Banjo-Kazooie will be available to all Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on January 20

Nintendo has announced that on January 20, 2022, all Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers will be able to play the N64 classic Banjo-Kazooie. Nintendo announced the news in a tweet that includes footage from the classic platformer from 1998, which depicts a bear and a bird who is attempting to stop an evil witch named Gruntilda.

While Rare worked closely with Nintendo for many years, Microsoft purchased the firm in 2002 and continues to retain the Banjo-Kazooie rights to this day. Craig Duncan, the head of Rare Studio, expressed his delight at the two companies' collaboration in a Tweet, writing, "always a pleasure to work with our good friends at Nintendo, I’m a big fan of #NintendoSwitchOnline and it’s really important to preserve classic games for future generations to play."

This isn't the first time Banjo-Kazooie has appeared on the Nintendo Switch; in 2019, the duo debuted in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. "Banjo and Kazooie feel completely at home in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate," we noted in our evaluation of the duo character, "though their moveset isn't quite up to the level of their look and sound."

With the help of Mumbjo Jumbo, the classic golden puzzle pieces are known as Jiggies, secret Jinjos, and so much more, Banjo-Kazooie made it all the way to the fourth spot in our list of the best N64 games of all time.

IGN's Peer Schneider remarked in his initial review of Banjo-Kazooie, "This is the best three-dimensional platformer I've ever played, and it's a worthy successor to Super Mario 64. Everything about this game screams excellence, from the beginning to the surprising ending."