Finally, Banjo-Tooie Is Coming To Nintendo Switch Online

Few would argue with the statement that Banjo Kazooie is a perfect game, but when it comes to its sequel, the debate gets a bit more heated. Personally, I loved Banjo-Tooie and thought it did many things better than its predecessor. The fact that it’s just been announced to appear on Nintendo Switch Online next week is excellent news. The environments are bigger and the stakes feel more dire in this game. If Banjo-Tooie feels darker than Banjo-Kazooie, that was intended. According to a staff interview with Nintendo Life, development for B-T began around the same time Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Metal Gear Solid were released, and the moodiness of those titles affected the tone of theirs. “Games just seemed to be growing up a bit,” said programmer Steve Malpass. There are some questions that hover around this release. The original Banjo-Tooie pushed the N64 to its limit…in fact probably further than Rare should have gone. It shipped with some of the nastiest framerate issues I’ve ever seen in a game. When things got messy it was common for the game to turn into a slideshow. The XBox port fixed the framerate issues, but introduced new ones: since the […]

It’s good to see Banjo-Tooie coming to Switch, but honestly, I’ve always preferred Banjo-Kazooie. The sequel just didn’t hit the same for me. I found the levels in Tooie too sprawling and confusing. There’s no doubt that the devs were more ambitious with the sequel, but I felt that it lost some of the tight design that made the first game such a classic. If they’ve fixed the framerate, maybe I’ll give it another shot, but I’m not expecting my feelings on it to change all that much.

This game was a major part of my childhood. I always felt that Banjo-Tooie added more depth compared to the original. The puzzles were tougher, the areas were much larger, and the characters seemed more fully fleshed out. Sure, the framerate was rough at times, but the charm and humor kept me going. I hope they can finally nail that performance issue on the Switch because it would be great to see it without any technical hiccups for a change. Fingers crossed for a smooth experience this time!

The sheer scale of the levels and the complexity of the gameplay were something I appreciated, even if it came at the cost of performance. That said, framerate issues never really bothered me that much. I’ve played through the Xbox port as well, but the music desyncing in cutscenes was frustrating. It’d be nice if they could get everything right with the NSO version—good framerate, and no cutscene issues! A faithful update without those annoying glitches would be ideal.

The sequel just didn’t hit the same for me. I found the levels in Tooie too sprawling and confusing. There’s no doubt that the devs were more ambitious with the sequel, but I felt that it lost some of the tight design that made the first game such a classic. If they’ve fixed the framerate, maybe I’ll give it another shot, but I’m not expecting my feelings on it to change all that much.

Banjo-Tooie was such a creative game! I loved how it took risks with new ideas and mechanics. The interconnected worlds, the ability to split up Banjo and Kazooie—it all added new layers of strategy and fun. Sure, the framerate was a problem, but back then, we didn’t care as much about that stuff. We were just excited to be playing. I’m hoping the Switch version fixes those issues, but even if it doesn’t, I’ll be diving back in without hesitation. It’s a game worth revisiting, even with its imperfections.

As much as I loved Banjo-Tooie, I always found it a bit frustrating due to the technical limitations. The N64 really couldn’t handle what Rare was trying to do, and I think it held the game back from being as great as it could have been. That being said, I’m really curious to see how well it runs on the Switch. I played the Xbox version and, while it fixed some things, the cutscene sync issues were a real letdown. If they can smooth everything out this time, I might finally be able to enjoy it the way it was meant to be played.

This is a game that deserves more love, and I’m glad it’s getting another chance to shine. It wasn’t perfect, and I agree that the performance issues were hard to ignore, but its darker tone and more complex gameplay made it stand out. I always thought it was unfairly compared to Banjo-Kazooie, which was a more straightforward platformer. Tooie was trying to push boundaries, and I think it succeeded in a lot of ways. Here’s hoping this version finally gets everything right and does the game justice.

I think Banjo-Tooie was ahead of its time. The massive environments, the interconnected worlds, the shift to a more serious tone—it was a huge step forward for platformers. Yes, it had framerate issues, but that was a sign of Rare pushing the N64 to its limits. I’ve played the Xbox port, and while it solved some problems, it created others, so I’m really hoping the Switch version strikes the right balance. Either way, I’m just happy to see it back in the spotlight. It’s a game that deserves another look, especially from those who might have missed it back in the day.

I’m so pumped for Banjo-Tooie on Switch! This is one of my favorite games ever. I didn’t even mind the framerate issues back then because the game’s humor, creativity, and sense of adventure totally made up for it. The levels were so much bigger, and I loved how everything felt connected. Plus, the darker tone gave it a really unique vibe compared to other platformers. I just hope they fix the performance this time around so it runs smoothly. If they do, this could be the definitive version of the game, and I can’t wait to dive back into it.