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September 11, 2026Short & citedBlog
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How It Works • Games & Tech

Banjo-Kazooie

Banjo-Kazooie is a 1998 platform video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

Banjo-Kazooie is a 3D platform game from 1998, developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It stars Banjo the bear and Kazooie the bird on a quest to rescue Banjo’s sister from the witch Gruntilda.

What it is

Banjo-Kazooie is a single-player, third-person 3D platform game. Players control Banjo and Kazooie together, exploring nonlinear worlds and collecting items to progress. It was the first title in the Banjo-Kazooie franchise.

Key details

The game was developed by British studio Rare and released by Nintendo in 1998. It later appeared on Xbox Live Arcade, broadening its availability. The story centres on rescuing Tooty from Gruntilda, the series’ recurring antagonist.

Legacy

Banjo-Kazooie launched a franchise that includes sequels and spin-offs. Its characters remain closely tied to Rare’s Nintendo 64 era and are well known in platform gaming history.

In short

  • Released in 1998 for Nintendo 64 by Rare and Nintendo.
  • A 3D platform game with Banjo and Kazooie as the duo.
  • Story involves rescuing Tooty from the witch Gruntilda.
  • First entry in a franchise, later re-released on Xbox Live Arcade.

Quick questions

What is Banjo-Kazooie?
It is a 1998 platform video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64.
Who are the main characters?
The main characters are Banjo, a bear, and Kazooie, a bird who rides in Banjo’s backpack.
What is the story?
Banjo and Kazooie try to rescue Banjo’s sister Tooty, kidnapped by the witch Gruntilda.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banjo-Kazooie_(video_game)
    Supports: Developer, publisher, platform, release year, gameplay, plot, and series placement.
  2. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banjo-Kazooie
    Supports: Series context and main character descriptions.
  3. Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q129000
    Supports: Core identification as a 1998 platform video game developed by Rare.