Banjo-Kazooie XBLA slips to December

By Tom Bramwell Published 20 November, 2008

Giving N&B pre-orders more time with it.

Microsoft has reportedly delayed the general release of Banjo-Kazooie on Xbox Live Arcade until 3rd December.

Banjo-Kazooie is actually hidden away on XBLA right now as part of a two-week exclusive for people who pre-ordered Nuts & Bolts, which came out last Friday.

However, after 1UP published a report about people who hadn't been given their unlock codes, Microsoft said the date had been knocked back a week for the rest of us.

We've contacted Microsoft to find out what European gamers should do if they haven't been given their code, but retailers including Zavvi in the UK were planning to email them to customers within a few days of Nuts & Bolts going on sale. Any problems, Eurogamers?

Meanwhile, Microsoft in the US said the number who missed out due to cock-ups "represents a small fraction of the total number of pre-order customers", and advises those who did miss out to take it up with the original retailer.

The platform holder also pointed out that the new 3rd December date "extends the exclusive window for our pre-order customers another week".

When it goes live on 3rd December, Banjo-Kazooie will cost 1200 Microsoft Points to you and I (which is also GBP 10.20 / EUR 14.40 to you and I - we have so much in common), and resurrects the long-dormant Swop 'N Swop functionality that unlocks elements in both Banjos as you make progress.

We'll have a review of the Xbox Live Arcade version up soon, but in the meantime check out our Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts review to see how Rare's latest fared.

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.

You may also like...

Comments (32) Latest comment 3 years ago

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

  • JonFE #1 3 years ago

    Well, I'm glad I got my code in time :) Thanks play.com!

  • chrisjm #2 3 years ago

    got my code thursday night before release. great game! looking forward to banjo tooie as i never played that.

  • Darren #3 3 years ago

    Well the first thing I downloaded last night when I got back online with NXE was Banjo-Kazooie XBLA. Thank goodness the Redeem Code thing worked because accessing the Marketplace was nigh on impossible due to errors.

    Anyway, this game is the best XBLA title ever... I was playing the game for almost four hours last night, something I very rarely do with any other XBLA game. But then this is one of my favourite games of all time and this port is just about perfect, faithful yet subtly improved to make it better even than the N64 original. For one thing, it now supports widescreen like the sequel, Banjo-Tooie, did on the N64 and the audio is DD5.1 so it sounds wonderful. Also area transitions are quicker and the graphics have 4X anti-aliasing which gives it a pleasant clean, sharp look even if the textures and modelling is unchanged. It is still a great looking game though thanks to terrific art work and exemplary use of colour. In fact, the colour is so vivid that it nearly gorged my eyes out, more so than the new Nuts & Bolts game!!! I noticed the draw distance was longer with less noticeable fade-in of trees and enemies plus the framerate was less stodgy. My only cripes are the changes to the font used in the game, it looks a bit ugly and was an unnecessary change IMO.

    Overall though, this is a fantastic game and is highly recommended to anyone after a good value XBLA game or anyone who loves the Banjo-Kazooie games full-stop. I'm so glad I didn't have to wait for it though! :D
    Edited by 1 at 20/11/08 @ 10:38

  • Darren #4 3 years ago

    Oh and the controls are absolutely perfect too, in fact I found it easier to play than I did the N64 original thanks to the excellent design of the 360 controller.

  • Darren #5 3 years ago

    Finally... 10/10!!! :D

  • Canyarion #6 3 years ago

    I'll be replaying it on the N64 next christmas.

  • Toothball #7 3 years ago

    Hmm, every time someone mentions this I want to play it again. Finished it quite a few times on N64, so one more probably won't hurt.

  • JonFE #8 3 years ago

    Darren, since you are familiar with the N64 original, did it not support up or down camera movement? It's one thing that felt strange with this port.

  • Penguinzoot #9 3 years ago

    Any problems, Eurogamers?

    Yeah. I pre-ordered BK:N&B from Game and they have flatly refused to give me a redeem code for BK. Not happy.

    :/
    Edited by 1 at 20/11/08 @ 10:28

  • ayrtonsenna #10 3 years ago

    FFS

  • Tricky #11 3 years ago

    The camera controls are the same as they were in the original N64 version - the same as they were in SM64 in fact as they used the same scheme; up and down on the stick control the zoom level of the camera on Banjo.

    This is why it always pays to use the first person view when you enter a new room - to see the objects in the air that you wouldn't otherwise have done :-)

  • menage #12 3 years ago

    Whoo, on my birthday.

  • Darren #13 3 years ago

    @JonFE - You mean the first person view which can be accessed by pressing Y but, sadly, has inverted camera controls for me?

    Or do you mean being able to move the camera up and down in the standard view? No, I don't think the game had that, you could only move it left or right and had to use first person to look around. You can zoom in or out with the third person view though by holding down either bumper button and pressing up or down on the analogue stick so you might find that helpful.

    *EDIT*
    I see Tricky has already answered... so, yeah, use the first person view as much as possible, particularly as some areas have fixed camera angles, e.g. Mumbo Jumbo's hut. In fact, I didn't realise how many fixed angles there were in this game and at times the camera can get confused causing you to enter somewhere you've just left. I never found it a problem at that time but I guess the third-person camera has improved drastically since then so Banjo-Kazooie's now appears a bit flawed.
    Edited by 1 at 20/11/08 @ 10:37

  • miiiguel #14 3 years ago

    I have the code, haven't tried it yet. While I am aware that I sound like an Amazon.co.uk fanboy, I must, yet again, recomend their services, they sent me the code right after me preorder. Same shit when I pre-ordered Infinite Undiscovery (won all types of wood and cloth..., kinda lame, meh...).

  • Ignatius_Cheese #15 3 years ago

    It really is a cracking game this but has anyone noticed that, weirdly, it feels like you are playing a DS game? It may be just me...

  • Darren #16 3 years ago

    Since when has the DS been able to do texture smoothing?!? LOL

    Looks and feels like an N64 game running in high-definition with AA and a better framerate to me but then that's exactly what it *is*.

  • JonFE #17 3 years ago

    Tricky and Darren, thanks for clearing this up!

    As you probably guessed (should have made myself clear) I was talking about the standard view - to be honest, I've only used the first person view once by accident, but I'll take Tricky's recommendation at heart and start using it regularly, once I properly sink my teeth into this game :)

  • ken694 #18 3 years ago

    I preordered from Play.com just b/c of the preorder bonus. 20th of november here and still no email with the code in my inbox, while others already got it.
    I'm calling Play.com right now and telling them this is my last preorder on their site if I don't get my code today.

    Sincerely,
    pissed off

  • Xerx3s #19 3 years ago

    I have it! \0/

    It's awesome.

  • gribbley #20 3 years ago

    Redemption code turned up from Zavvi just fine and I've not even bothered unwrapping Nuts n Bolts yet. Lovely conversion but I'm wondering if it's a Project64 emulation with patched assets as it slows down in the same spots as P64V1.6, i.e when some of the HUDs or text messages are rendered and when you're underwater. If it is, I wonder if this means we can expect Blast Corps or other Rare N64 IP on XBLA

  • Darren #21 3 years ago

    @JonFE - To be honest, despite having completed Banjo-Kazooie twice and 100% too, I rarely used the first-person camera except to gawp at the (then) magnificent visuals. Actually the graphics are still remarkably good, particularly compared with more other XBLA games, and I was surprised that it didn't look that dated. But then I am a huge fan so I'm perhaps more forgiving! LOL

    Playing this game is making me yearn for Banjo-Tooie even more, a game I believe is also coming to XBLA next February. Although I have played the game briefly on my PC via the naughtiness of a downloaded ROM and the Project64 emulator, I never actually played it on the N64 as I sold it prior to the game's release. The emulation wasn't too great so, for me, Banjo-Tooie will feel pretty much like a brand new game and, as such, I can't wait to play it.

    More old Rare classic please, Microsoft/Rare!!! How about Jet Force Gemini or Blast Corps.?

  • RedSparrows #22 3 years ago

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I wanted this so bad. Didn't order N&B so no code and was hoping against reality that it might somehow have popped up yesterday. Awww man I want to sink yet more countless hours into it :(

  • RedSparrows #23 3 years ago

    and ditto with Banjo Tooie, never played it properly, so want.

    Jet Force Gemini would make me squeal a lot. YES PLX.

  • jambolio #24 3 years ago

    I havent been given or sent my code. Boohoo.

  • Oceadge #25 3 years ago

    I got two codes - one when I pre-ordered the game and another when I picked the game up when it came out here yesterday. It is only "valid in Australia and New Zealand". Do you know if it'll work with an Australian Live account from another country? I'd like to be able to give it to my nephew in Ireland.

    BTW it's still a great game - well worth buying if you haven't got it free. Nuts & Bolts is far better than I expected too.

  • DrDamn #26 3 years ago

    This is a bit of a weird move. Piss off one lot of customers by not getting the codes out when you said you would and "rectify" that by pissing off a load more of your customers...

  • Landmaster #27 3 years ago

    I've not had my code from GayStation yet ):

  • BadBoyBonner #28 3 years ago

    "I'm wondering if it's a Project64 emulation with patched assets"

    Would be nice if they offered the use of one of the hires texture packs (or made one themselves).

    Obviously the ultimate Stop'n'Swap would be, if the N&B disc is in the machine, it uses the assets from it in the Original Games.

  • firefly #29 3 years ago

    Great emulation but I've got to say I'm not that impressed with Stop 'n' Swop. Seems all you get is some decorative parts for your vehicles. Maybe something more interesting will come of it once I've got everything.

    Can't wait for Banjo Tooie though, only gave it the one playthough on the N64.

  • cyber_nicco #30 3 years ago

    I got my code from Amazon before they even shipped my product - could have probably canceled and had it for free, but I am actually LOOKING FORWARD to playing Nuts & Bolts.

  • yagisencho #31 3 years ago

    THIS is the Banjo Kazooie title that I've been looking forward to playing (again). It's been ten years...the air is thick with nostalgia. The musical medley in the N&B demo alone nearly had me in tears of glee.

  • whoslotte #32 3 years ago

    Well I must say I'm gutted. Got my game from Play.com and was sent my code a few days after. Since then I've tried to enter the code maybe a dozen times and every time it tells me the code is invalid. I've emailed play.com customer services twice and had no reply. What a pile of sh*t.

    Anyone else get screwed like this too ?
    Edited by 1 at 24/11/08 @ 19:55