Banjo-Kazooie is a game about a bear with a bird in his backpack that enables him to glide to hard to reach places. In the tradition of Super Mario 64, it combines adventure with platforming. There is a sequel called Banjo-Tooie taht was released for the N64. In E3 2008, Microsoft announced that Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie would be available on the Xbox Live Arcade.

The story of Banjo-Kazooie revolves around Banjo and his quest to rescue his sister Tooty. Banjo and Kazooie must find and defeat the evil witch Gruntilda in order to save Tooty. Along the way, players meet various characters that will help them along their journey.

Banjo-Kazooie uses a modified Super Mario 64 engine. To progress to the next level, players must collect a certain number of notes. Each level contains 100 notes, ten jiggys (jigsaw puzzle pieces), and five birds. Banjo also has a variety of moves that includes the familiar jumping and swimming. Banjo can also fly and punch. A tutorial in the beginning of the game shows players how to execute these manuevers.^[1]

The game was well received by the public and critics. It received a 9.5 from GameSpot and a 9.6 from IGN.