Banjo-Kazooie now has a PC port, with 4K/120fps and ultrawide support

Rare’s Nintendo 64 classic, Banjo-Kazooie, now has a native PC port, thanks to the work of fans.

Banjo: Recompiled is the latest unofficial N64 PC port made possible by the work of fan developers, who successfully reverse-engineered the original N64 game into readable code in 2024.

Because of that work, the PC version of Banjo-Kazooie features many new features, enhancements, and modes that are not typically possible when using emulation.

Reverse-engineering projects such as these are technically legal because the developers involved do not use any leaked content or copyrighted assets. They also require players to provide their own legally-sourced ROMs for them to work.

According to documentation for Banjo: Recompiled, the PC port supports high framerates above 120 fps, ultrawide and widescreen modes, a dual-analog camera, instant load times, and support for mods, such as those that upgrade visuals or add new content to the game.

In previous years, similar fan projects have resulted in PC versions of Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, and Star Fox 64, which eventually gained new modern features such as ray-traced lighting.

Banjo-Kazooie hasn’t seen an instalment since Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, which was released for Xbox 360 15 years ago. However, Rare’s support for the series has been more prominent in recent years.

In 2024, the first game in the series was added to Nintendo Switch Online, and before then, Banjo and Kazooie were added as playable characters to Super Smash Bros Ultimate.

However, speaking to VGC in 2023 as part of an extended interview to mark Banjo-Kazooie’s 25^th anniversary, a group of original Rare team members said they weren’t expecting a new game anytime soon.