Another classic Nintendo 64 game is being added to the Nintendo Switch Online library (hopefully in functioning form).
According to the Nintendo of America Twitter account, the classic bear and bird duo Banjo Kazooie will be making its way onto the platform on January 20th (which is the 21st for us Australians, who live in the future).
Embark on a wild quest with an unlikely pair! The adventures of Banjo and Kazooie begin here!
Banjo-Kazooie is coming to #NintendoSwitch for #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack members on 1/20! #Nintendo64 pic.twitter.com/R349r8gbvD
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 19, 2022
This will bring the total amount of Nintendo 64 games available on the Nintendo Switch Online Library to 11, with more games to come eventually. These games include The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Pokémon Snap, and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, which if you remember was my pick for a game that I would like to see on the service. That is, of course, if they can emulate it properly.
The timing on this is pretty interesting considering that the original developers of Banjo-Kazooie, Rare, were bought out by gaming’s monopoly squad Microsoft in 2002. As we know, Microsoft just acquired Activision Blizzard King in a game-changing AU$96 billion deal. However, the IPs of Microsoft’s acquired studios have previously appeared on other platforms, with Rare’s Banjo Kazooie making an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This exception, on the other hand, probably comes from the IP being considered an iconic entry in the Nintendo catalogue which makes adding Banjo Kazooie to the Nintendo Switch Online library understandable.
Rare themselves also tweeted the announcement, while mentioning that the game has previously been made available on modern platforms through Rare Replay for the Xbox One and the Xbox Game Pass.
Date reveal for real – and if you said January 20th, well done, you’re psychic! Yes, Banjo-Kazooie arrives on Nintendo Switch this week, offering another modern way (alongside @XboxGamePass and Rare Replay) to have a shaman accidentally transfigure you into a washing machine. https://t.co/nKvIN79w8u
— Rare Ltd. (@RareLtd) January 19, 2022
While the release of more games on the Nintendo Switch Online library does make it more enticing, many are still commenting on the slow process of game releases to the platform, with the last game Paper Mario being added to the library last month. Regarding Paper Mario, the ongoing release of games onto the platform also begs the question of how much support previous additions are going to receive in terms of bug fixes.
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