In an interview with GamesRadar+, creative director George Andreas revealed that the game's notoriously high volume of collectibles was the result of an executive request from Rare co-founder Tim Stamper. According to Andreas, Stamper believed that the emphasis on collectables would help differentiate the game from Banjo-Kazooie, which the Stamper brothers had previously produced. This desire also influenced the decision to feature five playable characters and the inclusion of "thrilling moments" such as mine cart and slide segments.