Rare’s classic N64 platformer Banjo-Kazooie is coming to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack game library tomorrow, 20th January. The game will be playable via emulation for all members of the more expensive subscription.
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
Banjo-Kazooie was a 3D platforming icon that emerged in the wake of Super Mario 64 revolutionised the genre. The game stars Banjo the bear and his truty feathered companion Kazooie as they set off on an adventure to rescue Banjo’s sister Tooty who has been kidnapped by Gruntilda the witch.
Adding Banjo-Kazooie is an example of Nintendo managing to navigate the tricky waters of game licensing. While the game was released when Rare was owned by Nintendo in the 1990s, the studio was acquired by Microsoft in the early 2000s and the IP that they had created (such as Banjo-Kazooie and Perfect Dark) went with them. For the bird and bear to return to Switch, Microsoft will have licensed the game to Nintendo. Some have speculated that needing to cut licensing deals is part of the reason why the Expansion Pack is a paid add-on to Switch Online.
It’s another fan-pleasing addition to Expansion Pack, but continues to demonstrate that Nintendo are content to release games at a slow pace. Nintendo Switch Online – Expansion Pack launched at the end of October, featuring a higher price point than the regular Switch Online subscription but promising a growing library of N64 and Sega Mega Drive games. The initial offering included nine N64 titles, with games like Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Lylat Wars and more included. This was then expanded to include Paper Mario in December.
However, as soon as Expansion Pack launched, users complained about the quality of the game emulation that Nintendo was providing, with graphical deficiencies compared to previous efforts that weren’t always consistent or authentic to the original games. Nintendo has yet to address these complaints, though it’s doubtful that they’ll make a big song and dance about it, because that would mean admitting anything was wrong in the first place.
Future additions to Nintendo Switch Online have already been confirmed, though it’s just a case of waiting to find out when games like F-Zero X, Kirby 64, Majora’s Mask and Pokémon Snap are added.
