I no longer think of the Banjo as an instrument of musical wonder, I think of it as a bear. Banjo-Kazooie is one of the most well respected platformers of all time, for good reason!! Back in the day, there was this little company called “Rare”, and they were the best. Not just the best though, they were on top, number one, the big cheese, the chosen one. Rare made the best of the best. Note I said “Made”. Unfortunately for everyone that plays games, Rare has fallen from grace. Over the past 5 years, they’ve made nothing but shit (with the possible exception of Viva Pinata, which was pretty good at best. But enough about Rare, lets get to the game.
(Click images for some high-res awesomeness)
Banjo Kazooie is one of those childhood games that you play and never forget. This game took up the majority of my time while I lived in Oregon between houses. Crammed into a tiny apartment, I adventured across Spiral Mountain, Cranker’s Bay, Mumbo’s Mountain, Freezy Peak, and many other places. The places you’ll go, just like any good game, each have their own feel and style. From an industrial dump to a pirate themed “Treasure Trove Cove”, you’ll remember each and every place you visit.
This goes for characters too. Grunty, the main antagonist, is one of the best written characters in gaming. She has an inferiority complex stemming from her being a self-referenced ‘ugly old hag’. The main story revolving around her wanting to suck the ‘pretty’ out of Banjo’s younger sister ‘Tooty’. Throughout the game, she’ll pop up from time to time taunting you with nursery rhymes. She also has a good sister that will give you trivia throughout your adventures, which shouldn’t be ignored. The casual player will go through the game not paying attention to the little bits of supposedly ‘useless’ information, but at the very end of the game, your survival depends on them. Making you compete in a trivia game show for your life. Its an effective and innovative section.
All in all, this game is something to be experienced. Great music, good graphics considering the time, even though I would like slightly tighter controls, they serve the game well. Play it, love it. Never again will I think that bears and birds can’t team up to stop a wicked witch.
I read a simliar post just the other day by Sandra Kosineck but yours is much better.
It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d certainly donate to this outstanding blog! I guess for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to new updates and will share this site with my Facebook group. Chat soon!