"My Favorite Game of All Time - Find Out Why!"

Banjo-Kazooie... My first game for the Nintendo 64. The game that got me into gaming. The game that got me into Nintendo. The game that after more than half a decade has remained my favorite game. The game that makes me smile just thinking about it. Banjo-Kazooie, yes, Rareware's finest piece of gaming available. Sure, it's a goofy title, but that's what makes this game so great! This game is full of oddballs and jokes, but behind that, it has a great message and a great game that no gamer should miss out on. This is one game that truly deserves the rating Everyone, because Banjo-Kazooie is a game I fell absolutely EVERYONE can enjoy, at some degree. My degree, is at the very top. Here's why.

Story: 10/10
Banjo the bear, remember him from Diddy Kong Racing? Well, he lives at the foot of Spiral Mountain with his sister Tooty and best friend the red crested breegull, Kazooie. And at the top of Spiral Mountain, is Gruntilda the witch's castle. Well, as you know, Gruntilda, or Grunty for short, is a witch. And as you could have guessed most witch's are ugly. At least, wicked witches such as herself. And so, Gruntilda and her dimwitted assistant Klungo develop a machine to switch beauty with another, not "apparently" Tooty is this beauty. And so, Gruntilda wants to amke Tooty ugly, and steal her beauty. So Gruntilda kidnaps her. Well, Bottles the neighborhood mole finds out about this and goes to warn Banjo and Kazooie. After some training in Spiral Mountain, Banjo and Kazooie set out to Grunty's castle to get back Banjo's sister. It's really not the most in depth storyline, or groundbreaking. But it's different, it's not just some average joe going to save the princess in greed to win her love. This is Banjo, the older brother, looking out for his little sister. And I think that this story in particular has a good message behind it, which greatly adds to the game's lasting appeal and charm. Novel worthy, no? But a good story with a good message behind it, which is rare these days. (Ironic how it's made by a company called Rare!)

Graphics: 9/10
Rareware has always been known for it's superb, top notch graphics, from the groundbreaking Donkey Kong Country games, Banjo-Kazooie is certainly no exception. In even comparison with rare's earlier N64 title, Diddy Kong racing, the Banjo model has been GREATLY improved and everything this game, though inevidably a bit blocky (what 3D N64 game wasn't?), banjo-Kazooie is one of the most smoothed out N64 games there is. The environments are nopthing to brag about, which is why it's not a perfect score, but the detail the game does have goes a long way. Especially in the later level, such as Click Clock Woods, the graphic capabilities are put to good use and Rare and Nintendo creates another gem.

Music: 10/10
Easily one of my favorite video game soundtracks ever. I loved all the msuci in this game. the main title, the pause screen, Spiral Mountain, Gruntilda's Lair, Mumbo's Mountain, Treasure Trove Cove, Clanker's Cavern, Bubblegloop Swamp, Freezeezy Peak, Gobi's Valley, Mad Monster Mansion, Rusty Bucket Bay, Click Clock Woods, I honest to god love the music in every single level. I still enjoy listening to it and I know others that love it as well. If any game was soundtrack worthy, this is it. They aren't exactly rock-on songs, but they're songs that remind you of a great game and great levels. They're fun. And I have fun whenever I hear them.

Sound: 10/10
Now some might be saying that there isn't good sound it's just a bunch of goofy noises. I say, EXACTLY! Those goofy noises are what makes this game just so great. Every character has their own unique noises. Banjo goes "Guh-guh" Kazooie "arrarwwrararsrra" Gruntilda "ReeRAHreeReeRAHRAHreeRahRee" Mumbo "EEkem Bokem". Sure, they might sound silly, but that's what they are. They're supposed to be funny, you're supposed to laugh and have a good time when you're playing this game. The sounds just add greatly to the charm of this game that makes it top so many of my lists. In addition to the clever voices, every sound works out just right, running, jumping, falling, splashing, getting smacked, all of it sounds just right and makes them game just come together.

Atmosphere: 9/10
I just love the atmosphere in this game. The whole story. The lively and exciting characters. The fun music and sounds. The jokes. It's truly a unique experience. Sure, there have been other 3D platformers, collecting games, but none of them are quite like Banjo-Kazooie. It's a game that doesn't have to take itself seriously. It's a game that's supposed to be fun, and that's exactly what it is. It's given me so many great memories with gaming and with friends, this atmosphere of Banjo-Kazooie is truly one I will never forget and sets the standards and raises the bar for all platformers to come. I don't think the bar will ever be passed either.

Characters: 10/10
This was probably the easiest 10 to give out. The character sin this game are some of my favorite characters EVER. On any cartoon show or movie or video game, Banjo and Kazooie will find their way on every list. Banjo the bear is a simpleton who isn't exactly bright but he's a hero nonetheless and sidekick Kazooie contridicts him in perfect humor by being witty, sarcastic, and smart mouthed. The two are one great comedy duo, and the supporting cast is terrific as well. Bottles the George Costanza-esque mole who seems rather passive but can go nuts over little things, Mumbo Jumbo, everyone's favorite shaman, Gruntilda the rhyming witch, and the good old jinjos. And the characters you meet in each world are just as unforgettable. Gobi the camel, Captain Blubber the hippo, Boggy the polar bear (wa-hey!), Loggo the toilet, Greedy Mr. Vile the crocodile, Tiptup the turtle, Nabnuts the squirrel, Gnawty the beaver, Conga the gorilla, Brentilda the witch, Ruby the ... guy and Wozza the walrus. The list goes on and on. My friends and I would go on and on about the characters in banjo-Kazooie and just how funny some of them were. This game wasn't just a favorite of mine, it affected my whole class, and brings many great memories of just us guys joking around, which is something I really love to do.

Gameplay: 10/10
Again, I absolutely love the gameplay in this game. I've beaten the game 100% around about 10 times or so, and I still enjoy it every time. I'm not exactly your "hardcore gamer" and for me to play a game that many times, sure says a lot. You play through the game as Banjo and Kazooie, Kazooie sits in Banjo's backpack and comes out to help perform a variety of different moves and combos. It adds a ton of variety to the game. You learn the moves from Bottles by visiting his mole hills. In addition to figuring out puzzles with Banjo and Kazooie's extensive moveset, Mumbo Jumbo offers a variety of different transformations including a termite, a crocodile, a walrus, a pumpkin, and a honey bee. It allows you to explore the designated worlds through a different pair of eyes and makes for some excellent gameplay. The final boss fight against Gruntilda and the gameshow leading up to it are also some of the most memorable video game ending and most fun as well.

Unique Features: 9/10
This game has quite a bit of unique features, but it does BEAR resemblence to Super Mario 64 in its style and set-up, which isn;t bad at all. In fact, I'd say it does it a lot better. It's not common to have so many different moves in a platformer and Banjo-Kazooie sure has a lot, that are always useful and never too hard to remember. The transformations were also a rather fresh concept at the time and as stated before really add to the lasting appeal. There's also a secret one that can be found after getting far into the game.

Fun Factor: 10/10
If it isn't already blatently obvious, let me reiterate, THIS GAME IS EXTREMELY FUN. This is easily the most fun I've ever had playing a video game. It introduced me to great series such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Donkey Kong. Before this game, video games did not occupy hardly any of my time. Banjo-Kazooie is so fun, its enough to get anyone into playing games.

Length: 8/10
This rating is not included in the overall score, as many people's opinions on the importance of game length varies. I think the length of this game was just right. It's not overly long like the sequel was and not overly short like the Game Boy Advance game was. Banjo-Kazooie is just long enough to hold your attention the entire way through. It even after its beat the replayability is terrific and there's lots of secrets to discover within the game as well.

Difficulty: 8/10
This rating is not included in the overall score, as many people's opinions on the importance of game difficulty varies. I don't believe this game is extraordinarily hard, but it's not really easy either. It provides a good challenge for any gamer and the later levels provide much more difficult puzzle pieces, but they aren't all necessary for a less trained gamer to complete the game as well. It's full of all different challenges and has something for someone of every skill level.

Overall: 10/10

Buy or Rent: BUY!!!
sya this with all sincerity. Banjo-kazooie is my favorite game of all time. I might overhype it because it has affected me so positively, but i assure you this is truly a great game worth picking up. It's goofy, but that's what it is. Banjo-Kazooie is worth buying an N64 for. It's that good of a game.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/30/04