Banjo sequel plucked for April XBLA launch

The last remaining entry of the Banjo-Kazooie trilogy is nearly ready to arrive on the Xbox 360. Rare today announced on the official Banjo Web site that the Nintendo 64 platformer Banjo-Tooie will be released on Xbox Live Arcade this April. Previously the game had only been given an early 2009 release window.

Taking advantage of its new system, Banjo-Tooie will be able to display in high-definition resolutions. In addition, developer 4J Studios is implementing a feature Rare actually cut from the original Banjo-Kazooie. Dubbed "Stop 'n' Swop," the feature will use items players have collected in the original Banjo-Kazooie game on Xbox Live Arcade to unlock content in Banjo-Tooie.

The original Banjo-Kazooie and the third proper game in the series, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, were both released on the Xbox 360 last November. Despite a $40 price point and solid reviews for Nuts & Bolts, the game was a disappointment at retail, selling only 140,000 copies in the US in 2008, according to NPD Group.