The hardest secret CVG has ever had to keep is finally out in the open: Rare's original N64 Banjo-Kazooie is coming to Xbox Live Arcade in its entirety, Nintendo logos and all!
We travelled to Microsoft last week to see the XBLA version in action, which is being ported externally by a third-party developer.
Visually it's benefited massively from a boost in resolution, and Banjo's model seems to have been touched up in-game as well.
Essentially, Banjo is untouched from the 1998 N64 original. Boot it up, and Mumbo plays away on a big, Nintendo-branded xylophone. Skip to the menus and Banjo will even have a go on his Gameboy. We've no idea how this is legally allowed to happen but we're glad it is.
Achievements and leaderboards are a mandatory addition to the Xbox Live Arcade version, but in our chat Rare hinted that the infamous 'Stop 'n Swap' feature vetoed from the N64 version could make a come back. "We can't say anything", they told us when quizzed on the feature.
Rare's hoping to get Banjo XBLA out before the release of Nuts 'n Bolts, which still has as a temporary release date at the end of the year. More soon.
Very good. Wonder why they can release this but not Goldeneye. Real quality Live game at last. Still not the 'change the way you play games' announcement that we were promised... must be on its way.
Wonder why they can release this but not Goldeneye. Real quality Live game at last
I think that was more to do with the complications with the Bond licence. I mean, I wouldn't like to be the lawyer trying to sort that out: the game was originally made by Rare and published by Nintendo on their own console. Rare are now owned by Microsoft, and they want to release one of Nintendo's greatest games on their console, which is a rival to Nintendo's hardware. Added to the fact that Activision now own the Bond rights, I think it was too much of a licencing headache.
Yes it is all down to the licensing issue, but where there is a will there is a way. Why dont they just split the profits 3 ways between, MS, Ninty and Activision. That way we can all be happy playing our online death matches on one the greatest shooters of all time!
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