The new handheld version of Banjo-Kazooie contains tons of unreleased music
New features discovered in Super Pocket Rare Edition of Banjo-Kazooie
The newly released Evercade port of the classic Rare platformer Banjo-Kazooie contains never-before-seen content, including a music player with unused tracks.
Released as part of the HyperMegaTech Super Pocket Rare Edition handheld last week, the latest Banjo-Kazooie port includes plenty of custom changes and additions not seen in previous versions.
Notably, the new version adds a button for Tiptoeing, since the Super Pocket Rare Edition does not have an analog stick, and it makes cosmetic changes such as switching Banjo’s Game Boy for a Super Pocket.
By far the biggest change fans have discovered, however, is the addition of a music player, which is unlocked after completing the game. Notably, this player includes more than 20 unused ‘beta’ music tracks.
YouTube user TSR Stormed has been ripping and cataloging the music, which includes early versions of Kazooie levels like Treasure Trove Cove and Mumbo Mountain, as well as music for entirely unused areas, many of which ended up in the sequel, Banjo-Tooie.
That includes music for a ‘Lava World’, ‘Lost World’, ‘Mine’, ‘Funfair’, ‘Atlantis’, and ‘Wintry Walk’. Many of these levels are understood to have been cut and used for the N64 follow-up.
Banjo-Kazooie and its sequel were composed by Grant Kirkhope, who later went on to create music for Viva Pinata, Donkey Kong 64, Mario + Rabbids, and GoldenEye 007.
The HyperMegaTech! Super Pocket Rare Edition is on sale now, featuring 14 classic Rare games, including Conker’s Pocket Tales, Battletoads, Jetpac, and RC Pro-AM II. As with other Super Pocket variants, the Rare Edition includes a cartridge slot that is compatible with Evercade cartridges.
Evercade is planning to launch a new premium handheld, Evercade Nexus, later this year, which will come bundled with a new cartridge containing enhanced versions of Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie.
Speaking to VGC in 2023 as part of an extended interview to mark Banjo-Kazooie’s 25th anniversary, a group of original Rare team members said they weren’t expecting a new game anytime soon.
