I still miss Banjo-Kazooie. But in 2017, a few folks from Rare got together and made Yooka-Laylee, a spiritual successor to the classic N64 titles. While it got some mixed reviews out the gate, I loved it. Was it nostalgia talking? Possibly.
But I thought it was a pretty solid game. And thanks to the remaster Yooka-Replaylee, if you didn’t catch it the first time around, you can play it in its (hopefully) best form. The best part of it all? There’s a legitimate physical version for Switch 2.
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That’s right. No Game-Key Card.
Yooka-Replaylee on Switch 2 is on the cartridge
I will never understand why anyone thinks we want these Game-Key Cards. But we don’t. So, whenever a third party decides not to adhere to that ridiculous idea, it’s a big deal. Even though it shouldn’t be. People want to own their games. It’s that simple. So good on Playtonic for making that decision.
As for the game itself, here are the enhancements and changes that are coming with this remaster, pulled from the Steam page:
Features
- With an art and animations overhaul and enhanced performance and resolution, the favourite buddy duo has never looked or moved better.
- Improvements to existing in-game challenges and many entirely new challenges to discover and undertake!
- Capital B’s inept minions have dropped their hard-earned coins all over the place. Collect the official currency of the Hivory Towers to spend on video games’ most beloved sentient vending machine.
- Now you can get lost in the game, not in the world! A brand-new world map and challenges tracker helps you know where you are and what needs to be done. Hooray!
- Tonics are back with all new flavors! With the option to equip multiple game-changing enhancements, you can truly customize your playstyle. And as if that wasn’t enough, Vendi has new lines of merchandise for the modern fashionable adventurer.
- A new tweaked move set allows you to combine moves more fluidly while the new camera controls makes framing the action a breeze.
- The original score from famed video game composers Grant Kirkhope (Banjo-Kazooie) and David Wise (Donkey Kong Country) returns but as a beautifully arranged orchestral score. Now seriously, clean out those ears.
I can’t wait to dive back into this game, especially with an actual map. Yooka-Replaylee is set for release in 2025.
