fantasy

After almost 3 years, the long-awaited follow-up to Banjo-Kazooie is here. This game is bigger and better in every way. There is tons of variety, from starfox-style shooting while moving in air and sea to Perfect Dark-esque first-person shooting arenas that require stealth and fast reflexes to outsmart the AI to four-team soccer. The graphics,however, are maybe the best ever on the N64 without the expansion pak. You can even play as Mumbo-Jumbo. The new transformations are rad. You can be a live stone, a detonater, a van, a submurine, a baby and daddy T-rex, a washing machine(which was a secret transformation in B-K) a snowball and a bee(which has stingers this time) but my favorite is the dragon in the overworld that's a secret and turns Kazooie into a dragon with unlimited fire eggs. DK 64 was great, but the high number of collectibles and characters was frusturating. B-T is tightened up, and you can even play the 2 b's sepratly. The 4-player mode is fantastic and gives the game great replay value that I sorely missed in B-K. If you don't have a N64, you should, just to play this gem of a game.

I bought Banjo-Kazooie when it first came out. I was awaiting its arrival for a long time. I played and was amazed, but thats another story. Anyway, throughout the game I spottend the Ice Key, and a door of sand that I could not pass. I found many things that just happened to look "strange". I found my answer to these questions when I finished the game.... and found out about Banjo-Tooie. My curiosity rose and I jumped to the Internet. Lo and behold, there would be a sequal to Banjo-Kazooie that would be better, bigger, harder, and would solve those puzzling things in Banjo-Kazooie.

I awaited two years and now I own Banjo-Tooie. It was amazingly built. The graphics are amazing (yet it doesn't need an Expansion Pack), the music is catchy, and even the shawdow of the two buddies looks real! There are new characters such as Humba Wumba, JamJars, and King Jingaling. And some old favorites like Mumbo Jumbo, Bottles, and old Grunty herself! You can play as Mumbo, and the new transformations are just marvelous! The game is harder than before, and not all the jiggys can be found when you first enter the world. It takes time and patience, but its so much fun along the way! You still need to collect the poor Jinjos, and collect notes and feathers, but the eggs are enhanced, and notes are not as hard to find.

Although the game is absolutley wonderful, you won't be able to do the famous Stop N' Swap. No, you don't get to go into the WHOLE lair from the past game, the two eggs and the Ice Key are installed into Banjo-Tooie sadly...

But I would still recomend this game to anyone who likes a challenge and baddies with two bigs white eyes on them! Its a game that you will want to play over and over again. There are tons of codes for the GameShark, and if you don't happen to have a GameShark, there are plenty that the GameShark doesn't have to enter into the game itself... just like in the old game! This game is the best game that 2000 could have!

This may be one of Rare's last truly great games. It doesn't change much from its predecessor, but it's longer, bigger, and prettier. The boss battles are a lot bigger, and the level designs are still good. One thing about this game that I appreciate is the coherent style expressed throughout the game; the graphics, animation, and silly voices keep you in the game right to the end. Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie both need to be in your Nintendo 64 collection.