Although Rare technically re-released an improved version of Banjo-Kazooie during the Xbox 360 generation, there are still many fans out there who have been wondering for many years now what a full-blown remaster of the first title would look like.
YouTuber Project Dream has been working on a video series called "Banjo-Kazooie Remastered" to showcase what a possible remaster could like if Rare ever decided to revisit the series. Here's a bit about it, which also reveals how it makes use of original N64 geometry and rendering which was done in Lumion.
"This is a fan made trailer! As a huge banjo fan I have always wanted to see what a remastered version of the original 1998 game would look like. I set out to produce a trailer that would capture the attention and ignite a little bit of nostalgia that Banjo-Kazooie brought to all of us. This was done using the original N64 geometry with high resolution textures, environments & scenery rendered in the program Lumion."
Since the original video, the same YouTube channel has given fans a look at Mad Monster Mansion and Rusty Bucket Bay worlds from the original Banjo-Kazooie. We even get a brief glimpse of Banjo!
And last but not least is a bonus look at Jingo Village from the sequel, Banjo-Tooie. The only downside is that there's no playable version.
Although Rare hasn't done a remaster like the one above of Banjo-Kazooie, fans did eventually see one based on the original Perfect Dark and the unreleased GoldenEye 007 project for XBLA.
What do you think of this fan-made take on a Banjo-Kazooie remaster? Tell us down below.
[source gamerant.com]
Comments 35
Dude I would absolutely want nothing more than a true remaster of Banjo-Kazooie for the Switch! I’ve dreamt about something like this for at least a decade now!
ZOMG hire this man!!!1
Looks kind of soulless really.
This looks incredible, I would love to play this. Microsoft, please take notes.
Microsoft needs to listen to its fans.
People been begging for:
Banjo
Conquer
Killer instinct
And perfect dark.
At least perfect dark was announced.
I'm not feeling the photorealistic grass and water, and when you take them away all you're left with is the old polygonal N64 maps with new textures.
How realistic do you need banjo choking his chicken?
wow! get this game made Rare!
I WILL PAY GOOD MONEY FOR THIS!!!!
@Noid I think that is more of a design decision, rather than the artist's ability to re-do the models. I mean, you can see the talent. It's not like he can't upgrade the polygonal models.
I love the way he kept the polygonal look, its retro, its modern, it gives nostalgia vibes and at the same time looks amazing.
I must of completed this over 8 times back on the N64 and i think it was better than Mario 64. I would love for this remaster to happen for real
The Switch logo at the end of the trailer was a nice touch.
@Franklin If banjo were to get a remaster I would like it to look more like the spyro/crash remasters
HOLY MOTHER! Summer 2022? I so wish this was true, it looks gorgeous. Would snap this up in seconds.
Now would the Banjo Amiibo give you something
Just recently I whistled the Treasure Trove Cove Soundtrack, which is burnt in my memory ever since I played it in the 90ies. With many N64-and-PSX-era games I cn understand why they wouldn't just revamp them in all kinds possible as they often didn't age well enough, neither visually nor in gamedesign as everything was in a very rough stage of development.
But the feeling of just traversing BKs Overworld with this absolutely amazing soundtrack by Kirk Granthope and the way the textures all adapt to all environments ... everything felt so ahead of its time and would totally work with some polishes today.
These trailers would already be nice, but far from what this could be. In the BK-Trailer, it would need better art direction. Some textures are more realistic, some are more comically, some are detailed, some less detailed ... for a sideproject this is just a massive achievement, of course. But for a game I would pay for, I would ask for more refinement and work on the aesthetics .
Like Farnsworth would put it:
"A man can dream;
a man can dream."
As usual with these “fan-made remasters” all flash, and no charm.
Egh it looks way too realistic. Don't like it, it lost it's charm trying to look pretty. Banjo Kazooie has a toon style which is totally disregarded in this attempt losing character.
I'll never understand why all the comments under these videos think these fan videos are so great. Not only these ones, also the videos about Zelda an Mario made in the Unreal engine. The art styles don't fit, it looks soullessness and I miss a playfulness charm.
I would love a remaster for Banjo-Kazooie on switch! But if that ever happens I hope it won't look like this. The trailer is well done, but it's lacking the charm and soul from the original games.
Really don't think the realistic textures and lighting/shadow fit this at all. Especially not with the low-poly models, that just comes across a little lazy regardless of intent.
Banjo is a bright, fun cartoon game, it needs a remake along the lines of the Crash remasters or the Spyro Reignited Trilogy. Though unfortunately Toys for bob is dead now that they made it a CoD support studio and let go of all the artists. I mean someone else could do it of course, but they would have been perfect for the job!
I appreciate all the effort that went into this and it looks super polished.
But it's not Banjo Kazooie, it's devoid of the humour, the charm, the whimsicalness, the flavour. The dramatic remixed music does it no favours.
"What if we like, took the Mona Lisa yeah, and made it like big and 8K and like HDR man that would be even better!"
Maybe you folks know this already, but Microsoft and Rare almost made a re-imagining of the first Banjo-Kazooie game for the XBOX360. But like many other Rare projects, it got cancelled.
People saying devoid of humour and Soulless…. There is no footage where you could shoehorn humour in…. It’s just basically a tech demo of what he has created and it looks great.
The soulless and humourless ones are those that constantly tear down others.
You are the same people that beg for remakes and then tear them apart because it isn’t exactly what you wanted. Your lives would be far more joyful and loving if you removed rose tinted specs and allow things different from what you’ve built in your head to exist without tearing them apart.
@RareFan it didn't. It was the initial starting point for Nuts & Bolts. It never got cancelled, it just changed scope.
@Franklin - This, something uncanny about the world and characters feel like they removed their style and flair for SEPERATE BLADES OF GRASS!
Meh. I’ve already seen a remake like this for Banjo-Tooie. Usually their all the same, getting updated graphics but losing the charm and cartooniness of the originals.
I would be happy enough to just be able to play the original on Switch. Never going to happen though, I would love to be proved wrong.
I would be ok just with rare replay.
I would pay full price for this in a heartbeat. So much juicy nostalgia. Plus, that re-orchestrated music is just peachy.
I'm aware it is a fan made and people want to see it shining, but Nuts n' Bolts blocky art style is beautiful. People often criticize the game for being so different, but designers explained that they wanted to retain the Nintendo 64 feel to the game and ended with those rounded-corners models.
If a remake sees the light of existence any day, I hope Rare follows the Nuts N' Bolts style!
the videos are greatly done; however, i feel as though there are some stuff missing and incomplete. that just might be me, or the creator of these videos is a tad bit of a perfectionist and is holding back on us since he doesn't want to disappoint us when the final project is done.
for all we know, the creator of these videos could be working with Microsoft and Nintendo right now creating the remastered version of the game. a lot of work to go, but i think it can be done.
Believable until that Nintendo Switch logo appeared... sigh...
I don't like it. The realistic trees, sky, water etc clash with the cartoon style graphics, which also have realistic textures.
Oooh my god!! I really miss playing Banjo Kazooie, my first game on N64 when I was a Kid. This is just like I remember it, even better!! Super nice created! Please release this on Nintendo Switch
I was so impressed I made an account simply to leave this comment.
Scrolling and skimming comments, I see a lot of mixed feelings. As an adult that grew up playing this game, I really enjoy this. Specifically, the first title came out the year I was born. I practically grew up with this, and its sequel. That said, I noticed a comment or two on how it looks "lifeless" that had quite a few supporters. While I can agree that a lot of it looks stiff and possibly too realistic, I would like to point out it is a fan creation. To some, of course it may not seem as good; as they say: Nothing is ever better than the original. It seems to me they used something similar to Unreal 3 or 4 engine and didn't have time to ANIMATE (this is why it may look stiff and lifeless.) As for the music- OH MY, yes. I would love the soundtrack to have a complete rehaul the way these artists have done. The SBU versions were nice, but not every song was remade- as far as I know. I seriously applaud the creators and helpers for this project and would absolutely buy a remake if it looked like this- given it had added animation. For context I have also played the remade Xbox version, and this STILL looks better. If possible (and if I keep p with this comment) I would like to see maybe a Clanker's Cavern example ?
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