Banjo-Kazooie

"One of my favorite Nintendo 64 classics!"

At the 1997 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Rare (which was then a second party developer for Nintendo) revealed that they were working on a highly anticipated special project. When the game was revealed though, many didn't like what they saw it. They thought it came off as "a Super Mario 64 clone" or "too cute for its own good". However, this game turned out absolutely fantastic in the end.

Gameplay: 10/10
At first Banjo-Kazooie may seem like a ripoff of Super Mario 64. Well, I'm here to tell you that it's more than just a ripoff of said game.
In this game, you technically control two characters (Banjo and Kazooie). Banjo is a lazy bear and Kazooie is a loudmouthed bird. You must have them work together to solve puzzles and collect items. Over the course of the game, you will learn many special moves to help you out. The controls in this game are very good, even though you may have a hard time remembering how to do all the special moves.
In this game, you must collect a lot of items. And I mean a lot of items. Don't worry though, it never gets boring. You must go to nine worlds to collect these items. The worlds are accessible through an overworld. The worlds are all very large and full of life. You'll be surprised by the attention to detail that the designers put into these worlds. You must fully explore these worlds to get all the items there.
The main items you must collect are notes and jiggies. There are 100 notes in each world and you collect them so that you can access various parts of the overworld. Notes are usually found out in the open and you don't need to solve any sorts of puzzles to get them. As for jiggies, there are 10 of them in each world and they usually aren't just out in the open. To get them, you usually must solve some sort of puzzle, help out a certain non-playable character, or just accomplish some objective. The things you have to do to get jiggies are very creative and some are very challenging. You must use jiggies to open worlds. Jinjos are another notable item you must collect. They are furry creatures that come in several different colors. You must collect some other items as well, but they aren't as important and I would digress too much if I mentioned all of those.
The gameplay has several other nice touches, such as the ability to morph into different creatures. I won't spoil too much, but I will say that this adds an interesting new element to the gameplay.
Overall, this game isn't a ripoff of Super Mario 64. In fact, I'd say that it improves upon the Super Mario 64 style of gameplay.

Story: 9/10
Okay, so the premise isn't that creative. Banjo the bear, with the help of his bird friend Kazooie, must rescue his sister Tooty from the evil witch Gruntilda. It sounds like a generic fairy tale story, but it's surprisingly well-done. The cutscenes are very humorous, as there are many interesting and funny characters in this game. I won't reveal anything else, but I will say that Rare added quite a lot of humor to this game.

Graphics: 10/10
These were the best graphics ever seen when this game came out in 1998. All the characters looked very impressive, and the worlds were downright beautiful. This game had graphical polish and style that many games of the time lacked. In fact, the graphics don't even look too dated today. There are some Nintendo 64 games that are almost unplayable now because they're so ugly by today's standards, and this isn't one of them.

Sound: 10/10
The sound effects in this game are very neat, especially the characters' "voices". All characters make animal sounds (accompanied by text) whenever they are supposed to be talking. That's a creative idea that most companies wouldn't have thought of. The other sound effects in this game are top-notch as well, and the instrumental music is very catchy. All in all, this game uses sound very effectively.

Play Time/Replayability: 9/10
This game is pretty long. With all of the stuff you have to do, it shouldn't be over too soon. There's no real incentive to keep playing after you beat the game though. However, I like this game so much that I have played and beaten it several times, so it definitely has some replay value.

Overall: 10/10
This game is a true classic. The worlds are so large and there is a lot to do, plus this game has a sense of humor. Every Nintendo 64 owner should have this game. This is one of many excellent games made by Rare, and it's a shame they won't be making games for Nintendo consoles anymore. Banjo-Kazooie is highly recommended by me to gamers of all ages. You will enjoy it. Don't waste your time by renting it - just go right ahead and buy it.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/18/04