Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts Review

BY Rabie Hassoun | POSTED: 09 December 2008

RARE proves they haven\'t lost their touch.



It hasn’t been long since RARE impressed us with the latest entry to the Viva Piñata series. The game was colourful and filled with things for you and your imagination to explore. Sadly though, it did not sell as many copies as certain other brain-dead games out there due to its kiddie exterior. However, true gamers knew the treasure hidden deep within the title. With Banjo Kazooie- Nuts’n’Bolts, Rare has decided to stick with this wacky yet colourful and creative formula. The key difference here is this title is part of a beloved franchise that fans have been waiting for since the last game hit shelves 8 years ago on the Nintendo 64. So it’s fair to say expectation were high when it was announced, coupled with anxiety when it was shown to be a departure from the previous two entries where gameplay is concerned. Instead, choosing to mesh together parts of the previous games with the new ability to find parts and build whatever crazy vehicle you can come up with to get around the various levels. Has rare succeeded? The answer to that really depends on how willing you are to accept the new direction.



The story is set 8 years after the conclusion of the last main entry in the series Banjo-Tooie. Our heroes have become overweight food loving video game addicts, something I’m sure most of us can relate to. Shortly after a reintroduction to our heroes, the series main villainess Gruntilda shows up to cause trouble, sans body of course. Before our blubbery heroes can duke it out with the witch their interrupted by the aptly named yet pong faced Lord of Games, who aims to settle things between the two sides by having them compete in various challenges throughout different worlds. Shortly after this you’re transported to Showdown Town and the games begin.

Original concepts and ideas are always welcome; although not necessarily where tried and true fan loved franchises are concerned. This game is all about originality and harnessing your creativity. Yes it is a platforming game per say, but deep inside Banjo Kazooi- Nuts'n'Bolts is way more than that. You can try playing this game as a traditional platformer just like the old days but you’ll fail miserably. In this game you need to deal with and build the aforementioned vehicles more than anything else. Each level and world is designed in such a way that only a certain type of vehicle you create will work out and help you progress. Some levels will have you flying around, while others will require more power and a lighter weight. The possibilities are limitless considering the amount of customizable parts you can collect playing the game.

The vehicle modification part of the game is a load of fun. You will have every single part you’ve collected during your time with the game on one screen just waiting for you to get your creative juices flowing. While the game will try its best to guide through the process of creating a vehicle, it will take you some time to get used to the whole concept. Actually, you will be frustrated quite a few times when the vehicle you just created fails to meet the requirements of a level or breaks down instantly. There is a lot of trial and error involved here, something that might turn off some yet excite others. Which is why, just like Viva Piñata, this game will probably appeal to a smaller segment of gamers. Aside from the series faithful that is.



The main objective in this game is to collect the series iconic Jigsaw (Jiggy) pieces by completing challenges throughout the various acts so you can progress further into the game and unlock more worlds. Musical notes return as well, but unlike in previous games where they were used to gain new skills, you use them as currency for vehicle parts and blueprints. They can be found scattered around the world and won through different challenges. You will be going around collecting items such as the also iconic music notes scattered around each level. The main story takes around 10-15 hours to go through if you’re in a hurry. But it will take a good 20-30 for those wanting the complete experience. This is good news for those fearing that the budget price tag would mean a half hearted incomplete game, which thankfully is not the case.

When it comes to how the actual vehicles controls though, the results are decidedly mixed. Each vehicle you create reacts and controls differently based on its parts. Some feel and drive slightly better than the others, and it can be annoying trying to find that comfortable sweet spot while also trying to build a vehicle suited to a specific purpose. The way certain vehicles break down often and bounce around off walls and obstacles might be off-putting as well. But honestly these aren’t game breaking issues; this isn’t Gran Turismo so these slight annoyances can easily be overlooked given how fun it is to build these machines.

The Graphics are vivid and colourful, really doing the series justice. The view distance allows you to just sit and admire the beautiful world Rare has brought to life. Seeing your favourite areas from the previous games reborn in such beauty really does send a chill of nostalgia down your spine. The levels in this game are so colourful and alive, that playing it made us feel like we are 12 again. Texture and lighting is impressive as well. This is the kind of game that makes you smile just by looking at it. Some might call it too kiddie looking. But even they would feel all warm and fuzz y playing this. There was the occasional bit of slowdown but nothing too distracting. Given the amount of stuff that can go on at once it’s understandable.

The sound track gives this game a classical RARE feel. The quality is high and again instils that feeling of nostalgia. There is no voice acting per say, which is either good or bad depending on where you stand on the issue. The sound effects do their job as well. Although to be quite honest some of them while cute at first, ended up annoying the hell out of us the 100th time we heard them. It’s not something that’s going to ruin the experience for you at all, but it may make you turn down the volume a little during extended play sessions.



We’ve been waiting a long time for this game. And yes while it’s a departure from its pure platforming roots we’re happy to say we love the direction RARE has taken it. The game is fun and rewards your creativity and imagination. It’s presented beautifully and you genuinely feel happy to be back in the seat taking on Grunty again. While a few minor issues keep this from true greatness, there is no doubt that subsequent (we hope) entries to the series will achieve this now that RARE knows the formula works. Those who are new to the series and faithful fans alike, which may have been apprehensive about the new direction owe it to themselves to give this game a try. It’s an engaging yet relaxing experience that proves RARE still has some magic left in them, and at 40 bucks you really can’t go wrong.