Evercade boss Andrew Byatt has praised Rare’s efforts regarding the new ports of beloved Nintendo 64 platformers Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie.
Earlier this year, a new Evercade handheld was announced alongside the Banjo-Kazooie Double Pack, a cartridge containing enhanced versions of both Banjo games.
Byatt told FRVR that, while the ports were handled by the Evercade team, original developer Rare was significantly involved in the process.
“Sometimes the licensors, in this case, [are] really involved and wanna see the best possible product and they’re really pushing and testing themselves,” Byatt said.
“Sometimes they just wanna literally sign a contract and get some cash and move on because they’ve got other priorities. Sometimes they don’t really get involved. This is one of those where they really put in a lot of energy into it behind the scenes to kind of help and approve and make sure things are perfect.”
The CEO explained how useful it was that Rare provided the original source code and assets, as well as some cut content.
“We can do a lot with backwards engineering of the original… it’s quite rare that source is available, really, but we’ve done it without source before and you’re sort of engineering this stuff from assembly, basically, and converting it,” Byatt said.
“That’s another 12 months on top, really, or nine months on top, but if you’ve got source it makes a massive difference.”
Evercade Banjo-Kazooie Double Pack release date
The Banjo-Kazooie Double Pack will be released on October 30th, 2026, and will be playable on any Evercade system. The native ports feature an improved resolution and frame rate, save state support, and enhanced controls.
They also include new additions, such as new dialogue, a new cheat menu, and a music player which features previously unreleased music.
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Written by Reece Heather
A veteran Zelda Universe editor and First-class journalism graduate, Reece emerged with a Nintendo 64 and a lifelong obsession after a narrow escape from Santa’s Naughty List in 1998. Outside of games, he’s reading Punisher comics, being bossed around by his cocker spaniel, and cornering innocent bystanders to rant about the importance of game preservation.
