Developer Toys for Bob has once again shared its desire to make a new game in Banjo-Kazooie series. Banjo-Kazooie fans have been begging to see the series return for nearly two decades, but Xbox has left the series dormant following the release of Nuts and bolts 2008. The reception of that game was mostly mixed, and original series developer Rare has largely focused on Sea of Thieves in the years since.
Rare was acquired by Xbox in 2002, and many of the developer's most popular properties on the N64 have largely been an afterthought in the decades since. Franchising as Banjo-Kazooie, Jet Force Geminiand Conker's Bad Fur Day remain playable on Xbox platforms thanks to Rare repeatbut little else has been done with them for years. A Perfectly dark reboot was canceled in 2025, and fans of Rare's N64 era have had no reason to celebrate.
Toys for Bob still want to make a banjo kazooie game
Toys for Bob is evolving Spyro: A Realm Beyondbut the studio was recently asked about its previously stated desire to make one Banjo-Kazooie game. Speaking with Kinda Funny Games, associate creative director Louis Studdert and studio head Paul Yan revealed how passionate the team is about the rare property. It was a long time ago Banjo-Kazooie game was released, but the developers still think it would be “awesome” to make another entry in the series.
“It's a franchise that we love. As platform fans, Banjo's top of the heap. We have some huge, huge fans of that franchise on our staff — I'm talking, they have Jiggie as their profile picture, kind of thing. They're that level of fan. If the opportunity ever came up, that would be amazing. We love the franchise.”
“If you look at the review of the types of games we like to make, I imagine that's part of that base as well. I think [those characters] as timeless. They're iconic, and I think the kinds of games we want to produce are ones that speak to a timeless place in the player as well, a timeless place – we call it “the inner child”. So I think they're wonderful games, we're big fans.”
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Toys for Bob has a passion for developing mascot platform games, having previously worked with Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the dragon. The team seems like a strong fit for Rare's 3D platformer, and they're not the only ones interested; original composer Grant Kirkhope still hopes to create the score for a new one Banjo-Kazooie. However, the decision to make a new game in the series remains in the hands of Xbox, and the company seems to be putting all the focus on its biggest properties. It means Halo, Gears of War, Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, Fall-outand The Elder Scrolls prioritized above all else.
While Banjo-Kazooie may not be a top priority on Xbox at the moment, it could work in favor of Toys for Bob. The studio became independent after the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, but has a positive relationship with Xbox. Having a proven independent studio interested in making a new one Banjo-Kazooie games can make it less of a risk for Xbox, as opposed to the company having to dedicate its own internal resources.
Xbox clearly hasn't forgotten about the series, as it continues to license Banjo-Kazooie products and goods. There's a lot less risk involved in re-releasing older games and making new toys and plushies as opposed to developing a new game, but it's more than fans of Jet Force Gemini or Blast Corps have received over the years. There may just come a day when Toys for Bob gets its wish to make a new one Banjo-Kazooie game, but fans will just have to wait patiently to see what the future holds.
- Released
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June 28, 1998
- ESRB
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E for everyone
- Publisher
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Nintendo
