Banjo-Tooie

Overall: B+
Violence: B+
Sexual Content: A
Language: A
Drugs/Alcohol: A

Platform reviewed: Nintendo 64
Publisher: Rare / Nintendo
ESRB rating: E

They're ba-a-ack! Banjo and his pal Kazooie have been pressed into action once again in order to save their island from the forces of evil. But before we find out what they're up to, perhaps a little history lesson is in order...

In the first game (released two years ago) we were introduced to Banjo, a quiet, unassuming bear that would be content to go through life much like Winnie The Pooh--spending his time and energy looking for honey. Banjo's trademark is his backpack, in which Kazooie--his woodpecker-like friend--has taken up permanent residence. Life was going along just fine until Gruntilda the Witch decided to kidnap Banjo's sister Tootie in order to steal her good looks. After a series of adventures, Banjo and Kazooie rescued the beautiful bear, and Gruntilda ended up being covered by a pile of rocks.

Which brings us to the present game, or, in other words, Banjo and Kazooie--part Tooie: Apparently old Grunty wasn't as dead as everyone thought, because her sisters Mingella and Blobellda have managed to successfully exhume their sibling from her tomb. But having been in the ground for two years, the witch is merely a skeleton of her former chubby self--literally. In retaliation, Gruntilda levels Banjo's home--where he and his buddies had gathered for an evening of cards. Having been forewarned of the impending disaster, everyone managed to escape unscathed--except for poor Bottles the shortsighted mole. Making matters even worse, the wicked sisters have invented a machine that can suck the life out of whomever its evil rays rest upon. By turning enough people into zombies they can channel the life force into Grunty, restoring her preferred body mass index. All this has forced Banjo and Kazooie to take matters into their own hands, so that life can be returned to some semblance of normalcy.

Like others in the genre, this 3D adventure game follows a basic script--allowing players to use things like common sense, detective skills, and random luck while trying to understand what their next move should be. Banjo-Tooie contains enough challenges to capture an adult's interest, yet at the same time caters to children old enough to read by providing them with many text-filled hints along the way.

During their travels, Banjo and Kazooie are required to collect things like jiggies (pieces of jigsaw puzzles required to access nine different areas, or worlds, on the Isle O' Hags), feathers (Kazooie requires them to make both him and Banjo airborne), eggs (used as ammunition--as a player progresses, various types become available), and honeycomb sections (to boost Banjo's energy). As the plot develops, Banjo and Kazooie are able to add to their basic repertoire of moves by collecting musical notes and delivering them to Bottles' brother Jamjars--a very capable sergeant in the mole military who teaches them new skills upon entering different worlds (but you have to find him first). Humba Wumba, a resident magician, also assists the duo from time to time by transforming them into useful things like a mini-van, submarine, or T-Rex.

Although based on a good versus evil theme, any violence in Banjo-Tooie is handled in a discreet fashion and a player can often avoid confrontation simply by making a wide circle around the bad guys. But whenever force is necessary--as is the case in defeating Gruntilda's minion Klungo, or in obtaining Banjo's health honeycombs--Kazooie can often dispatch adversaries with a few well-thrown eggs, which simply cause the enemy to fall over and disappear. Although I didn't play the game to its conclusion, I saw no reason to believe this might change on higher levels.

While the process of defeating Grunty and her sisters is carried out by a single-player, 14 multi-player games derived from the plot are also available. These include some fun diversions such as bumper-cars, Mayan kickball, and a type of game show hosted by Grunty herself.

If you've been looking for an N64 game with very little content concern that the whole family can enjoy, you're sure to be happy with this edition of the continuing adventures of Banjo and Kazooie--and that's no hooey.

Jim Fleming

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