Summary
Banjo-Kazooie’s code has beendecompiledby fans, potentially allowing for PC ports of the game as we’ve seen with other Nintendo 64 titles (thanks,VGC). This decompiling project was spotted byBringBackBanjoK, a Banjo-Kazooie fan account on X.
The same reverse-engineering process was used to create PC ports of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask,among other games.
Banjo On The Big Screen
These types of decompiled ports require you to provide a legal ROM of the Nintendo 64 version. The software borrows assets from this version and combines it with decompiled C code to create a playable PC version.
There’s currently a program that speeds up this process, N64 Recompiled. However, this process can be imprecise, and dedicated decompiling projects, as with Banjo-Kazooie, tend to be more reliable. This is because you need to match the original code and the new C code perfectly or there can be unpredictable results.
There’s usually a host of issues that need to be sorted out before the port works how you’d expect it to. Luckily, having the code decompiled allows for modders to add a host of fixes, improvements and so on. Because after all, who doesn’t want a 4K resolution Banjo Kazooie with dynamic lighting, running at one thousand frames-per-second and of course, with NVIDIA PhysX? Imagine the glint of sunlight on Banjo’s fur as he gathers jiggies.
The ROM requirement also helps dodge some potential legal issues as the decompilers aren’t technically using leaked or copyrighted content, though the legal basis of this argument is disputed. Nintendo has reportedly taken down tools that interact with their intellectual property in the past.
The legendary Banjo-Kazooie series is currently owned by Microsoft, who haven’t released an entry since the oft-maligned Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts in 2008.
Banjo-Kazooie
WHERE TO PLAY
Banjo-Kazooie is a legendary platformer from Rare, and launched on Nintendo 64 in 1998. Gruntilda, a nasty witch, has kidnapped the sister of Banjo the bear, and together with his bird friend Kazooie, he must rescue her.
