Banjo-Kazooie (Nintendo 64, 1998)

A bear and a bird. What an odd team. But it works in this excellent platformer. There's just so much to do in one sitting, this game never seems to get old. I recently won it on eBay as I've been feeling like a trip down memory lane with the old Nintendo 64 console in my closet. I was worried I might've outgrown this oldie adventure, but my doubts vanished when I powered on and started a brand new game.

With several exciting and challenging worlds, countless items to pick up, and so many incredible goals to achieve, Banjo-Kazooie keeps you busy and not the slightest bit bored. In fact, at times it can even get a little frustrating, as you'll probably notice some specific items you stumble upon but can't obtain in this game (because the developer, Rare, designed the game to have special items, otherwise useless in the original, that could be "swapped" into the Banjo-Kazooie sequel, Banjo-Tooie).

Other than that vexing issue, this game just plain eats up most other games on the N64. People criticize it for its likeness to Mario 64, but a platformer is a platformer is a platformer. Rare nailed a great mix of character personalities and plots, and I think this game has made its mark in Nintendo history.

Banjo-Kazooie is an adventure game developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64. You start off as a bear named Banjo who keeps his best friend Kazooie in his backpack. The two team up to take on the bad guys who have kidnapped Banjo's little sister. You go throw different worlds collecting different things and solving different puzzles. The challenges have nice variation from world to world so it doesn't get boring. Some focus on swimming, some on flying, and some have a mix between the two. The gameplay is somewhat open-ended in that you don't have to do all of the worlds in order. You can do about 2 or 3 different ones at a given time, but there is a rough order in which you have to complete them because the later ones require you to have more things collected and different abilities unlocked to enter them. I decided to buy this game because I had memories of playing it when I was younger, but it was stolen from me in my early teen years. I wanted to relive the adventures that I had so I decided to give it another shot. So far I have not been disappointed.

I don't no where to start but, Banjo-Kazooie released in 1998, I year before I got my first Nintendo 64 for Christmas; was one of the first games that got me involved and addicted to the world of video games and Nintendo in general. Banjo-Kazooie's levels, graphics, and hidden items such as jinjos, music notes, and the mumbo skulls that pop out of no where, have always kept me one the edge of my seat while playing the game. The few things that got on my nerves in this game is finding those extra honeycomb pieces, that are impossible to find if you are a newcomer to this game. In this game I also wish you could verse Gruntilda again even after you've defeated her at the end of the game, like you can in Rareware's Donkey Kong 64 where you can jump in the hole to vs. K. Rool again and again. However, going back to good comments, the 11 levels in this game (including Spiral Mountain and Grruntilda's Lair) are so much fun, and are each unique having their own special secrets to them and different obstacles to keep from getting the 10 jigsaw puzzles in each world, and 100 music notes. This game I have learned recently has been famous for stop n swop which connects to the scene with mumbo showing the video pictures to Banjo and Kazooie. This scene had always stumped me, and make me wonder what on earth it's for. When I first played this game I also noticed the inaccesible ice key in Freezeey Peak, and mysterious door in Gobi's Valley, which then I spend hours trying to find out how to access these. Overall, this game is one of my all time favorites for the Nintendo 64, and has addicted me to itself, and the world of video games.

That would have been a bizarre title for this game, but instead Rare gave us the amazing musical instrumental duo Banjo-Kazooie. About a bear and bird collecting musical notes, puzzle pieces, talking to moles, practicing witch craft, flying high and other oddball antics that makes you think damn, why didn't I come up with this concept for a game? Everything about this game is so perfect from the characters right along to the plot of the story. Of course the graphics are not up to par like they are now, but damn how can you do any wrong in 1998?

Along side with Zelda: Ocarnia of Time being at the top of 1998. This game is a flying high epic, masterful joyride from start to finish. Blow the dust of your N64 system, slam in the cartidge, polish up your bird and a take flight into the magnificant world of Banjo-Kazooie.

Banjo-Kazooie was a very strong N64 title that features two characters: Banjo and Kazooie. It is a very good 3D platform game similar to Super Mario 64, but instead of collecting Stars, you must collect Puzzle Pieces (or "Jiggies") to 'uncover the puzzle'. Grunty the evil Witch has kidnapped Banjo's beautiful younger sister with the intention of stealing her good looks. Now you must fight your way through 9 beautifully rendered 3D courses in order to rescue her. This fairy tale is filled with humor, bad puns, and wit, and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Definitely pick up this title if you own a Nintendo 64.