Famed games composer Grant Kirkhope seems to have accidentally stirred up excitement in Banjo-Threeie hopefuls before clarifying that whatever he’s teasing has nothing to do with one of the best platformers from the era.
If you’ve played any of developer Rare’s classic games, then there’s a good chance you’ve heard Grant Kirkhope’s tunes in Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, Viva Piñata, or more recently in Ubisoft‘s Mario and Rabbids duo. Well, given his background, some of his recent social media activity had fans convinced that something related to the dormant platforming icons was in the pipeline.
Kirkhope first posted a picture of the Banjo-Kazooie action figure below earlier this week, before teasing that “Things are afoot…” a few days later. That must have sent fans into an excited spiral because the very next day, Kirkhope clarified that “Just to confirm… nothing that is ‘afoot’ is Banjo related… soz.” In response to one fan who nihilistically said they shouldn’t expect anything from Banjo at this point, Kirkhope just joined the dejected chorus: “Correct.”
The once-famous bird and bear aren’t getting much love these days, despite still having a vocal cult following. The duo first hit the scene in 1998’s N64 platformer that essentially outshined Super Mario 64 with brain-twisting levels, even more expressive movement, and some dry, classic British humor. One sequel, one vehicle-building sandbox spin-off, and one Super Smash Bros Ultimate DLC later, the pair’s future is now in limbo.
Late last year, Microsoft Gaming President Phil Spencer said that Game Pass made smaller games and retro revivals more viable, pointing specifically to Rare’s googley-eyed couple: “Banjo fans, I hear you.” But after momentum was at an all-time high with the Smash Bros collaboration, all we’ve seen from Banjo-Kazooie has been more merch and a cosmetic set in the studio’s piratventure Sea of Thieves.
The possibility of a Banjo-Threeie might be rotting somewhere in an IP graveyard, but don’t let that get you down too much. Modders have been breathing new life into the game by taking Banjo-Kazooie to Wind Waker’s blue shores or the N64 Multiverse, among other iconic locations.
Don’t dwell too much in the past – check out the new games of 2024 and beyond that you should be keeping an eye on.
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