I know what you're thinking: With Nintendo releasing a bunch of new Nintendo Switch Online games and a majority of them being Japanese titles that never came to America, this is going to be another boring episode of the Review Crew. BUT YOU'RE WRONG! Believe it or not, we actually have a lot of reviews to go over, and not just for one game. But let's not bury the lede, because this week Nintendo is giving Nintendo Switch Online subscribers a quartet of 16-bit classics, including Kunio-kun no Dodgeball, Big Run: The Supreme 4WD Challenge, Cosmo Gang the Puzzle and Battletoads/Double Dragon. That's exciting news, but are any of these games actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Hyper, Super Play and more classic magazines to see what the critics thought of these games when they first came out. So get ready to dodge those balls and team up with the Toads in this action-packed episode of Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew.


The 1990s were full of big IPs going head-to-head, like Aliens vs. Predator and Robocop vs. The Terminator, but Battletoads/Double Dragon holds the distinction of being the ultimate team-up. Although it may seem weird to combine the cartoony world of the Battletoads with the more grounded beat ‘em up streets of Double Dragon, the cross-over works surprisingly well. The game does a good job of mixing elements and enemies from both series, showing you just why these franchises were popular in the first place. It's not perfect or very ambitious, but I've always had a soft-spot for this weird pairing. Did the critics agree with me back in 1993?

The answer to that question depends entirely on which magazine you trust, because the scores are all over the place. In fact, I will go as far as to say that this is one of the more polarizing games we've covered on the Nintendo Switch Online. Let's start with the magazines that actually liked the game, beginning with Super NES Buyer's Guide, who gave this team-up a surprisingly high score of 90%. Howard notes that “it all started from a simple NES game that has been made into one of the best all-time action carts. The combo of Double Dragon and the Toads seems funny at first, but it's a great team that adds excellent variety in the game. With great graphics, cool sounds and tons of playability, this is one winning twosome.” Mike agreed: “Yes, the Toads are back and this time with friends! Putting the mean green three together with the Dragon twins was a great idea, and this game does them both justice! Content-wise, this is identical to the NES version, but the graphics are excellent, as are the rockin' background tunes! Yes! More of this!”

As we go down the scale, we find GamePro give the game a solid 4 out of 5, while Die Hard Game Fan went a little bit lower with a 78%. Electronic Gaming Monthly was more impressed, going with a solid 8.2 out of 10. “Yes, I will move to this! This is identical to the NES version with some differences, but the graphics are improved ten-fold. Putting these two teams together was a great idea, and fans of both will not be disappointed. Yes!”

Now, the game did have a number of detractors. For example, Nintendo Power couldn't muster up anything higher than a 3.4 out of 5. Hyper gave the game a 49% and offered up a good question: “So, apart from showcasing a host of animated Arnies, what's the point of this game? Well, I've played it at some length and I'm still struggling for an answer. Neither Battletoads nor the Double Dragon series really set my universe on fire, and on the evidence of this, when you put two very ordinary games together, you simply end up with a game that's double ordinary. That's what you get here anyway. By combining the two games, the net result is that you get to choose from five rather than three characters and, despite what the manual might say, there's really not a stuck match between them. It looks okay (just), but of course the animated stills at the game intro are far superior to anything that's in the game. If you love these characters (I figure you don't), you may find something to recommend this game. I don't, I can't and I haven't been as bored since last time I watched synchronized swimming and dressage on the same day.”

Think that's rough? Wait until you see what Super Play thought of Battletoads/Double Dragon. Giving it a 37%, they called the game “incredibly boring.” “You only need to hit the punch button and walk around for a while. There are no special moves that you can control, and the only variations in the combat come when you meet a boss who requires you to jump as well as punch. And that's it. The dynamite-throwing bits are pretty dreadful, as well. You collect the sticks before they explode, then hurl them back towards the thrower. After a bit, you'll hit him dead on and he'll blow up. And that's it. Time for some more boring fighting.”

Look, I get it, if you're not into brawlers, then this is not the game for you. This is two beat ‘em up greats coming together to kick some ass, both in space and on Earth. If that's you're thing, then check it out. If you don't like brawlers, then this one won't win you over. It's that simple.

In the arcade, Big Run was a surprise hit. Not only was it rendered in 3D, but this Jaleco racer was the first game to be set in the Paris-Dakar rally raid, which allowed it to stand apart from stiff competition from Sega and Namco. Two years later, when it finally hit the Super Famicom under the surprisingly wordy name Jaleco Rally: Big Run – The Supreme 4WD Challenge, it failed to drum up the same interest you saw in the arcade version, partially because it was never released outside of Japan.

Normally that would mean that we don't have any reviews to talk about, but that's not the case here. Perhaps thinking that Big Run would make its way West, Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewed the Japanese version in their 25th issue. They were not impressed. Giving it an average score of 4.5 out of 10, they summed it up this way: “Based on the arcade hit from Jaleco, this translation of the coin-op driver features dazzling effects and pedal to the metal racing action. Big Run takes a different approach to the driving theme because it doesn't use any of the special graphics modes for its first-person effects. The most impressive part of this title is the unique manner in which jumps and other special maneuvers are depicted. There is even a night scene in which the only part of the road that you can see is illuminated by your headlights. While the graphics tend to be a little choppy, the game has a variety of features and is a new addition to the driving theme.”

But wait a second, because Raze also reviewed the game and ... really liked it! They gave it an 89%, noting that the arcade game wasn't well-known in the UK. “The Famicom conversion is superb. The intro screens are good and they use some fantastic visual effects. The sprites are similarly impressive, with massive cars, all of which are very detailed. As you'd expect, speed isn't a problem for the Famicom and the race zooms along at an alarming rate – although it's not as smooth as F-Zero. The sound is sickenly good and full of crystal clear sampled effects. You even get a different piece of music for each stage. Most importantly, the difficulty level is pitched just right, ensuring you'll be racing well into the night.”

Is this really one of the great 16-bit racing games? No, it really isn't, but it is worth a look, especially now that it's on the Nintendo Switch Online.

You would think that if Nintendo was going to bring Namco's Cosmo Gang series to the Switch, they would start with the first game, a 1991 shoot ‘em up called Cosmo Gang: The Video. But apparently Nintendo thought that a better way to introduce the series to Western audiences was with a competitive block-clearing puzzle game. I'm not sure I agree with that decision, but here we are. In case the game looks familiar, you may know it as Pac-Attack, a reworked and reskinned version featuring our favorite dot-eating ghostbuster.

If we were reviewing Pac-Attack, we would have a whole bunch of reviews to choose from. Sure, they would mostly have middling scores and critics who said “it's fine, I guess,” but at least there would be reviews. Plural. Sadly, only one English-language magazine decided to review this Japanese puzzle game. That magazine was Super Play, and they were not impressed. They gave it a score of 58%, which makes it their 444th highest-scoring game on the Super NES. “As puzzlers go, Cosmo Gang is a pretty good one; but the lasting interest plummets quite swiftly, and it's a bit expensive for an occasional time filler. Slick, colorful puzzle with a high novelty factor. It doesn't push you or your SNES, though, and is ultimately cupboard-fodder.”

It's odd that they gave us Cosmo Gang instead of the more recognizable Pac-Attack, but don't let that stop you from checking out this cute little puzzle game.

Long before anybody in the West knew about Kunio-kun or his shared universe of games, there was Super Dodgeball on the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was great, especially if you played with friends. Four years and so many Kunio-kun games later, Super Dodgeball returned ... at least in Japan. Kunio-kun no Dodge ball Dayo Zenin Shuugo, which translates to the much catchier “It's Kunio's Dodgeball, Assemble Everyone,” gives us better graphics, more detailed levels and even more over-the-top dodgeball moves. Yes, it's more of the same and definitely not a very ambitious sequel, but it plays a lot smoother than what we had on the 8-bit NES. Plus, it has a song that is just a straight-up copy of one of the Beatles biggest hits. Would this have been a big hit in the United States back in 1993? Maybe, but I'm just happy that this long-overlooked Kunio-kun classic is finally getting a release in the West. If you grew up loving Super Dodgeball, then assemble, because even though we don't have any English-language reviews for this game, I still think you're going to love this Japanese import.