Banjo-Kazooie (video game)

Banjo-Kazooie is a platform video game developed by Rare and originally released for the Nintendo 64 console in 1998. It is the first game in the Banjo-Kazooie series and follows the story of a bear, Banjo, and a bird, Kazooie, as they try to stop the witch Gruntilda, who intends to steal the beauty of Banjo's younger sister, Tooty, for herself. The game features nine nonlinear worlds where the player must use Banjo and Kazooie's wide range of abilities to gather items and progress through the story. It features challenges such as solving puzzles, jumping over obstacles, collecting items, and defeating opponents.
Originally conceived as an adventure game named Dream for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Banjo-Kazooie was designed to appeal to players of all ages in a similar vein to Walt Disney Animation Studios films. The game was a critical and commercial success, selling nearly two million copies in the United States. It was praised for its detailed graphics, dynamic soundtrack, and intricate level design, with many reviews comparing it favorably to Super Mario 64. In 1999, it received two awards from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences: Console Action Game of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Art/Graphics.
Banjo-Kazooie was followed by a sequel, Banjo-Tooie, in 2000. The game was remastered for the Xbox 360 in 2008 and included in the Rare Replay compilation for Xbox One in 2015. In 2021, it was announced that Banjo-Kazooie will be released as part of the upcoming Nintendo Switch Online library of Nintendo 64 games, marking its first re-release on a Nintendo console.
Category:Video Games