Where to Start · Banjo-Kazooie
Where to Start with Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie is Rare's N64 collect-a-thon platformer franchise following Banjo the bear and Kazooie the bird across colourful worlds collecting jigsaws, musical notes, and Jinjos. The series was Rare's answer to Super Mario 64 — more personality, more humour, more collectibles — and produced two of the N64's finest games before Rare was acquired by Microsoft and the franchise faded into dormancy.
The series has three mainline entries and a controversial vehicle-based spinoff. Two of them are extraordinary. Start with the first.
If you only play one Banjo-Kazooie game
Play Banjo-Kazooie (1998). It is one of the greatest 3D platformers ever made — nine worlds across Spiral Mountain, each with its own visual identity and puzzle set, Gruntilda as a genuinely menacing villain with comic delivery, and a level of polish that has aged remarkably well. The jigsaws, the notes, the Mumbo skull transformations — every system rewards exploration. Available on Nintendo Switch Online (N64 library) and Xbox via backward compatibility.
Banjo-Tooie — the ambitious sequel
Banjo-Tooie (2000) is the direct sequel and a significantly more ambitious game — larger worlds, more moves, multiple worlds interconnected with passages between them, and a multiplayer component. Tooie is the more divisive of the two: some players consider it the better game for its scale and ideas, others find the larger worlds less focused than the original. Play Banjo-Kazooie first — Tooie's story directly continues from the original's ending. Available on Nintendo Switch Online (N64 library) and Xbox.
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
Nuts & Bolts (2008, Xbox 360) is the most controversial entry in the franchise — it replaced 3D platforming with vehicle-building and racing in a move that alienated the core fanbase. The game itself is competent as a vehicle game but deeply disappointing as a Banjo-Kazooie entry. The opening of the game even acknowledges that fans wanted a traditional platformer, which Nuts & Bolts is not. Play it only after the N64 games and with adjusted expectations. It was delisted when the Xbox 360 marketplace closed — physical copy required.
Yooka-Laylee — the spiritual successor
Yooka-Laylee (2017) is not a Banjo-Kazooie game but was developed by many former Rare employees as a spiritual successor — chameleon and bat instead of bear and bird, the same collect-a-thon structure, and Grant Kirkhope returning as composer. It is an imperfect but genuine attempt to revive the formula. Available on PS4/Xbox/Switch/PC. Worth playing after the N64 originals if you want more of the same feeling.
The N64 originals vs modern versions
The Nintendo Switch Online N64 versions of both games are the most accessible modern way to play — available as part of the Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription. The Xbox versions via backward compatibility from the Xbox Live Arcade remasters are also excellent with improved frame rates. The original N64 cartridges are the collector's choice — Banjo-Kazooie CIB is increasingly sought after.
Core experience — Banjo-Kazooie then Banjo-Tooie is the essential run; play them in that order so the sequel's setup lands.
Nuts & Bolts — Expect a vehicle sandbox, not a platformer. Digital copies are gone with the 360 store shutdown — plan on physical Xbox 360 if you want it in your library.
What platforms you need
Banjo-Kazooie — Nintendo Switch Online (N64) or Xbox backward compatible. Banjo-Tooie — Nintendo Switch Online (N64) or Xbox backward compatible. Nuts & Bolts — Xbox 360 physical (delisted).
Recommended order
Banjo-Kazooie → Banjo-Tooie. That is the complete essential experience. Nuts & Bolts only if you want the complete franchise history. The N64 originals in release order is the only correct path.