A group of Banjo-Kazooie fans have created a modern looking version of the 1998 classic and the result is impressive. Banjo-Kazooie is just one of many Nintendo 64 games whose popularity with fans has led to them being reimagined with modern graphics.
Banjo-Kazooie it was released exclusively for the N64 in 1998 to great acclaim. The game was praised by fans and critics alike, and still stands as one of the most important games of the N64 era. It is considered by many to be the greatest 3D platformer of all time and is compared to Super Mario 64. Following Microsoft’s acquisition of Rare Limited in 2002, Banjo-Kazooie and its sequel, Banjo-Tooie, received full remasters for Xbox 360. The third installment, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, was also released on Xbox 360 in 2008, and would be the last main installment in the series, although Banjo-Kazooie has since reappeared on Nintendo Switch Online.
Now, some fans have been in charge of updating Banjo-Kazooie, especially the group called Project Dream. A video posted on the Project Dream channel shows the end result of a long and creative adventure, with a short cutscene of a Banjo-Kazooie demo, completely rebuilt from scratch. The video walks through different stages of the 1998 classic with beautiful new visuals and music, all faithful to what was in the actual game. The new graphics bring youth to a game that is almost 25 years old, and show how timeless Banjo-Kazooie’s environments are.
Despite the beauty of Project Dream’s work, the group made it clear that they have no intention of making a playable remake of Banjo-Kazooie, and that their goal was solely to explore the game world with better graphics. Project Dream has also been working on a Banjo-Tooie remake demo, though it’s unknown what phase of the project they’re in at the moment.