20 Stupid Decisions That Destroyed Their Franchise

2. Vehicle Construction Over Pure Platforming – Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

The 1990s was arguably the heyday of 3D platformers, with key entries in the worlds of Super Mario Bros., Rayman, Donkey Kong, Spyro the Dragon, and Crash Bandicoot continuing to delight nostalgic players. Of course, the self-titled quirky romp starring gaming’s eminent bear-and-bird duo, Banjo-Kazooie, is right there alongside them.

Released in 1998, Banjo-Kazooie remains revered for nailing many prerequisites of the subgenre, including a distinctive tone, gratifying collectibles, creative worlds, likeable characters, and fun challenges. Honestly, it’s on par with everything else that came out back then, and despite being more experimental, direct sequel Banjo-Tooie retained the spirit of what made its predecessor so beloved.

All developer Rare had to do with the long-awaited third chapter in their saga – 2008’s Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts – was sustain the same magic. Instead, they foolishly removed the, well, nuts and bolts of the recipe – exploration-focused platforming – and confused their loyal fanbase with a vehicle construction simulator that too few people wanted.

Whereas many critics enjoyed Banjo and Kazooie’s retooled adventure to some degree, just as many consumers were disinterested and disappointed by it – if not outright enraged – and they showed their distain by ensuring that Nuts & Bolts stumbled commercially.

Unsurprisingly, the series’ reputation was permanently damaged, leading Rare and parent company Microsoft to focus on other projects moving forward.