Banjo 3 boasts "unique" multiplayer

By Robert Purchese Published 15 February, 2008

Unlike anything out there, apparently.

Rare has said that part of its "new direction" for Banjo-Kazooie 3 will involve introducing a "unique" multiplayer mode unlike anything currently out there.

The developer aired the news when answering questions from fans on its website.

"Banjo won't be a shooter... But it also won't be a traditional platformer," begins the statement on the website. "We somewhat grandly like to think that it will be a different take on the genre."

"We aren't in the business of crushing little boys' dreams so your multiplayer hopes will be answered. The 'new direction' that Banjo is taking should offer a multiplayer experience unique to anything currently available."

Banjo-Kazooie started life on the N64 back in 1998. The game is an action-adventure hybrid, or "cartoon platform romp" if you believe Kristan. "Fairly by the numbers; it's good, it's solid, but has been superseded by the Ratchet & Clanks and Marios," he continued, while writing a big list on a whiteboard. "It's got a lot to do to catch up."

Banjo-Kazooie 3 is due out on Xbox 360 this "holiday", according to recent comments Microsoft Game Studios boss Shane Kim.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (29) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • jonsaan #1 4 years ago

    ooh good. I'm on 'holiday' next week. It should be out by then according to your article.

  • AcidSnake #2 4 years ago

    "We somewhat grandly like to think that it will be a different take on the genre."

    So banjo and kazooie will be heading into outer space and running around small planets and such?

    Or it will be a party game...

  • BadBoyBonner #3 4 years ago

    Sounds like it could be more like Uncharted than anything else.

  • Darren #4 4 years ago

    I'm really not bothered about the multiplayer mode myself as I wouldn't play it anyway but I hope the single player game packs in as much content and lasts as long as the N64 originals. I'll be very upset if the game is shortened or compromised for the sake of an online mode.

  • Psychotext #5 4 years ago

    Can't wait. First Rare game developed for the 360 from day one so it should be pretty special.

  • menage #6 4 years ago

    @ Darren Agreed. Make it a freaking awesome SP.

    Can we get a ingame screenshot already?

  • FenderMaster #7 4 years ago

    the first was great
    the second though wasnt much fun at all, i hope this turns out okay

  • Lexx87 #8 4 years ago

    Rare's saving grace? (If any good)

  • DonnieDarko333 #9 4 years ago

    I hope it's like a Mario platformer though, the 360 is seriously lacking games like that.

    I love the idea of it taking a unique route, sounds very interesting.

    PLEASE don't leave it long to tell us what exactly it is, Nintendo seem to do this all the time and by the time they tell us, i can't be arsed to get excited.

    Hopefully at GDC next week, if they have any sense.

  • nick_f Verified Senior Producer, Microsoft #10 4 years ago

    "Unique" multiplayer?

    Co-op platforming. It has to be...

  • Landmaster #11 4 years ago

    'Ratchet & Clank' isn't a patch on Banjo or Mario.

    Both Banjo-Kazooie 1 AND 2 were Ace and great fun so sod off Fendermeister.

    Banjo-Kazooie games are better than any Mario game IMO and i'm a Nintendo gamer first and foremost.

    For me to play another console is a RARE occasion! Haha!! - I am SO funny!! ^-^

  • Lexx87 #12 4 years ago

    Yeah groovy (and why had the forum gone against you recently :p), I know what you mean but I want it to be right. I like rare and I want to respect them again.

  • CallousB #13 4 years ago

    I always thought Banjo- Kazooie was vastly overrated. Amazing graphics for the time but I was really disappointed with it gameplay wise when compared to Mario 64. Was a bit of a letdown at the time considering the hype...I thought all of their Donkey Kong games were pretty rubbish as well.

  • BadBoyBonner #14 4 years ago

    Didn't like Kong on N64 but BK is probably my all time fav platform game. I am sure the technical excellence on the system had something to do with it, or maybe it being British had an influence. Either way it rocked. Wish Rare had have been able to help Nintendo cram in better textures for Mario N64, ah well ya can't have everything.

    N.B. Galaxy is currently threatening BK's position as a desert island disc.

  • Muddtallica #15 4 years ago

    Unique multiplayer, eh? Well, I remember Rare's Donkey Kong 64 having a multiplayer mode that was certainly "unique", but I don't really mean that in a good way.

    I'm still not totally sold on Rare platformers, it has to be said; Banjo-Kazooie was pretty impressive at the time, but DK64 took the game's formula and ran it into the ground, thereby exposing the limitations that were present in the "collection adventure" genre from the outset. It was enough to sour me away from even playing Banjo-Tooie, so I can't speak for that, but B-K3 (Banjo-Threeie? Banjo-Kazoothree?) would have to be something very special to bring me back on board...

  • BadBoyBonner #16 4 years ago

    PDZ was very crapola

  • aldo_14 #17 4 years ago

    Banjo Theft Auto?

  • aine #18 4 years ago

    someone make a banjo string joke, i can't think of one

  • bengray66 #19 4 years ago

    But it also won't be a traditional platformer


    That statement there worries me slightly.... Banjo was always favored as a superb platformed, with great gameplay. I used to love the game for what it was.

    To just change it is a bit bad imo. A bit like Fallout 3, we all know its going to suffer (and probably be shit) when the first two were classics. I think its called "Appeal to everyone disease".

  • The-Bodybuilder #20 4 years ago

    >"@Darren - Agree totally. Not everything needs to be online."

    Unless it's coop.
    No online co-ops in platformers.

  • Xerx3s #21 4 years ago

    \0/

    Full confidence in rare here. If it's half the game of the likes of VP & JP:R, it will be brilliant. Now all they need to do is port KI & Blastcorps to XBLa and they will be top dog again. Maybe the MP will be some sort of coop. Would be nice and plausible.

  • Nikanoru #22 4 years ago

    We aren't in the business of crushing little boys' dreams so your multiplayer hopes will be answered.

    What multiplayer hopes? Seriously, who the hell gives a crap about that in a platformer?


    But it also won't be a traditional platformer


    That statement there worries me slightly.... Banjo was always favored as a superb platformed, with great gameplay. I used to love the game for what it was.

    Indeed. I find it kind of aggravating that every single genre I love apparently needs to be "reinvented" (i.e. ruined) constantly, while the same fucking shit FPS gets to be released like 20 times a year.

  • Les #23 4 years ago

    "while the same fucking shit FPS gets to be released like 20 times a year."

    That's because they're mainly aimed at the American market. They won't notice.

  • ElephantMonkey #24 4 years ago

    what? ratchet and clank has multiplayer?

  • J.C #25 4 years ago

    Alarm bells are ringing already. i predict Banjo 3 will flop just as badly as viva pinata or worse, grabbed by the bollocks.

  • Wash #26 4 years ago

    @J.C

    If it flops like viva pinata, that'd be fine cos besides it "flopping" it'd be a pretty damn good game.

    The latest need for speed will sell 5 billion copies, but i'd still take flops like viva pinata over it any goddamn day of the year.

  • Poona #27 4 years ago

    @Nikanoru - the response about crushing your dreams was Rare's reply to a fan who sent in a letter saying how they loved the multiplayer modes Rare would put on their games on the n64 and they hoped Rare could do the same again with the new Banjo game. Rare basically then replied saying their dreams won't be crushed as there will be mutiplayer and it will be better than they imagined.

    You can read the full Scribes (which is Rare's very long time running letters page) here:

    http://ra reware.com/extras/scribes/13feb...
    Edited by 1 at 16/02/08 @ 13:55

  • DAN.E.B #28 4 years ago

    I hope they dont change it too much.
    RARE dont fuck this up!

  • firefly #29 4 years ago

    I can't comment on Ratchet & Clank (only played the PS3 demo and that seemed rather linear to me) but the joy of Banjo-Kazooie was that it was a lot more varied in terms of what you could do. Like Zelda and Metroid there were lots of new abilities to be gained that each opened up the world in different ways. Banjo-Tooie should also be commended for the fact that it opened by giving you all the moves from the previous game allowing you to spend the whole game learning new ones (something I wish they would do for Metroid).

    The one thing that really bothered me there was the secret ending to Banjo-Kazooie revealing all the hidden areas - but then absolutely nothing coming of them as the planned (but never really explained) link up was dropped and Rare eventually released codes to get to the areas in BK. Oh, and also the fact that unlike Mario it discouraged replaying by not letting you return to old tasks - even the final boss was removed after you completed the game once.