I never thought I'd see the day, but Nintendo has finally moved forward with the remake The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Switch 2giving me and many others a chance to play or replay one of the greatest video games ever made and experience it in a completely different way. in addition to Star Fox 64 it's also getting a Switch 2 remake, which I intend to play no matter how many times it's been remade, and I'm not ashamed to admit that nostalgia has a lot to do with it. However, the fact that two of the best Nintendo 64 games are getting remasters for the Switch 2 makes me wonder how far Nintendo is willing to go with upgrading classic titles from the landmark 3D console, because I'm honestly not ready for it to stop after Ocarina of Time and Star Fox 64.
The question is where it should go, and I personally think so Banjo-Kazooie would be the perfect next entry in this remake series. Like Ocarina of Time and Star Fox 64, Banjo-Kazooie it was a massive part of my childhood and is still widely regarded as the absolute pinnacle of the late 90s “collectathon” subgenre and one of the greatest 3D platformers in video game history. The only problem is that Xbox is currently owned by Rare, the developer of the original Banjo-Kazooieso if Nintendo were to remake it for the Switch 2, it would have to form an unlikely partnership with Microsoft.
After Ocarina of Time, the next remake of Zelda Switch 2 is clear
The Ocarina of Time Switch 2 remake may have already pointed Nintendo to another Zelda classic waiting in line.
Banjo-Kazooie helped define what 3D platformers could be after Super Mario 64
That cannot be denied Super Mario 64 opened the door for 3D platformers but Banjo-Kazooie he helped show what distinctiveness the genre could have even after those doors had already been kicked down. It took the basic idea of running around 3D spaces, chasing collectibles, and learning new moves, and then wrapped it all up in a world that was warmer, weirder, funnier, and more alive than most games from the late 90s could manage. There's a reason why the term “collectathon” is still almost inseparable Banjo-Kazooiebecause Rare basically helped define what this kind of game could be at its best.
Who is that character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
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Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)
What did he really do Banjo-Kazooie it was so strange how satisfying it was to collect everything in sight and beyond. Jiggies, musical notes, Jinjos, Mumbo Tokens, eggs, feathers, extra honeycombs, and other collectibles could have easily turned the game into the bloated mess that many 2010 open-world games have become, but the original rarely felt like it was throwing things at the player just to fill up space. More important to me, though, was how strange Banjo-Kazooie was how gross it was for someone whose childhood was largely shielded from the outside world, and how it made me want to play it even more.
I still remember getting a Nintendo 64 VHS ad in the mail advertising the game and after watching it I immediately wanted to play Banjo-Kazooie. I don't remember every single thing that was shown on that cartridge, but I do remember the feeling of seeing Banjo and Kazooie walking through those colorful, beautiful worlds and thinking that this looked like exactly the type of game I wanted my Nintendo 64 to exist for, as an involuntary smile spread across my face. It didn't take long to get there Banjo-Kazooieand once i had it i was totally hooked.
That cannot be denied Super Mario 64 opened the door for 3D platformers but Banjo-Kazooie he helped show what distinctiveness the genre could have even after those doors had already been kicked down.
I ended up replaying it multiple times, if only to recapture that feeling of visiting each location and collecting everything for the first time. Banjo-Kazooie it had that rare quality of a childhood game where finishing it didn't feel like it was quite finished, and I feel like it ended up being that there just wasn't any. And honestly, if I felt like I had the time today, I bet I could go back and play it again without getting bored too quickly of its outdated gameplay.
Some of the Banjo-KazooieIts greatest strength was its mascot duo with a shared moveset, a central world full of secrets and levels that felt more like compact playgrounds than obstacle courses spread across empty space. It helped turn 3D platformers into games about poking around in every corner of the world, trying every skill, and trusting that the developers were probably hiding something worthwhile behind the next suspicious-looking object. Actually, despite the fact that we finished the game Banjo-Kazooie more times than I can remember, if I tried to play it again today, I'm sure I'd still have trouble finding every secret in the game.
Unfortunately, many Collectathon games ended up learning the wrong lessons from this formula, including some of Rare's later work. The genre became associated with bloat, checklist design, and worlds crammed with so many items that collecting wasn't as exciting or fulfilling as it once was. Banjo-Kazooie it still holds up because it came before the tipping point, when there was still balance and the idea of a mystery-packed 3D platformer was magical instead of exhausting.
Switch 2 could make Banjo-Kazooie feel new again
That balance is exactly why Banjo-Kazooie deserves a real remake instead of another simple re-release. The original game is still playable and has already been preserved better than many other Nintendo 64 classics, but there's a clear difference between an approach and a revival. Banjo-Kazooie it doesn't need to be reinvented beyond recognition, but it's still one of those games where a faithful remake could make it easier for modern gamers to appreciate its best qualities.
Guess the emoji games.
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Guess the emoji games.
Easy (120s) Medium (90s) Hard (60s)
Of course, the most obvious improvement would be the presentation. A complete remake of the Switch 2 could turn around Banjo-KazooieWorlds into fresh animated dioramas with better lighting, bolder character animation, greater environmental detail and music that sounds grander without losing the original Grant Kirkhope charm. But modern hardware could also offer more responsive controls and cleaner camera movement—things that gamers of the late 90s generally tolerated because we didn't know any better.
Banjo-Kazooie it doesn't need to be reinvented beyond recognition, but it's still one of those games where a faithful remake could make it easier for modern gamers to appreciate its best qualities.
In today's gaming climate, Banjo-Kazooie it also has an edge that would have sounded strange even ten years ago. 3D platformers are no longer expected to compete with the biggest open world games by becoming massive, stuffy and endless. Modern Banjo-Kazooie a remake could be colorful, dense, fun, contained, and proudly old-school, making it feel fresher than another giant icon-filled map.
However, the business side is the complicated part, although it is also what makes the idea so interesting. Xbox currently controls Rare, but Banjo-Kazooie still feels emotionally connected to Nintendo hardware in a way that very few Microsoft-owned franchises could. If Xbox is serious about putting their games in multiple locations, then remake the Switch 2 Banjo-Kazooie it would be one of the easiest wins imaginable.
Microsoft announced the acquisition of Rare on September 24, 2002. The deal was a $375 million all-cash transaction and Microsoft's own announcement titled Banjo-Kazooie as one example of Rare's best games.
With that, Nintendo would get another big Nintendo 64 remake to keep its nostalgia alive, Xbox could revive the dormant franchise that still has the strongest connection to it in front of audiences, and Rare's bear and bird duo would finally get the kind of comeback that fans have been craving for years. Banjo-Kazooie may officially belong to Xbox right now, but its legacy was built on the Nintendo 64. If the Switch 2 continues to bring back that era, then Xbox will eventually have to pass on one of its most iconic mascots.
