Xbox Studio Rare “Very Happy” with Banjo-Kazooie for Switch

It was a sweet and bitter moment yesterday when Banjo Kazooie You’ve accessed the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack Service.

It’s great to see the legendary British developer duo returning to the Nintendo platform after such a long time. It’s now been nearly 20 years since Microsoft acquired Rare, and nearly 24 years since the original Banjo Kazooie was released on the N64 if you’re counting.

Leigh Loveday, a writer and designer who joined Rare in the 1990s, used the Switch Online version of the game to reflect on the company’s Nintendo era — noting that Rare was “so excited” to be back with his old buddies working together to bring Bird and Bear for a new generation of Nintendo:

“The issue of rare classic games returning to the Switch audience has been around for a long time, so we’re excited to be working with Nintendo to bring Bear and Fly to this platform.”

And in case you were wondering, the Switch version is the “original” N64, as many will remember:

Keen to keep the game just as it was along with the other available titles, this Banjo-Kazooie version is the original Nintendo 64 as you remember it. And if you grew up with a next-gen console, we can do it. I can’t wait to see a new wave. Full of players being turned into a washing machine by Mumbo Jumbo, get away from Snacker the Shark and enjoy Grunty’s Furnace Fun for the first time ever.”

In addition to the kind words shared on Rare’s blog, here are some other posts shared by Rare and some of the team members who have worked on Banjo-Kazooie:

These days, Rare is arguably best known for its live Xbox and PC gaming service. sea ​​of ​​thieves. The team is currently working on that too always wildA wonderful title shrouded in mystery.

Will you try Banjo-Kazooie on Switch this weekend? What other rare N64-generation games would you like to see on the Nintendo hybrid platform? Tell us below.