Blaze says Evercade Nexus Banjo ports use original Rare source code, unearthing unreleased tracks and a level editor

Sean Cleaver, Blaze's head of communications, told TechRadar Gaming at Gamescom that Rare, the studio behind both Nintendo 64 titles, handed over the source code for the original releases, and that Blaze implemented features found inside it in the Evercade Nexus versions. "Working with Rare has been awesome," Cleaver said. "They shared the source code. We found a load of stuff that they didn't even know was in the source code, like old unreleased tracks, there's a level editor, and we put it all in." He added that the ports also include "little unlockable bonuses, so it gives something new to people as well."

Cleaver said Blaze worked internally and with a few contracted people familiar with that kind of work, and described finding "really, really cool things" in the code. He drew a distinction between the source code and material already known to players. "So there's a lot of public knowledge about what is in the games, but that's decompiling against what's been released, not the source code," he said. "So when you actually get the source code, the whole thing's open. You just go through it and find the little strands and the little nuggets."

The Evercade Nexus is a handheld console that runs physical game cartridges. Blaze announced earlier this year that it was expanding its physical ecosystem with the device, which is scheduled to launch on October 30. It ships with a Banjo-Kazooie Double Pack containing both games, customized for the hardware with what Blaze describes as the authenticity and playability of the originally released titles along with performance and graphical improvements. The Evercade Nexus and the bundled Banjo-Kazooie Double Pack are priced at 169.99 pounds, 199.99 dollars or 199.99 euros.

A second version of the handheld, the Evercade Nexus Doom Edition, is also due on October 30. Cleaver said Blaze worked closely with id Software on that release and that there were no barriers between the two companies. "They were really, really passionate about their product and their history," he said, adding that "working with them has been great."