It’s been more than 15 years since the last Banjo-Kazooie game was released, and it seems fans of the series are going to have to keep waiting. Back in December, reliable Xbox leaker NateDrake (also known as NateTheHate) claimed that Xbox has been working on a new game in the series. In a new post on ResetEra, the leaker once again addressed the game. Apparently, the concept is being “reworked from its original vision & scope, so it’s going to be a bit.” NateDrake then stated that he “spoke on it too soon.”ย
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On one hand, that’s bound to be disappointing. Banjo-Kazooie fans have been desperately hoping to see the series brought back in some capacity. On the other hand, if Xbox really is working to make sure that the vision and scope is more in line with what fans want to see, that could be a good thing. When it was released, one of the biggest complaints about Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Boltsย was that it simply wasn’t what fans were looking for. After all these years, the last thing Microsoft wants to do is release another game that doesn’t live-up to expectations.ย
From Nintendo to Xbox
The Banjo-Kazooie series first started life on Nintendo 64. Banjo debuted as a playable character in 1997’sย Diddy Kong Racing, and was paired up with Kazooie one year later in Banjo-Kazooie. Banjo-Kazooie proved a big hit on the system, and developer Rare revisited the series in 2000 with Banjo-Tooie. All three of those games were published by Nintendo, but the 2002 purchase of Rare by Microsoft resulted in the Banjo-Kazooie franchise falling under Microsoft’s umbrella. Following the sale, the characters would appear in a pair of Game Boy Advance games, as well as 2008’s Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts on Xbox 360.ย
For more than a decade, Banjo and Kazooie seemed all but abandoned by Microsoft, but the characters would return in a surprising place: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The positive relationship between Microsoft and Nintendo resulted in the characters appearing as a playable DLC fighter, as well as the release of an amiibo. Since then, the original game has also been made playable through Nintendo Switch Online’s N64 app.ย
The Future of Banjo-Kazooie
It’s possible the positive reception to Banjo-Kazooie’s appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate played a role in Microsoft’s decision to bring back the series. At this time, nothing has been officially revealed, and we don’t know who might be involved in the revival. Composer Grant Kirkhope has said that he would “of course” like to be involved, and it’s hard to imagine the series without his trademark music. If this series revival does start to come together, hopefully he’ll have some kind of involvement.ย
Do you think we’ll ever see this Banjo-Kazooie revival happen? What do you want to see from a new series entry? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter atย @Marcdachampย to talk all things gaming!
[H/T: Gaming Bolt]
