Released in the US on June 29th, 1998, Banjo-Kazooie debuted on the N64 set to capture the success and fun that was 3D adventure platforming as introduced by Super Mario 64. Developed by Rare during their years of partnership with Nintendo (the golden years), Banjo-Kazooie delivered on the many hallmarks this company was becoming well known for, notably impressive graphics and top-notch sound design. This goofy, lovable adventure follows the exploits of a bear named Banjo and bird named Kazooie, the latter of which lives in Banjo's backpack. When a wicked witch, Gruntilda, captures Banjo's little sister Tootie to steal her youth, the dynamic duo of bear and bird set forth into Gruntilda's lair to gather the many scattered Jiggies and ascend the tower's peak. Jiggies unlocked new worlds for more Jiggies and more musical notes to find, of which allowed further access into the tower for more worlds to uncover, and thus began the cycle of what was the popular and addicting genre of the collect-a-thon.
Over the course of this dangerous trek, players would come across a wide and eccentric cast of characters, each made all the more memorable from their goofy, distinctive gibberish of voices. From giant, metal shark disposals to Christmas lights and more, if you can slap a pair of big old cartoon eyes on it, anything and everything can be a sentient and colorful character in the world of Banjo-Kazooie. Even every item found in the game carries a charming personality with unique and whimsical sound effects. With so many fascinating worlds to freely explore, a wealth of amusing moves to learn, and a variety of nifty Mumbo character transformations to discover, there is so much to enjoy and fondly remember in this game. And surely the creators thought the same, as the end of the game holds one of the most enjoyable and clever moments in gaming: A game show in which your knowledge of locations, sounds, and more are put to the test. What better way to reflect back and really cement your love for an adventure than to literally ask the players to think back in game-like fashion. (Test your knowledge with the below tunes; Answers at the bottom of this post)
Two years later, our goofy heroes would see return in the sequel of Banjo-Tooie, which is perhaps one of the most ambitious sequels I know of in the medium of gaming. Not only did this follow-up make a game with larger, more interconnected worlds than before, but it carried over the entire move-set found in the original as a base starting point for this game, and then built a whole arsenal of new moves to be learned on top of such. Banjo and Kazooie could now split apart for more complex means of exploration and puzzle solving, the cast of characters grew tremendously with old and new faces alike, and there was even a multiplayer mode for some enjoyable mini-game fun. It may have been a little too big for its own good, but it still felt grand and like the world's best sequel.
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| After a lengthy wait trapped under a boulder from the conclusion of the original game, Gruntilda returns in the sequel of Banjo-Tooie rattling to the bones for revenge. |
Although Microsoft then acquired Rare in 2002, that didn't stop this bear and bird from making a few more showings. With work already mostly developed for a handheld adventure, Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge saw release for the GBA in 2003. Taking place between the events of the first two games, our hearty heroes travel back in time to stop Grunty's spirit inhabited in a mecha-suit before she alters history for her own devious gains. While the GBA may certainly be limiting in hardware compared to their N64 counterparts, it's surprising how well this game manages to capture the spirit of Banjo-Kazooie and is in fact quite an enjoyable casual play.
Then in 2008, Microsoft tries their hand at their own take on our shorts-wearing bear and bird-brain duo with Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts for the XBox 360. The structure of the game shifted from that of an adventure-platformer to a strange hybrid of vehicle-customization / mission-based racer of sorts. The art design and sound design in this game is actually quite splendid, with many familiar tunes never sounding quite as grand as they have here. I'll admit I enjoyed my time with this game, that is until I got to the final world that is the nostalgic site of Spiral Mountain. When I reached this destination, I immediately proceeded to hop out of my vehicle and just begin running and jumping around this beautiful interpretation of a familiar home. I realized at that moment, despite my enjoyment of the game, this is all I had wanted, and had dearly wished efforts had been put into such rather than whatever you'd call this odd vehicle-centric game turned out to be.
Ten years have since passed with nary a sight for this goofy duo, other than their re-releases on Rare Replay. If last year's Yooka-Laylee is any indication, an intended spiritual successor to the Banjo-Kazooie developed by former Rare employees, there certainly is a fervor and desire still for these nonsensical collecting-focused adventures of yesterdays. Here's crossing my fingers perhaps as a fan favorite to be added to Smash Bros Ultimate DLC that such may coincide with a return of these lovable characters in splendid form.
Music answers:
1) Spiral Mountain
2) Gruntilda's Lair
3) Freezeezy Peak
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