Feb 112015
First I looked at five upcoming 3D platformers, many of which were inspired by Banjo-Kazooie. Then I looked at Clive, another game in the style of the Nintendo 64 classic. Now, it’s time to look at Project Ukulele.
What is Project Ukulele? Playtonic Games, a studio formed by former members of Rare, has described Project Ukulele as “a worthy spiritual successor to those fondly remembered platforming adventures [they] built in the past.” This doesn’t necessarily mean Banjo-Kazooie–it could refer to Donkey Kong Country or another Rare platformer–but it probably does.
Why? Because Playtonic’s Twitter account was formerly called Mingy Jongo. Named after a Banjo-Tooie character, Mingy Jongo was the start of a Banjo-Kazooie spiritual successor project that included Grant Kirkhope. Kirkhope, meanwhile, has been Tweeting about Project Ukulele, so he’s likely still involved.
Details about Project Ukulele are scarce, and its platforms are still unknown, but a Wii U release is a possibility.
A Hat in Time, Lobodestroyo, Fiona Frightening, Clive, FreezeME, and now Project Ukulele… this is a great time for fans of classic 3D platformers!