 2nd level
14:18 challenge accepted! Dude, I've only ONCE ever beaten the turbo tunnel (died son after, I WAS LIVID!) I Never had access to the inf. Lives code, only had up to 9 lives and then still bogus. Where was this code back in the day for Game Genie? Ugh. Seriously, you've given me hope, as I've seen PLENTY of guides and walkthroughs, BUT NOW these new GG codes might actually give me a true chance to play AND BEAT BattleToads for Effin' once! Kudos, seriously are in order. Can I like this video twice? lol
13:13 I remember when I was a kid I managed to somehow overflow the life counter. When that happened, no matter how many lifes you had, after dying one time the counter would decrease to 5. So I kind of learned when to stop earning more lifes so the issue didn't occur.
My brother and I played the SNES version. The first 2 levels were really fun. And that's all we really got to play. My brother insists we did get past the third level at some point but I don't remember ever doing so. Fuck that level.
As someone who has no issues with the Turbo Tunnel, I don't think fixing it is the way to go. Infinite lives is the way to go because it allows one to learn it properly, but it also similarly 'fixes' the later levels. You later have a Turbo Tunnel-esque level where there is no way to react, memorization is a requirement. After that you have a level that requires more memorization, even if it isn't the same type of level. These are super frustrating because you get a few shots and then you restart the game. Infinite lives fix that.
Saw you comment on the mega man 4 video about this after a viewer brought up slowing this part of the game. Loved seeing you take a cool suggestion by a viewer and making a video about his suggestion about this game and level! You rock dude! Just found your channel and I’m loving it so much! Binge watching and learning a lot! P.s. This is the only game I’ve seen where the Japan release has been changed to be easier than the NA release! To be honest I’m not even sure how many NA NES games got a Japanese Famicom Release… Haven’t had much luck finding that information while quickly looking… I wonder if the opposite happened at all (I doubt it lol) and if a Japanese Famicom game released in NA was ever changed to make it more difficult and not easier (unlike it usually was)!
Turbo Tunnel is probably my favorite level in any NES game I've played, and comparatively easy after you get to the later stages. It's hard but absolutely learnable, and if you do you get a great mix of challenge and control. It sucks if you just want to progress in the game, but the thrill of getting the last bit just right is great.
Not to mention it serves as training ground for the way harder "Volkmire's Inferno" vehicle level. Cheating the early easier levels in Battletoads doesn't make that much sense if you want to get through the rest of the game - even on infinite lives :)
I remember getting through the turbo tunnel as a kid, and being so burnt out by it, that I didn't even try to beat the ice level, as soon as I died I was like: that's it, I'm done, I'm never touching this game again
turbo tunnel as a kid had me stuck for longest time in any game at the time that eventually i got so good at it, i was able to play with my head turned away from the screen or blind folded from start to finish just by listening to the sound cues and memory. practice really does make perfect.
This was crazy interesting. Never seen a game genie used like this to such creative ends before! Shame I imagine even with the GG I couldn't beat that section lmao
Really enjoyed the look at the code behind the Turbo Tunnel. Gotta say though that the amount of time and effort put into it would have been far better served by simply memorizing the Turbo Tunnel layout. Almost nothing in Battletoads, including the Turbo Tunnel, is random. The entire game is exactly the same every time you play it. When you know what is coming up next, you put yourself in a far better position to succeed. They only real difficult part is the last section, but the only real difficulty there is in learning how long you hold up or down before switching.
I was told that they DESGINED this tunnel exclusively for Game Genie cheaters (hence why I think GG only included 9 lives code instead of straight Inf. Lives codes) to where you HAD to pour in time to beat this level. I shall make a video of me (eventually) beating this tunnel and i'll be sure to include which of the GG codes I decided to use. THANK YOU THANK YOU for making an old kid's dream come true! You're freakin' fantastic.
The simplest change I would implement is to keep the arcade style mechanics for the auto scrolling section so that you next life immediately spawns where you left off. That single alteration would make the game far less punishing.
Man, this channel just never fails to make something awesome and really make it possible to understand the structure of NES games at the most base level. Is there any chance you could dig into the level format of Super Mario Bros? I've looked at lots of that game but the level design has totally escaped me. Random example, there's a hidden 1up right after the first set of pipes. Where is that in the code? Can we move it elsewhere in the level? Seems like a great video to watch. In any case, looking forward to the next one!
I never understood what the game wanted in the turbo tunnel, the jumps that look like your toad clears by a significant margin and you still end up falling. I borrowed a have genie with this game, still never best it, but at least I got to see what the other levels looked like. I probably only ever beat the turbo tunnel a handful of times as a kid.
When you show a fixed-point value, it would be really cool to actually show it as a number with a fraction and a decimal point, instead of two numbers that don't look like they make sense together. IE, show 1.996 alongside the 1 and 255
Somehow YT didn't show me your last 5 videos. I even have the bell on. I hope your channel isn't getting burried due to the niche nature of it. I love your videos and will start manually checking you channel.
Some years ago i finished this game in emulator, using save states, rewind and slow motion 10% at some levels. Conclusion, this game is inhumanly (and incorrectly) hard.
Seriously, the race against the glowing ball is especially hard. Your reaction time must be perfect at every turn everytime. 1/60th of a second I believe. No margin for error. I had to relentlessly save scum this level, you know you are fucked when game genie can't help.
My favorite part about this video is it, perhaps unintentionally, demonstrates the relationship to how a game is coded to the assumptions the developer had about it. Or if one desires a less pretentious description, the developer programmed the game based on how it worked. This probably seems obvious but it shows why sometimes changes can be easy to do and sometimes hard. The developers here made decisions based on how fast the tunnel was going and so all values must line up for it to work properly. It is very likely to cause a number of headaches during development as a tweak here or there would require testing the entire tunnel and fixing values reliant on those old numbers. It's also likely why those are the changes chosen for the Japanese version as they required the least amount of rework while also tempering the challenge.
This channel is awfully underrated. You deserve way more subs and views. Your retro tech videos are up there with the works of ModernVintageGamer and the like.
If the check uses a naive approach (which it might to save on the CPU time) you have to find the smallest possible size for any given hitbox, move faster than that size and then phasing through objects becomes a possibility. One frame you're to the left of something and in the next frame you're already to the right of something and no hit could be registered.
I believe the reason that the US version is so much harder than the Japanese version is because of video game rentals. Making the game harder in the US was a common tactic to make the game too hard to beat during a rental period, in the hopes of encouraging renters to purchase the game.
One thing I would love to have (just to have a harder time while trolling my friends at the same time) is just to when you die you always forced to restart from the start of the bike/plane segment (the later for Volkmyre's Inferno), just to see how they would react when they find that the checkpoints during the road aside from giving score does asbsolutely nothing to help.
My recommendation was going to be to alter the jump height and speed to be enough to just pass over everything in one leap, but as you showed that won't cut it!
I never tried it, but I believe some third party NES controllers had a rapid fire option for the start button. I’m curious if enabling rapid fire for START and then, if needed, simplifying the PAUSE sequence for the game would help here. You’d slow down the game without modifying the actual physics of the game. I do remember the rapid fire option clearly did not work on various games for various games, for example Capcom titles such as Mega Man. In any event, excellent video as always!
I just now got around to this video. LOL. I absolutely love this level. It was such a blast to play. The one that used to drive me nuts was that freaking snake level.
I think the most frustrating thing about Battletoads was the limited continues. I am fine with restarting a level after dying, but restarting the entire game is another story. This is why Ninja Gaiden is much more forgiving IMO. I think infinite continues is the way to go with the 'get good' methodology. I feel like that would be the 'easier' mode that keeps the closest to the original challenge & design. **Now if there was something we could do to make the game completable for two players (my understanding is that a design flaw makes Battletoads impossible to finish with two players!).**
Would love to see a follow up turbo tunnel video doing some of the things you mentioned; destructible barriers, etc. I'd also love to see codes that can trigger the "finishers" (giant fist, giant boot, etc.) on the first hit.
You mean after the first regular hit? 'Cause finishers have that windup that you'd get hit out of otherwise. Unless you eliminated that, too, of course.
I jad this on GB as a kid. It was the only game i had. So, i spent all my time playing it. As kids do. I remember memorizing the bike sequence but never enjoying it
$F331 is pretty clever. Using EOR instead of CMP ensures that A is 0 when the branch falls through. That way, the code can just use A to set the fractional speed to 0. I wonder why they didn't use CPX at $F33B. X is always equal to A at that point and using X makes loading the top speed at $F338 unnecessary.
If I could HACK the game I would make it so hitting obstacles and falling in pits only does damage, maybe 2 units of health for each rather than instakills. Pits would respawn you on the next bit of solid ground and obstacles would cause you to blink with a few seconds of invincibility after you took damage.
Battletoads was in no way shape or form ever supposed to be anything other than a game that punished less than perfect play. After spending months "getting good" I was able to get passed the Turbo Tunnel. Oh and BTW, Turbo Tunnel is nothing compared to the Clinger Winger later on in the game
Would you be able to make a video explaining the problem behind Clinger Winger in the American version? In the Japanese and European version, it was fixed that the second player can actually move. For some reason, in the American version, the player can't move. The only way I've ever been able to beat the American version on two players, was half player two get a game over on Clinger winger, beat Clinger winger, then when level 12 starts, have player two press start to rejoin the game. Is there a game genie code that would free the second player in Clinger Winger on the American version?
Considering the limitations of the architechture, I would say pinning the bike in air would make the most sense 1. check original value when hovering on ground/ 2a. check max value of jump 2b. check if its possible to clear max wall height with a jump value high enough 2b not possible - used max jump height to make it much easier, no need to worry about platforms and jump pads 2b possible - use a value high enough so we can sit back and relax while the game's evil plan is thwarted
The genesis version of this game is also easier in this section I think (only played it on emulator but it seemed easier), still a hard game though - the game doesn't exactly get easier after this section afterall (infact if you take the warp near end of turbo tunnel, it'll take you straight to the surfboard level which I'd argue is harder, though not as long). Me and my brother played the NES version so much when we were kids, that we were actually able to get through turbo tunnel in 2 player mode pretty consistently (playing with 2 players basically makes it twice as hard, because if either one of you messes up you *both* start over at last checkpoint). We actually tried it again recently and I was surprised we were still able to pull it off (despite us both having had a fair few drinks that night and this being the first time either of us played it in almost 20 years) muscle memory is a hell of a thing I guess.
Here's my proposal instead: 1). Use the suggestion at 5:05 to slow the last section down to 6. 2). For the Jump-Without-Ramps section, remember that the ledges _are shaped like trapezoids!_ This means that if you go to the BOTTOM, you have bigger ledges than if you were in the middle. Go to the bottom, jump, move forward in mid-air a little, and once you land, go back to the left for a second, jump again, move forward some, etc. This makes the jumping section MUCH easier. 3). For the section where the enemies zig-zag across the track, go to the extreme bottom-left and just sit there. They will never hit you. The only other challenging part, is the last part, but we slowed that down with the GG code.
This game was nuts. I used to think Turbo Tunnel was impossible. Then i thought the level after that was impossible. Then the next. Then the next. I don't think I beat this game without Game Genie.
The failed attempts earlier on in the video to use GameGenie codes to make the Turbo Tunnel easier, just made me think of a line from the first Mighty Ducks movie. "Man, we can't win even when we *cheat!* " Hah. Oh man. The frustrations of some gamers in childhood, trying to play this game and getting nowhere...
Your final method was kinda similar to idea I had when I first started watching, which may or may not be viable, but that is to remove the speed limit entirely and then just use a ramp to fly over the entire level. Probably won't be going fast enough by the time you hit the first jump to clear the level but too fast to land accurately.
I'd love to see a Behind the Code on the infamous level 11 2-player bug. It's not exactly brand new territory - everyone knows it exists - but I've never seen an accessible breakdown of exactly where and why the assembly gets tripped up.
Same, except I don't really remember battletoads being anymore difficult than any other game. I suspect I beat it like most other games. Or at the very least I don't remember battletoads being so difficult as to be meme-worthy.
I think the best way to make it easier (but retaining the challenge) is to stop the up-down animation of the bike, I have beaten this level before and the thing I had to do is to check only the shadow, but the up-down animation is distracting.
just a few ideas, apologies if these don't make too much sense. i am tired right now 1. disable wall spawning, / or find some way for them to fall through the floor. so all you have to do is make the jumps between platforms 2. maybe make the 2nd checkpoint speed cap to 9 instead? (does this break everything like the earlier jumps?) 3. maybe somehow make it so the bike doesn't fall below a specific y value, so it will always be above the walls and not fall into gaps (no idea how many codes this would take) 4. set level 2 end to take you to level 4 5. similar to # 3. instead of level wrap, just let the bike ride on the bottom of the screen, underneath all the obstacles? (example, instead of "if player.y > bottom of the screen, kill player" to "if player.y > bottom of the screen, player.y = bottom of the screen -1" 6. there has to be special code that fires then the player touches a bike, redirect that code to the end of level? 7. maybe some way to skip certain blocks of the level? if the problem area is after block 218~ then see if there's some way to cut out the blocks between 219 and the end of the level, or just make 218 the end of the level somehow?
I never thought it was difficult to apply a proper game genie cheat code, the level design doesn't allow many alterations because of the timing, I am pretty sure Rare Devs knew it pretty well people would use game genie cheat codes jaja.
My solution: set speed to maximum. Completes the level super fast and you don't even have to worry about enemies or barriers if you can get a good jump.
My friend was an expert at that game. He could beat the whole game on one life. I have no idea how he never died on the turbo tunnel. And he always wanted to turn the friendly fire on so he could kill off the second player if they were holding him back. Jerk.
I'm not able to detect lag but I found games a lot easier and more enjoyable as a kid than as an adult, I was playing on emulators with wireless controls even some easy jumps seemed a lot harder. I found my old consoles and got a mister and crt. Games are as enjoyable as I used to find them and a lot easier, I'm sure lots of people must have similar experiences,
The only change I would make is a continue option. I don't really find the tunnel that hard once I've had enough practice. Just like Super Meat Boy--what you try as many times as you want without having to replay the first few levels just to try again and even ridiculously hard things become fun.
Also there is a bug in the game if you play with two players and get to the one stage that is similar to the Turbo Tunnel stage that you ride another vehicle that looks like Big wheels which is called Cling-Wing and you have to use left and right on the d-pad to get the thing moving. The bug is that the 2nd player dies instantly until that player runs out of lives but in the devs defense with that bug that that they didn't expect two players to make it that far in the game since two player mode is even more difficult than single player since you can beat each other up and there is the doing of the turbo tunnel with 2 players. This bug was fixed in the PAL version. Also there is a patch that fixes this bug of course.
I think its easier n quicker to just memorize and beat it regular lol.... Or take the warp during last section of it. Thats one of the toughest most complicated cheats ive ever seen. But still cool and interesting!
For even more fun, try playing the bike level in two-player mode. You get sent back to the last checkpoint anytime either player hits an obstacle or misses a jump. I'm honestly surprised that two-player Battletoads was never codified into law as a valid grounds for divorce.
Well if you even get passed the bike level you cant beat the game there's a programming error in the two player mode witch basically makes the game unbeatable on a level one player gets stuck on a track while the other takes off and gets stuck when they hit the edge of the screen getting the characters stuck making it impossible
@@bloodeagle6458 I'm curious, do you know if they fixed the 2-player bug in the Japanese version? Or how about the Genesis version?
*Edit:* Nevermind, I found my answers. Japanese version does fix the bug, and so does the Genesis version.
The PAL version was fixed as well too.
@@bloodeagle6458 I was going to post exactly this. You know the games is hard when a bug this game breaking is left in near the end of it (because the devs and testers never got far enough in 2 player mode to find it).
Lol man didn't know,but i did manage to pass the turbo tunnel still can...its like riding a 'bike'.
Step 1. - Find how the secret warp is spawned
Step 2. - Spawn it in front of first wall placement as a new cheesy warp.
Step 3. - Change level to next level when cheesey warp is entered
How many gg codes it will take to move the warp?
@@BorsaMANIAC just hoping the fact the warp gate process uses just a location on the track that is defined by hex.
I mean it's only ten walls in and they all alternate.
Step 4: Change the warp to take you straight to the final boss (the final boss room is actually level 13, though the game itself doesn't say so).
xD
My method is playing a TMR speedrun on the TV and pretend I am playing with an unplugged controller.
Ah, the "Let your little brother play too" method. Nice.
He even does the turbo tunnel blindfolded so with that strategy you could do it as well :)
Years ago I started working on a Battletoads disassembly. I came up with a few interesting ideas.
Invincible
PYNZIUVS
Die in one hit
PYVTPESU
Automatically defeat enemies
OOUAGVOU
Jump in mid-air
TYSLEIIY
TYSUPZIY
SUKXEOVN
AOSZKPEY
SUKUESSO
Jump in mid-air short version (Has no effect in bike race.)
TYSLEIIY
SUKXEOVN
SUKUESSO
Never encounter health invaders
EPKIYLOL
Stay on all partial platforms (Makes it harder to fall off platforms that are close to pits and allows free roaming to an extent.)
EYUUSIEI
Free-movement mode (Mode anywhere on screen using the D-PAD. Cannot fall off pits. Use with Hit anywhere, invincibility, infinite lives, etc codes. Animations will be frozen since the last frame but the game functions normally except for the Wookie Hole because the player will not appear unless the code is switched on before starting level and going offscreen in this stage will crash the game.)
GXOXVEGK
Disable locked screen-scrolling (Too many enemies on the screen will bog down the game and may cause glitches.)
AENUZSTP
AAOYTKTP
AEUAOOTP
Disable locked screen-scrolling in Wookie Hole
AENOTVTP
No flame obstacles in Volkmire's Inferno - Level 7
OPSIAUSO
Play unused song at title screen (Final Boss theme? Found by www.flyingomelette.com/oddities/oddities27.html)
YAOVYIAP
Title screen music modifier
E51F:??:10
Disable title demo sequences (press start to commence game. The selected song will be interrupted by the title sequences without this code)
TTEEIYVT
Activate before level finish cutscene to hear second unused song (I found this well over a year ago. Basically, there is another unused song and unused jingle that plays when starting the level before the game resets the level, and a full song that might have been an early cutscene song.)
ZAXESEPL
I barely have enough time as it is to finish large-scale projects but I thought these were interesting (there are more though would have to dig them up)
Battletoads was a game I played at a friends' house well over 20 years ago and I was not old enough to finish the turbo Tunnel, much less the game itself.
Thanks for sharing
Please make a video on the Frankenstein NES game. AVGN has shown that the only cheat codes in his Game Genie book for the game just make it harder.
The Japanese version of the game is far more balanced (and therefore better in my opinion). I've long been hoping that somebody eventually will either translate the Japanese ROM to English, or port the changes over to the US ROM (whichever is more practical) to make a definitive edition of sorts.
More balanced perhaps, realistic....no
What's definitive about easier frickin' _Battletoads?!_ The cuckoo difficulty is the POINT.
@@ericmikesell5252 battle toads are...realistic?🤔
12 is more realistic than 8. Everyone knows this.
The same could be said about the Ghosts n Goblins series. That being said, Ghouls n Ghosts managed to hit a sweet spot regardless of if you were playing its easier (North American) or harder (Japanese) iteration.
It's possible to make something difficult without it being "cuckoo" to the point of it not even being fun...like with NA battletoads.
I always go by the "swoosh" sound of the audio. It's all timing.
Good tip but only really for a CRT, or maybe like, RetroArch with runahead.
@@lainwired3946 Yeah, your best shot is playing on a CRT, unless you have a lot of practice the lag induced by retroarch, lcd display, usb polling can make the game even more difficult but no impossible. Last week I played the turbo tunnel on my mISTer fpga and I didn't feel I was struggling too much but I need practice a lot more to reach the level I once had when I was a kid.
@@alfredocanas6802 retroarch runahead does help a bit but not much. Like you said, that is the best solution.
@@lainwired3946 Not having suitable hardware I WILL accept as an excuse for failure. The good stuff's hard to find nowadays.
That's what it's there for. Thank you for being a chad.
So every finish line resets speed to 2, except the last one which ends the level. If each of these is jumping to a set of instructions somewhere, could we change the address of the first finish line to jump to the end level event?
True. That would definitely be the ultimate skip
Heh. Could other checkpoints be similarly coded? Imagine finishing Karnath's Lair by only going through the first "safe" pit. Wouldn't help with Clinger Winger, though.
In other words, like Keanu Reeves said in the movie Speed... "We just take them out of the equation!" Skip one? *Skip all.* And the level is over, and plenty of childhood frustrations are finally avenged...
Turbo Tunnel always gets talked about but nobody seems to ever talk about the Clinger Winger level which is a whole lot harder since you need literal pixel perfect timing for just about every turn you make
I think it’s because none of us ever encountered that level as kids. The Turbo Tunnel was always my block. Although it became Clinger Winger as an adult.
Yeah, speed fixes would be much appreciated for Volkmire's Inferno and Rat Race.
@@mustardseed Speak for yourself; I got there plenty of times as a kid.
Though to be fair, I did need a GG to be able to practice each of the levels to get good enough to beat them. That is, I didn't spend hours playing levels 1-9 just to have a chance at the Rat Race.
I d e s p i s e d Clinger Winger as a child because i played on the emulator, and this level isnt suited for the keyboard AT ALL! Dpad design allows for a smoother turns using only 1 thumb, but on the keyboard I had 4 separate arrow buttons, and my fingers and the wrist HURT from all of that quick precise presses! I had to do the insane manic tapdance with the fingers on my right hand! Needles to say it took 1 whole month to beat the level with saves.
@@BorsaMANIAC thats not even the worst part. emulators have varying levels of input lag that can render the stage virtually impossible if your setup has too much lag, especially HDTVs and older emulators
This was super interesting!
I recently loaded up BT on an emulator, and Turbo Tunnel only took 2-3 lives to get through - still had all the muscle memory intact after 30 years!!
p.s. just about every level after turbo tunnel is harder than turbo tunnel haha - have fun!
I was about 7, spending night after night playing Battletoads on my NES and 12" CRT TV on my Styrofoam beanbag chair, dying to the wave/bike race level over and over and over again. I eventually learned to beat it but when I got to Clinger Winger I got stuck again and never beat the game.
You talking about Surf City? That level _can_ be legitimately wonky. But at least it's not too long.
@@CarbonRollerCaco Surf City is one of the easiest levels in the game, in my opinion. The Clinger Winger is also another easy level for how late in the game it is.
@@ViViDG Is nothing in Battletoads hard to you?
@@CarbonRollerCaco The last section of the terra tubes. The randomness of the shark right before you jump over to the last section where you glide down to the exit. My most hated level would be the rat race simply because it can lock the game up.
That's the beauty of this game: you think the tunnel is the hardest thing ever and it's not 😂
This is a trick I learned when playing the NES PAL version during the 1990s; you can position the toad perfectly in the middle and go past every slab. I managed to do this only a handful of times, but it is possible.
I remember actually doing this a few times. It's definitely possible.
I found an old family video of myself playing this game. I looked visibly frustrated. I can only remember a handful of times passing this level. I don’t think I ever got passed the surfing level.
I thought that sounded like Anders' music! :)
I've watched The 8-Bit Guy too much to not recognize this great music.
Secret. Don't look at the bike, Look at the shadow.
The bike wobbles up and down, The Bike gets confused with the moving shapes, the bike floats making it hard to determine the right moment to jump.
The shadow is stationary, the only black circle in the level and is stuck to the ground.
Done, you won the Turbo Tunnel. I can also help you with Volksmire Inferno. There is no hacks for Clinger Winger, pause a lot there.
i guess since in europe we played at 50 hz the turbo tunnel was easier for us so that would be my recommendation. to rack up lives just repeat hitting birds and keep them onscreen in the 2nd level
14:18 challenge accepted! Dude, I've only ONCE ever beaten the turbo tunnel (died son after, I WAS LIVID!)
I Never had access to the inf. Lives code, only had up to 9 lives and then still bogus. Where was this code back in the day for Game Genie? Ugh.
Seriously, you've given me hope, as I've seen PLENTY of guides and walkthroughs, BUT NOW these new GG codes might actually give me a true chance to play AND BEAT BattleToads for Effin' once! Kudos, seriously are in order. Can I like this video twice? lol
13:13 I remember when I was a kid I managed to somehow overflow the life counter. When that happened, no matter how many lifes you had, after dying one time the counter would decrease to 5. So I kind of learned when to stop earning more lifes so the issue didn't occur.
Imagine doing all this to beat the 3rd level only to fond out that it's still one of the easier ones, and later levels are BY FAR more difficult.
My brother and I played the SNES version. The first 2 levels were really fun. And that's all we really got to play. My brother insists we did get past the third level at some point but I don't remember ever doing so. Fuck that level.
As someone who has no issues with the Turbo Tunnel, I don't think fixing it is the way to go. Infinite lives is the way to go because it allows one to learn it properly, but it also similarly 'fixes' the later levels.
You later have a Turbo Tunnel-esque level where there is no way to react, memorization is a requirement.
After that you have a level that requires more memorization, even if it isn't the same type of level.
These are super frustrating because you get a few shots and then you restart the game. Infinite lives fix that.
The authors are already credited, but the song itself isn't mentioned. The outro is: Wolf and Raven - On The Run
"find the bikes" had me rolling
Saw you comment on the mega man 4 video about this after a viewer brought up slowing this part of the game. Loved seeing you take a cool suggestion by a viewer and making a video about his suggestion about this game and level!
You rock dude! Just found your channel and I’m loving it so much! Binge watching and learning a lot!
P.s. This is the only game I’ve seen where the Japan release has been changed to be easier than the NA release! To be honest I’m not even sure how many NA NES games got a Japanese Famicom Release… Haven’t had much luck finding that information while quickly looking…
I wonder if the opposite happened at all (I doubt it lol) and if a Japanese Famicom game released in NA was ever changed to make it more difficult and not easier (unlike it usually was)!
I recall that the Japanese version of Castlevania III is easier than the NA version, and it was released earlier.
Turbo Tunnel is probably my favorite level in any NES game I've played, and comparatively easy after you get to the later stages. It's hard but absolutely learnable, and if you do you get a great mix of challenge and control. It sucks if you just want to progress in the game, but the thrill of getting the last bit just right is great.
Not to mention it serves as training ground for the way harder "Volkmire's Inferno" vehicle level. Cheating the early easier levels in Battletoads doesn't make that much sense if you want to get through the rest of the game - even on infinite lives :)
@@micheliwaniec80 yeah, unless the plan is to find cheats for each level I guess : p
I remember getting through the turbo tunnel as a kid, and being so burnt out by it, that I didn't even try to beat the ice level, as soon as I died I was like: that's it, I'm done, I'm never touching this game again
turbo tunnel as a kid had me stuck for longest time in any game at the time that eventually i got so good at it, i was able to play with my head turned away from the screen or blind folded from start to finish just by listening to the sound cues and memory.
practice really does make perfect.
It's funny how the beat em up is the best part of the game. The rest is just a way to crush your balls to un fun levels.
This was crazy interesting. Never seen a game genie used like this to such creative ends before! Shame I imagine even with the GG I couldn't beat that section lmao
How about adjusting the speed you move vertically. That way you can dodge the half width walls a lot easier, especially at the end.
Interesting how the music speeds up with the vehicle speed. Nice touch, Rare.
This feels even harder than just practicing the level and getting good at it.
Really enjoyed the look at the code behind the Turbo Tunnel. Gotta say though that the amount of time and effort put into it would have been far better served by simply memorizing the Turbo Tunnel layout. Almost nothing in Battletoads, including the Turbo Tunnel, is random. The entire game is exactly the same every time you play it. When you know what is coming up next, you put yourself in a far better position to succeed. They only real difficult part is the last section, but the only real difficulty there is in learning how long you hold up or down before switching.
It's funny how it's hard just to come up with a programming solution for this level
I was told that they DESGINED this tunnel exclusively for Game Genie cheaters (hence why I think GG only included 9 lives code instead of straight Inf. Lives codes) to where you HAD to pour in time to beat this level. I shall make a video of me (eventually) beating this tunnel and i'll be sure to include which of the GG codes I decided to use.
THANK YOU THANK YOU for making an old kid's dream come true! You're freakin' fantastic.
The simplest change I would implement is to keep the arcade style mechanics for the auto scrolling section so that you next life immediately spawns where you left off. That single alteration would make the game far less punishing.
Man, this channel just never fails to make something awesome and really make it possible to understand the structure of NES games at the most base level. Is there any chance you could dig into the level format of Super Mario Bros? I've looked at lots of that game but the level design has totally escaped me. Random example, there's a hidden 1up right after the first set of pipes. Where is that in the code? Can we move it elsewhere in the level? Seems like a great video to watch. In any case, looking forward to the next one!
I would like to get to SMB at some point.
Exactly
I imagine hidden blocks are coded like every other block, except their sprites arent loaded
I never understood what the game wanted in the turbo tunnel, the jumps that look like your toad clears by a significant margin and you still end up falling. I borrowed a have genie with this game, still never best it, but at least I got to see what the other levels looked like. I probably only ever beat the turbo tunnel a handful of times as a kid.
When you show a fixed-point value, it would be really cool to actually show it as a number with a fraction and a decimal point, instead of two numbers that don't look like they make sense together.
IE, show 1.996 alongside the 1 and 255
My friends and I literally say that the end of the game is this segment. It’s been a running joke for almost 20 years.
Somehow YT didn't show me your last 5 videos. I even have the bell on. I hope your channel isn't getting burried due to the niche nature of it. I love your videos and will start manually checking you channel.
The Battletoads arcade was one of my alltime favorite beat em ups! the NES toads were way too hard for me as a little kid lol
Some years ago i finished this game in emulator, using save states, rewind and slow motion 10% at some levels. Conclusion, this game is inhumanly (and incorrectly) hard.
Seriously, the race against the glowing ball is especially hard. Your reaction time must be perfect at every turn everytime. 1/60th of a second I believe. No margin for error. I had to relentlessly save scum this level, you know you are fucked when game genie can't help.
The thing to change about Turbo Tunnel is where the level's goal spawns. Move it from the end of the level to right before the bikes.
I actually really like the last option. It makes that section more fun because if you do well, you end up with a handful of extra lives.
This was one of your best videos. Thank you for it. It was fun to watch.
Battletoads is my all time favorite game, so trying to make Turbo Tunnel easier is heresy to me, however I really enjoyed this video.
This reminds me of the train jumping on the Adventure of Little Ralph (PS1). Both games are very good, but the difficulties are so frustrating.
I never had much trouble with this level as a kid. The clinger winger got me every time though.
Back in the day, it was 1993 and I was 10 yo it took like two months to memorize and complete this... torture. What a times...
Ahh man. Two months on the tunnel, and then… so much more game left. Arg!
@@DisplacedGamers just imagime my surprise back then...
My favorite part about this video is it, perhaps unintentionally, demonstrates the relationship to how a game is coded to the assumptions the developer had about it. Or if one desires a less pretentious description, the developer programmed the game based on how it worked. This probably seems obvious but it shows why sometimes changes can be easy to do and sometimes hard. The developers here made decisions based on how fast the tunnel was going and so all values must line up for it to work properly. It is very likely to cause a number of headaches during development as a tweak here or there would require testing the entire tunnel and fixing values reliant on those old numbers. It's also likely why those are the changes chosen for the Japanese version as they required the least amount of rework while also tempering the challenge.
This channel is awfully underrated. You deserve way more subs and views. Your retro tech videos are up there with the works of ModernVintageGamer and the like.
Did you try jacking the speed limit up so high it breaks collision detection?
You know when they go plaid in Spaceballs? It was kinda like that.
@@DisplacedGamers Ha! Nice description.
If the check uses a naive approach (which it might to save on the CPU time) you have to find the smallest possible size for any given hitbox, move faster than that size and then phasing through objects becomes a possibility. One frame you're to the left of something and in the next frame you're already to the right of something and no hit could be registered.
@@DisplacedGamers Video or it didn't happen.
The good ol' Flash method.
I believe the reason that the US version is so much harder than the Japanese version is because of video game rentals. Making the game harder in the US was a common tactic to make the game too hard to beat during a rental period, in the hopes of encouraging renters to purchase the game.
One thing I would love to have (just to have a harder time while trolling my friends at the same time) is just to when you die you always forced to restart from the start of the bike/plane segment (the later for Volkmyre's Inferno), just to see how they would react when they find that the checkpoints during the road aside from giving score does asbsolutely nothing to help.
My recommendation was going to be to alter the jump height and speed to be enough to just pass over everything in one leap, but as you showed that won't cut it!
I never tried it, but I believe some third party NES controllers had a rapid fire option for the start button. I’m curious if enabling rapid fire for START and then, if needed, simplifying the PAUSE sequence for the game would help here. You’d slow down the game without modifying the actual physics of the game. I do remember the rapid fire option clearly did not work on various games for various games, for example Capcom titles such as Mega Man. In any event, excellent video as always!
I just now got around to this video. LOL. I absolutely love this level. It was such a blast to play. The one that used to drive me nuts was that freaking snake level.
The greatest gamer ever TMR beat this blindfolded and also beat this game fully sighted with out taking a hit
If you didn't hear yet, Columbus Circle is re-releasing Japanese Battletoads on a physical cart.
Aye, we're subscribed to the same channels.
I think the most frustrating thing about Battletoads was the limited continues.
I am fine with restarting a level after dying, but restarting the entire game is another story.
This is why Ninja Gaiden is much more forgiving IMO.
I think infinite continues is the way to go with the 'get good' methodology.
I feel like that would be the 'easier' mode that keeps the closest to the original challenge & design.
**Now if there was something we could do to make the game completable for two players (my understanding is that a design flaw makes Battletoads impossible to finish with two players!).**
Battletoads took a page from Super Mario Bros and put warps throughout the game. If you know where they are, you can jump ahead fairly quickly.
Would love to see a follow up turbo tunnel video doing some of the things you mentioned; destructible barriers, etc. I'd also love to see codes that can trigger the "finishers" (giant fist, giant boot, etc.) on the first hit.
You mean after the first regular hit? 'Cause finishers have that windup that you'd get hit out of otherwise. Unless you eliminated that, too, of course.
@@CarbonRollerCaco Yeah, essentially make every punch/kick a finisher kick with zero delay.
I jad this on GB as a kid. It was the only game i had. So, i spent all my time playing it. As kids do. I remember memorizing the bike sequence but never enjoying it
$F331 is pretty clever. Using EOR instead of CMP ensures that A is 0 when the branch falls through. That way, the code can just use A to set the fractional speed to 0.
I wonder why they didn't use CPX at $F33B. X is always equal to A at that point and using X makes loading the top speed at $F338 unnecessary.
My suggestions are to either use a cheat to skip the level entirely, or use an emulator to go through the section frame-by-frame.
I love all these code editing videos!
This guy with his code modifications: Reality can be whatever I want it to be.
If I could HACK the game I would make it so hitting obstacles and falling in pits only does damage, maybe 2 units of health for each rather than instakills. Pits would respawn you on the next bit of solid ground and obstacles would cause you to blink with a few seconds of invincibility after you took damage.
Note that even if the speed is turned down, you can still start at the left side of the screen, hit a ramp, then move to the right to make the jump.
Battletoads was in no way shape or form ever supposed to be anything other than a game that punished less than perfect play. After spending months "getting good" I was able to get passed the Turbo Tunnel. Oh and BTW, Turbo Tunnel is nothing compared to the Clinger Winger later on in the game
Would you be able to make a video explaining the problem behind Clinger Winger in the American version?
In the Japanese and European version, it was fixed that the second player can actually move. For some reason, in the American version, the player can't move. The only way I've ever been able to beat the American version on two players, was half player two get a game over on Clinger winger, beat Clinger winger, then when level 12 starts, have player two press start to rejoin the game.
Is there a game genie code that would free the second player in Clinger Winger on the American version?
What about moving the end of the level to when you jump on the bikes?
Considering the limitations of the architechture, I would say pinning the bike in air would make the most sense
1. check original value when hovering on ground/
2a. check max value of jump
2b. check if its possible to clear max wall height with a jump value high enough
2b not possible - used max jump height to make it much easier, no need to worry about platforms and jump pads
2b possible - use a value high enough so we can sit back and relax while the game's evil plan is thwarted
The genesis version of this game is also easier in this section I think (only played it on emulator but it seemed easier), still a hard game though - the game doesn't exactly get easier after this section afterall (infact if you take the warp near end of turbo tunnel, it'll take you straight to the surfboard level which I'd argue is harder, though not as long).
Me and my brother played the NES version so much when we were kids, that we were actually able to get through turbo tunnel in 2 player mode pretty consistently (playing with 2 players basically makes it twice as hard, because if either one of you messes up you *both* start over at last checkpoint).
We actually tried it again recently and I was surprised we were still able to pull it off (despite us both having had a fair few drinks that night and this being the first time either of us played it in almost 20 years) muscle memory is a hell of a thing I guess.
Here's my proposal instead:
1). Use the suggestion at 5:05 to slow the last section down to 6.
2). For the Jump-Without-Ramps section, remember that the ledges _are shaped like trapezoids!_ This means that if you go to the BOTTOM, you have bigger ledges than if you were in the middle. Go to the bottom, jump, move forward in mid-air a little, and once you land, go back to the left for a second, jump again, move forward some, etc. This makes the jumping section MUCH easier.
3). For the section where the enemies zig-zag across the track, go to the extreme bottom-left and just sit there. They will never hit you.
The only other challenging part, is the last part, but we slowed that down with the GG code.
This game was nuts. I used to think Turbo Tunnel was impossible. Then i thought the level after that was impossible. Then the next. Then the next. I don't think I beat this game without Game Genie.
The failed attempts earlier on in the video to use GameGenie codes to make the Turbo Tunnel easier, just made me think of a line from the first Mighty Ducks movie. "Man, we can't win even when we *cheat!* " Hah. Oh man. The frustrations of some gamers in childhood, trying to play this game and getting nowhere...
Your final method was kinda similar to idea I had when I first started watching, which may or may not be viable, but that is to remove the speed limit entirely and then just use a ramp to fly over the entire level. Probably won't be going fast enough by the time you hit the first jump to clear the level but too fast to land accurately.
The turbo tunnel is hard, but man, the next level with the snakes is one I never got past.
I'd love to see a Behind the Code on the infamous level 11 2-player bug. It's not exactly brand new territory - everyone knows it exists - but I've never seen an accessible breakdown of exactly where and why the assembly gets tripped up.
I beat it back when the game came out. Took a lot of goes but it became muscle memory. The rest of the game was much harder.
Great video! I would love to see some fun codes for Rampage on the NES. Super Jump, super punch, etc. Thanks again!
I always wondered why, during the regular fighting sections, the background scrolls a little bit whenever you hit an enemy.
Mid 30s checking in. LOVE these videos, as someone who could never get past that stage as a kid!
Same, except I don't really remember battletoads being anymore difficult than any other game. I suspect I beat it like most other games. Or at the very least I don't remember battletoads being so difficult as to be meme-worthy.
I think the best way to make it easier (but retaining the challenge) is to stop the up-down animation of the bike, I have beaten this level before and the thing I had to do is to check only the shadow, but the up-down animation is distracting.
just a few ideas, apologies if these don't make too much sense. i am tired right now
1. disable wall spawning, / or find some way for them to fall through the floor. so all you have to do is make the jumps between platforms
2. maybe make the 2nd checkpoint speed cap to 9 instead? (does this break everything like the earlier jumps?)
3. maybe somehow make it so the bike doesn't fall below a specific y value, so it will always be above the walls and not fall into gaps (no idea how many codes this would take)
4. set level 2 end to take you to level 4
5. similar to # 3. instead of level wrap, just let the bike ride on the bottom of the screen, underneath all the obstacles? (example, instead of "if player.y > bottom of the screen, kill player" to "if player.y > bottom of the screen, player.y = bottom of the screen -1"
6. there has to be special code that fires then the player touches a bike, redirect that code to the end of level?
7. maybe some way to skip certain blocks of the level? if the problem area is after block 218~ then see if there's some way to cut out the blocks between 219 and the end of the level, or just make 218 the end of the level somehow?
You're actually analysing one of my childhood traumas...
I never thought it was difficult to apply a proper game genie cheat code, the level design doesn't allow many alterations because of the timing, I am pretty sure Rare Devs knew it pretty well people would use game genie cheat codes jaja.
I'll give a shot and hopefully can finally beat that stage
Have you ever done a video on how NES Parallax scrolling works? I'd love a video on that.
There's many game genie codes that can make it easier
My solution: set speed to maximum.
Completes the level super fast and you don't even have to worry about enemies or barriers if you can get a good jump.
My friend was an expert at that game. He could beat the whole game on one life. I have no idea how he never died on the turbo tunnel. And he always wanted to turn the friendly fire on so he could kill off the second player if they were holding him back. Jerk.
Was your friend related to rainman?
@@KaylaJoyGunn no but he did like the movie. Does that count? Actually he was always just better than everyone else at video games. And still is.
I'm not able to detect lag but I found games a lot easier and more enjoyable as a kid than as an adult, I was playing on emulators with wireless controls even some easy jumps seemed a lot harder. I found my old consoles and got a mister and crt. Games are as enjoyable as I used to find them and a lot easier, I'm sure lots of people must have similar experiences,
The only change I would make is a continue option. I don't really find the tunnel that hard once I've had enough practice. Just like Super Meat Boy--what you try as many times as you want without having to replay the first few levels just to try again and even ridiculously hard things become fun.
Yeah, I remember now, I used to rent Battletoads, but I quit because this level was just damn impossible.
Also there is a bug in the game if you play with two players and get to the one stage that is similar to the Turbo Tunnel stage that you ride another vehicle that looks like Big wheels which is called Cling-Wing and you have to use left and right on the d-pad to get the thing moving. The bug is that the 2nd player dies instantly until that player runs out of lives but in the devs defense with that bug that that they didn't expect two players to make it that far in the game since two player mode is even more difficult than single player since you can beat each other up and there is the doing of the turbo tunnel with 2 players. This bug was fixed in the PAL version. Also there is a patch that fixes this bug of course.
This is what i stay up late at night for
I thoroughly enjoyed this even though on Xbox rare replay there’s a rewind
I think its easier n quicker to just memorize and beat it regular lol....
Or take the warp during last section of it. Thats one of the toughest most complicated cheats ive ever seen. But still cool and interesting!