Banjo and Kazooie Nearly Appeared in Yooka-Laylee

By Marc Deschamps

In 2017, Playtonic Games released Yooka-Laylee, a spiritual successor to Rare Ltd.'s Banjo-Kazooie franchise. Playtonic consists of several former Rare staffers, and the intent was to create a modern game that captured the heart and humor of the old Nintendo 64 titles. While Yooka-Laylee contained no direct connections to Banjo-Kazooie, it seems that was not always the case; former Playtonic staffer Andy Robinson has revealed on Twitter that the bird and bear pair were once slated to appear in the game! Unfortunately, Robinson did not provide any additional details, so fans will just have to speculate about what happened behind-the-scenes!

Robinson's Tweet can be found embedded below.

The original Banjo-Kazooie released on N64 in 1998. The game was a massive success, spawning a sequel just two years later. However, Nintendo sold Rare to Microsoft in 2001, alongside the rights to the series. The franchise hasn't received a new game since 2008's Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, and fans have been desperate to see the characters return. The last few years have offered a little bit for Banjo-Kazooie fans to celebrate, as the characters were added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and the original game has been made available through Nintendo Switch Online. Unfortunately, Microsoft and Rare don't seem to have any plans to revisit the series at the moment, so fans will have to take what they can get!

As for Yooka and Laylee, the characters went on to appear in a spin-off game titled Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair in 2019. There hasn't been word of a third game just yet, but the characters have made numerous cameo appearances over the last few years. Most recently, a costume based on Yooka was added to Kao the Kangaroo as a free piece of DLC. While Banjo and Kazooie might not be making any new appearances anytime soon, Yooka and Laylee are clearly keeping their legacy alive; it's just a shame the characters couldn't have appeared alongside one another!

Are you disappointed Banjo and Kazooie didn't appear in Yooka-Laylee? Do you think the series will ever get another game? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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