Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts dated

By Tom Bramwell Published 20 August, 2008

XBLA release a fortnight later.

Microsoft has announced that Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts will be released in the US on 14th November and confirmed to Eurogamer that it will be out here on the same day.

The announcement also reveals that the Xbox Live Arcade version of the original N64 Banjo-Kazooie will launch "a couple of weeks after", implying a 26th November date for general consumption.

Those who pre-order in the US will get advanced access, however, once Nuts & Bolts ships to players for the 14th. We're checking on European options.

As we revealed yesterday, Rare and Microsoft hope to release a downloadable demo of Nuts & Bolts before the game is released.

You can also click through there to uncover more details about how the "Stop 'N' Swop" feature - a dormant relic of the N64 era, retooled - will allow players of both games to unlock extra content.

Oh, and while we're on about Banjo, be sure to check out our exclusive Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts hands-on with single-player and multiplayer from yesterday - and keep your eyes open for more Rare-related treats today.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (27) Latest comment 4 years ago

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

  • Gl3n #1 4 years ago

    Really can't wait for this, i haven't anticipated a game this much in yonks. It'd be great if that US pre-order offer was exported over here, as the prospect of free banjo-kazooie XBLA goodness makes me exceedingly chuffed.

  • peteb #2 4 years ago

    Any word on the pricing for Europe? I read that it was going to be $39.99 in the US.

  • Darren #3 4 years ago

    A week AFTER Gears of War 2... great timing Microsoft! LOL

    Yeah I know they're completely different kinds of games but, regardless, I really hope that Microsoft give this as much or more advertising than Gears of War 2 because otherwise a lot of people will overlook it like they did the sublime Viva Pinata in late 2006.

    I'm kind of a little disappointed that the Banjo-Kazooie XBLA remake is coming after the release of B-K: Nuts & Bolts; I was hoping that we'd get it two weeks to a month BEFORE. Ah well...

  • Gl3n #4 4 years ago

    It does strike me as rather silly to release it just after Gears 2.. delay it further into christmas or something or push for an earlier date?

    I bet it get's reasonably forgotten again, and then rare's efforts will go largely un-loved by many because of rather shoddy timing on microsoft's part.

  • the_dudefather #5 4 years ago

    duh huh huh duh huh huh

  • Darren #6 4 years ago

    Yeah, I've a feeling that B-K: Nuts & Bolts won't sell as well as it should do... memories of what happened with Viva Pinata spring to mind here (the sequel will probably suffer the same fate too) but Banjo-Kazooie is an established franchise that was popular on the N64 so let's hope that lots of people buy the game (assuming it's good which I'm confident it will be) and make Rare rich. I'd love to see Rare recapture their 'glory days' when they were one of the most respected and popular developers in the SNES/N64 era. Like Peter Molyneux's games, there's something so refreshingly British about Rare's games, especially the humour and characters; they're usually an absolute joy to play (except for Grabbed by the Ghoulies, whcih I thought was rushed and mediocre).

    Roll on November... :)

  • locus2k1 #7 4 years ago

    well after the.... misfortune of still waiting for the pub games code for pre-ordering with gamestation, i think i'll just stick with where ever i can get the best price for BK N&B. If M$ Europe announce we get the same deal I wont believe it.

    At least they're getting better at bringing out games here with little to no delay from the US release, but still!

  • Ninja_Tino #8 4 years ago

    $40 with a free arcade copy! MAD!

  • Negotiator #9 4 years ago

    I don't think Gears 2 will affect sales at all, there is no shortage of money around the christmas holiday. Both are very different games and cater to a different audience, so I say bring on the AAA titles MSoft.

  • miiiguel #10 4 years ago

    It is rather silly to be after Gears, even more when Gears is one of those games kids play for ages. Gears 1 is still in the top 5 most played games on the planet 360.

    While it maybe wont affect sales much (?) it will sure steal the spotlight from it.
    Edited by 1 at 20/08/08 @ 10:21

  • kinky_mong #11 4 years ago

    I think people need to read things carefully before jumping to assumptions. All Rare have said is that pre-ordering will get you the XBLA Banjo-Kazooie two weeks earlier, not that it will be free. This isn't the same deal as Fable II: Pub Games.

    I wasn't a big fan of the original BK, i thought it was pretty derivative of Mario 64, but I'm extremely looking forward to Nuts & Bolts.

  • miiiguel #12 4 years ago

    I asked this in another thread but nobody answered (I think), but what's the deal with Fable II: Pub Games ?

    I pre-oredered Fable 2, special edition and I got no freakin code, or... nothing.

  • Canyarion #13 4 years ago

    Releasing the XBLA BK after Nuts & Bolts? How weird...

  • Sir_TimAlot #14 4 years ago

    "Microsoft has announced that Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts will be released in the US on 14th November and confirmed to Eurogamer that it will be out here on the same day."

    Not really interested

    "The announcement also reveals that the Xbox Live Arcade version of the original N64 Banjo-Kazooie will launch "a couple of weeks after", implying a 26th November date for general consumption."

    NOW THATS WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT, YEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAA

  • Lexx87 #15 4 years ago

    To be honest i'd prefer the XBLA version out a good month or so before Nuts & Bolts..

  • Gl3n #16 4 years ago

    Even if it was released during the summer lull i doubt the sales would be as astronomical as nintendo would have managed. The xbox fanbase is all tits and guns.



  • Xerx3s #17 4 years ago

    "A week AFTER Gears of War 2... great timing Microsoft! LOL

    Yeah I know they're completely different kinds of games but, regardless, I really hope that Microsoft give this as much or more advertising than Gears of War 2 because otherwise a lot of people will overlook it like they did the sublime Viva Pinata in late 2006. "

    Yeah, it looks like rare is victim of ms bad timing again ffs. If only ms was smart enough to push this and not gow2. GoW 2 will sell on it's own. It doesn't need advertisement. It's aimed at the hardcore and the hardcore are very informed. Games like VP are aimed at "less into games" groups and it could seriously benefit from advertisement.

    No matter though, like VP it will most likely do well in the long run.
    Edited by 1 at 20/08/08 @ 10:50

  • woodnotes #18 4 years ago

    That's AGES away :/

  • andywilkie35 #19 4 years ago

    with absolutely no pun intended, this game is gonna be the nuts!

    there's so many games coming out in such a small space of time, Gears 2 is the week before this, Fable 2 a couple of weeks before that and Fallout 3 a couple of weeks before that with Saints Row 2 in the middle of them! no idea where i'm gonna get the time to play them

    and I agree, the original BK should have come out first
    Edited by 1 at 20/08/08 @ 11:10

  • captainrentboy #20 4 years ago

    Add me to the ''What the hell are you doing releasing it so close to GOW2?'' pile.
    I'll be getting both without a shadow of a doubt, but the common or garden gamer on the street will probabaly overlook this potential corker in favour of the more blood and guts centric title Gears Of War 2.
    Poor ole Rare, I think that release date is commercial suicide :/
    Edited by 1 at 20/08/08 @ 11:04

  • miiiguel #21 4 years ago

    No doubt, and I don't agree with the claim that Gears is but a hardcore title. Many of my sorta-casual friends when they talk about 360 they usually remember "oh Halo and Gears, right?"

  • BBIAJ #22 4 years ago

    @ kinky_mong:

    Actually, it is free:

    http://ga merscoreblog.com/press/archive/...

  • miiiguel #23 4 years ago

    kin_mong and more:
    "Also revealed today is that everyone that pre-orders the retail game at participating retailers will receive a free download code for the XBLA rendition of the original Banjo-Kazooie. However, in something that has never been done on XBLA before, those that pre-order Banjo-Kazooie will be able to use their free download codes weeks before the game's actual release to the public."

    ooops, too late... ;)
    Edited by 1 at 20/08/08 @ 11:29

  • peteb #24 4 years ago

    I reckon this will sell way more than Gears 2...in Germany :)

    No danger of stealing the spotlight here: It'll be interesting to see how much they push Nuts & Bolts here since the advertising budget doesn't have to take care of Gears 2.

  • kinky_mong #25 4 years ago

    ^ I stand corrected.

    Looking on the bright side though, with N&B being released so close to Gears at least the multiplayer in N&B will be a much more pleasant place while the racist neanderthals are busy screaming at each other on Epic's over-rated game.

  • sd99 #26 4 years ago

    How much is it gonna be over in the UK? £29.99?

  • locus2k1 #27 4 years ago

    @ Miiguel

    accordin to lionhead studios it was game and gamestation that were meant to send out promotional codes that allowed those who pre-ordered Fable II so they could get the pub games for free when they were released. The day before the XBLA was out the states got their codes, but no sign in the UK.

    Lionhead studios quickly removed the statement for the codes in the uk from their site, and its been touch and go since... a lot of pre-order-ers have contacted game and gamestation, all getting a number of different responses:

    "we are not doing the codes"
    "we are doing the codes, but you should have them by tuesday (yesterday)"
    "we are doing the codes, you should get them by next week"

    Its just been one big confusion, so i decided just to go back and get my CE pre-ordered with play.com lol just get the game for free on the day of release is fine with me :D with a collection of low reviews why pay for it :p


    Now back to BK, its great to see this type of deal again (even if its just for the US), but please can there be better communication to us here in Europe? with recent news of the huge boom in software sales accross europe, and being told we are important customers, it would be nice to feel like we are so a little bit more often. Don't get me wrong, they have certainly been improving... i'm just a picky bastard :D
    Edited by 2 at 20/08/08 @ 15:49