Rare: Banjo not a racing game

By Emma Boyes, GameSpot UKPosted May 12, 2008 6:00 am PT

After leaked screenshots appear on the Internet ahead of the official unveiling, a Rare rep is quick to point out that all has not yet been revealed.

Microsoft's Rare dinghy sprang a few leaks over the weekend, as the Internet was awash with screenshots from the upcoming Banjo-Kazooie. The screens show several different vehicles, including a jeep, a plane, and what looks like a flying cauldron.

Tomorrow? But we're hyperactive now!

However, a Rare representative was quick to stress that the latest Banjo won't be a racing game. He told GameSpot, "Please don't jump to any conclusions because you haven't seen the half of it yet. You're better off waiting for tomorrow when we will talk about it in much more detail. You can't really tell the gameplay mechanics from a screenshot, and it's the gameplay mechanics which are going to blow people away tomorrow." Tomorrow, Microsoft will hold a Gamers' Day event in San Francisco.

The first Banjo-Kazooie was released in 1998 on the Nintendo 64, and featured a bear called Banjo and a bird named Kazooie on an action adventure to rescue Banjo's sister Tooty. A sequel followed in 2000, also for the Nintendo 64, called Banjo-Tooie, where the sisters of witch Gruntilda Winkybunion are planning to get her a new body. This was followed by Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge, and Banjo-Pilot. The next-gen iteration of the franchise was announced back in 2006 at Microsoft's X06 press conference.

137 Comments

  • grant4500neo

    Posted Oct 20, 2008 5:35 pm PT

    Why can't they keep it for Nintendo. Keep it for all those classic players.
    If us Nintendo fans get lucky, they will multi-platform it.

  • Alabama_Dark_Ma

    Posted May 22, 2008 1:28 am PT

    Hope the lack of input from the Stamper bros. doesn't mean a second rate game here. I have been looking forward to playing Banjo Threeie for soooo long. A racer (or platform / racer hybrid) isn't what I had in mind. Also I hope that the humour from the first two has been retained. Come on Rare - let's not have another Viva Pinata that was rubbish. Oh yeah and where's Killer instinct for the 360 ? UUULLLTTRRRAAACCCOOOMMMMBBBBOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

  • Megavideogamer

    Posted May 14, 2008 12:05 pm PT

    You just know the Rare is going to **** this up! Banjo-Kazooie Nut's & Bolts is going to Bomb.

  • robcox1980

    Posted May 14, 2008 9:01 am PT

    Many overly optimistic people are taking the sit back and watch approach hoping that it's not what it looks like, a vehicle design game with a small emphasis on the actual character, Banjo-Kazooie. However it is confirmed from the official RAREWARE.com site that the game will DROP the original "core gameplay mechanics" of Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie and focus MAINLY on vehicle design as the CORE gameplay mechanics. Yes, sure, it will be fun, I have no doubt. BUT BUT BUT. We're not getting what original fans wanted, a true Banjo-Threeie. That's it, no debate required.

  • DukeNukeForever

    Posted May 14, 2008 7:28 am PT

    And lets not forget (or try at least not to forget) Zelda and Metroid on the Wii................................ and how.......................BRILLIANT...THEY WERE!!! AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!

  • DukeNukeForever

    Posted May 14, 2008 7:06 am PT

    Killerfalcon13 got very upset because I attacked his beloved crappy console YOU ARE THE FANBOY!! I haven't defended any consoles at all - I have made criticisms on what I think is truly the weakest console of the bunch WHICH IS THE NINTENDO WII. ACCEPT IT A** WIPE!! YOUR CONSOLE IS S***!! ONLY OLD PEOPLE AND STUPID KIDS LIKE YOURSELF PLAY IT!! THE ONLY REASON YOUR CONSOLE HAD SOLD WELL IS BECAUSE RETARDED OLD MR. JONES BOUGHT ONE AND SAID "OOHHH!! I CAN BOWL AND PLAY SPORTS AT HOME BECAUSE I'M AN OLD LAZY FARMER"

  • DukeNukeForever

    Posted May 14, 2008 6:58 am PT

    Mario Kart Wii & Super Smash Bros. Brawl are definitely not as pleasing or selling as well as Nintendo had hoped - and the Wii sales are NOT picking up - it is obvious that biased Banjo-Kazooie Nintendo fans from the golden days, especially Killerfalcon13, cannot accept that their console is starting to fall miserably short of the mark. Name one franchise left that will help the Wii in its lifetime? None - they've used the whole batch, Mario, Smash Bros, Battalion Wars, Pokemon - The Wii has used all of its big guns to LITTLE effect (and now they pray that sega will save them with Samba De Amigo and ubisoft with another terrible Red Steel Sequel) face it, the Wii will only decline from here on in. See the sense past your incredibly biased Nintendo-filled eyes.

  • robcox1980

    Posted May 13, 2008 3:21 pm PT

    DEAR Banjo Fans. Let's move this over to www.RAREWARE.com Let's see if we can't wake a couple CEO's up over there. Remember when PS3 was going to have the crazy looking boomerang controller? Enough people complained and that problem got solved. Cross your fingers, go to www.RAREWARE.com and start speaking your minds. Let's get back our Banjo series! One of, if not, the best platformer series.

  • Stonetowerghost

    Posted May 13, 2008 3:03 pm PT

    even so, the focus on vehicles seems far too heavy

  • AvIdGaMeR444

    Posted May 13, 2008 2:30 pm PT

    robcox1980: The article specifically said that Banjo IS NOT A RACING GAME.

  • robcox1980

    Posted May 13, 2008 1:33 pm PT

    HUGELY DISAPPOINTED. The ONLY transportation Banjo needs is Kazooie's ultra fit wings. NOW we're stuck with some 2nd rate racer that would have ZERO chance of success if it were'nt riding on the back of the Banjo-Kazooie name.

    STRAIGHT CRAP! This absolutely sucks. So everyone, remember the first teaser trailer? RARE made us think it was Banjo 3 for the past 2 years. Now we are slapped square in the face with what they should just call Banjo-Pilot 2. This sucks. Absolutely sucks. HEY RARE, you ever hear of Mario Galaxy? Yeah, that is called nexgen platforming. That's what the new Banjo game should be. I'm not usually one to count chickens before they hatch, but this game is going to pale in to comparison to anything RARE could have done if they stuck to a true platformer. STUPID. Absolutely horribly stupid. What happened? Why did it take this long to make a friggin racer? For one, I am extremely upset. RARE, GIVE US BANJO-THREEIE!

    RARE, look at the numbers:
    Banjo-Kazooie Gamespot Score - 9.5
    Banjo-Tooie Gamespot Score - 9.6
    Banjo-Pilot (a not well known Banjo game) Gamespot Score - 7.2 Ok, are you ready RARE? Here's my prediction of the future.
    Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts (RARE should just call it Banjo-Pilot 2) Gamespot Score? - 7.5
    Now here's what a majority of gamers wanted.
    Banjo-Threeie Gamespot Score - 9.5

    This is how you can tell the brothers who formed RARE left the company. Obviously they wanted nothing to do with the way things are going. Sucks they couldn't have taken Banjo with them.

  • bynen

    Posted May 13, 2008 8:39 am PT

    I miss the good Donkey Kong games. Like the 64 one was friggin awesome and so were the snes ones were too.

  • Stonetowerghost

    Posted May 13, 2008 8:06 am PT

    agreed. Rare has had troubles since their 2002 blunder

  • SavoyPrime

    Posted May 13, 2008 7:25 am PT

    As long as it's a quality title, I'll buy it. But Rare certainly isn't the development house it used to be.

  • mcbride69

    Posted May 13, 2008 5:07 am PT

    also iv seen screens of viva pinata 2: trouble in paradise and i want that, come on rare

  • mcbride69

    Posted May 13, 2008 5:06 am PT

    thought this got cancelled??? ah well glad its still coming=)

  • juggleballz

    Posted May 13, 2008 4:56 am PT

    I would sh!t myself in excitement if RARE returned to nintendo. To have the 2 companies reunite would be awesome. Rare ruled Ninetndo consoles back in the day, and it was a shame that they went to Microsoft and to be honest lost a little of their shine IMO. But nevertheless, I still back RARE and hope they recalim their role as one of the best game developers. They aren;t quite their just yet but they are getting there.

    I can't wait for Banjo kazooie 3. T'will be good.

  • eagidni

    Posted May 13, 2008 2:32 am PT

    bruno_fmenedes: i agree, though i'm not sure if i'm agreeing as an xbox-less banjo-kazooie enthusiast or as a video game market speculator. probably the former. but, hey... i wish rare all the best in any case, and perhaps i can play it for five minutes someplace on a display model 360 at some point... :-P

  • bruno_fmenedes

    Posted May 13, 2008 2:02 am PT

    This game would sell well on the Wii, but on the Xbox360 I have doubts about it selling as much, even if it gets great ratings from critics. I could be wrong about this but Kameo, another Rare game, didn't sell very well did it?

    Only those who owned a N64 know how awesome was to play Banjo when it was released.

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