Review – Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Rare
Platform(s): Xbox 360
Genre: Platformer

Rating: Everyone 10+
ESRB Content Descriptors: Comic Mischief, Cartoon Violence

The Scoop: The bear and bird are back! Released back in 2008, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts was met with generally positive reviews from critics, despite widespread negativity among fans.

You see, legendary game developer Rare decided to overhaul the series by trashing the gameplay elements of a traditional Banjo-Kazooie platformer and put a fresh spin on the franchise. What they came up with was nothing short of creative brilliance.

The Setup: Nuts & Bolts begins roughly 6 years after the events of Banjo-Tooie. With the evil witch Grunty defeated, the bear and bird have become carefree slobs, eating pizza and playing videogames all the time. But of course, the now bodyless Grunty refuses to give up, and decides to hop her way back to ruining Banjo and Kazooie’s day. But before you can say ridiculous premise, a mysterious firgure known as the Lord of Games (or L.O.G. for short) appears from thin air to break up the scrap. Claiming to be the creator of every videogame in existence, L.O.G. expresses how tired he is of the bear, the bird, and the witch’s constant battling. So, to end it once and for all, L.O.G. sets up a challenge in his realm that will see Banjo and Kazooie face Grunty in a final showdown, with the winner gaining the deeds to Spiral Mountain, and the loser having to work an eternity in L.O.G.’s game factory.

Anyone who has played a Banjo-Kazooie game prior to this one will know how it works. You got a hub world where you can interact with NPC’s and access all the game worlds from. But in order to access said game worlds, the player must accumulate a certain amount of jiggies, the most important item in the game. You know the drill. But what makes Nuts & Bolts so unique compared to its predecessors is the fashion in which you collect the jiggies. Instead of shooting eggs at a gorilla and transforming into a washing machine, you must build a variety of vehicles to complete challenges. Yep, you heard me correctly. Vehicles. Let me break it down for you…

What’s Hot:

• Vehicle Creation: One of the most intuitive and accessible systems I’ve ever seen in a game. Building vehicles is as easy as snapping some legos together. I was able to create a banshee vehicle that looked like it was pulled right out of Halo. Think it. Build it. Simple as that. But make sure you try it out on the test track before using it for a challenge. I learned that the hard way…
• Graphics: Building upon the engine used in Viva Pinata, Nuts & Bolts boasts fantastic visuals from start to finish. Each world is fully realized. You can see the amount of love Rare put into it.
• Multiplayer: Longevity is extended with a fantastic multiplayer component that allows friends to show off there vehicles to eachother and play some intense online game modes like deathmatch and racing.
• Sense of Humour: If theres one thing Rare knows how to do, it’s generate a ton of laughs. The script writing is witty and had me chuckle throughout.
• Pricetag: This game is an absolute steal at 40$

What’s Not:

• Physics: A lot of times, I would see my vehicle spin out and lose a race just because I brushed against a tree. It’s a small niggle, but noteworthy nonetheless.

Final Verdict: So was the bear and bird’s return a triumph? Hell yes! Will it appeal to every gamer out there? Not at all. But I urge everyone who appreciates something different to give it a try. And for the people who won’t just because it’s not the ‘same’ Banjo, your missing out on one of the 360′s gems. Five stars from me!