Battletoads might be coming back according to some hints found on the website of David Wise, a video game composer. Wise, who has worked on several titles including Donkey Kong Country and Snake Pass, had a game listed in his credits that actually doesn’t exist – at least, not yet.

Originally for the NES, the game is still one of the more difficult challenges for players out there. Battletoads has seen a resurgence more recently in the Rare Replay compilation project on Xbox One and a brief stint on-screen in Ready Player One. With so much new exposure, a new Battletoads would actually make a lot of sense now more than ever.

The potential of a Battletoads sequel, as first reported by ComicBook, has been something of a dream for the gaming community for some time. According to a listing on Wise’s page, he has worked on something called Battletoads 20/20. Once the gaming world discovered this, Wise’s page was quickly fixed to simply list 20/20 as a “New Music Project” instead, without mention of any mutant toads. The association is interesting because Wise previously worked on Battletoads, and already has a relationship with Rare as a result.


However, there’s every chance the listing was just a mistake that Wise has since corrected. While Microsoft promised big surprises at E3 this year, it’s not clear that a revived Battletoads would qualify. While there are a vocal number of fans who would love to see a sequel happen, it’s on Microsoft to determine whether or not they represent a large enough demographic to justify going down that road.

There are some factors working against a new title happening that are already present, too. Rare Replay already cashed in on the series a little while back, which could limit the number of people who actually want a new iteration. Meanwhile, the Xbox One has been getting routinely dismantled by the PlayStation 4’s exclusive titles, and firing back with a game in Battletoads that is firmly rooted in nostalgia and internet humor might not be the best strategy.

Still, it’s important to never say never in the video game world. In a world where a game like Shaq-Fu is getting a sequel, we can’t say it would be any stranger to be sitting down on the couch to play an Xbox One-exclusive version of Battletoads in the near future.