Stupid name, great game (Banjo-Kazooie (N64))

Member Name: MR.COATES

Product:	Banjo-Kazooie (N64)
Date:	08/06/01 (56 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Will last you quite some time, Good humour, Plays like a dream

Disadvantages: Aimed more at the younger player

There are many games producers that consistently create thoroughly entertaining, playable and enjoyable games. Rare is definitely one of them. You don’t have to look far to see what I’m on about – Goldeneye, Diddy Kong Racing, Perfect Dark and this absolute classic, Banjo Kazooie.
It’s a 3D platform game whilst managing to include an adventure element that’s both difficult and humorous. Not many games can make that claim.

As Banjo the bear, you head out with Kazooie to travel through an enormous amount of levels that are very cleverly linked together enabling a totally fluid element that allows you to return to previous levels but only advance to the next when you have completed the previous one. Some levels will return but the season will be different – one level may be a doddle in summertime but just wait until you have to return in winter, it may well be a whole different story.

Visuals:
Bearing in mind that this is on the slightly dated N64, this game looks stunning. The very appealing bright cartoon style graphics are colourful, detailed and functional. The characters have a great level of detail and the game levels are all very different from each other.
You will find that at times the game suffers from pop up in some of the larger levels but this is only with regards to the elements within the level. You’ll be able to see as far as you like, but you won’t be able to see enemies past a certain distance even if you can see the point where they actually are (hope you know what I mean by this!).

Sound:
Great stuff all round. From the lively welcoming game intro right through the game you’ll hear a lively and varied soundtrack. Each level has its own music, the sound effects are brilliant and at most times very appropriate to what is happening – some of the enemies make some very funny noises when they’re killed! The only thing missing is speech. There are
a few points in the game where you are spoken to by characters and all you get is an imitated speech noise with subtitles. A little annoying but of course there is a limit to what can go on to those N64 cartridges. I’m sure that’ll all change when the Gamecube arrives.

Features:
Huge levels, hilarious and challenging characters, genuinely tricky gameplay and a story that is aimed at the younger end of the market but remains an attention grabbing experience for adults too.
This game took me quite some time to complete and it’s very progressive.
As you go through the game you actually learn how to control Banjo and it’s a very good way of getting to grips with the character without having to endure any seriously dull training moments.
The very first level teaches you the basic movements but as you progress to later levels you’ll learn some of the more adventurous moves including climbing onto Kazooie (to run and jump faster) and you can even fly thanks to your feathered friend in later levels!
Humour is also a key point here and unless you’ve had yours removed at birth then you’ll find several comedy moments here to keep the game very light-hearted.

Gameplay:
If there is one thing that Rare know how to do then it’s producing a game that looks and plays like a dream. Banjo and Kazooie are quite simple to control despite the large amount of moves that are to be learnt. The difficulty is tweaked to what I would call perfection. It’s nice and simple at first but as you get to later stages you’ll find that things become a little more tricky but you should be able to overcome any problems you encounter even if it takes a couple of goes.
I know I had this for a very long time and I did eventually complete the game, that last ‘boss’ level is a pain!!


Now that this game is available at a steal you have no excuse not to try it out. It’s no
t the sort of game you can rent for a few days, this will last you weeks even if you’re playing it for a couple of hours a day. Great fun to play, challenging and funny – what more could you possibly want from a platform game? Rare have taken Mario64, added humour and a pinch of that special magic to produce one of my favourite games.

MR.COATES

Summary: