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Members Ratings for Banjo Kazooie (Vote 1 [low] to 10 [high])

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20.00% (1 vote)
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40.00% (2 votes)

Total Votes: 5

Banjo Kazooie - Review
Posted:

Banjo Kazooie - ReviewPosted:

wr3k
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Joined: Apr 10, 201112Year Member
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Status: Offline
Joined: Apr 10, 201112Year Member
Posts: 2,517
Reputation Power: 107
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Banjo Kazooie

Published by: Rareware
Release Date: 1998
Platform: Nintendo 64 and now Xbox 360
Genre: Adventure
ESRB Rating: E


Synopsis

Banjo-Kazooie is the first game in the Banjo-Kazooie series. It was developed by Rareware and released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64. In this game, Banjo and his friend Kazooie must save Banjo's sister Tooty from the evil witch Gruntilda before she steals Tooty's beauty. The game was followed by a sequel called Banjo-Tooie in 2000.
The evil witch of Spiral Mountain, Gruntilda, is inside her lair, asking her cauldron Dingpot questions about who is the 'nicest and fairest of them all', to which Dingpot reluctantly answers, "You are, mistress". She gloats over her "beauty", until Dingpot finally breaks his 'silence' and tells the witch that Tooty, another inhabitant of Spiral Mountain, is actually the prettiest and the fairest of them all. Grunty reacts angrily and decides to kidnap Tooty in order to steal her beauty. She grabs her broom and sets off immediately.



Gameplay

This game is the first game in, what I think, is the one of the greatest Nintendo 64 series of all time, along with Zelda. But, as the synopsis said, you start out as a bear named Banjo and he carries a bird around in his backpack. Some people say that it is very Super Mario 64-like, which, in a sense, it is because you have yourself being the good guy and the bad guy (Bowser in Super Mario, Gruntilda in Banjo Kazooie). In Super Mario, you have to collect coins throughout the levels and do missions within those levels to gain stars, which help you traverse to more levels. In Banjo, however, there are notes for coins, and jigsaw pieces, known as "Jiggies", that are like the stars. However, in Banjo, it's the notes AND the Jiggies that count. The notes allow you to go into new areas of Gruntilda's castle which contain new levels that require Jiggies to go in to.



Storyline/ Description

The storyline starts out in your house, when you learn that your (Banjo) sister, Tootie, has been kidnapped by the evil witch Gruntilda and that it is your job to go into Gruntilda's castle and get her back! When you get to the inside of Gruntilda's lair, which is the big castle in the starting place, there are 9 different worlds that require different amount of Jiggies to go in to. Banjo and Kazooie come with the ability to also shoot eggs out of Banjoes mouth or his backside. Also, you need Red Feathers to be able to fly and Golden Feathers which allow for invincibility. These eggs and feathers can be collected in the levels. Also, there are little silver skulls that you can gather in each map that allow you access to Mumbo Jumbo, the skeleton shaman who can change you into things such as a bee and a crocodile. The 9 worlds, in order of appearance in the game are: 1. Mumbo's Mountain 2. Treasure Trove Cove 3. Clanker's Cavern 4. Bubblegloop Swamp 5. Freezezy Peak 6. Gobi's Valley 7. Mad Monster Mansion 8. Rusty Bucket Bay 9. Click Clock Woods


Characters!


Banjo and Kazooie

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These two are the main characters throughout the series. Banjo is a honey-bear who's sister has been taken, so he teams up with his feathered friend Kazooie to rescue her!


Gruntilda(Grunty)

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Gruntilda, or Grunty, is the main antagonist in the story. She is the evil witch who capture Tooty, Banjo's sister and took her to her evil lair. Her lair is where are the levels lie in this game.


Bottles

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Bottles is a mole with bad eyesight who teaches Banjo and Kazooie new moves throughout the game.


Tooty

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Tooty is Banjo's sister who gets kidnapped and taken to Gruntilda's lair.


Brentilda

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Brentilda is Gruntilda's younger, dead sister who helps Banjo and Kazooie with facts that will help them later in the game


Mumbo Jumbo

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Mumbo is a shaman who, for the cost of silver skulls, turns you in to a specific thing for the world you are in.


Klungo

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Klungo has a very small role as Grunty's assistant in the game, but appears as a main character in both Banjo Tooie and Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts




Setting(s)!

Spiral Mountain

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This place is home to Banjo, Kazooie, Gruntilda, Bruntilda, Boggles, and Tooty.


Gruntilda's Lair

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This is where the levels are contained in Banjo Kazooie and is where the evil witch Gruntilda and her dead sister Bruntilda live


Mumbo's Mountain

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This is the first level of the game and is where Mumbo Jumbo "lives".


Treasure Trove Cove

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This is the second level and is a beach-themed map with a wrecked ship in the middle


Clanker's Cavern

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Clanker's Cavern is the third level and the main focus is a big metal fish who needs help.


Bubblegloop Swamp

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This is the fourth level out of 9 and is a very dangerous swamp filled with piranhas and alligators!


Freezezy Peak

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This is the fifth level and it is centered around a gigantic snowman in the middle


Gobi's Valley

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This is the sixth level and it is very desert-like and focused around Gobi the Camel


Mad Monster Mansion

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This is the seventh level and is a more haunted house theme.


Rusty Bucket Bay

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This is the eighth level out of 9 and is focused around the big ship called "Rusty Bucket"


Click Clock Woods

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Click Clock Woods is the last level of the game and is deserving of it. It is very challenging and confusing because it changes seasonally, and some things aren't able to be obtained or completed during certain seasons, as pictured above.



Graphics

The graphics of the game were very good. Growing up playing this game, I thought it was the best game ever. The graphics were and are amazing just because of the fact that this game was created in 1998. They did not have very many things graphics-wise like we have today. The movement of the characters and whatnot was absolutely flawless, and the landscape was beautiful. I've played this game 10-15 times through and have found absolutely no glitches graphically whatsoever. Now, when this game was released for XBLA (Xbox Live Arcade) the graphics were improved again! They improved the characters movement style and the landscape graphics to make it more suitable to today's graphical needs. I give them an A+ for their graphics.


My Opinion on Banjo Kazooie

I thought that this game was made perfectly! Especially the XBL Arcade version of the game. The N64 version of the game showed state-of-the-art 2D and 3D graphics that were amazing at the time. The XBLA version greatly enhanced these features, especially the 2D features. They made them feel more real and made you feel like you were in the game. The levels were outstanding. While the first two levels were not very challenging, the levels soon after that came with confusion, creativeness, cleverness, and sometimes people throwing their controllers at the walls. I really liked how they implemented the Jiggie and musical note system in to the game, and I think that the storyline was very good and very well thought out. Rare, in general, made a great game with the resources that they had.



Final Ratings of Banjo Kazooie

Storyline: 9/10
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Graphics: 9.3/10
Game Engine: 8.8/10
Creativity: 9.8/10

Final Rating!

9.3/10



Please feel free to suggest anymore categories like characters or anything that you would like me to add. Also, tell me if something should be changed. Thanks!


Last edited by wr3k ; edited 18 times in total
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