E3 2019 has come and gone, and we didn’t get a new Banjo-Kazooie game. Sure, the duo are coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate this fall, but fans of the platformer from yesteryear are bummed a new entry isn’t accompanying this. Or maybe it is. A new listing on Amazon Germany has surfaced that translates to “Banjo-Kazooie (Working Title). Interestingly, the listing is for Nintendo Switch and not an Xbox console, though you’d assume if a new Banjo game was in development it would be coming to Xbox given that Microsoft owns the IP. The listing also boasts a December 31, 2019 release date, but this obviously a place holder.
That said, take this listing with a grain of salt. Not only could it be an error or a mistake, but it could be a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate amiibo. It’s also worth pointing out it may not be for a new game in the series, but a re-release or remake.
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For those that don’t know: Banjo-Kazooie is a 3D platformer originally made by Rare and released on Nintendo 64 all the way back in the 1998. The series was initially conceived as an adventure game dubbed Dream for the SNES, but eventually transformed into the critical and commercial success that we know it as today.
The series, which has seen multiple releases since, follows the story of a bear named Banjo and his bird buddy Kazooie, who are constantly needing to thwart the evil schemes of a witch named Gruntilda. For awhile, the characters were mascots of the platforming genre, though unlike Crash Bandicoot and some other 3D platformers, the series has fallen to the wayside a bit.
To date, the series has seen five entries, three console games and two handhelds. That said, we haven’t seen the series since 2008. In other words, it’s been 11 years, and demand for the lovable duo to return has been growing, especially in the past few years as leaks and rumors of a revival have surfaced. 90s kids are now the primary target for games, so it’d be smart to bring back the duo and cash in on that sweet, sweet nostalgia.
Anyway, as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think or hit me up on Twitter @Tyler_Fischer_ and let me know over there.
