Banjo-Kazooie

[BeeZee]

I picked this up for a couple bucks at Game Cage the other day and I dug my N64 out of the closet to replay it. I have very fond memories of it from back when I was maybe twelve, and thus far, I'm pretty impressed at how it holds up. By today's standards, it's a pretty typical collect-a-thon, but it came out before there were a million of those. Judging from the first level I've played, it's pretty well-designed; there's a bunch of stuff to collect, but not a stupid amount like in later games. Did anyone else ever play this?

[John Mora]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie

I, too, thought it was the best 3D platformer before the straw broke the camel’s back.

[Kefka Jr.]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie

I dunno, I hated it. Though you did remind me that I meant to beat Conker's Bad Fur Day, though I'm pretty sure I hate that, too.

[Alutra]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie

I have fond memories of Mario 64, Banjo 1 & 2, Conkers bad fur day and Donkey kong 64. They all give me that warm fuzzy late 90s feeling. I will likely not play a game like this again until video games consist of stepping into a holodeck, though.

[Vonwert]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie

I really loved Banjo-Kazooie. I made sure to get or find every little secret. Too bad they messed up Tooie, with long, drawn-out character changing.

[Maijo]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie

I liked Tooie much better than the first. It was the same game with much more.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie

Do I really need to say anything? *coughjestershuntcough*

I enjoyed the first one way more than the second. The second one was too ambitious for its own good. I really enjoyed being able to split between Banjo and Kazooie (my favorite of the duo), but there was way too much to do. Go through this section as a team, then go through it again just as Banjo, and then go through it again with just Kazooie, and then go through it again as one of Humba's transformations, then we go see Mumbo and bring him to that area, and just because it's not annoying enough, let's go to the next level and come back to that area with a new move learned. It was the same thing that got me hating Donkey Kong 64 (though that one was a lot more extreme). Maybe if you didn't have to return to each area so many different times, I would've liked it more. It doesn't help that the levels were so big. I personally don't mind large levels, but when you're forced to cover each area so many times, you tend to forget where you've been with which characters. I got lost in almost every level after Mayahem temple. There's just too much to keep track of. The game was in serious need of a checklist, or maybe even a map you could mark on (that way I wouldn't have to search for a half-hour for that area I couldn't get to before).

I have yet to try Grunty's Revenge. Though I look forward to playing Banjo-Threeie, if it's ever made.

[Maijo]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie

Grunty's Revenge is exactly like the first Banjo-Kazooie in almost every aspect. The only difference is the obvious downgrade from systems, but overall, even though you can easily beat it in one night with 100 %, it was incredibly fun.

In other words, I say play it.

[Loki]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie

I like Tooie better because of the cohesivness of the worlds. The fact that they're all interconnected wowed me. It doesn't fill to big to me. I think it's just the right size. I hate Hate HATE the slowdown though. Banjo-Kazoie didn't have it. I don't see any reason why Tooie should have it.

Also Tooie's better because there's no Rusty Bucket Bay.

[Maijo]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie

I liked Rusty Bucket Bay...

Besides the fact that it was impossible.

[Loki]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie

It's not impossible, it's just tedious. 100 notes. Ugh.

I'm glad they took that out of Tooie.

[Maijo]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie

Is a Three-ie announced yet?

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie

Oh yes. I don't understand why the game didn't save which notes you collected in the original.

At least Tooie had fun bosses. (Favorite being Weldar.) And I gotta give credit where credit is due. If it weren't for Banjo-Tooie, I might've never got interested in first-person-shooters. Or motion-sensor bombs.

Threeie isn't announced yet. It's just expected.

[Manji]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie

being that rare does the microsoft thing now.. i don't know if a 3rd installment would sell very well on the 360. but, you never know..

[BeeZee]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie

I'm like five levels into the game now. I've been going along trying to get a perfect score on every area before I move on. Thus far, collecting all 100 notes in every area is my favorite part of the game, since it's the only aspect that's even remotely challenging, but I'm sure I'll eat those words come Rusty Bucket Bay.