Rare might be the legendary developer behind masterpieces like GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark, but let us not forget about Banjo-Kazooie. Rare is paying homage to their beloved Nintendo 64 3D platforming game because it’s celebrating a 20-year anniversary this month. Not surprisingly, they managed to squeeze their new game Sea of Thieves into this celebration as well. More than simply reminiscing about Banjo-Kazooie, Rare comes bearing gifts to celebrate one of their most successful franchises.
Games that were developed 20 years ago enjoyed a much different freedom. The grind of pumping games out quickly wasn’t as important as getting the game done right. No such thing as patches for a cartridge based console, so rushing a game out the door to fix later was not an option. With this in mind, Rare posted an interesting behind-the-scenes interview with Gregg Mayles who was the main designer and creative force behind Banjo-Kazooie, along with an older video that reveals five things you didn’t know about the game.
Rare is obviously taking this opportunity to push their new game Sea of Thieves and have managed to find a way to bring Banjo-Kazooie into their latest game. Starting next week, in Sea of Thieves you can stop by any shipwright and buy a Bear & Bird Figurehead for your ship at a cost of 1998 gold. You have until the end of July to grab one of these celebratory treats so don’t delay.
Video game merch and collectables are a big thing these days and Rare certainly didn’t want to miss out here. You can see a teaser video and amazing images of an upcoming Banjo-Kazooie statue that is going to be available for pre-order starting July 6 at 7 pm UK time from First 4 Figures. If you dare, check out the price on that statue! Rare is also going to be releasing smaller (and more affordable) collectibles in a Totaku form featuring both Banjo and Kazooie. If you fancy something you can wear, a T-shirt available to buy now that features the Banjo-Kazooie cave painting that is found in Sea of Thieves. Lastly, a celebratory anniversary tin print license plate is coming in the near future via the way of LootCrate.com.
If playing this classic is what you crave, Rare is quick to point out that you can get a Game Pass trial which gives you access to the remastered versions of Banjo-Kazooie and the follow-up game Banjo-Tooie via Xbox Live. Oh, and don’t dismiss a game that is dated by today’s standards. These classic games look great in their high definition remastered form and it would certainly be a mistake to think older games are simple or less complex. Just be prepared to swallow your pride as you resort to a cheat guide to get through the many puzzles and challenges on a game that may be older than some of you reading this.
