Okay. It's been 8 years since the last Banjo Kazooie game, and us Banjo
Kazooie fans have been glaring at this game from the time it'd been confirmed by
Rare. And I must say, way to go Rare! As with every sequel to an already
successive game, their are pro's and cons, especially considering the bolt move
Rare has taken. Yes, there are vehicles. Yes the gameplay is severely altered.
Yes banjo's nose is big and square. But I didn't say they were cons… Sure, a
3D platformer for the next gen console would have been awesome, Rare is
broadening their demographic. They're gathering younger and more diverse fans to
their already pristine base. And if this is direction Banjo is heading, I'm glad
they've done what they're doing. The graphics. A Banjo Kazooie game wouldn't be
right without superb graphics, and BKN&B does not fall short. Luscious
environments, brimming with bright colours and detail don't even give them half
the justice. Every level has it's own theme, and every level looks brilliant,
right down the floor textures, that look as though they've been stitched to
together, by some Lord of Games…
The sound. Again, it wouldn't be a Banjo game without it's music, and again,
BKN&B doesn't hold back. Although some levels have boring repetitive music
(Logbox 720), the music generally fits in well with the action of the game.
However, I noticed the serious parts don't cut to serious music like in the
prior N64 games, which really does detract from the serious moments, playing
bouncy cartoony music… The gameplay. This is a big one. Kazooie has a wrench.
No, she can't leave Banjo's backpack. She can't fly, she can't shoot grenades,
she can't even shoot lazers and torpedoes. BUT, her vehicles can! Showdown Town,
the hub world for N&Bs, is just like a platformer should be, and feels like
a banjo game right to the core. Certain areas are only accessible when you've
levelled up your trolley, and this retains the restricted access that was ever
so much fun in the previous games. For example, at the beginning of the game,
you can't drive up steep walls, leaving you designated in the town part of
showdown town. Upon defeating Grunty (yes, Grunty still believes she can defeat
the anthropomorphic bear and bird) you are given “high grip” tires, which
thus give you access above the town district. Simple platforming! The vehicle
gameplay is fun, on so many levels. You can play the game with pre-built
vehicles, but you can't help but enter Mumbo's workshop to build crazy zealous
contraptions to play around with. You can create an armored tank, brimming with
rockets, grenade eggs, lazers, and Clock Work Kazooie Bombs, right down to seat
with a spring, that upon being sprung, launches you miles into the air.
Through and through, Banjo's original platforming has been mutilated into
something much more brilliant, and as we know, Rare never lets us down!
