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Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts
Banjo Kazooie returns to the console world after a lengthy absence and
thankfully developers Rare are behind this latest epic to hit the XBox
360 in Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts.
Ever since we saw our heroes, they
have become quite out of shape from their absence of heroism and to
compound the situation, they have also lost their powers.
Things go from
bad to worse for our two former heroes as the Lord of the Games (LOG)
has created a series of challenges for their arch nemesis Gruntilda and
Banjo and Kazooie. Although the story is quite over the top and clichéd
at times, it's classic arcade goodness which features action, adventure
and a healthy dose of humour.
When you start the game, you begin the city of Showdown Town which is a
nexus to other worlds where you travel and win pieces of a jigsaw that
can be used to unlock other doors to other worlds.
There are 100 jigsaw
pieces to collect as well thousands of musical notes throughout the
various worlds that you visit. With that said, the gaming environment is
quite huge and is easily one of the largest gaming worlds in this genre.
Best of all, the worlds that you visit can be played again in order to
beat your high scores or if you get stuck, you can always come back
later. So what age group is Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts for? The answer
is everyone, whether young gamers or older gamers, the developers have
ensured to cover a wide variety of age groups, ensuring enjoyment for
everyone.
Where this game stands out from previous games in the series is the
powerful vehicle creation tool which allows to create your own vehicles
which is extremely reminiscent of LEGO, hence the title "Nuts & Bolts".
As you progress, you have the option of upgrading your vehicles, whether
larger engines for speed or other add-ons to assist with your missions. With hundreds of different pieces available, the
possibilities are almost endless and you are only limited by your
imagination. Thankfully the game contains a great tutorial to assist in
this process and there are also pre-made cars available for the younger
gamer or those wishing to speed through the game.
The game can be quite challenging at times with the vehicles and if you
have created a "dud", you can just visit one of the shops to assist in
fine tuning your vehicle to assist with completing the mission.
I love
the "Robot Wars" type challenges where you must use your vehicle to
force your opponent out of the ring which does make for some fun yet
sometimes challenging gameplay.
The gameplay is not all about vehicles
and is quite diverse as you explore these amazing gaming worlds as you
hunt for parts, notes and jigsaw pieces. For old school gamers, the
title does contain Klungo's Arcade which allows you to play old school
platform games which is a great side quest to the main game.
The title
also an interesting multiplayer mode that features some great
party games and some interesting online modes to assist in the replay
value of the title. Definitely a bonus for those with XBox Live!
Graphically, the game is quite impressive for an arcade title with
vibrant colours and impressive textures that all go hand-in-hand with
the characters and gaming world. The worlds are quite diverse that all
have their own lighting and special effects as are some of the wondrous
characters that you meet. The audio goes perfectly with the graphics and
the gameplay with a myriad of sound effects and a decent soundtrack.
Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts is an interesting game from Rare that may not
be the most original arcade game available on the system but does pay
homage to the original characters and the world of modern arcade gaming.
Good graphics, sturdy gameplay options and a great soundtrack, this is
definitely for the younger gamer, however more mature gamers will still
get a blast or a blast from the past out of this. |
