Banjo Kazooie begins briefly with a scene around Spiral Mountain, Banjo and Kazooie eating/playing video games and overweight (yes, fat). They're talking about not having an adventure for ten odd years. Then Grunty's skull comes out from the rubble of herself from their last outing and hops around to the couple. They start a confrontation and the Lord Of Games (LOG for short) comes and tells them to compete. The whole situation and delivery of this scene is humorous, light-hearted and there are a lot of references to Rare's other games. Then LOG throws the three into Showdown Town and shows you how to make vehicles and do things with the wrench that he equipped Kazooie with. Oh yes, all the moves in the previous games aren't in here, Kazooie only uses a Wrench to pick things up (In fact Kazooie asks for the moves back when he gives back the slender body of the couple and Grunty's body. LOG dismisses them as useless.). The story of the game is to compete against Grunty and then inevitably beat her, for a third time.Most of the characters are here from the old Banjo games. Grunty, Banjo, Kazooie, Mumbo, Humbo, Klungo, Bottles and even Mr Fit are back. While Rare saw fit to add more, they are a welcomed addition, LOG, Piddles (Grunty's sidekick), the Policechief and TT. LOG being the best character out of the new ones, he's always there to give commentary and it's usually sarcastic, dry, humorous and breaks the fourth wall. All the dialogue is like that in the game but LOG's dialogue is most prominent and sticks out the most. All the characters all have something to say and the witty remarks that Banjo and Kazooie come up with is usually hilarious. Rare has not lost their humor from the past games and it's great they still have it, it gives the game a certain light heartedness and charm. Which most games do not have anymore.While the story's main objective is lack luster, it makes up for it by the charm and dialogue. You'll always be enthralled by what the characters are going to say.
The game plays as smooth as butter. Although if you were a fan of the past Banjo games (I've played them briefly) you might be a little disappointed by what I'm about to say. This Banjo game plays NOTHING like the past ones. Rare decided it wasn't fit to make a cookie cutter platform like the last ones and decided to make it about vehicle challenges and vehicle customization. But the game is just as fun. Just like the past ones, there is a hub world (showdown town, and it's huge) and you go from one to the other starting challenges and completing them for Jiggies and Trophies. Jiggies make a return and you get them by completing challenges, trophies are when you complete a challenge above the requirements to get a jiggy. Get four trophies and you get a jiggy.The challenges themselves aren't that difficult but they are always fun and entertaining. The challenges vary from racing, collecting object to playing soccer, Destruction Derbies and more. The challenges are made in such a way that to complete them and acquire the trophies you have to think outside the box and create a vehicle to better complete the challenge. Every challenge LOG gives you a vehicle that's suitable for the challenge but it is never the best. If you have the parts then you are able to better LOG''s recommendation vehicle.Example, during the soccer challenge LOG gave me a vehicle to push soccer balls in the net, so I edited it so I can fit 5 soccer balls in the net of my vehicle and I put springs inside to shoot the soccer balls at the net. I got the trophy. :>The vehicle creation is akin to Spore's creator's, it's simple and intuitive. You are still able to create complex creations and it's easy. If you don't like that kind of creation or using your imagination it might be harder to use but it's still simple to use, you just have to get used to it. Once you're used to it you can create a helicopter that detaches into a plane. Or if you're interested you can make a penis car and make it squirt water. If you're inclined to. You can add odd parts and even add a megaphone that makes sound. To collect parts, you collect crates in showdown town and give them to Mumbo.
The sound design for this game is quite good. The sound affects aren't that spectacular meaning I can't remember most, but the music is different. The music is amazing, it's basically enhanced music from the past games, the dynamic music from the old games is also here. (Meaning you go from land to water and the music changes tone). There is no voice acting in this game and it's better that way. All the quirky sounds the characters made from the past games are still here. Thank god, no one wanted cheesy voice acting in MY Banjo game. Luckily the graphics are more than up to par with the music. The graphics of the game are simply nothing short of AMAZING. Probably the best looking game of this gen. It's colorful, smooth, detailed and animates beautifully. There is also absolutely no texture pop-in or pop-in in the game that's noticeable. This game is a graphical marvel. Although they changed the character models from circular to blocky, they still look fantastic (there's a bit by Grunty who says the fans will hate the way it looks).
That basically sums it up, Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts is drastically different from the past iterations but it's still nothing of a great and fun game. It's gameplay style and artistic style is a breath of fresh from today's gritty, bloody shooters and it's just as good. Congrats to Rare for making such a different and fun game, congrats indeed.NXE install stuff: 6.7 Gigabytes, an approx. a 10 minute install. Made my game's cut scenes stop being choppy and loaded parts faster. It also decreased loading screens from 10 seconds to 7.+ Gameplay is fun, just as fun as the past iterations+ Dialogue is humorous
+ Characters are entertaining
+ Vehicle customization is simple and deep.
+ Tons of parts to use and play with
+ Arguably the best looking game this gen
+ Music is phenomenal.
? There is an easter egg in this game referencing to Rare resurrecting their past series' (Battletoads, Jet Force Gemini, Blast Corps, Grabbed By The Ghoulies and Killer Instinct). Will they return?
- Sounds are forgettable
- Vehicle physics may take some time getting used to
- Other people's creations on XBL vary from penis to penis and sexual innuendos. If you find a game.That's my review style, suck it up. I'll edit this review with pictures and content asap when I'm not busy. Editing this will be frequent because I'm picky.
Decide for yourself if this game is worth it, number based reviews are too subjective and a 7 nowadays means it terrible to some people.Bottom line, I love this game.