At the Game Developer’s Conference, Microsoft hosted an event called “The Future of Gaming Across the Microsoft Ecosystem.” During that presentation, Chris Charla from ID@Xbox took the stage to discuss the Xbox One version of Shovel Knight. Charla announced that Battletoads would make an appearance in Shovel Knight on Xbox One. Before leaving the stage Charla said, “I wonder when we will see them next.”
By itself that may seem like a small reason to assume Battletoads are making a full return, but add that to the other hints and it seems much more likely. Back in November, Microsoft filed a trademark for Battletoads and during the Windows 10 event in January, Phil Spencer took to the stage dressed in a slick Battletoads shirt. Ken Lobb, Microsoft Studios’ creative director, also said “yeah probably”, when asked if Battletoads would make an appearance in the future.
All signs are pointing to a full return of Battletoads on Microsoft platforms. This may be good news to some, or you may not have heard of them. If you haven’t heard of Battletoads, check out some gameplay here.
Source: Xbox Achievements
Aaron Perreault contributed 12 articles to ICXM in 2015, covering Xbox news with a focus on hands-on impressions and verified-source reporting. Their bylines on the site span the Xbox One’s first full year of post-launch coverage, including the early days of Backwards Compatibility and Windows 10 gaming. They post on X as @PxDIZZLE.