| Author | Review |
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YEME7H
49,894
TA Score for this game: 283
Posted on 27 December 08 at 22:51 |
This review has 14 positive votes and 2 negative votes. Please log in to vote. |
Yes, you are not seeing things. The 1998 N64 classic has made its way to the Xbox Live Arcade, complete with an HD makeover at a hefty 1200 Microsoft Points.
When this game first came out on the N64, I remember recieving a promotional VHS tape (VHS? Whats that? lol) showcasing the game in all its wacky levels and crazy moves. I like it, so I went out and bought a copy. To this day, it still remains as one of my favourite and most cherished youth gaming memories, rivalling that of Super Mario and Donkey Kong, and even excelling against them in some aspects as a definitive platformer.
The game revolves around the kidnapping of a young girl, Tooty, by a witch called Gruntilda, in order to transfer Tooty's beauty (which I fail to see...) into herself (which she's desperately in need of). Now, Tooty is Banjo's little sister and as a good big brother should always know, ALWAYS save your sister from a decrepid old hag. Banjo is a bear, but not just any old bear. He strolls along with a female (surprise surprise) bird called Kazooie. They're collaborative partnership is the driving engine of the games premise and as a duo they will end up tackling the challenge faced head on, with the aid of you, mr/mrs gamer of course.
Already im hearing moans and groans about its unoriginality or its cloneness of Super Mario 64, but I beg to defer. What makes this game so special in my opinion is its sheer novel value. The characters, levels and events will imprint into your memories for a long time, they are simply unforgettable. This is up to you to find out, I wont be spoiling anything today.
Your journey will take you across a host of different environments, meeting an array of memorable NPCs, guided by a moley godfather type character named Bottles and a shaman named Mumbo Jumbo who'll be subjecting you to all sorts of body altering wizardry throughout the whole game. Blanket this will a smart collection system of honeycomb pieces and musical notes and you will be left with a charming package of collectability, gameplay, character building and storyline. The scale of this game is very impressive, the worlds themselves are large, but the extra-worldy navigation through Gruntilda's lair will leave you confused due to its sheer magnitude.
No multiplayer at all in this game, this is one for the lonesome, yet soothingly attractive to a younger audience if they decide to watch or even have a play themselves. All ages should give this game its deserved chance on their screens and Xbox 360's. Platformers this novel and this classic dont come by very often. A mention goes for the achievements too, they are well balanced and should provide something for both the casual gamer and for the collectathon completionist.
You're looking at 8-10 hours to fully complete for the average gamer so if you are struggling to find something worthy of your 1200 points, and think other cheaper arcade games are a bit 'meh', look no further than Banjo Kazooie, great value for that price and an unrivalled gaming experience on XBLA to treasure.
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ButterflyEdge
109,260
TA Score for this game: 93
Posted on 16 April 09 at 11:08 |
This review has 12 positive votes and 2 negative votes. Please log in to vote. |
For me, 1998 was a long time ago. In terms of gaming anyway. Ten years ago I was only 13, and although many don't really consider it being retro the Nintendo 64 era is pretty retro to me.
I remember Banjo Kazooie as one of the first titles that really had me hooked. I remember spending endless hours fixed to the screen trying to 100% the levels - almost always unsuccessfully - but still. It's certainly one of the earliest games that I actually dedicated myself to. Not just picking up and playing it, but really putting alot of time and effort into it. In saying all of this, first time round I never actually managed to finish it...
When I got wind of the news that BK was to make it onto XBLA, I was over the moon. Not only is it a classic release - but a lengthy one.
I also got pretty exited with the offer of a free early download of the original game with the pre-order of Banjo Kazooie - Nuts and Bolts, almost a month before the actual release.
I took full advantage of the offer - although my copy of N&B is still sealed a massive six weeks after release..... *cough*...
So, Banjo Kazooie follows the story of the Diddy Kong Racing character Banjo, and his feathered friend Kazooie which - despite her size - lives in Banjos backpack...
Nearby, Grunty - a typically ugly, green witch - discovers that... Believe it or not... She is not the prettiest lady in the land. That would be Tooty, Banjos younger sister. Grunty has her kidnapped and Banjo & Kazooie set out to save her, before Grunty uses her wicked machine to steal her beauty for herself.
B&K make their way to Grunty through her lair, which consists of levels in which 'Jiggys' (jigsaw pieces) and musical notes are collected in order to complete pictures throughout the lair to progress to the next level where you will collect more jiggys and so on and so forth - in an almost Mario 64-esque play style.
The game itself can provide you with hours of decent playtime - which more than justifies it's 1200 point price tag,which I know alot of people aren't too keen on.
The game play is consistently fun - with varying challenges of which some will leave even the mostly skilled gamer screaming at the TV or sending their controllers flying (Gobis Valley, anyone?) Yet still - even the more difficult tasks keep me hooked and trying, rather than going down the turning off and sulking route I usually take.
The game has had a polish in terms of visuals and looks fantastic. Colourful and sharp.
Unfortunately the trademark 64 camera angles haven't been fixed - so expect the occasional camera fit before you go hurtling in the opposite direction. This can get tiresome when your carefully making your way across a teeny bridge above lava of the instant death variety. Trust me.
Overall - even to todays standards this title has alot to offer. It's good fun - plain and simple. It provides hours of entertainment for people of all ages. It could easily be enjoyed by someone new to the title - aswell people like me who spent their childhood playing it. We can but hope we see more games along these lines heading our way too.
8/10
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