10 Miserable Continuations Of Iconic Video Games That Ended In Disaster

10. Banjo Kazooie: Nuts And Bolts

Rare – formerly Rare Ware – has endured a troubled history. The company was purchased in its entirety in 2002 by Microsoft, resulting in the departure of several key employees, including its founding members. In 2005, the company developed two launch titles for the Xbox 360, both of which were considered commercial disappointments. It’s next project – Viva Piñata – also underperformed, causing tensions to build between Rare and Microsoft.

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts – a 3D platformer – was supposed to turn things around, but instead, did the complete opposite, tarnishing the reputation of the classic series, and upsetting a great many people.

Ultimately, the game’s emphasis on vehicle construction over conventional platforming was criticised significantly. Besides that, the landscape – despite its impressive scope – was largely empty, making the whole thing feel oddly lifeless and shallow.

By comparison, the original was colourful, dynamic and exciting, riddled with personality, as well as plenty of objectives, collectables to discover, and fun characters to interact with. It was a platformer first, and everything else second, which Nuts & Bolts didn’t seem to understand, completely missing the point of the series.