Rare’s rare RC Pro-Am II and GameBoy Battletoads and Double Dragon are Retro-Bit’s next re-releases

Retro-Bit has revealed the next in their line-up of retro re-publishes. This time around, they’re completing their set of Battletoads and Double Dragon with the Game Boy version. Wait, I don’t think they’ve done the Genesis version yet. Wonder if they have that planned. Anyway, the other game is RC Pro-Am II, the 1992 sequel to the 1988 original.

BATTLETOADS/DOUBLE DRAGON

Battletoads and Double Dragon is Rare’s (at the time, Rareware) crossover of Technos’ venerable Double Dragon series with their frustrating yet cult-approved Battletoads. Reportedly, there wasn’t much input from Technos, but it does try and find something of a median between the two titles. You can play as the toads, Rash, Pimple, and Zitz, or the Dragons, Jimmy and Bimmy. I’ve played the SNES version a whole bunch, but the Game Boy port is a mystery to me? Is it good? It’s probably not bad, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the SNES version to begin with. It has its charm, but I found it kind of mid.

The Game Boy version contains a lot of the features of the console version, but even Retro-Bit has a tough time playing it up, admitting it has limitations like:

• Enemies are limited to two on-screen max
• Many attack animations have been simplified
• Environments on stages have been reduced
• Bosses will have different attack sequences
• It is a single-player game only

They know they’re serving a niche. That’s what I love about them.

R.C. Pro-Am II

On the other hand, RC Pro-Am II is something of a legend. RC Pro-Am is a rather top-shelf NES racing game that is beloved by many. I can only imagine that RC Pro-Am II is similar, but I haven’t played that either. When I started collecting NES games, it was already one of the pricier titles, and while it hasn’t appreciated in value at the same pace as, say, Little Samson or Gun*Nac, it still stands outside of impulse-buy range.

I’ve heard it’s pretty good. Notably, it supports four players via the Four-Score attachment. It’s a bit like a cross between Micro Machines and Mario Kart. It’s top-down racing, but it also has weapons you can lob at opponents.

Retro-Bit has, in the past, bought my love by sending me some of their releases. I mean, I just told you Battletoads and Double Dragon kind of sucks because I’m too dumb to exaggerate or be dishonest, so you can see where that gets you. But I bring it up because I really like the quality of their product. Their cartridges are always funky colours (“Ultimate Team Green” for B-Toads, “Asphalt or Raceway” for P-Am) to avoid confusion with the original releases, and they always have a fancy emboss or foil on their label. The boxes are cardboard, but they’re heavyweight and have a magnetic closing flap, making them more functional than the original boxes of yore.

There was a recent unfortunate, embarrassing situation where they allegedly trusted the wrong translator. Retro-Bit owned up to it, explained the situation, apologized, and stated they’re trying to make it right, but I’m mentioning it because I want you to decide for yourself, and I’m also, as I mentioned, incapable of misleading. But also, that doesn’t necessarily apply here because these games don’t require translating.

Anyway, pre-orders for both titles are up now. Battletoads and Double Dragon goes for $44.99USD/$69.99CAD /€49,99EUR, while R.C. Pro-Am II will run you MSRP $59.99USD/$89.99CAD/€69,99EUR. R.C. Pro-Am II comes in NTSC (asphalt) and PAL (raceway) flavours, so make sure you grab the correct one.