Those gaming through the early '90s remember the original Banjo-Kazooie games as notable examples of how 3D platforming was done right back in the 64-bit era.
In an interview over at Eurogamer, Microsoft Game Studios' general manager Phil Spencer took some time out to discuss the franchise's reemergence, talk about industry changes since the 64-bit era and shed some light on what players can expect in the 360 installment.
First of all, N64 fans will be pleased to hear that the original team behind the execution of Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie are spearheading the latest effort on the Xbox 360.
"Team sizes are so different now and we have more animators now than the full Banjo 1 team", said Phil "but the key core team is really the same."
Responding to concerns that the "family-friendly" franchise might seem a little out of place on the decidedly 'mature'-styled Xbox 360, Phil had the following to say:
"Certain people look at the bear and the bird and think it's a kids' game. What we think is that Banjo as an intellectual property has the ability to span audiences.
For us in the next Banjo game it was about evolving the gameplay while keeping the approachability of the characters, but the depth of the gameplay is very important. This can't turn into some minigame-based paper game. It has to be something that has a ton of substance."
Also of interest was Spencer's odd statement to the effect that the latest Banjo installment may not fit the mould of a traditional platformer -- at least in the way the gaming public has come to understand the term.
"It'll be familiar to fans of the originals in terms of style, absolutely, and in terms of setting, story and characters. In terms of it being another platformer? I think that genres evolve, and that's what we're doing with this game. So you might call it something else when it comes out - but it's the same team and it's staying true to that team and what it believes in."[/b/
Rare's batting average has been... well... average lately. Neither Perfect Dark Zero nor Kameo: Elements of Power scored big with the 360 demographic despite generally favorable reviews.
It remains to be seen whether the "family-friendly" ceiling can be cracked this time around on the Big Grey Box -- but With Viva Pinata coming up soon, you've gotta believe that Rare is banking it can.
If anybody's got a decent shot at making a popular E-rated experience on the 360 it's probably the original Banjo Team. If you're interested in what they're up to, why not head on over to GameVideos and check the new Banjo-Kazooie X06 trailer?
