Yes it does sound great, yes it is argueably the best looking platformer on the SNES, but it is still way to hard.
Gameplay: This is one of the biggest weaknesses to BattleToads in Battlemaniacs. There is nothing wrong with the controls and ideas, in fact, they are actually pretty good. The game respondes near perfectly and the controls take little time to get used to (though with 4 different modes, it takes a total of 30-60 minuts), while the ideas are all neat and done before, but those times they were done before, they were good, and that goes for the same here...
... except for the fact that it is the second hardest game on the Super Nintendo and the fourth hardest game ever. Even the VERY FIRST AREA will spare you no mercy at ALL. Only about 40% of people who play this game will beat the first area, 34% of them will beat the second area, 10% will make it to the fourth area, and only 0.035% of people will live to see the last section. Not only that, but there is no sense of progress. You start in a wasteland, then you go to a giant bees nest, then you say hi to a spike-filled tree, and then you race through acid and then you race a pig that wants to slice you in half, and then you are at the top of a tower. In the immortal words of me: WHAT THE HELL!
Because of the diffuculty, this game grabs a 5/10 in Gameplay. WHY IS IT SO HARD! WHO IN GOD'S NAME DECIDED TO MAKE THIS GAME HARDER THAN BEATING MY BROTHER AT CHESS!
Graphics: This is probably where BattleToads in Battlemaniacs shines. The graphics take advantage of every single little spec of space in the Super Nintendo and puts it to good use. The sprites are large, but not large enough to cover the entire field (thank god, this game is hard enough already ;)) and the field itself looks great. There is actually movement in the background, and there is absolutely no flaws graphics-wise at all. There is no doubt that BattleToads in Battlemaniacs deserves a 10/10 for graphics. The sheer excellence in the looks shouldn't be avoided, and if you really want to see what good graphics are, just rent this game and be amazed.
Sound: Again, this game is very strong here. The intro music and the game music is some of the most beutiful in Super Nintendo history, and the sound effects, while sorta cartoony, are really good and crisp. Because of this, the sound gets a hard to get 9/10. The only problem is that the music isn't loud enough T_T
Thanks to the diffuculty, this game isn't easy to recommend. Rent it if you want to see some of the best graphics and hear some of the most beutiful music on the Super Nintendo, but most others should hope that the Battlemaniacs will leave you alone, it is too hard for its own good.