Rare talks Banjo 360

By Robert Purchese Published 19 February, 2007

New world, new tech.

Rare concept artist Ryan Stevenson has been blabbing about Banjo Kazooie for Xbox 360, telling us to expect a whole new world built on new, next-generation technology.

"We're creating a new Banjo world but with the same characters as before," he told Gametrailers in a recent interview. "It's been many years since Banjo was around and a lot has changed. There is a lot of new tech that we can pour into the world now, making it a richer place."

Stevenson remained shut-mouthed over most other information, but did hint at super-witch Gruntilda's addition in the game, as well as the exclusion of the "Stop 'n' Swap" function.

Banjo Kazooie originally appeared in 1998 on the N64, and followed the adventures of a bear called Banjo and a bird named Kazooie. Together, using each others unique abilities, the duo could overcome any platform puzzle the game presented them with.

It's also worth noting that this will be Rare's first game to originate on Xbox 360. Kameo and Perfect Dark Zero both began life on GameCube, whilst Viva Pinata was originally planned for Xbox 1.

Banjo concept footage was shown at last year's X06, you can find the clip elswhere on the internet.

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 (42) Latest comment 5 years ago

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

  • Der_tolle_Emil #1 5 years ago

    I hope this will be good! Banjo Kazooie on the N64 was a great game, one of the best platformers ever. Banjo Tooie was dissappointing, especially because it ran with what, like 10 frames per second? Nice draw distance though.

  • morriss #2 5 years ago

    Release this year? Come on Rare! Pull your finger out!!

  • lambtron #3 5 years ago

    "Kameo was originally a GameCube venture, whilst Perfect Dark Zero and Viva Pinata started life on Xbox 1."

    Wait just one minute - I thought PDZ also originated on the cube?

  • rolika #4 5 years ago

    now this is worth buying a 360

  • dog2_99 #5 5 years ago

    yep PDZ started life on the Gamecube!

  • Weezer #6 5 years ago

    Totally agree. Assuming Rare don't (1) balls it up, and (2) take so long it finally appears on the Xbox 720 just as the market is in decline, it should be a beautiful 3D romp. I loved both of the Banjo games - Tooie could have been a bit more imaginative structure and mechanism-wise, but it still rocked.

    Bring it on.

  • kissthestick #7 5 years ago

    Although they havent lived up to their past glory, im really looking forward to seeing Banjo 3, and Viva Pinata definetly interests me although ive yet to play it

    i'll defeintly buy those two games when i pick up a 360 finally this summer


    props to RARE bringing diversity to the 360 platform, im nearly 20 years old and still love the cutesy "kiddy" games they make!

  • Snooz #8 5 years ago

    Dang! So there's no "Banjo Guitar Hero" on the horizon? Rats!

  • Dizzy #9 5 years ago

    "props to RARE bringing diversity to the 360 platform, im nearly 20 years old and still love the cutesy "kiddy" games they make! "

    Dude.. 20 is still a kid ;)

  • CitizenGeek #10 5 years ago

    Meh.....Having the FFXII advert on EG is great, huh?

  • Anthony_UK #11 5 years ago

    Maybe its me.......but baring in mind Banjo and Killer Instinct 3 have both been confirmed, i really don't understand why this has got all the attention while theres been nothing on KI3??

    Now i can understand the whole trying to aim certain games towards kids angle etc which is probably answering my own question and is probably the reason why, but come on at least give us something to chew on!!!!

  • Darren #12 5 years ago

    Banjo-Kazooie is my favourite platform game of all time and I rate it higher even than Super Mario 64. I loved it so much I completed it 100% twice! I have very high hopes for the Xbox 360 version... I hope Rare don't let me down. I'm not to keen on the new-look Banjo and Kazooie though as seen in the trailer...

  • Lagto_Soa #13 5 years ago

    i really don't understand why this has got all the attention while theres been nothing on KI3

    Probably because Killer Instinct 3 hasn't been confirmed, unless you count the rumours column of some bollocks rag as Official Confirmation. If you can show me anything more concrete than that I'd be very surprised.

  • peterfll #14 5 years ago

    Viva P and Kameo are quite graphically impressive, I'm not sure that either game suffered much from starting out on another platform?

  • spongebob #15 5 years ago

    I dunno, I think Rare is sorta passe.

  • Dizzy #16 5 years ago

    >I dunno, I think Rare is sorta passe.

    I think spongebob is a bit passé as well. Plenty of new hobbies out there mate.
    Edited by 1 at 19/02/07 @ 14:00

  • woodnotes #17 5 years ago

    Considering the Banjo team have been working on this since GBTG, it better come out this year! Can't be doing with waiting years upon years for sequels form Rare when Insomniac could crank out a great R&C sequel every other year.

    And Kameo was EXTREMELY graphically impressive. The textures are insane. It's hard to believe it started out as an XBOX 1 game, and was ported over in a matter of months. Can't wait to see what they can do with the Kameo sequel, or indeed, Banjo.
    Edited by 1 at 19/02/07 @ 14:04

  • Anthony_UK #18 5 years ago

    Lagto

    Last months (at least i think it was) Issue of Games TM had it (KI3) down in there coming in 07 feature.

    Wouldn't exactly call it concrete, but it was surrounded by other games that i'd either heard of or had already been announced. So they must of got the info from somewere and Games TM arn't usually the type to go off Rumour only.........
    Edited by 2 at 19/02/07 @ 14:31

  • The-Bodybuilder #19 5 years ago

    >"Wouldn't exactly call it concrete, but it was surrounded by other games that i'd either heard of or had already been announced. So they must of got the info from somewere and Games TM arn't usually the type to go off Rumour only......... "

    In other words, it actually hasn't been officially confirmed yet.

  • Sko #20 5 years ago

    New world, new tech... same boring old collect-a-thon?

  • Xerx3s #21 5 years ago

    VP has restored every bit of my confidence in rare being able to pull this one off.

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #22 5 years ago

    Ah yes, sorry about the PDZ and Kameo origins burp. Story updated to point toward real humble beginnings.

  • SuperBas #23 5 years ago

    I still want to use the eggs I found in Banjo-Kazooie.

  • DUFFKING #24 5 years ago

    After VP I have high hopes for this.

  • Anthony_UK #25 5 years ago

    > In other words, it actually hasn't been officially confirmed yet.

    Okay, Okay maybe confirmed was the wrong phrase to use, but what i'm trying to say is that, with KI3 being mentioned in a coming 07 feature in Games TM, this in turn gives me a very good reason for be to believe that it will be coming at some point, obviously it may not but i'd be suprised if it were something that someone has just thought up of for the sake of it.

    All i'm trying to say is why make such a big deal about one, and not the other when they are both for far off anyway?

  • Xerx3s #26 5 years ago

    I would be surprised if they didn't release KI on XBLa.

  • LeD #27 5 years ago

    @kissthestick

    Make sure you buy Viva Piñata when you do pick up your 360, it really is very good and unique!

  • spongebob #28 5 years ago

    Rare is one of the companies you need to really be fan of if you want to enjoy their games to the fullest.

    Dizzy, thanks for turning an opinion about a game company into a personal grudge :) Very mature.

  • The-Bodybuilder #29 5 years ago

    >"All i'm trying to say is why make such a big deal about one, and not the other when they are both for far off anyway? "

    Because one has been confirmed, the other hasn't. :o)

  • Anthony_UK #30 5 years ago

    You know what i mean you big tease!

  • #31 5 years ago

    I'm not to keen on the new-look Banjo and Kazooie though as seen in the trailer...

    You just know, that like Perfect Dark Zero, Rare will will mess up the art direction that made the original so popular and aim for some Americanised avant-garde cartoon-anime-south park crap that just won't work.

    Those in-the-know also realise that, like Viva-pinata, this new Banjo will just tank and later used as shovel-ware for some DS conversion.

    I think Rare are going through an identity crisis - shoe-horning family-friendly retrospective IP into a hardcore console.
    Edited by 2 at 19/02/07 @ 19:15

  • SBfistfun #32 5 years ago

    Just keep on shovelling the same shit.

    /Dies of bordem
    /Somebody sprinkles magic shiny powder on corpse
    /comes back as same person only shiny
    Welcome to the next gen me

  • Lother #33 5 years ago

    Rare DIED when fargin Microsoftc*cks bought them. THANK YOU Microsoftc*cks for taking away that Rare magic from the world, I can't fargin' thank you enough for that. Why in FOCK'S sake did Rare let themselves be bought off by those PRICKS who clearly just bought them so Ninty wouldn't have KILLER games. Gates, I got one for you right here!

  • smelly #34 5 years ago

    Lother: Sheesh.. you need to chill out man.

    Obviously being a "nearly" 1st party nintendo dev meant that nintendo could have input into the games - which obviously helped them a lot.

    But thats not to say they cant make good games without nintendo (look at pianta).

    I have high hopes for this..

  • floppylobster #35 5 years ago

    "Rare DIED when fargin Microsoftc*cks bought them."

    Rare's died when half the Goldeneye programming team left to do Timesplitters for PS2.

    They had their glory period of Goldeneye, Diddy Kong Racing and Banjo-Kazooie. But nothing they released after that was as good

    Perfect Dark (10/10 for ideas, 3/10 for level design).
    Donkey Kong 64 (collect 100 items and repeat until bored).
    Star Fox Adventures (all graphics, no gameplay).

    It's true their Microsoft output is worse than their Nintendo days. But Viva Piñata is all right - (except for that fucking annoyingly patronising bitch who gives out the instructions).

  • smelly #36 5 years ago

    I only played pinanta for a little while.. but the robot or machine or something made me laugh with it's name (which i cant remember now)

  • smelly #37 5 years ago

    @Anthony_uk "And Kameo was EXTREMELY graphically impressive. The textures are insane. It's hard to believe it started out as an XBOX 1 game, and was ported over in a matter of months"


    It didnt, it started as a cube game.

    And if you think they ported it over to the 360 in a matter of months you're being naieve to say the least.. They're a first party microsoft developer.. They'd get devkits/specifications long before everyone else (probably up to 2 years before the hardware release).

  • JayScott #38 5 years ago

    @ floppylobster

    You're kidding yourself. Framerate mulitplayer issues aside, PD was the pinnacle of Rare's achievements on the 64. Easily the best console FPS of that generation, and stands up pretty damn well against the best of the next two generations as well. Add to that the engaging and challenging - though admittedly not to everyone's taste - Jet Force Gemini which you didn't even mention and I'd say Rare did okay.
    Edited by 1 at 20/02/07 @ 01:28

  • Moggo #39 5 years ago

    No FPS has topped Perfect Dark yet, in my opinion. Nothing.

    It had a magic that no game has been able to re-create.

    And why the hell can't anybody recreate realistic hit-detection and death animations, ala Perfect Dark?

    It's been 7 years you twats.

  • yagisencho #40 5 years ago

    Wow, I hadn't seen the concept video until now.

    *weeps tears of joy*

  • Lumines #41 5 years ago

    Viva was first being developed for the PDA not xbox.

  • freedumb #42 5 years ago

    'Obviously being a "nearly" 1st party nintendo dev meant that nintendo could have input into the games - which obviously helped them a lot.'

    I think they were talented enough to take credit for the games themselves, this false perception that due to being 2nd party Nintendo held their hand is a bit silly. A lot of people ahve left Rare since, they are not the same company so it'll take a while before they hit their stride under Microsoft, it's already starting to happen with Viva.
    Edited by 1 at 20/02/07 @ 15:23