It was yesterday’s bittersweet moment when Banjo-Kazooie came to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack service.

It’s fantastic to see the iconic British developer duo return to the Nintendo platform after such a long time. It’s been nearly 20 years since Microsoft acquired Rare, and nearly 24 years since the original Banjo-Kazooie game released on the N64, if you count.

Leigh Loveday, a writer and designer who joined Rare in the ’90s, used the game’s release on Switch Online to reflect on Nintendo’s corporate era, noting how Rare was “so happy” to be working with their old friend. once again to bring birds and bears to Nintendo’s new generation:

“The question of the revival of the classic Rare game for Switch viewers is a question people have been asking for a long time, so we are excited to be working with Nintendo to bring bears and birds to this platform. » .

And in case you were wondering, the Switch version is the “real” N64 that many will remember:

With a passion for keeping the game exactly that way along with the other titles available, this version of Banjo-Kazooie is the original Nintendo 64 as you remember it. And if you grow up on the next generation of consoles, we look forward to Mumbo Jumbo turning a new wave of gamers into washing machines, stepping away from Snacker the shark and taking on Grunty’s Furnace Fun for the first time. “

In addition to the kind words shared on the Rare blog, here are some other messages shared by Rare and some of the team members working at Banjo-Kazooie:

Today, Rare is arguably best known for its Xbox Live service and PC gaming. sea ​​of ​​thieves. The team is also working on wild nature, a fantasy title shrouded in mystery.

Are you going to try Banjo-Kazooie on the Switch this weekend? What other Rare Game from the N64 generation would you like to see return to Nintendo’s hybrid platform? Tell us below.