Radioactive Ugly
Surreal, there’s almost no other word for it — Studio Retrowarehas announcedthat it is producing a side-scrolling beat-’em-up based on short-lived ’90s cartoonToxic Crusaders. The Tromatastic release is expected to ooze on PC and consoles in late-2023, and is already price-tagged at $24.99.
Still one of the most baffling children’s adaptations of all time,Toxic Crusadersis an animated spin-off of the extremely violent and thoroughly bad-tasteToxic Avengermovies — a series launched by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz’ notorious New York studio, Troma Productions. “Toxie” is a superhero born after bullied nerd Melvin Junko falls into a barrel of toxic waste, emerging as a physically deformed, eye-gouging, arm-ripping vigilante. The films are notable for their avalanche of sex and violence, featuring scripts that are packed withoutrageouslyoffensive characters and jokes.
And thus, in 1991,TMNTproducer Fred Wolf picked up the license for a children’s TV show.
TheToxic Crusadersvideo game will see one-to-four players select from a meaty ‘n’ mutated roster of seven characters — including Toxie, girlfriend Yvonne, humanoid dog Junkyard, and surfing scientist Headbanger — before heading into the streets of Tromaville to clean out its pollution-lovin’ villains.Toxic Crusaderswill feature classic arcade brawler action, a newly recorded score, full voice acting, motion-comic cutscenes, and cameos from other denizens of the Troma universe, including Poultrygeist and Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.
While I’m still kind of reeling from this bizarre news, I have to admit that if the aftermath ofTMNT:Shredder’s Revengemeans we’re to be inundated with beat-’em-up love letters to ’90s shows, then I’m here for it.
Toxic Crusaderslaunches late-2023 on PlayStation,PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms.
