This game isn't bad but it is extremely lazy. It is just a SNES emulator playing Super Mario All-Stars and not even the version with Super Mario World apart of it. The menus aren't even edited to show Wii controls, it still shows SNES controls. The entire package just screams lazy.

Honestly speaking though, I am not really fussed by this game all too much. I just find it fascinating that Nintendo would release a physical game disc with the only thing on it being one SNES ROM. This thing is just a fun little oddity to own. If you want to play Super Mario All-Stars then this does the job. There are better and more convenient ways of playing Super Mario All-Stars, so I don't see why anyone would ever use this as more than just a decoration on the shelf.

Straight from level 1 the Battletoads reboot admits it's not even going to try to be as ambitious as the original NES game. No level design, no platformer beat'em'up mix, no stand-out boss where you play from the boss's perspective. Just empty hallways that lead to square rooms to fight enemies in to progress. The combat itself is engaging enough at least and if the game focused on this aspect and properly iterated on it to keep it fresh for the whole game...I'd likely say it's more of an average, safe, very mid game carried by an above average soundtrack. But I have major issues preventing this game from even reaching meh status.

Not content with just being a bad version of the beat'em'up stages, this game wants to be a bad version of anything tangentially related to battletoads and more. It's got turbo tunnels, because of course it does, that level's iconic and I genuinely love it in the original. Making them 3D is a good modern twist on paper. Makes it more accessible and gives this game a unique flavor. Too bad it's got an extremely slow pace and uninspired, extremely dull level design. It becomes very clear really fast how low budget this project was. When I think "Battletoads reboot that adapts Turbo Tunnel into 3D" there's so many cool, high energy routes I could imagine that going in. But what we got is so flat and barren feeling. Worst of all it drags on for about 6 minutes longer than it needs to. It's almost a full ten minutes long and ramps up so painfully slow, and it's not remotely challenging at any point aside from how hard it is for me to stay awake.

There's Donkey Kong Country mine carts. The only design in these sections is remembering which button allows you to ride on what platform type. They then cycle between the 3 platform types for 6 and a half minutes and have the most tame, nothing design otherwise. Again just like the turbo tunnels it has no depth or engagement beyond the fact that it's dragging on for so long you'll probably let your mind wander and get yourself killed, making it take even longer.

The first half of the game also features a few vaguely meta minigames that ask you to press buttons to progress a cutscene. Literal rock paper scissors. And some other baby's first flash game stuff that leads into the 2nd half of the game. And you know what I could take all this. But it's the second half that really murders this game.

The 2nd half consists of almost entirely extremely slow 2D puzzle platformer sections. These levels feature no combat whatsoever, as one of the toads has gone pacifist. It's the kind of budget platforming I can't imagine even a young child would find interesting.You'd be better off getting your platforming fix from Nicktoons Battle for Volcano Island. These are broken up with some space shooting stages that don't resemble battletoads in any way but they're at least somewhat engaging as far as this game goes. And sorry to sound like a broken record but both these sections DO NOT END. How do you reboot battletoads and make 25% of the game a tamer version of the BUBSY reboot, and 25% a personality-devoid space shooter?!? Is it supposed to be funny? Lol we subverted your expectations in this Battletoads game by making most of it completely antithetical to what the series is about! FUNNEEE JOKE! Anyway the 2nd half padding ends in a level that's adapting the rat race. And it's not great 'cuz the flow is pretty slow and stiff, but it's the first time in the last hour you recognize some battletoads inspiration. Some brief beat'em'up stuff and then it throws another turbo tunnel section at you. This one's at least fun. Literally the only time the game realizes a quick, challenging section is better than 10-20 minutes of nothing. Final boss tells the toads "In the end was it even necessary?" and it ends with a whimper of a sequel bait.

Only other thing to talk about is the 50ish minutes of fully animated cutscenes. They feel like a fake show in the background of an actual show. Some of the scenes would not be out of place just being on some random TV in the High on Life game. It's like a C-list Nickelodeon project, Ninja turtles knockoff, with season 5 Rick and Morty vibes. The kinda vibes where they kinda resent the property they're working on and they hope if they're self aware enough it'll equate to le funne joke while also making it okay that they don't plan to do anything interesting with the characters. Not sure who its audience is exactly. Too childish cringe for adults, yet oddly inappropriate at times anyway. It doesn't come off like it's got a slight edge it's just awkward more often than not. And the animation itself is pretty lifeless most of the time. I'm not deeply opposed to the new takes on the characters and the new art style. I think people gotta get used to seeing different versions of characters they loved even if they're a big departure. It's just the nature of an IP that transcends decades. A bit more tragic here than usual though 'cuz it was the first and likely last interpretation for the forseeable future given how little of a cultural impact this game left, which is to say, it left none at all.