Banjo-Kazooie's composer, Grant Kirkhope, confirmed this week that he's working on a special album filled with remixes from Rare's 1998 action-adventure. The Nintendo 64 title is still regarded as a classic today, having been re-released in both 2008 and 2015, so hearing the nostalgic scores remastered will be a huge treat for fans.
The Banjo-Kazooie series follows a bear named Banjo and his sidekick, a red bird named Kazooie, as the two fight the evil schemes of a witch named Gruntilda. In the first installment, Banjo's sister, Tooty, gets kidnapped by the witch, so the dynamic duo must explore Gruntilda's evil lair to find Tooty and put a stop to the madness. Banjo-Kazooie is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, so it was no surprise to see three sequels, a spin-off racing game, and Banjo's character making special appearances in crossover titles. Sadly, Banjo-Kazooie has been on a hiatus from new installments since 2008, but fans can still get a small taste of something new thanks to Kirkhope.
Kirkhope took to Twitter to announce that he released a remix of the theme from one of the more popular spooky levels in the first game, Mad Monster Mansion, via Bandcamp on October 27. Two days later, the composer released another remix, this time of the theme from Grunty Returns in the series' sequel, Banjo-Tooie. Kirkhope tweeted about both releases, which led user GamingReinvent to ask if the composer was going to be remixing every song from Banjo-Kazooie. As it turns out, the answer is yes, an entire album is coming – but Kirkhope said he isn't sure if he'll get to every score. There's no time frame for release yet, but there are 17 total soundtrack songs in the first game alone and 14 songs in the second installment, so it definitely may take some time.
Fans have been practically begging for another game for years, and the rumors only gained more fuel last year when it was alleged that Playtonic Games received the O.K. for another Banjo-Kazooie installment. Unfortunately, Playtonic Games debunked the idea with an official statement noting that the team would have loved to work on the project, but it wasn't up to them. Xbox head Phil Spencer later clarified that the decision to continue the franchise is ultimately up to Rare, its original developer.
Although Rare hasn't yet capitalized on the demand for another game, it did strike a deal with Nintendo to license the IP to put Banjo-Kazooie into Smash Bros. Ultimate and release a Banjo-Kazooie amiibo. For now, fans will have to cling to their Banjo-Kazooie merchandise and listen to the new remix album on repeat in the hopes that Kirkhope will soon be working on a soundtrack for yet another bear and bird adventure.
Source: Grant Kirkhope - Twitter 1, Twitter 2, Twitter 3