Phil Spencer: I Would Love To See Banjo In Super Smash Bros.

Super Smash Bros., which originally started as a celebration of all things Nintendo, has over time grown to become a museum of sorts, including and highlighting notable third party franchises with important contributions to the video game industry, such as Mario’s one time arch nemesis Sonic, Metal Gear Solid’s Solid Snake, gaming’s very first icon Pac-Man, and one of the most beloved mascots of all time, Mega Man. Other franchises have also been highlighted in the game in various, more passive forms, such as Rayman and Galaga.

The one thing these all share in common, however, is some history with Nintendo. Yes, even Solid Snake, who is traditionally associated with PlayStation, had some of his very first adventures appear on the NES. It appears that someone noticed this trend and decided that Banjo Kazooie, Rare’s Nintendo 64 era platformer mascot, might make a good fit for Smash Bros. too. And it makes sense! After all, Banjo Kazooie has a history with Nintendo, and his very first two games were Nintendo 64 exclusive and published by Nintendo.

The catch, of course, is that Banjo is now owned by Microsoft, which means that both Nintendo and Microsoft might have issues with his possible appearance in Smash Bros. or so you would think. Referencing the Smash Bros. Ballot, which is a Nintendo website set up to ask fans for suggestions for the next Smash Bros. DLC character, a fan decided to ask Spencer on Twitter the possibility (and legality) of Banjo ever appearing in Smash Bros as DLC. Spencer’s response was entirely unexpected.

“I think it would be cool if Banjo was in the next SSB DLC. We’ve worked with Nintendo on Rare IP before, no issues,” he said.

Which means the ball is now entirely in your court, Nintendo.