8 Dead Video Game Franchises That Should Be Resurrected

5. Banjo-Kazooie

It actually hasn€™t been that long since Banjo-Kazooie got a semi-reboot on the Xbox 360. Nuts and Bolts was released in 2008, taking the game in a new direction and adding new mechanics like vehicle building. The game achieved moderate success and generally positive reviews. As a fan of the original two games, I was super-excited about Nuts and Bolts but it left me a little disappointed. Yes it was more Banjo but it didn€™t feel the same. The classic platform elements had been removed and in its place some new mechanics, which were interesting to begin with but became tiresome and felt slightly out of place. The game looked great and retained some of its charm but was repetitive and a little too open for the kind of game it was. Sly Racoon is an example of a platformer with a semi-open world that feels natural and not too confusing.

(One is slightly more charming than the other€.and less industrial)

When Banjo-Kazooie was released for the N64 it was as good as the best platformers out there, like Donkey Kong and Super Mario 64. These were all great games, some of the best of all time and Banjo was one of them. It was fun, creative, not repetitive and really witty. With all that said, it remains to be seen why Rare makes so few of these games, especially when we get annual Mario, Donkey Kong and Ratchet and Clank games. I doubt we€™ve seen the last of Banjo-Kazooie, he€™s too beloved a character and Rare is too established a studio for there never to be another outing for the bear and his bird. Let€™s just hope his next adventure is a little more reminiscent of his first two.