Xbox may not be making a up-to-date Banjo-Kazooie, but a brand up-to-date game starring everyone’s favorite bird and bear is now available in Dreams on PS4 and PS5.
Banjo-Kazooie: Mumbomania is an impressive-looking platformer made for the Sony game development platform that looks good enough that it was created by Rare itself.
A trailer posted to social media this week shows off the kind of classic Banjo-Kazooie gameplay that fans love and have long been clamoring for more of. In a level reminiscent of the series’ history, Banjo the Bear jumps, glides, rolls and gets shot out of a cannon as he explores and hunts for collectibles.
Perhaps most impressive is the range of transformations on offer, including Banjo transformed into a massive rock golem, a cutlass-wielding pirate, and more.
Originally released on the N64 in the behind schedule 1990s, Banjo-Kazooie eventually came to the Xbox 360 in 2008 after Microsoft acquired developer Rare. However, despite gaining a huge fanbase, the series has not seen a completely up-to-date installment in 17 years, since Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts was released on the Xbox 360 console, also in 2008.
Despite repeated calls from fans for a up-to-date Banjo-Kazooie, Xbox has not indicated that a up-to-date title is in the works – and Rare seems particularly focused on creating up-to-date content for Sea of Theives right now.
“You’ve seen from our history that we haven’t touched every franchise that people would like us to touch – I hear you, Banjo fans,” Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer said in 2023. “But the truth is, once we find the right team and the right opportunities, I love revisiting stories and characters we’ve seen before.”
Banjo and Kazooie, apart from being able to play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, they now feel largely forgotten. Despite this, fans of the duo can still enjoy Yooka-Laylee’s spiritual successor. Created by various members of the original Banjo-Kazooie team, the game recently received a polished re-release in the form of Yooka-Laylee: Replayee, which was released in October this year.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s news editor. You can contact Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
