On its face, the Toxic Avenger franchise doesn’t sound like it would lend itself well to family-friendly cartoons. That changed in 1991, however, as the animated series Toxic Crusaders debuted and offered up a loose connection to the films, packaged inside of a show aimed at children.
The series only lasted one season, unfortunately, but fast forward over 30 years, and Retroware is looking to take players back, in the form of Toxic Crusaders. The upcoming arcade beat ’em up puts players in the shoes of several characters — including the beloved “Toxie” — and attempts to continue the cult classic in the form of an incredibly addictive and faithful game.
At this month’s PAX East 2025, I got the chance to check out some of the Toxic Crusaders game, which had been in the works for some time but is finally ready to make its debut later this year. While other studios that try to capture the retro feel can come up short, Retroware has a great track record of succeeding, and from just a short hands-on time with Toxic Crusaders, they’ve got another success on their hands here.
At its core, Toxic Crusaders is not all too dissimilar from other beat ’em up games. Players control one of seven characters from the 1990s cartoon — Toxie, No-Zone, Junkyard, Major Disaster, Headbanger, Yvonne, and Mrs. Junko — and travel from level to level, all while fighting enemies. Each character has their own unique movesets and powers, and visually, all look incredible. The game’s pixel art graphics all have their own stylish look, and background environments all pop despite the chaotic action on screen.
Something that Toxic Crusaders does do to differentiate itself from other beat ’em ups, though, is in its story. The cartoon the game is based only ever saw 13 episodes air on television, with no Season 2 ever released. Retroware looks to give fans of the series some closure in this regard.
The game, which features its own original storyline, is meant to continue the plot of the cartoon series. Not only that, but Retroware also says that it’s packed with Easter eggs and cameos from other movies produced and distributed by Troma, the legendary company behind a number of cult classic horror-comedy movies.
Continuing the cult classic cartoon series is no tall task. With that in mind, Retroware seems to have gone all out in producing a game that features old-school gameplay, but modern amenities. Toxic Crusaders features fully voice-acted cutscenes in the form of comic book-style screen wipes. Better yet for fans of Troma, Crusaders features voice acting, in part, from actual Troma film actors.
My time with the game was limited, but it’s clear that Retroware has a distinct love and appreciation for the arcade games of old. Toxic Crusaders may have taken some time to come together, but the game feels like a labor of love for a genre long gone, and a must-buy for fans of both the world of The Toxic Avenger and those looking for a new beat ’em up to dive into.
Toxic Crusaders is set to arrive sometime in 2025 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Leave a Reply