Thanks to Banjo: Recompiled, we can now play the classic Nintendo 64 game Banjo-Kazooie at 4K resolution and 120 FPS.

Thanks to the work of fans, Rare’s Nintendo 64 classic, Banjo-Kazooie, now has a native PC port. Banjo: Recompiled is the latest unofficial N64 PC port. Fan developers successfully reverse-engineered the original N64 game into readable code in 2024, making this port possible. Consequently, the PC version of Banjo-Kazooie boasts new features, improvements, and modes that are typically impossible with emulation. Such decryption projects are technically legal because the participating developers do not use leaked content or copyrighted tools. Additionally, players must provide their own legal ROMs for the game to work.

According to the Banjo: Recompiled documentation, the PC port supports high frame rates above 120 FPS, ultrawide and widescreen modes, dual analog cameras, instant loading times, and mods that improve graphics or add new content to the game. Similar fan projects in recent years have resulted in PC versions of Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, and Star Fox 64. These games have ultimately been enhanced with new, modern features, such as ray-traced lighting.

The latest installment in the Banjo-Kazooie series was Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, released 15 years ago on Xbox 360. However, in recent years, Rare has been providing increasing support for the series. In 2024, the first game in the series was added to the Nintendo Switch Online lineup. Even before that, Banjo and Kazooie appeared as playable characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

The video below shows the quality results of Banjo: Recompiled in action. On GitHub, we can access the necessary files to run the native port. However, it’s important to note that a ROM from a legal source is also required since the developers do not provide one.

Source: VGC, Github