If you grew up in the late nineties, the chances are you spent a significant amount of time sprinting around Spiral Mountain. While emulation has allowed us to revisit the iconic platformer for years, it’s been a difficult game to emulate accurately. However, a group of dedicated modders has just delivered something far more substantial: a native PC port of the Nintendo 64 classic, Banjo-Kazooie, with a wealth of enhancements, native Windows, Linux and Mac support, and no doubt many other platforms to follow.
Banjo: Recompiled
The project, titled Banjo: Recompiled, utilises the N64: Recompiled toolset to bring the game natively to modern hardware. This isn’t just another layer of emulation; it is a full recompilation of the original code that allows the game to run as if it were designed for Windows, Linux, or macOS from the start.
By using the RT64 rendering engine, the developers have managed to modernise the visuals while keeping the artistic intent of Rare’s masterpiece intact. This means the game can now scale to resolutions and framerates that the original hardware could only dream of.
Tell me more
This version of the game isn’t just a simple port; it brings a host of modern quality-of-life improvements that make it the definitive way to play in 2024 and beyond. The project supports ultra-wide monitors and high refresh rates, meaning those with 144Hz or 240Hz monitors can finally see Banjo move with silky-smooth presentation. The team has been careful to preserve the technical quirks that gave the game its charm. Original mipmapping has been accurately maintained, and complex visual effects like the jigsaw puzzle screen transitions or the mini-games are fully functional, but also offer more customisation. On the audio front, everything is processed exactly as it was on the N64, ensuring the iconic soundtrack and sound effects remain perfectly in sync with the on-screen action without any of the popping or stuttering often found in emulation.
Key Features of Banjo: Recompiled
- Native PC performance with support for 60FPS and beyond.
- RT64 rendering engine for enhanced graphics and modern API support.
- Full support for ultra-wide and high screen resolutions.
- Preserved original mipmapping and visual transition effects.
- High-accuracy audio processing for perfect synchronisation.
- Comprehensive mod support for future community content.
Technical Specifications
To get the most out of this port, you will need a modern system, but largely this game should run on pretty low end PCs while still being heavily upgraded visually. While it isn’t demanding by modern triple-A standards, it does require specific instruction sets and API support to function correctly.
- CPU: Must support the SSE4.1 instruction set (ARM64 builds are also supported).
- GPU: Must support Direct3D 12.0 (Shader Model 6), Vulkan 1.2, or Metal Argument Buffers Tier 2.
- Operating System: Windows, Linux, or macOS (via Metal).
It is important to note that, for legal reasons, the port does not include any copyrighted assets from the original game. To run Banjo: Recompiled, you will need to provide your own ROM file, specifically the North American 1.0 version of the game; how you source that is your own business.
Features
Core Gameplay & Experience
- Plug and Play: Simply provide a North American 1.0 copy of the game in the main menu to start playing. No manual extraction or complex building required.
- Low Input Lag: Optimized for minimal latency, making the controls feel more responsive than original hardware.
- Instant Load Times: Transitions, saving, and loading occur almost instantly thanks to native modern hardware support.
- Note Saving: Toggle between the modern “keep notes” system or the original N64 “high score” mechanic.
Graphics & Visuals
- High Framerate Support: Powered by RT64, the game supports any framerate (defaulting to your monitor’s refresh rate) without affecting gameplay speed. Note: Disable external limiters like NVIDIA Control Panel if you experience stuttering; use the in-game slider instead.
- Widescreen & Ultrawide Support: Supports any aspect ratio. Cutscenes are extended or optionally pillarboxed to maintain visual integrity.
- Fully Intact N64 Effects: Advanced effects like jigsaw transitions and “Moving Picture” games are preserved, alongside accurate original mipmapping.
Controls & Accessibility
- Dual Analogue Camera: Map camera movement to the right analogue stick for modern control schemes while maintaining C-button functionality.
- Easy-to-Use Menus: Navigate gameplay, graphics, and input settings via a native menu supporting mouse, keyboard, and controller.
- Faithful Audio: Perfectly replicated N64 audio with corrected synchronisation for cutscenes and zero popping or stuttering.
Platform & Modding
- Mod Support: Easily install community mods and texture packs by dragging files onto the game window.
- Featured Mods: Jiggies of Time, Nostalgia 64, Reloaded Texture Pack.
- Linux & Steam Deck: Play on modern Linux distributions via native binaries or Flatpak. Steam Deck Tip: Add the
BanjoRecompiledexecutable to Steam in Desktop Mode to play in Gaming Mode.
What We Think
This is a fantastic achievement for the retro gaming community. While Nintendo has made the game available on the Switch via their expansion pack service, having a native PC version offers a level of customisation and performance that official emulated versions simply cannot match. It’s also not the first decompilation we’ve had in recent years, with the likes of The Legend of Zelda games, Mario 64, Mario Kart, Super Metroid, Re-Volt and many more you can find here.
How to Play
As this is a community-led fan project, the toolset and the recompilation project are available for free to those who have access to the original ROM. You can download the software required on Github.
