Introduction:

A great game by Rare. This game is a must have for anyone who owns a Nintendo 64. The game consists of massive freeroaming 3-D worlds full of puzzles and challenges that push some of the best gamers to their limits. There is also a level outside of the levels (equivalent to Peach's Castle in SM64 except it's a lot bigger). This contains more challenges and puzzles to unlock later levels. Don't get lost!

Story:

The game starts out with Banjo (a bear) sleeping in his bed, with his friend Kazooie (a red bird) sleeping in a backpack (odd). Tooty, Banjo's sister, was playing outside. Meanwhile; up in Gruntilda's Lair, the evil ugly hag...er, witch, Gruntilda, was forming a plot to steal the beauty from Tooty. She flies down from her lair on her broomstick and kidnaps her. When Banjo wakes up, a mole named Bottles tell them what just happened, and the adventure is on to save Tooty.

Gameplay:

The gameplay is very good. There is a very steady learning curve, the beginning of the game is a small training section, then you slowly learn new moves throughout the game instead of being force fed all the controls at once. Sometimes it is easy to get certain moves confused, but aside from that, the controls are smooth and simple. Challenges in each level offer something different for everyone, from puzzles and quizzes to battling a large enemy.

I give the gameplay: 9/10

Graphics:

For it's time, the graphics are excellent. Much detail is added into the worlds and you feel immersed into the game. There are no major flaws and everything can be seen clearly. There is no object that you would look at saying, "What is that supposed to be?"

I give the graphics: 10/10

Sound:

The sound is excellent. Great effects and excellent music, as is the usual for games by Rare. The songs fit the theme of the level very well and even change style when you go underwater to fit an underwater theme.

I give the sound: 10/10

Replayability:

This game is good enough and long enough to replay. Sometimes you'll notice things you never noticed before the 2nd or 3rd times around. It's not always good to replay though. There are certain sections that can be frustrating, and sometimes you wish you could skip those parts when you replay it.

I give the replayability: 6.5/10

Challenge:

This game starts out fairly easy but quickly becomes challenging. Even the best players will find certain challenges difficult to master. This game does not practically play itself, you have to gain skill (and maybe get some luck).

I give the challenge: 9/10

Frustration:

Like some other Rare titles, this game can become very frustrating at times. Sometimes if you just take a break from the game and regain some of your patience you will get through no problem when you start it back up. Other times, it seems like you're stuck in this one part forever, but it feels so good when you finally get through.

I give the frustration: 5/10

Value:

I would pay more than the original price for this game. It is worth every penny.

I give the value: 10/10

Overall:

This game has the whole package. Another success by Rare.

I give Banjo-Kazooie: 9.5/10

Conclusion:

This game is great for all ages, even if some jokes seem childish, it doesn't effect the overall gameplay. If you don't own this than you are missing out on a great game.

Written By: Mr. X
Date Submitted: April 7th, 2006

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