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Banjo Kazooie (Nintendo 64) discussion [game]
 
Banjo Kazooie on the Nintendo 64
9.1/10 from 63 user ratings

Welcome to the official discussion thread for Banjo Kazooie on the N64!

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So I had some Microsoft Points to burn, and instead of downloading some highly-acclaimed, new LIVE ARCADE game, I opted for an old N64 favorite from back in the day. Why? I dunno. I guess I was feelin' the nostalgia bug this weekend or something. Whatever.

I was honestly kind of expecting to have buyer's remorse... I mean, the game was great, but was it the kind of game that really stands the test of time? Well, after having put in several hours last night (and unlocking a handful of achievements) I can safely say that, YES, the game is still good. Great, even.

Now I think I want to try out the sequel, Banjo-Tooie, a game I regret to admit that I've never played. I can't remember exactly why I didn't play it, considering I like the original so much. I think at the time, I was a poor college student, so I had to really cut back on my expenses. (I remember wanting buy, but not being able to afford, games like Excitebike 64, Ogre Battle 64, Perfect Dark, Conker's Bad Fur Day and others as well)

So, for those that HAVE played the sequel, is it as good? Worth downloading? It's only like, $10, I think... so either way I guess it's worth checking out, at least. Right? Or should I not even bother, and just stick with the original game and pick up something else on LIVE?

B... Banjo-Kazooie fans.... unite?

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09/20/10, 21:12  
 
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Yeah, I can see people criticising DK64 for lots of collecting, but Banjo had about the same amount of stuff to collect as Mario 64. I caj see you liking Mario more for the platforming as it did have more platformer, but the collectibles are a bit strange.
01/07/15, 15:32   
@Secret_Tunnel I thought a Toki Tori 2 was a really good puzzle platformer that had an interconnected world with a little story that kind of unfolded. Lots of personality. I'd love to have more games like that.
01/07/15, 15:37   
@PogueSquadron

I picked that up on the Steam Winter Sale. I'm looking forward to diving in some time soon.
01/07/15, 15:39   
I think it's more that Banjo-Kazooie has more forced collection. I find it a pain that I have to collect the musical notes just to progress through the game, whereas in Super Mario 64, I don't need to collect the 100-coin stars just to get access to the next world (and those are easier as there are more than 100 coins in each world). The minimum amount of stuff needed to complete BK is a little too much I feel.

@TriforceBun Many of them literally were floating islands in the sky! But to be fair, Super Mario 64 came first, and was one of the first 3D games. And, it also didn't end with a lava or castle world, as its final world was a sky theme, and the last Bowser level didn't have lava either. It's more recently that Mario games have overdone it with those themes.
01/07/15, 21:46   
I just bought the Jak HD Collection on PS3, because I really wanted to play a new 3D platformer and never really got around to this trilogy. I'm only a few hours in, but... I still don't know how anybody could say that this game is better than a Nintendo or Rare 3D platformer with a straight face.

Seems to suffer from the same problem that so many platformers throughout the years have, 2D and 3D alike: They didn't bother making sure that the character was fun to control before going ahead and making an entire game out of it.
01/09/15, 03:00   
@Hinph Yeah, I think play control is an area where Nintendo don't always get quite enough credit. They have a good track record of having smooth, responsive control, no matter what kind of character or game it is. That and level design are two aspects of games that I don't think get enough focus and appreciation across the board these days.
01/09/15, 21:25   
Mop it up said:
in Super Mario 64, I don't need to collect the 100-coin stars just to get access to the next world (and those are easier as there are more than 100 coins in each world). The minimum amount of stuff needed to complete BK is a little too much I feel.

Jolly Roger bay has a total of 104 coins in the level, Dire Dire Docks has 106. Both of them also suffer from the N64's limited draw distance. Have fun!
01/09/15, 22:01   
@Hinph

That's interesting, because I think the controls in Jak and Daxter are enjoyable. They aren't as tight as the controls of the 3D Mario games, but I found them to be pretty dang good. I would place Jak and Daxter above DK64, Super Mario 64, and even Banjo Tooie, but below Mario Sunshine, Banjo Kazooie, and Mario Galaxy 2.

I feel like Banjo Kazooie got the "collectathon" formula down perfectly. Particularly in terms scale. There are plenty of things to collect, but they're consistent in number for every world and there's not placed in ridiculously hard to find locations. The environments are enticing and rewarding to explore, but not so big that navigation is a chore. The number of collectibles is pretty much perfect in my eyes too. DK64 went overboard with the number of collectibles and some of Banjo Tooie's environments were dull to traverse or too big for their own good. To me, Banjo Kazooie, got all of those factors to nearly perfect amounts. And I feel like Jak and Daxter may be the next best thing in that regard.

I don't necessarily see the 3D Mario games as the exact same kind of game as Banjo Kazooie. They are both 3D platformers and are similar in many regards, but the way they handle collectibles is different.
01/09/15, 22:12   
@Hero_Of_Hyrule

They aren't terrible, but they just feel... yeah, loose and sloppy. I know it uses the same engine as the Ratchet & Clank games did, and I love those, but it's the shooting mechanics that are more important in the case of those gamea. I'm going to keep going, because I just spent $25 on the trilogy, and hopefully I will come to enjoy the games beyond my first impression.

It would be awesome to see Naughty Dog try to return to a similar style 3D platformer at some point, because the controls in the previous generation of their games are excellent.
01/10/15, 03:04   
@Hinph

It's worth at least trying the other games if you don't like Jak and Daxter. Really, you could skip the first game if you want to. Jak 2 and 3 place a much heavier emphasis on action, shooting, and vehicles than the original game, with the setting and story being very far removed from the original. Platforming is still present and has the potential to frustrate, but the sections in which you must platform are usually pretty linear and are about getting from point A to point B instead of collecting things. If you absolutely hate the underlying mechanics and controls of Jak and Daxter, Jak 2 and 3 might not change your mind, but they're at the very least worth trying. Maybe the game as a whole will better resonate with you once platforming and item collection are removed from the center of the experience.
01/10/15, 03:50   
Edited: 01/10/15, 04:53
@Hero_Of_Hyrule

I'll be sure to try them. I think the inclusion of combat in Ratchet & Clank in this engine made for a great experience. I do still want to give Jak and Daxter a bit more of a chance though.
01/10/15, 10:41   
Time for a Mumbo bump. Eekum Bokum!

Played a little of this tonight in celebration of Yooka-Laylee. It's still good fun to explore the worlds and the game has a huge amount of character (especially for 1998). The music is as strong as ever.
05/02/15, 06:33   
It'd be interesting to compare and contrast this with DK64. That's the game the gave collection-based platformers a bad rap, in my opinion. Banjo Kazooie is the epitome of collection based games for me. It has the perfect amount, with no collecting existing for its own sake. Everything is rewarding and satisfying to pick up. There aren't so many collectables that it's overwhelming or monotonous, but not so few that the player is robbed of the sense of completion or accomplishment that comes with getting everything in a level. It's just right and feels so satisfying.

EDIT: I just looked a few posts up and realized that I said practically the same thing much more eloquently back in January. I run into a lot of posts I don't remember making, so it's interesting to read something and be like "Yeah, that guy gets it. Oh wait, that's me!" I'm sure I wouldn't feel the same way if I went back and looked at some of my first posts, though.
05/02/15, 07:13   
Edited: 05/02/15, 07:17
@TriforceBun

I should get this out on my N64 and 100% it all over again.
05/02/15, 15:07   
@Hero_Of_Hyrule

I've just started replaying DK64, and I feel like the collection element in there is a little overstated. Yeah, there are bananas, banana coins, fairies, blueprints, banana medals, crowns, keys, hidden coins, and Golden Bananas to collect. But when you really break all that down, it's not quite so daunting. For example, you can essentially discount the banana medals altogether since those are automatically given to you when you collect 75 bananas, and as far as I can tell right now, there's no benefit to collecting any bananas beyond those first 75. Keys aren't really a collectible; they're just items that signify you beat a boss battle and have unlocked the next area. Fairies and the hidden coins serve to give you alternate endings, if I remember correctly. So while there's still a lot to collect, it's not quite as bad as I remember it.
05/02/15, 17:24   
If my Xbox was working again I would probably download this and play it. The 360 version is perfection.
05/02/15, 21:27   
Yeah I wish Amanda has started playing that version but she was dead set on the n64 version. She can do most of the game by herself but can't really do the swimming.
05/03/15, 05:10   
@Hero_Of_Hyrule Ha ha, I have a bad memory so I know the feeling of forgetting my posts, happens all the time to me. Usually I try to do a quick search on topics and see if I already said anything. Sometimes when I discover my old stuff, I even wonder how I would have thought that at the time and feel differently now. And it can be worrisome when that old post is like, last week...
05/04/15, 23:08   
Just got 100% in this for the first time ever. I got all the Jiggies in the past, but never all the notes. The 100% ending was super-enticing as a kid--made it seem like there was so much more to this game and this world. It's kinda sad you can't really have that sort of experience again, what with the prevalence of the internet these days.

B-K still holds up nicely as one of Rare's absolute best games.
05/10/15, 05:08   
@TriforceBun

Wonderful! 100%ing that game is one of my favorite experiences ever. Well done!
05/10/15, 05:27   
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