“Surprise Moment: Banjo-Kazooie Composer Stunned to Hear Bubblegloop Swamp Theme on NFL Broadcast”

Yesterday’s Sunday Night Football game was one for the books. It marked the end of the NFL’s regular season and featured a high-stakes showdown between division rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, with a playoff spot on the line. Fans were treated to a thrilling display as two of the league’s top quarterbacks led their teams on nail-biting drives in the closing minutes. And in a surprising twist, the broadcast included a segment featuring music from the beloved 1998 Nintendo 64 classic, Banjo-Kazooie.

I caught the second half of the game this morning (the NFL’s primetime schedule doesn’t align with my early bedtime), and I thought I was dreaming when, midway through the third quarter, a graphic appeared comparing Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward’s starting stance to that of a frog. “That’s right,” color commentator Chris Collinsworth exclaimed, “he’s got a frog stance!”

I doubt Collinsworth realized the origins of the music playing during that segment, but for millennial gamers with fond memories of the N64, it was instantly recognizable: the Bubblegloop Swamp theme, the quirky tune from the fourth world of Banjo-Kazooie. Clips of this moment quickly went viral on social media as shocked viewers struggled to believe their ears.

The clip even caught the attention of the original Banjo-Kazooie composer, Grant Kirkhope. “So this just happened, thanks to everyone for pinging me,” he tweeted while sharing the clip. “Unbelievable!” When someone suggested he was “finally reaping” the rewards of his career, Kirkhope humorously replied, “I wish,” and chuckled at another comment that mentioned someone should have contacted him first.

It’s unclear how the Banjo-Kazooie track made its way into the broadcast, but one can easily picture a nostalgic 30-something on the production team choosing the song. Whether there was any involvement from Microsoft in licensing the track for the broadcast remains a question. I’ve reached out to NBC Sports, which handles the Sunday Night Football broadcast, and Rare, the studio behind Banjo-Kazooie now owned by Microsoft, for more details and will update if I find out more.

This isn’t the first time Kirkhope has found his work showcased to a global audience without credit. He was left “so pissed” by the uncredited use of his infamous DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64 in the Super Mario Bros Movie that he still hasn’t watched it.

Banjo-Kazooie remains one of the best N64 games of all time.