Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

[slickdtc]

Re: Banjo-Threeie (360)

I really liked the Banjo-Kazooie series. Loved watching my brother play it back on the N64. It was so mysterious with the secrets keys or whatever they were. I never did figure all that stuff out. I'll have to look it up online.

But it makes me happy to see this making a comeback on the 360.

[EDIT] Ah, just looked it up on Wikipedia.

[Flawless]

Re: Banjo-Threeie (360)

1UP Review: A-

To all the Rare-haters out there: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (the latest in a series that's scarcely been heard from since the Nintendo 64 days, barring a pair of Game Boy Advance spin-offs) puts the ailing developer on the road back to relevancy. Nuts & Bolts' single-player structure, addictive multiplayer, and intricate vehicle-crafting system handily show that this isn't just another generic cute-n-furry platformer.

Nuts & Bolts does an excellent job of blending minigames with a fun-to-explore world. Now, most of these challenges do have ridiculous premises (like collecting giant coconuts or saving a city from a gargantuan floating dinosaur), but their goofy nature feels right at home in the titular character's colorful world. Winning challenges awards jiggies -- the series' standard "shiny collectible object" currency -- and accruing specific numbers of jiggies unlocks more and more areas (and challenges). And while you can just access the minigames through a boring list, Rare's crafted a delightful and charming world you can't help but want to explore. Lots of little bonuses throughout -- like arcades where you can play old-school-style games reminiscent of the original Super Mario Bros. -- go a long way toward making exploration a treat rather than a tedious chore between minigames.

While I enjoyed exploring the lush world, the challenges became pretty tedious over time. Don't get me wrong -- they're good fun, but for every unique challenge, I encountered 10 boilerplate racing minigames. Combine this with the fact that everything's timed, and particularly tricky challenges get repetitious and annoying. Thankfully, you never have to collect every jiggy from a particular area; the challenges exist in excess, so you're mostly free to ignore the ones you don't like. Nuts & Bolts is incredibly streamlined compared to the previous games' collect-a-thon method, too. This time around, you needn't worry about acquiring every shiny object floating around in a level (a long-outgrown platformer practice that I used to begrudgingly accept in my younger years).

Challenge-centric as the progression is, imagination is Nuts & Bolts' centerpiece. The ability to craft the perfect vehicle for the challenge set before you -- a plane, a boat, a submarine, or simply an effective car -- provides a constant source of gratification. I often found myself spending time in the garage (even when I wasn't wrestling with an immediate challenge), simply taking time to create and experiment with vehicles that could overcome any hairy situations I dreamt up. The system works splendidly, with a toolset that allows anyone to create vehicles ranging from simple engines on wheels to complex contraptions that truly challenge the imagination. And the on-demand test track provides some hilarious trial-and-error periods while you try to sort out exactly why your crazy creation isn't functioning quite like you imagined.

Custom vehicles really come into their own on the myriad multiplayer maps, though. While the host can force everyone to use the same preset vehicle, it's absurdly more fun when you get a few moments to craft a custom vehicle before battling it out with your opponents. One minigame -- which finds players knocking each other out of a ring -- employs a truly spectacular range of vehicles; from hulking tanks to tiny flying helicopters loaded with guns, it's really cool to see the variety of ways in which different players tackle the same problem.

The combination of a surprisingly lengthy single-player game and a robust multiplayer mode make this one game that just about anyone can enjoy. While the challenges get a little repetitive, the ability to create and operate custom vehicles -- both online and off -- make Nuts & Bolts a unique, entertaining spin on the everyday platformer.

Videogamer Review - 9

To paraphrase (and more or less completely change) one of the game's many loading screen tips, if you don't like the sound of vehicle-based gameplay, you'll be better off downloading the Xbox LIVE Arcade version of the original Banjo-Kazooie. For us, though, Nuts & Bolts offers true next-gen gameplay, with user created content being core to the experience. Simply making vehicles is good fun, and with the ability to instantly test them out you can sink hours into one creation alone. It certainly won't be for everyone, but with spectacular presentation, highly entertaining Robot Wars style multiplayer and a lot of good hearted humour, the bear and bird are back. Comeback accomplished.

[Vast]

Re: Banjo-Threeie (360)

so this looks like another game that forgot people still play on SDTV's, who won't be able to read the text..

People still Play on SDTV's???????

That team XBOX review was kinda weird. they seemed to have given it a low score due to the amount of great games out right now. And there goes proof to Pared that team xbox doesn't go crazy for every 360 exclusive. I was on ur side Flawless.

Can't wait for this game. Anybody gonna be on multiplayer for this???? I wanna battle with my superiorly engineered vehicles!

[DakkoN]

Re: Banjo-Threeie (360)

Changed the thread title.

[Flawless]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

Environments Video

Doesn't include Terrorium, Showdown Town, or Spiral Mountain. The first environment is Nutty Acres and the scale is incredible.

...

Fix for small text on SD TVs issue in the works

Greetings, Banjo collective. I've got some good news that's sure to delight owners of SD TVs itching to enjoy the new Banjo game to the fullest extent upon its release next week(!). Banjo team are now working on a fix to resolve the releated issues and MGS PR has kindly prepared a statement to give you the full lowdown, so I'll defer to their expertly chosen words:

“It has come to our attention that people are experiencing subtitle readability issues with Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts on Standard Definition TVs. We would like to assure you that contrary to earlier reports, we are aware of the issue and currently working on a title update to be released within the next 30 days that will fix it for those with Standard Definition TVs. We’re committed to ensuring all fans of the franchise are able to have the best experience possible with Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.”

Just to head off any confusion, you can take subtitles to mean the dialogue text. So now you'll all be able to have a good old chuckle at the text our elusive Editor (he of Rare Scribes) has carefuly crafted for you.

[Flawless]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

Can't wait to pick this up tomorrow. Hopefully EB gets the pre-order codes in for Banjo-Kazooie XBLA too.

...

GameInformer Review - 8.5

Even Rare agrees with Moore’s negative assessment in the long overdue third installment in the Banjo-Kazooie series, Nuts and Bolts. As players follow the zany exploits of gaming’s only bird and bear duo, Rare openly lampoons itself for having an outdated development philosophy. This game harps on Rare’s insistence to make every game a collect-a-thon, and even goes as far to show one of the company’s least popular games (Grabbed by the Ghoulies) buried in a cat’s litter box. Protagonists Banjo and Kazooie, who are introduced as lazy, out-of-work, pizza-guzzling fatsos, are also thrown under the bus as archaic characters that no one could possibly love.

Rare’s self-inflicted stoning ends in an amusing history lesson that deftly blends legitimate laughs with a compelling commentary on the state of video games. This spoof cleverly pokes fun at the past and present, but the gameplay that goes along with it is firmly planted in the future. Nuts and Bolts throws Banjo’s platforming exploits into the fires of mockery, and instead latches onto the next big trend in gaming, user-created content.

Like Spore and LittleBigPlanet, Nuts and Bolts’ gameplay is dependent on the player’s imagination. Through remarkably deep building tools, players are tasked with building vehicles from a pile of parts. Picture, if you will, having access to the world’s largest LEGO box, and having a skilled instructor at your side for any help you may need.

If you are creatively challenged, you can always use one of the game’s many blueprints. Should you choose to get your creative juices flowing, the building process is as easy as snapping two LEGO bricks together. The wide parts selection is broken up into categories that make finding pieces easy. The game also does a nice job of detailing when parts can or cannot be attached. To avoid trial and error, quick-loading test track is a click away.

It’s easy to lose your life in these excellent building tools, as you really can build any vehicle you want – be it an airplane, boat, an airplane/boat hybrid, or even a robot with rocket skates. It really is a game in and of itself.

All of the vehicle types control amazingly well (unless of course you build 10-ton boxes that can’t turn), and it’s usually easy to pinpoint where a vehicle is failing and what you need to alter to improve its design. Projectile targeting is a bit suspect, but at the same time, your targets are rarely of the speedy type.

The vehicles you create are used for a wide variety of goals in a game best described as Grand Theft LEGO. You won’t be running down hookers with cars made of bricks, but you will be traversing massive open worlds as you take on missions from hubs scattered across the maps. Since the gameplay directly reflects the building component, players are encouraged to tinker with their designs to excel at different mission types. You’ll end up building a racecar for speed runs, a vehicle armed to the teeth for combat, and even a vehicle that can catch soccer balls. You never really know what to expect from the missions, but one thing is certain: They push your skills to the limit, and pump out fun.

In addition to the challenging single-player adventure, players can put their creations to the test in enjoyable online matches. If you are feeling generous, you can share your blueprints with other players.

Nuts and Bolts shows that Rare is still a respectable think tank capable of delivering experiences unlike anything else, but this game also clings onto a few annoying elements from the company’s past. The biggest one, which the game openly ridicules, is the concept of scouring environments to collect items. Sadly, the items you must collect are new part types for your vehicles. If you want to have a deep LEGO box, you have to dedicate time to hunting for them.

Annoying collect-a-thon aside, Nuts and Bolts is a rare delight that offers up big laughs and inventive gameplay. It also ends up being the closest thing there is to a virtual LEGO set.

[WDOgF0reL1fe]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

Woo excited to pick this bad boy up tomorrow!

[The GIGGAS]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

I thought it came out today. The realization made me upset.

[Flawless]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

Picked up my copy and got a voucher for Banjo-Kazooie XBLA. The XBLA version looks pretty good in HD and runs well. Also, I noticed that notes collected, stay collected. This is going to make the game easier, but at the same time, it's going to remove the tediousness of having to recollect them when you die.

[The GIGGAS]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

I have been playing the XBLA version for 2 and a half hours.

I LOVE THAT GAME SO MUCH! I had forgotten! Why don't they make games like THAT anymore?

[Flawless]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

Intro for Nuts and Bolts is awesome. Other Banjo fans are going to love it. Have only done one jiggy challenge so far. I've just been exploring the amazingly detailed environments. I climbed LOG's tower in Showdown Town and got an achievement. Kind of reminded me of Crackdown. I took a photo, but the showroom on the official site isn't live yet.

[Flawless]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

Played for a little over 4 hours now and I'm really loving it. It's not often you can say a game's writing is brilliant, but it truly is in Nuts and Bolts. It's really funny. Some great spoofs and lots of stuff is thrown under the bus. Some may bemoan the game for not having real voice acting, but I think the mumbling speech is huge part of the humor and charm of Banjo-Kazooie.

The name of the second world is awesome and there's certain spots in the world that will cause some weird things to happen. I'm sure somebody will freak out given the hardware failures.

So far I've done 10 Jiggy challenges (there's 131 Jiggies in total) and some Jinjo challenges, and they have all been fun. I've got 4 T.T. Trophies and there's a couple vehicle designs I have in mind to get some more. Something that will come in handy if you're having trouble with a challenge is the leaderbords. There is a leaderboard for every single challenge and people can save replays, allowing you to see how somebody else did it. There's already a bunch up and people can even allow you to use their vehicle blueprint. You could probably get by just using the blueprints given to you and that you can buy from Humba, but I don't think you will have as much fun and it won't be as satisfying of an experience unless you build vehicles yourself when it's not LOG's choice. I mentioned it before after playing the demo, but the vehicle editor really is incredibly intuitive and the test-o-track is a button click away and takes only a second or two to load.

Showdown Town is huge. There's so much to explore. I must have spent close to an hour just collecting vehicle part crates and musical notes. The musical notes are the game's currency. You can use them to buy blueprints, parts, and upgrade Banjo's speed, strength, and stamina at Boggy's Gym. I played Klungo's arcade game and it's hilarious.

Visually, this game is gorgeous. Showdown Town and flying around Nutty Acres in a plane or copter are a sights to behold. Both look fantastic at night too. Slight LOD issues and frame rate drops aside, there may not be a more technically impressive game on the 360 currently available. This game is rendering a ton of stuff, there's a lot physics going on (even the musical notes have physics), nice texture work, high-res shadows, dynamic lighting, and clearly 4xMSAA on most edges.

I'm going to be playing lots of Banjo-Kazooie between Nuts and Bolts and the original for XBLA. Nuts and Bolts looks to easily have 20+ hours worth of single player content. I'm looking forward to checking out the multiplayer and seeing the things I can unlock for playing the original via Stop n Swop. Such a great deal for $40. Even more so for those that pre-ordered, because Banjo-Kazooie for XBLA is going to be $15. It's to bad Nuts and Bolts will ultimately probably not sell very well. Maybe it wouldn't help, but it would be nice to see Microsoft put a lot of marketing behind a Rare game for change, instead of putting most of their marketing dollars behind games that don't need it.

[Vast]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

Can't wait for this! Gamefly shipped mine out today. So the only way to get the free Banjoo Kazooie for XBLA is if you pre-ordered Nuts & Bolts????

[The GIGGAS]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

Don't forget Banjo-Tooie! It comes out on XBLA early 2009.

If you can't tell by my arena (and soon to be avatar), I really like B-K.

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

Can't wait for this! Gamefly shipped mine out today. So the only way to get the free Banjoo Kazooie for XBLA is if you pre-ordered Nuts & Bolts????

Yes, you had to preorder it to get it free. Not bad since I would have paid the $15 for it as well.