Evercade has just come out with a new physical release combining both Banjo-Kazooie platformers, but the retro handheld maker didn't rely on emulation for its new double pack. The Banjo-Kazooie re-releases are "brand new native ports" because Evercade wanted to retroactively add cut content and features to the classic platformers.
In a new video diving deep into the Banjo-Kazooie Double Pack, developer Pete Davison says the N64 gems have been "rebuilt from the ground up" for Evercade's suite of best retro consoles. "We didn't want to tamper with the core nature of these games too much, but developing brand new native ports rather than emulating the original 64-bit versions has allowed us to introduce quality-of-life features that make playing them much more comfortable and enjoyable from a modern gamer's perspective," he explains.
