Banjo-Kazooie (video game)

Banjo-Kazooie is a platform video game developed by Rare and originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998. It is the first game in the Banjo-Kazooie series. The game follows the adventures of Banjo, a honey bear, and Kazooie, a red-crested Breegull who resides in Banjo's backpack, as they attempt to stop the witch Gruntilda Winkybunion from stealing Banjo's younger sister, Tooty's, beauty.

The gameplay revolves around exploring colorful 3D worlds, collecting items (such as Jiggies, Musical Notes, and Jinjos), solving puzzles, and defeating enemies. Banjo and Kazooie gradually learn new moves throughout the game, which are essential for overcoming obstacles and progressing. These moves are taught by Bottles the Mole, a friendly character who appears in each world.

The game is known for its humor, vibrant graphics (for the Nintendo 64), catchy music composed by Grant Kirkhope, and its emphasis on exploration. Banjo-Kazooie was a critical and commercial success, and is often cited as one of the best platform games of all time. It spawned several sequels and spin-offs, including Banjo-Tooie (2000) and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (2008). The game was also released on Xbox Live Arcade in 2008 and is available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack.