Written by Matt Cabral, 12/2/2008
Played on:
Xbox 360
I feel a bit bad for Banjo Kazooie and his creative caretakers at Rare; their latest stab at stardom for the bird and bear is an amazingly fresh experience that should be heralded by game makers and players alike. But ever since Sackboy came into the picture, all the praise and buzz over innovative gaming has been heaped on LittleBigPlanet. Don’t get me wrong, LBP totally deserves the attention (especially for its awesome, under-hyped solo campaign), but I bet Banjo would be getting lots more love if it weren’t for Media Molecule’s spotlight-swallowing title. Rare (who’s also been busy building the Xbox 360’s new avatars) has delivered a game that can’t be easily categorized, but one that embodies an experience few gamers will fail to fall in love with. In fact, Peter Moore—who recently questioned Rare’s relevance in the industry—should take a moment from cranking out the same sports game every year, and tinker a bit with Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts--it just might make him eat his words.
Visually, Rare’s latest is exactly what you’d expect from an updated take on one of the N64’s most beloved franchises. Banjo, Kazooie, and that pain-in-the-backside Gruntilda have all been given a slick CGI-like makeover, leaving their blocky, smudgy selves back in the 64-bit past. Additionally, the brightly colored and bizarrely-brought-to-life environments look like they could’ve fallen from the brain of Pixar’s and Tim Burton’s lovechild. Heck, I’d even be on board for a Banjo big screen effort after experiencing Nuts and Bolts' eye-melting presentation. It’s simply a gorgeous, smile-inducing game. The only thing cooler than witnessing this title’s color palette explode all over your HD display, however, is interacting with it. Fans of the furry and feathered friends are in for a surprise, one that may disappoint them at first, but ultimately win them over; you see, Nuts and Bolts probably isn’t the update fans of the series’ platforming roots have been waiting for. Instead, it’s a bizarre mash-up of story-driven mini-games (which, by the way, is significantly different from a mini-game collection a la Mario Party or Rayman Raving Rabbids) and amazingly addictive vehicle building, complemented by some smart inside “gamer” humor. The wacky story sees the mysterious Lord of Games setting up challenges for Banjo and Kazooie that must be tackled in order to progress. Of course, the fly in the ointment is Grunty—the witch is back!—who’ll stop at nothing to thwart your success.
Visually, Rare’s latest is exactly what you’d expect from an updated take on one of the N64’s most beloved franchises. Banjo, Kazooie, and that pain-in-the-backside Gruntilda have all been given a slick CGI-like makeover, leaving their blocky, smudgy selves back in the 64-bit past. Additionally, the brightly colored and bizarrely-brought-to-life environments look like they could’ve fallen from the brain of Pixar’s and Tim Burton’s lovechild. Heck, I’d even be on board for a Banjo big screen effort after experiencing Nuts and Bolts' eye-melting presentation. It’s simply a gorgeous, smile-inducing game. The only thing cooler than witnessing this title’s color palette explode all over your HD display, however, is interacting with it. Fans of the furry and feathered friends are in for a surprise, one that may disappoint them at first, but ultimately win them over; you see, Nuts and Bolts probably isn’t the update fans of the series’ platforming roots have been waiting for. Instead, it’s a bizarre mash-up of story-driven mini-games (which, by the way, is significantly different from a mini-game collection a la Mario Party or Rayman Raving Rabbids) and amazingly addictive vehicle building, complemented by some smart inside “gamer” humor. The wacky story sees the mysterious Lord of Games setting up challenges for Banjo and Kazooie that must be tackled in order to progress. Of course, the fly in the ointment is Grunty—the witch is back!—who’ll stop at nothing to thwart your success.
The ridiculous amount of parts you have access to is evocative of a brimming bag of Legos just begging to be snapped together, but if you’re not the mad-scientist type, Nuts and Bolts has still got your back with intuitive blueprints that point the way to ultimate vehicle pimping, and a test track allowing you to try your creations before allowing Gruntilda to make a fool of you. Spending time in the garage piecing together your crazy-brained army of pilotable rides offers a fantastic gaming experience, and one you won’t soon find duplicated in any other game. And it’s just as rich online, where you can bring your creations and compete with friends in a variety of challenges any fan of Robot Wars will appreciate. The Xbox Live modes, as well as the lengthy solo options, really pack in the replay value. The story's specific games and challenges are not always innovative, and some can get darn right repetitive and frustrating, especially if you can't quite beat the clock. But the ability to craft mind-blowing vehicles provides an endlessly addictive experience that'll keep this title in your 360 longer than it probably has a right to be there. And the skewering humor, alone, is often worth the price of admission for those brought up on games; Rare takes some fun jabs at the industry, most directed at themselves, including a brilliant Grabbed by the Ghoulies joke that targets their own failed Xbox title.
I’m not one of those Rare fans that have been keeping a vigil for the developer’s classic franchises; I could give a rat’s behind if we ever get another Killer Instinct, and I wasn’t even a big Banjo fan back in the day. So, my love of Rare’s latest may partially hinge on the fact that I wasn’t waiting for a sequel more in line with this franchise’s famed platforming roots. However, as a gamer who’s spent the last eight weeks blasting aliens, zombies, and insurgents (and believe me, I’m not complaining) in the season’s biggest titles, I was stoked to spend several hours in Nuts and Bolts’ lighter, imagination-pumping world, tinkering with insane vehicles just so a bear and bird could go paw (and wing) to toe with a witch. Tattoo that on your bicep, Mr. Moore.
