Summary
Xboxis sitting on a goldmine of cult classics and beloved properties, especially platformers, likeBanjo-Kazooie, Conker, Skylanders, and too many more to list here. But a lot of them are being left to gather dust.Microsoft even cancelled a Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon crossover, anddeveloper Toys for Bob later went independentafter being reduced to aCall of Dutysupport studio.
Platformers clearly aren’t a priority for Xbox, even ifPsychonauts 2was in the running for Game of the Year back in 2021. That hasn’t stopped fans from asking for these fan favourites to return, though. Many are still calling on Microsoft to tap into that forgotten catalogue and bring back some old gems, but the question iswhowill develop these games. And a popular pick, given said success of Psychonauts, is the Xbox-owned Double Fine.
Double Fine Would Rather Do Its Own Thing
Brutal Legend 2, Right?
Last week, after the incredible launch of PlayStation’sAstro Bot, Double Fine shared a design it made in collaboration with Japan Studio (which Team Asobi spun off from) for ‘My Alien Buddy’. It looks strikingly like the villain from Astro’s Playroom and Astro Bot, but the studio wasn’t complaining — it’s happy to see “a version of our green friend still on a rampage”.
But one commenter side-stepped the discussion entirely to ask for a new Banjo game by way of a GIF. Double Fine simply said “no”. So, another fan asked about Conker, to which the developer replied once again, “No. We want to make our games.”
What games that could entail is another question — Brutal Legend 2 is a popular pick, buta sequel was already in development and cancelled 14 years ago.
We asked Double Fine founder Tim Schafer a few years ago aboutthe possibility of bringing the series back, and while he didn’t say no, he did say that it would be “tricky” as many fans didn’t like the RTS elements — “Do we make the game that I want to make or do we make the one the fans are asking for?”
Earlier this year, the developer revealed onits websitethat it’s “working on some very cool projects”, but we still don’t know what they are. Perhaps it will revisitGrim Fandangoor Day of the Tentacle, but maybe the team is hard at work on something completely brand-new. We’ll just have to wait and see.
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.
