Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts (Xbox 360)

Banjo - Kazooie, nuts and bolts is the newest of the series, and the first thing which strikes me when playing is the references to the old games, and to the Nintendo 64 console. The game is set in a world created by a games master, and his initial action is to take all the skills such as flying, punches and kicks, and peck attacks. In return, kazooie is given a magic spanner, which enables you to build vehicles and control objects at a distance. You start with the basics for a shopping trolly style vehicle, with a tray, 4 wheels, small engine and seat. Throughout the game you get upgrades in engine size, fuel capacity, weapons, wings / floats, and ...  Read the complete review

Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts is a lesson in how to change a series not necessarily for the better - But to show what a dev team can achieve when they put their mind to it. Fans of the previous games in the series were up in arms when it was announced that Nuts and Bolts would not be following the series staple diet of running, jumping and floating, and would instead be a mix of platforming actions and vehicle building. It was enough to make people's blood boil before the game was even released, and it's upsetting to see that most of those people are still up in arms about it after only trying the demo - Because the game is a fantastic slice of ...  Read the complete review

Banjo and Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts Format: Xbox 360 Genre: Adventure Platformer So what's it all about: In this game we see the return of Banjo the bear and Kazooie the bird making their début appearance on the Xbox 360. For those of you who are unfamiliar with these two loveable characters, Banjo and Kazooie first graced our screens in 1997 on the N64 in a very addictive platformer, set to compete with the likes of Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. However in Nut's and Bolts any similarity to these vintage classics have been surpassed by fully utilising todays modern gaming technology. In the game we see Banjo and Kazooie facing the ...  Read the complete review

Anybody who remembers the original Banjo Kazooie will remember it as 'the other' N64 platform game - for some, the Mario-killer, and for others perhaps a little too off the wall really to take in. I guess you could view it as a 64-bit generation equivelant of the fantastic if not completely ludicrous Toejam and Earl. I have to admit I loved the original game. It has always been important that series has remained self-aware and each game is clearly crafted with love. The same goes for 'Nuts and Bolts', the latest Banjo installment. First, a note of surprise - Nuts and Bolts is not a platformer. I fell for this misconception (I really could be more ...  Read the complete review

You'd be forgiven for questioning what relevance, if any, Banjo and Kazooie have nowadays. A decade after the bird and bear team one-upped Mario with the superior Banjo-Kazooie, sprawling levels littered with pointless items to collect are now considered relics from the past- and rightly so. While the series' trademark irreverent humour and esoteric characters make their long awaited return, I can happily say that Nuts & Bolts is so much more than Banjo-Threeie. When evil witch Gruntilda challenges the now obese Banjo to yet another inane collect-athon, in swoops the Lord of Games, a disembodied hotchpotch of purple robes and Pong emblazoned TV screen, to ...  Read the complete review