Banjo Kazooie Were Named After Former Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi’s Family

Video game journalist Andy Robinson has shared a piece of interesting trivia he has heard about Banjo Kazooie in Japan.

Robinson said that Banjo Kazooie were apparently named after members of Hiroshi Yamauchi’s family. Yamauchi is the last member of the founding Yamauchi family to serve as president of Nintendo, and he’s the predecessor of Satoru Iwata.

Banjo was named after Yamauchi’s grandchild Banjo, while Kazooie was named after Yamauchi’s son Katsuhito.

Robinson had also shared with Banjo Kazooie composer Grant Kirkhope about this small piece of trivia, and he was very surprised by it.

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