Banjo-Kazooie: 2 Open Source Clones Compared
The Banjo-Kazooie decompilation project rebuilds the N64 game from source against a supplied baserom (US v1.0, US v1.1, JP, or PAL), reaching 100% match progress but requiring the player to build it themselves. Banjo: Recompiled instead statically recompiles the N64 code into a native port using RT64 rendering, shipping prebuilt binaries for Windows, Linux (including Steam Deck), and macOS that load a legally-owned North American 1.0 ROM automatically with no build step. Recompiled also adds features absent from the original release and from the decompilation — uncapped framerate, widescreen rendering, an in-game settings menu, mod and texture-pack support, and a fix for a duplicate Mumbo token bug.
Comparison table
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Linux, OSX, Windows
- Play in browser
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 24d ago
- Stars
- 1,970
- Contributors
- 13
- License
- GPL-3.0
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesRequires the North American 1.0 version of Banjo-Kazooie for the N64 to provide game data files.
- Modding support
- YesSupports community-made mods and texture packs via a mod menu; mods available on Thunderstore.
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- N64
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 12d ago
- Stars
- 120
- Contributors
- 23
- License
- cc0-1.0
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesRequires a baserom (US v1.0, US v1.1, JP, or PAL) to build the decompiled project.
- Modding support
- —
| Title | Banjo: Recompiled | Banjo-Kazooie |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Playable | Playable |
| Platforms | Linux, OSX, Windows | N64 |
| Play in browser | No | |
| Mobile | No | No |
| Project health | ||
| Development status | Active | Active |
| Last updated | 24d ago | 12d ago |
| Stars | 1,970 | 120 |
| Contributors | 13 | 23 |
| License | GPL-3.0 | cc0-1.0 |
| Compatibility | ||
| Requires original assets | YesRequires the North American 1.0 version of Banjo-Kazooie for the N64 to provide game data files. | YesRequires a baserom (US v1.0, US v1.1, JP, or PAL) to build the decompiled project. |
| Modding support | YesSupports community-made mods and texture packs via a mod menu; mods available on Thunderstore. | — |
Known limitations
- compatibility: Overlays such as MSI Afterburner and software like Wallpaper Engine can cause performance issues and prevent correct rendering.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Banjo-Kazooie clones on this page open source?
Yes — every clone catalogued here is an open-source project. Availability, license, and development-status details for each one are listed in the comparison table above.
What license do these Banjo-Kazooie clones use?
Banjo: Recompiled (GPL-3.0); Banjo-Kazooie (cc0-1.0).
Do I need to own the original Banjo-Kazooie to play these clones?
Banjo: Recompiled and Banjo-Kazooie require original game assets to play.
Can I play any of these Banjo-Kazooie clones directly in a browser?
Yes — Banjo: Recompiled has a browser-playable build linked in the comparison table above, no install required.
Which Banjo-Kazooie clone is the most actively maintained?
Banjo: Recompiled and Banjo-Kazooie are currently under active development, based on recent commit activity. See the "Development status" row above for every clone's current status.
See the full write-up for each clone, or go back to Banjo-Kazooie.