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Banjo-Kazooie XBLA slips to December

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.