Banjo Tooie is finally headed to the Nintendo Switch

The Rare-developed N64 game comes to Nintendo Switch Online two years after its predecessor

Nintendo / Microsoft

The Nintendo Switch is home to hundreds of retro games via the Nintendo Switch Online service, with games from three generations of home consoles and handhelds available on the hybrid console. One of the most exciting consoles on the service is the Nintendo 64, home to some of the best games ever made, and there’s a new N64 game coming next week that players are very excited about. 

Nintendo has announced that Banjo Tooie is coming to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack next week, on October 25, 2024. The Rare-developed game is the sequel to the fantastic Banjo Kazooie – now owned by Microsoft after it acquired Rare – and introduces a host of new worlds to explore, more moves, and plenty of new collectibles. Some would say too many, but that’s another story. 

Banjo Tooie is one of 37 Nintendo 64 games available to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion pack, and one of five games for the console that is now owned by Microsoft. Nintendo first brought Banjo Kazooie over to Nintendo Switch Online back in 2022, with Goldeneye 007 following in 2023, and Blast Corps and Perfect Dark coming earlier this year. A number of Rare games are also available on other consoles on the Nintendo Switch Online service, including the NES and SNES apps, and the Game Boy app. 

It comes two weeks after the introduction of two great F-Zero games on the Switch, both for the Game Boy Advance. The Sega Genesis is the only Expansion Pack console that hasn’t had any new additions for a while, with its last game having been added in June 2023 — well over a year ago at this point. 

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack may be getting a little bit bigger soon, too, as Nintendo is testing new Switch features that a select group of Expansion Pack subscribers will get to try out next week. Little is known about the mysterious test, but we know that the download size is 2.3GB and that Nintendo recommends playing in docked mode with a wired internet connection. 10,000 players will be included in the test, and while Nintendo has asked players not to reveal what, exactly, it is, it’s likely that the details will hit the internet as soon as the test goes live… if Nintendo doesn’t reveal it first.