Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has got to the point where most players can’t believe what they’re seeing on the battlefield. It has gone from the addition of Sonic the Hedgehog and Pac-Man to Steve and Alex from Minecraft, and now the latest reveal is Final Fantasy VII’s antagonist Sephiroth.
In amongst this is Rare’s famous duo, Banjo-Kazooie. In fact, in Sephiroth’s reveal trailer at this year’s Game Awards, the bear and bird even featured in a scene alongside Inkling and Sonic. So how does it feel for the father of Banjo and Kazooie, Steve Mayles? A fan asked him this question on Twitter not long after the new fighter reveal. To sum it up, it’s bittersweet:
It’s a wonderful thing, tinged with a little sadness at what could have been I guess. But there is still hope!— Steve Mayles (@WinkySteve) December 11, 2020
Some follow-up tweets noted how Nintendo has essentially done more with Banjo-Kazooie than Microsoft has in recent years:
“Seeing them animated with modern visuals is so cool, the character design for them is so appealing to just look at it’s a shame Microsoft doesn’t even use them for promotional material as some kind of mascot at least”
Banjo’s last proper outing on Xbox was Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts during the 360 generation in 2008, and back then, not everyone was a fan of the game’s vehicle construction mechanics, which were arguably ahead of the time.
Steve mentions how there’s “still hope” for Banjo-Kazooie in the future. What are your own thoughts about this? Do you think this character deserves some more love from Microsoft? Should Rare revive this iconic mascot? Share your thoughts below.
