Microsoft Files Battletoads Trademark

Sarah LeBoeuf

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Microsoft Files Battletoads Trademark



Rare's brutally difficult beat-em-up Battletoads might be making a comeback.

The next retro game to make a modern-day appearance could be Rare's Battletoads, according to a recent trademark filing by Microsoft. The console-maker filed a trademark for Rare's classic beat-em-up for "entertainment services, namely, providing online video games" on November 5, which was discovered by NeoGAF [http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=929998] earlier today.

This isn't the first hint that Battletoads was set to make a comeback; six years ago, Rare's Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts (itself an older franchise revived by Microsoft) teased the return [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/87486-Rare-Hints-At-Future-Games-in-Banjo-Kazooie] of the developer's other franchises. A secret section in the game revealed the note, "They're all in the pipeline, you know. New Killer Instinct, Battletoads, and Jet Force Gemini games. Even Ghoulies 2! Oh, you'll never believe that." While I don't necessarily think a Grabbed by the Ghoulies sequel is in the works, those claims clearly aren't outrageous or outdated--a new Killer Instinct was released just last year. Who knows? Maybe the time is right for Battletoads to make an appearance on modern consoles.

Battletoads was released for the NES in 1991; it was followed by an arcade game, a Canadian cartoon show, and a Double Dragon crossover, to name a few, before the series fizzled out in the mid-90s. Rare was acquired by Microsoft in 2002 and is now one of the publisher's first party developers, cranking out titles like the adorable Viva Pinata, Kinect Sports, and the Xbox One launch title Killer Instinct. Though the Rare of today only vaguely resembles the developer of 20 years ago, perhaps reviving one of its most infamous titles will yield promising results. Then again, it could also cause entirely new generations of siblings to fight each other over cheap deaths and stolen weapons.

Source: Polygon [http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=929998]

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crimson5pheonix

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Wait, does that, does that mean we can start calling Gamestop and asking about the Battletoads preorder? :D
 

Imperioratorex Caprae

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Inb4 people screaming on how Microsoft will ruin the franchise...

Seriously though I'd like to see another Toads game, but every level has to be Nintendo-hard like the hover-bike level. Fuck Dark Souls, play that game if you want challenge.
 

azurine

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Oh good, I can look forward to breaking a controller in half again out of frustration once again (no seriously though, f*ck clinger winger).
Honestly, I'm kinda surprised no one got to Battletoads sooner in this age of remakes.
 

dragongit

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azurine said:
Oh good, I can look forward to breaking a controller in half again out of frustration once again (no seriously though, f*ck clinger winger).
Honestly, I'm kinda surprised no one got to Battletoads sooner in this age of remakes.
Knowing microsoft, they might make it a kinect title. Does that mean when you rage quit do you throw yourself at a wall?
 

Neurotic Void Melody

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My heart literally skipped a beat when i saw Jet force gemini. Dont do this. Dont make me get an xbone. I just loved collecting the heads of furry tribal innocents to unlock cheats.
I was beginning to wonder whether Rare were actually doing anything at all. Theres slow boil, then theres pickled in an ice pool by yearly farts.
 

bjj hero

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I played battletoads to death. This will be awesome... as long as they keep the difficulty.
 

Lvl 64 Klutz

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crimson5pheonix said:
Wait, does that, does that mean we can start calling Gamestop and asking about the Battletoads preorder? :D
I was about to say if this becomes a thing I'm going to quit my job because of all the arsehats who think making prank calls like they're at a junior high slumber party is hilarious.
 

crimson5pheonix

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Lvl 64 Klutz said:
crimson5pheonix said:
Wait, does that, does that mean we can start calling Gamestop and asking about the Battletoads preorder? :D
I was about to say if this becomes a thing I'm going to quit my job because of all the arsehats who think making prank calls like they're at a junior high slumber party is hilarious.
I'll find whichever store you work at JUST to call about the preorder :D
 

martyrdrebel27

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Awesome news, if true. I loved Battletoads. Just give us a modern version of the same game though, dony make it a 3rd person action adventure knockoff, same side scrolly ass kicking, with modern concepts and graphics, and we'll all celebrate your accomplishment.
 
Mar 30, 2010
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bjj hero said:
I played battletoads to death. This will be awesome... as long as they keep the difficulty.
Yep, same here. I'm fine with this news, as long as they keep the teeth-grinding, hair-rending, controller-snapping difficulty. It would make (commercial) sense for them to tone the game down so that it appeals to a wider audience, but that just wouldn't be the Battletoad way.
 
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Grouchy Imp said:
bjj hero said:
I played battletoads to death. This will be awesome... as long as they keep the difficulty.
Yep, same here. I'm fine with this news, as long as they keep the teeth-grinding, hair-rending, controller-snapping difficulty. It would make (commercial) sense for them to tone the game down so that it appeals to a wider audience, but that just wouldn't be the Battletoad way.
Agreed. They Have Nerf-wrapped controllers now, well all be fine. If they were REAL smart they'd do a combo-pack. Battletoads comes with one of 3 themed controllers. (Rash, Zitz or Pimple)
azurine said:
Oh good, I can look forward to breaking a controller in half again out of frustration once again (no seriously though, f*ck clinger winger).
Honestly, I'm kinda surprised no one got to Battletoads sooner in this age of remakes.
Glad I'm not the only one: it was Virtual-On MARS for me. great game, but on Ultimate difficulty, YIKES.
 

Something Amyss

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Imperioratorex Caprae said:
Inb4 people screaming on how Microsoft will ruin the franchise...
For the ultimate irony, Microsoft could actually release a non-broken version....
 

Vivi22

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Imperioratorex Caprae said:
Inb4 people screaming on how Microsoft will ruin the franchise...
While the series has a certain amount of nostalgic cache, it's pretty hard to ruin something that wasn't that good to begin with.
 

Vivi22

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bjj hero said:
I played battletoads to death. This will be awesome... as long as they keep the difficulty.
Hopefully keeping the difficulty would also make it so it's not broken anymore. The game can't even be completed with two players because they decided to let you beat each other up and push each other around.
 

1Life0Continues

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Battletoads: Nuts & Bolts.

Yeah, see I might be more excited if Microsoft wasn't on par with EA for sucking the life out of every franchise it lays its hands on.

*shrug* Maybe they'll be smart this time, but I'm not holding my breath.
 

Vigormortis

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Not to rain on the parade, but filing the trademark may be nothing more than renewing the soon-to-expire trademark on the Battletoads brand. It doesn't necessarily mean they're even considering making a new game. It may just mean they don't want to lose the rights to the name and brand.

Happens more often than you think.

Still, even though Rare is but a shallow husk of the great studio they once were, I'd still relish the return of some of their older series. Especially Jet Force Gemini.

So here's hoping this is a sign of good things to come.
 

Elvis Starburst

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Vigormortis said:
Still, even though Rare is but a shallow husk of the great studio they once were, I'd still relish the return of some of their older series. Especially Jet Force Gemini.
I want a sequel soooooooo bad >w< Jet Force Gemini is my fave N64 at the moment.

OT: Should be interesting! Bringing back some old franchises might be good, as long as Rare is still capable of making good games
 

Fasckira

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There was a cartoon? I need to check that out this evening!

Be interesting to see if anything comes of this, thats for sure. Even if its just a fancy touchup on the 2d graphics of the originals.