Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge

"A short, and rather dissapointing game, but still worth a look"

Banjo-Kazooie has had a rather fruitful run on Nintendo. The first game, Banjo Kazooie, and the Sequel, Banjo Tootie, were both big name titles and sold very well. Back in late 2001, the next Banjo-Kazooie game was confirmed on the GBA. Back then, rare was still with Nintendo and was not a company for Xbox at the time. Later, Nintendo broke up and the BK game for GBA was presumed to be canceled. It wasn't until around a few months ago that it was found out that THQ would produce the game and rare would still make it, meaning that it would be finally out. After playing this game for about 5 hours, and then beating it in 5 hours, I have come to the conclusion that this game is too short to enjoy. Read my review to see how the game is.

The Graphics
The graphics themselves are definatly the best seen on the GBA. The game itself is a combination of Up/Down perspective and 3D shooter. The main graphics are Up/Down, which uses a very similar format that the N64 titles used. In terms of sprites and backround, the game looks beautiful. The sprites look just like there 3D versions, and some even look like they have 3D polygons on it. The backround is also beautiful, and looks very alive.

Score: 10/10

The Sound
The sound is also great. The soundtracks sound just like the N64 version and it still has the character/enemy sounds. In terms of the quality of the music, it is a bit cheesy, but done well.

Score: 8/10

The Gameplay
Even though Banjo-Kazooie has always been about collecting jiggies and unlocking world, the game seems to make everything seem psudo to the N64 version. Getting jiggies is much easier, and most of the time can be recieved either by fetching a item or getting a new move. In the N64 version, it was harder and more challenging to get the jiggies.

Score: 7/10

The Length and Challenge
The lowest part of the game. Due to the ensanely easy levels and bosses, the game can be beated in under 5 hours with the guide. If you are aiming for perfection, about 10 hours. The main problem with the challenge is that everything is in plain site and usually very easy to get, not as challenging as the N64 versions.

Score: 4/10

Final
Even though the graphics and sound are some of the best on the GBA, I would personally recomend that you try to rent the game before playing it, due to the fact that it can easily be beaten in under 6 hours. It is still a very fun game, but it is definatly the easiest of the BK games.

FINAL SCORE: 7.1/10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 09/13/03