Banjo-Tooie (Nintendo 64) review "Banjo-Tooie was the sequel to one of the most surprising hits for the Nintendo 64. I did not own Banjo-Kazooie then, and I still do not to this day. However I did go out and get Banjo-Tooie, and I got what I expected. I expected a fun game, spent basically running around searching for items and that is what Banjo-Tooie gave me. This does not go above and beyond, but it does not disapoint either. "

Banjo-Tooie was the sequel to one of the most surprising hits for the Nintendo 64. I did not own Banjo-Kazooie then, and I still do not to this day. However I did go out and get Banjo-Tooie, and I got what I expected. I expected a fun game, spent basically running around searching for items and that is what Banjo-Tooie gave me. This does not go above and beyond, but it does not disapoint either.

STORY (6/10): Sure, this is a platformer and well alot of platform stories have their faults. It seems grunty has been rereleased by her two twin sisters, and they have a gun bent on taking energy from things and blowing them up (Poor King Jinjo) Your job is to go out and save the Jinjo's but more important get these little puzzle pieces which will open up more worlds, so you can get to Grunty's Lair, where the gun is. See thing is, why are these Jiggies so powerful, does it really make much sense. The story is there, but basically they just want pointless exploration.

GRAPHICS (20/20): There is really nothing to complain about the graphics. The world is huge and colorful, with a variety of sights to see. Everything is detailed and it looks wonderous on the Nintendo 64. This game definitely has eye candy, and is a thrill to watch as you run along. The cinematics basically look like the regular game, but that is a show of how good the actual game graphics are.

SOUND (9/10): The music in this game is fairly good, a different type for the different areas, but not to many differences. What makes the sound good are the effects. First there are no ingame character voices, instead you have these chirping and gibirish noises. This is surprisingly not annoying, and gives a good effect. Now to the actual effects is that when the Jinjo's scream out, you'll be able to follow the noise they make to exactly there location, using just the voice. Also the little things like dripping water throws in a nice effect.

GAMEPLAY (42/45): This is another explore and search type game, and in truth there are way to many of them now-a-days, where you need to collect a million of the same items (Just thing Donkey Kong 64). Banjo-Tooie is probably the most enjoyable of this series, for the Jiggies are not too hard until the end (in which they get very annoying) and the Jinjo's are a cinch. Now Banjo and Kazooie have a variety of different moves alone and together. Some of these are taken from the first game, but others are original and must be learned. However the game doesn't stop with them. There is Mumbo who casts magicals spells needed to collect the various Jiggies, and then there is the indian girl who will transform you into other creatures or strange items. Some really don't make sense, but they sure are fun. There are dozens of mini games you will need to do to find your way through Banjo-Tooie, and they are fairly entertaining, except some are annoying. Also the worlds are vast and huge. This makes exploring them fairly tough, and yet entertaining seeing you have to search every nook and cranny. The exploring is not too bad at all, even if it is a chore to do.

REPLAYABILITY (6/10): To search and explore through every area to get all, however many Jiggies you need will take a long-long time. I got the 70 Jiggies needed to fight Grunty, but that is not near them all. To find them all may be a chore, but it could be fun and will keep you playing for awhile. Now to the actual replay, there is really none. Once you get all the Jiggies and defeat Grunty there is really no reason to go back to the game. Oh and did I say that the Multiplayer sucks. The game would've been just as good without it, and it is one of those pointless additions.

DIFFICULTY (3/5): The difficulty of Banjo-Tooie is that you must search of every nook and cranny and try to do multiple strange things. I have no clue how anyone would last one without a strategy guide, for some of the things don't even make sense. However with a guide it is possible, for you'll be able to know what you are doing, and yet it will still be a challenge. This goes throughout the entire game until you reach Grunty herself. This is another case of the unbeatable master, in which no person in their right mind could even have a chance against that machine. This is beggining to annoy me, and well to completely beat Banjo-Tooie is definitely a trick, and without a strategy guide a feat worth gloating about.

OVERALL (86/100): This, in my mind, is the best explore and search platform game ever made. That is really not a feat however, cause most of these types of games piece me off. I mean, what is the fun in searching every square inch to find this one of a hundred of the same identical item. However these games are fun for awhile, and Banjo-Tooie is entertaining for a long time. This is definitely a game worth picking up if you like that type of game, and even if you hadn't played the first. This is entertaining, and for the Nintendo 64 good to waste some time, and search for a few more Jiggies.

Community review by ratking (July 03, 2002) A bio for this contributor is currently unavailable, but check back soon to see if that changes. If you are the author of this review, you can update your bio from the Settings page.