Ex-Rare employees form new studio to develop a Banjo-Kazooie ‘spiritual successor’ 

A group of ex Rare employees have got the band back together and are hoping to bring some of that Rareware magic back to gaming. First up is a spiritual successor to the Nintendo 64’s Banjo Kazooie.

The latest issue of EDGE Magazine has an interview with Playtonic, otherwise known former Rare employees Gavin Price, Chris Sutherland and Steve Mayles. They’ll be working on game so far dubbed Project Ukulele.

The website for the company doesn’t reveal much apart from the artwork you see above and this;

Playtonic’s the name, and fun games, unique characters and absolutely-frickin-amazing worlds to explore are our game. Or at least they will be, once we eventually get around to releasing our first project instead of faffing around on WordPress.

So who are these guys and why should you care?

Gavin Price worked on Rareware Nintendo 64 games after Jet Force Gemini, Chris Sutherland worked for Rare for over 20 years and was the lead programmer on Donkey Kong Country, Banjo Kazooie and even worked on Battletoads. Steve Mayles was responsible for animation and designing both Banjo and Kazooie and many other Rare characters.

Famed composer Grand Kirkhope will also return to work on the game’s sound, you may remember his work from such games as Perfect Dark, Banjo-Kazooie, Goldeneye 007 and many other Rare titles. Playtonic say the game they’re making will first coming to PC but are open to getting a publisher deal, they’re hoping that could be Nintendo.

Source: Edge Magazine via NintendoLife