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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