The 3D Banjo-Kazooie games were two of the best video game platformers to grace the Nintendo 64 and really any other console since, rivalling Nintendo’s very own Super Mario 64 at the time. VGC has gathered together a number of key developers behind the two hit N64 games and asked them whether or not they think that the iconic bear and bird will ever return to consoles. Sadly the general consensus is no. The developers say it would be really hard to another team to match the quirky humour found in the games, plus with today’s video game budgets and lengthy game development times it may not be worth it. Also Gregg Mayles, who is really the custodian of the franchise, doesn’t really like to revisit the past and prefer to tread new ground. The last Banjo-Kazooie game was the Xbox 360 game, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, which now runs in 4K on Xbox One X and Xbox Series X|S along with Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie.
“I don’t think that would work now on triple-A projects, if Banjo-Kazooie was remade, because things take so much longer to make. But in those days that was a big part of it for sure.”
“I can’t really speak for Gregg [Mayles, Rare’s creative director] but he’s really the custodian of the franchise. He doesn’t really like to look back and tread over old ground, so I don’t think he’s ever been bothered about doing anything else with the franchise. He’d rather move on to new experiences – as far as he’s concerned, he’s been there, done that”.
Character designer Steven Mayles
“I feel like you’d have to get a team with the humour that we had back then and that’s hard to replicate,” he said. “I think Rare would be open to somebody if they found the right team, but I don’t feel like that team exists. Also, I’m not convinced the audience is there either.”
Composer Grant Kirkhope
“I would hope that somebody is going to bring out something… some kind of sequel or ‘next in line’ game. At least before a point where I can still remember that the first one existed! But hopefully sooner.”
Lead programmer Chris Sutherland
Such a waste, it’s such a well known franchise and surely with the right approach it’s gona be a big deal to lots of people and sales would be right up there with the other top franchises. I mean Nintendo haven’t stopped making Mario games or Zelda etc, etc, so why bury this, I mean it’s gotta be one of those big budget games that’s gona sell millions. The possibilities are there, but looks like they don’t want to take the risks. Definitely a risk worth taking if you ask me, or pretty much anyone actually.
Kudos for the honesty, I guess. Better than holding out hope for naught.
I know I’m gonna get flack for this but I honestly have never seen the appeal for these 2.
The main villain is just a generic looking witch (That often complains about titles not being worked on immediately after the last 1 releases) and the main duo are just a bear and bird that sounds like they are constantly tripping.
Granted I’ve not played either of their games, mainly because I didn’t have an n64 growing up, so I’m likely talking from a lot of ignorance but from what I have seen as well as playing them in Smash Bros, I just don’t get what’s special about them.
“I don’t get the appeal”
“I’ve not played either of their games”
Gee, I wonder why.
+triangleblue2
You also intentionally missed out the other part where I said I had had some exposure to the series. Yes I haven’t played the games but I have seen loads of videos of gameplay and have played them in Smash Bros. If I’ve not had any sort of exposure and was just going off the name and boxart then sure, you’d have an argument but to dismiss the rest of what I said is just willful ignorance.
My point stands, I just don’t see them as the holy grail people think they are.
Playing a character in Smash Bros. doesn’t equal to play a character in their home game. Technically, you still didn’t even try one of their games, so you still wouldn’t be able to get the appeal.
But I have watched plenty of videos of their games, it’s almost like people don’t pay attention to what I say.
My gosh you lot are sensitive, it’s just an opinion dude.
You never played the game. Of course you wouldn’t understand the appeal. Duh. What a waste of a comment
You don’t need to play the game to know whether or not it appeals to you.
By your logic, everything would have to be played before you can form an opinion on it which isn’t how things work.
I have plenty of friends that don’t find the things I like appealing and I’m fine with it because at least I know they’ve taken a look at it and it just didn’t residnate with them.
You need to be more open minded.
You’re definitely the kind of person who thinks watching a playthrough of a videogame on Youtube equals having played it, bleh, like the average Persona 5 fan.
Funny enough; I’ve never played Persona 5 but I do own it, it’s on my backlog.
And actually no, I never said that, people often confuse playing for presentation appeal.
Unlikely, but not outright impossible, I still believe that Banjo Threeie will be made , it’s a fantasy project at the moment, much like toy story 3 was until it got made, granted it could take another 6 or 7 years before it gets approached.
All I wanted was for banjo kazooie and tooie to be ported to switch digitally for keeps. Digital rental games are a scam.
I think the franchise is not fully ready to have a new game because we all know the developers are not really interested to continue the franchise anytime soon. Not gonna lie, but I don’t play Banjo and Kazooie because I’m not really a fan of the franchise or how it came to be.
Had they stayed with Nintendo, the franchise would had continued as well as constant DK games too. Thanks Microsoft.
+Gruntilda
For once we agree on something.
Just my opinion, but I think these guys vastly overstate the difficulty of bringing Banjo back. It doesn’t have to be Rare or the old team that does it. Smash proved there’s plenty of interest left in the franchise. All it takes is for the right team to come together and for Microsoft to play ball, which they likely would under current leadership. Never say never
If they could give us a remake that would be great
Well that’s a load of rubbish
Kinda expected these replies, so not surprised but still feeling sad nonetheless.
That’s a waste. This series is a literal gold mine and with the character playable in Smash Bros. and the original game coming to Nintendo’s Online Service its the perfect time to capitalize on a resurgence. It could have been on X-Box, PC, and been a launch title for Nintendo’s next platform. That would have sold gangbusters if they made a banger.
Shame. The Banjo series are the closest video game as a medium have ever come to capturing the atmosphere of British children’s television programmes from the mid-1980s. (You can’t convince me that Rod Hull and Emu’s Pink Windmill Show wasn’t a major influence on the designers of Banjo-Kazooie.)
It’s a good thing I gave up on this franchise a long time ago. As far as I’m convinced, that Banjo game that should not be named is the closest we’re ever gonna get to Banjo Threeie. That’s what Rare gets for betraying Nintendo and joining the dark side.
They should have let Nintendo have the rights and also have the rights to all the Rare Donkey Kong stuff.
+Londyn A Fisher
Nintendo owns everything Donkey Kong related from Rare.
Rare were just the developers, the copyright to everything made in the Donkey Kong Country is owned by Nintendo. That’s why you see things like King K Rool in Smash and Funky Kong in Mario Kart.
Most Donkey Kong characters are owned by Nintendo. King K Rool is owned by Rare which is owned by Microsoft. Its the reason Donkey Kong villains lately have been new threats. King K Rool is in Smash Bros. because Rare and their parent company Microsoft are on good terms with Nintendo. This is why Minecraft Steve and Banjo & Kazooie are also playable characters in Smash too.
King K Rool is owned by Nintendo, but sadly they neglect the character too often.
Just double checked (which I should have done in the first place). I stand corrected. Rare created the character (which I already knew), but Nintendo owns the character for some reason (despite not creating the character). I thought his absence in recent games was proof of Rare being bought by Microsoft and needing a new villain, and that his inclusion in Smash was because of Microsoft and Rare (owned by Microsoft) had characters in Smash.
In other words I was connecting cohesive dots that weren’t really there, but it all made too much sense to not be true. In the end I should have done my due diligence and double checked before replying rather than relying on the knowledge I had and concluding I understood ownership when it didn’t exist.
If that were the case then K. Rool couldn’t have appeared in games like DK King of Swing, Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast, or Mario Super Sluggers, as Microsoft/Rare had no involvement in them yet he shows up in them in various roles.
I played none of those games, so I didn’t notice the King already returned in spinoff titles.
Wrong, King K Rool is owned by Nintendo.
If King K Rool was Microsoft then Nintendo would have had to put RARE in the credits for when he was added to Smash Bros but since he’s their property they didn’t. They also didn’t need to do it when he was a mii costume in SSB4.
Also, if King K Rool is Microsoft, how do you explain Diddy Kong? He was made by rare as well.
Banjo 1 and 2 were masterpieces of comedy and gameplay. Too bad Rare sold its soul to microsoft (nintendo needs to take some of the blame here)….that is what happens when you go for the big bucks. “Not an audience for it”…Microsoft never had the audience for Rare’s games…they just bought them so they couldn’t be successful for Nintendo. “If you can’t make money for me, you aren’t going to do so for others.”
They should just sell it to Nintendo where it belongs if they aren’t going to do anything with it.