 |
|
 |
||||
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
|
|
Banjo-Kazooie |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
||||
|
||||||
|
||||||
When we first heard about Banjo Kazooie, we thought, "it's just another Mario." In reality, the game is far more than a simple Mario 64 clone. Though it borrows from Mario 64 in a number of ways, Banjo-Kazooie has many distinguishing features.
First, let's cover
the story line. Banjo and his bird friend Kazooie wake up
one morning to discover that Banjo's little sister,
Tootie, has been taken by the evil witch Gruntilda.
Gruntilda has built a machine that can transfer Tootie's
beauty and youth to herself. After learning the basic
combat moves from Goggles the mole, you set off to rescue
Tootie from the witch.
To defeat the witch, you must collect puzzle pieces, which are hidden in her lair and its nine levels. Puzzle pieces are used to open each additional level. In addition, there are a few magically locked doors, which require you to collect a certain number of music notes before you can enter. The game has a total of 100 puzzle pieces and 900 notes.
Collecting puzzle
pieces requires you to make use of many special
techniques and items in the game. There are five
"collectable" that Banjo and Kazooie can make
use of. Blue eggs can be shot at enemies or used to
unlock certain items. Red feathers allow Kazooie to fly.
Gold feathers make the pair invincible. Mumbo skulls give
the pair access to the magic of the village shaman, who
can turn the pair into a number of different animals.
Extra honeycombs can be collected to give Banjo a few
extra hit points. Some reusable items allow Kazooie to
walk on terrain that is normally impassible, or to run
with great speed. While some puzzle pieces are rather
easy to reach, others require a good deal of problem
solving ability.
Though this may seem
complicated, it is all executed flawlessly. All the moves
are simple to access and are introduced gradually as you
become more proficient with earlier moves.
The graphics of Banjo-Kazooie are truly spectacular. Each level is a visual treat, with a multitude of vibrant textures. Special lighting and transparency effects are abundant. Even so "pop-up" is not an issue, because of the use of a technique that makes smaller items appear only at closer distances.
The sound is of the
same caliber. Each level has its own catchy tune-from the
bright and cheerful melodies or Treasure Trove Cove to
the ominous chords of Mad Monster Mansion. Within each
level, there are slight variations to the theme that
reflect your location within the level. All the
characters have some way of "talking" that
makes the words appearing on the screen more tangible.
No, Banjo-Kazooie is
not without its flaws. The plot is rather simplistic, and
little is added as the game progresses. For obvious
reasons, there is little replay value and no multiplayer
option. But the reason the game doesn't do these things
is because it isn't supposed to. What Banjo-Kazooie tries
to do, it does excellently. That is why it is such a
great game.
Rating:
