Get Jiggy with new Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts video and screens

by Randy Nelson { Oct 3rd 2008 at 9:00AM }

We got to spend a little more time behind the controls of Rare's re-invention of its Mario-esque N64 platforming series and ... it was pretty much a more polished version of what we tried out at E3. The vehicle creation element of the game is still its most endearing aspect by far, and we continue to be struck by the non-platform-game-ness of it all. (What with Kazooie being relegated to wielding a wrench and the fact that most of the game is based around purpose-built vehicles.)

It's no longer a hardcore platformer; the game instead feels skewed toward a younger (or at least wider) audience -- although we're pretty confident that series diehards will still find it enjoyable (especially the vehicle creation). We'll have multiplayer impressions next week; until then, check out these latest screens and video of wild bear-bird (or is it bird-bear?) action.

Gallery: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (10-03-2008)

Tags: banjo-kazooie-nuts-and-bolts, microsoft, rare, video

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

xFenixKnightx @ Oct 3rd 2008 9:27AM

Looks beautiful. I cant wait!

Tiptup300 @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:52PM

There better be a midnight launch party or I'm going to explode. I'm still pretty upset for the fact that Rock Band 2 didn't have a midnight launch.

Tiptup300 @ Oct 3rd 2008 1:00PM

Wow, this looks more impressive then crysis.

Deekman @ Oct 3rd 2008 9:42AM

I'm afraid that after what you said about it not being platform based any more my hopes of this game just dwindles away. I was really hoping for an epic platforming game, not a vehicle based mash up. I can't help but still be disappointed.

Marty @ Oct 3rd 2008 11:59AM

Why would you hope for a platforming game when it was clear, from early on, that this game was going to be about assembling and driving vehicles?

Superstar90 @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:18PM

Marty, because it's Banjo Kazooie!

Mic2000 @ Oct 3rd 2008 2:11PM

Banjo Kazooie was a perfect platform game. What we see from the trailers and screens is that it is more about the creating vehicles. Could be fun, but the most people don't have that feeling. So Rare should hopefully prove us wrong! Otherwise the made a big mistake to follow their own nose instead of listening to their target group!

Habiib @ Oct 3rd 2008 9:45AM

I believe it's bird-bear-man

Zertoss @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:02AM

Half man, half bear and half bird?

Dirty @ Oct 3rd 2008 2:48PM

Man-bear-pig? Noooo he must be stopped.

dyer @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:24AM

Video dont work for me :(

SteveDaWonder @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:00AM

Is it me, or does this game just look pretty?

It definitely looks nice to the eyes. I can appreciate that.

knighty (GT: ZeraKnight) @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:05AM

The first shots they showed were very underwhelming but it really does look gorgeous now.

Phillip @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:33AM

I have the same feelings toward Viva Pinata. Just picked that up, and man is it pretty.

Rare knows how to make eye candy, that's for sure.

Megadanxzero @ Oct 3rd 2008 11:03AM

And love candy!

You know, because Viva Pinata has the love candy which makes the pinatas mate and stuff... So it's like... Candy... It's the same thing... He he...

TheAzureKnight @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:02AM

I swear the impressions for this game are driving me insane...

One website will say it is a platformer...another will say it's lacking in that department.

I hope there's a demo although I'm pretty sure I'm gonna buy it because of my nostalgia and also because it looks like a lot of good old fashion B&K fun.

I miss my Jiggys....

However I get the feeling that some people are trying to make the game seem worse than it actually will be because of the vehicles.

All the vids I've seen seem to imply that vehicles will be a good part of it but not the entire game...

PeacefulOutrage @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:26AM

From what I've seen in the developer diaries, they say that Kazooie's special moves are replaced by the ability for him to create the vehicles. So instead ofusing his legs or wings to get somewhere, you now have him build something that does the same things as the "legs" or "wings".

Most of the impressions of this game say it's a ton of fun, and at $40 + a free BK (or $25 with purchase of BK pre-order), it seems like a HUGE win-win situation for everyone.

xFenixKnightx @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:28AM

I know what you're saying. Theres a lot of opinions out there on the platforming parts. From what Ive heard on a dev interview video over at GT. Rare sais the vehicles are a tool to get to certain areas to do the platforming, not the whole game. Should I believe the gamesites or the devs? It certainly looks like theres a lot of areas on those maps for platforming. As long as its fun I'll be happy.

Evan @ Oct 3rd 2008 5:33PM

The ratio of on-foot vs in-vehicle will be the deciding factor for me. Even Jak 3 had too much in-vehicle for my tastes.

vidGuy @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:02AM

For $40, I'm up for anything, especially when I get the original game too. I hope there's decent platforming elements, but the vehicle mod stuff is a cool mechanic.

ScottG13 @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:03AM

I really think this is going to scratch a strange Lego itch for me. I'm really looking forward to this one.

Dirty @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:37AM

You might want to have that looked at.

ScottG13 @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:40AM

I did. The doctor recommended the new Star Wars Clone Wars Lego sets.

tmacairjordan87 @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:52AM

"It's no longer a hardcore platformer; the game instead feels skewed toward a younger (or at least wider) audience"

Ugh..the words I hate seeing when I read about a game I want. Hopefully they didn't dumb it down too much for the casual tards, or at least added harder difficulty levels.

Mr Khan @ Oct 3rd 2008 11:10AM

I could have interpreted it wrong, but i don't think they mean hardcore in that context, i think they meant a hardcore platformer in the sense that it sticks to core platformer elements

Though i've never played it, so i can't speak for difficulty or accessibility.

Superstar90 @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:45PM

Because the original was so incredible complex and hardcore!
If anything the vehicle creation makes it even deeper than the original.

Mr Khan @ Oct 3rd 2008 11:11AM

Not sure if I would want this. Nothing wrong with a good vehicle game, but when a good vehicle game takes precedent over a great platformer, there's something to worry about.

xFenixKnightx @ Oct 3rd 2008 11:24AM

Ahhhhhhhh STFU if it were for Wii you would be eating it all up right now.

Mr Khan @ Oct 3rd 2008 11:29AM

Probably not. I was never really a fan of Banjo-Kazooie originally, because they focused too too much on item-hunting, much like DK 64 did, and now it seems like they're trying to leave the platforming formula behind entirely.

I would be equally wary whatever platform this was on, i think.

Mr Khan @ Oct 3rd 2008 11:30AM

Or are you still mad at my dismissal of the excellent PS360PC holiday lineup that i care little about aside from LBP and Fable 2?

Mikeo @ Oct 3rd 2008 11:43AM

By your (oh so single) standards, your Wii must be barren of games to play.

Not.

Immortal Technique PSN: johnnynumber5 @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:03PM

Get off the BS Khan. We all know you would be "cautiously optimistic" at the very least were it on the Wii.

If you think the PS360 has a lackluster software lineup for holiday 2008 you are living in denial. This is the best 3 month period in gaming history. Your just mad that the Wii is only getting more kiddy fluff and one or two multiplatform ports.

samfish @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:23PM

"This is the best 3 month period in gaming history."

AHH HAHAHAHA!
NOW who is in denial??

tmacairjordan87 @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:41PM

He means for gamers (aka 360/ps3 owners)Samfish. Obviously he wasn't talking about the wii. We'll see when this year's over, cause everyone said last year was the best ever and I was disappointed by just about every big game last year.

Well, rock band 2 kicks ass that's for sure. LBP I'm convinced will be great since I'm now in the beta and playing it. Everything else is currently up in the air though.

Mr Khan @ Oct 3rd 2008 1:43PM

Lackluster from a SUBJECTIVE standpoint, certainly. Like i said, only LBP and Fable II out of all of those look really appealing to me, personally. Dead Space? Meh. Mirror's Edge? Cool concept, but up in the air. Resistance 2? Meh. Gears 2? Uber meh. Left 4 Dead? Kinda awesome. LBP? Definitely awesome. Far Cry 2? Uber Meh. Fallout 3? Hit or miss. Fable 2? Game has a lot of heart. Street Fighter 4? Eww.

From an OBJECTIVE standpoint, yeah, PS360's lineup kicks the crap out of Wii's, up and down. Objectively, you look at Dead Space and see a triumph of atmospherics and a creative spin on the survival horror genre. With Mirror's Edge, you see a game brimming with thrill factor. Resistance 2 sees an ambitious effort from start to finish. Gears 2 sees a pinnacle in console technological achievement. Far Cry 2 sees something push the envelope. Fallout 3 is a game of both vast scale and intricate detail. But even from an objective standpoint i can't say much for Street Fighter 4.

There's a difference between what i see as a good game, and what i actually want to play.

Immortal Technique PSN: johnnynumber5 @ Oct 3rd 2008 7:33PM

Samfish

Don't be upset. You still have that tech demo Wii Music to play this holiday season. Let me know how authentic the eukelale feels & sounds.

On paper this is by far the best 3 months in the history of video games. We will see how the execution comes out but there are over 20 big time, high budget exclusive and multiplatform PS360 releases. It's not even a debate. Only a fanatical Wii-ophite would deny this obvious truth. That's not even including PSP, DS, PC, PSN & XBLA releases.

Keep living on that pink cloud.

Paul S. @ Oct 3rd 2008 11:55AM

While the shift of focus from platforming to vehicle-based gameplay is a bit depressing, the $40 price point and the free XBLA copy of the original B-K for preordering makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Divine Dirtclod @ Oct 3rd 2008 4:03PM

I would have to agree. Nuts & Bolts plus the origianl Banjo-Kazooie on XBLA all for $39.99! Could this be this years Orange Box incredible puchase value?

holyice7 @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:01PM

Well, for the last Rareware game ever, it looks like it'll be enjoyable.

I say that because after this title...they'll have very little left of what made Rare Rareware.

And jeez...that rendition of Hailfire Stadium is incredible.

Arnon @ Oct 4th 2008 12:35AM

Conker's Bad Fur Day?

Jet Force Gemini?

Do these 2 titles not even make the cut of a fun game? *sigh*...

samfish @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:13PM

Hoping for the best, expecting the worst.

That about sums up my feelings.

Mike @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:22PM

As a big fan of the first two, I have a couple comments. First of all, just what the heck is going on? Why even bother including Banjo and/or Kazooie in that type of game. Invent a new IP. How about a racoon and a hoot-owl? And call it "ukulele kazowie". And make a classic BK platformer with the usual trimmings. However, along those lines, I find the modern platformer, with 8,000 moves and button combo's, is a little too frustrating. Why not have a standard jump & shoot control, with a single action button that takes on different "powers" depending upon the level or situation.

ok that's it.

vidGuy @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:38PM

When a game developer tries to put an IP in a new type of game, gamers complain it isn't traditional enough.

When a game developer continues to spit out iterations of the same game with the same elements, they call it too repetitive and derivative. See: Mario and LoZ for prime examples, but also MGS, Final Fantasy, etc.

I'd be okay with a new "classic-BK" Banjo Kazooie, but can't we just give this game a chance?

Arnon @ Oct 4th 2008 12:38AM

Vidguy..

You are spot on.. no matter what a developer does, a gamer will find something to complain about.

If they made a new Banjo-Kazooie that was exactly like the old ones.. that thing would be a boring piece of crap compared to the games of today. It just doesn't work like that anymore..

People, old games have their place in history.. but in today's gaming world(Next gen).. they wouldn't compare to anything if they were released with the exact same functions as their old iterations.

Joel @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:49PM

I personally can't wait for this game. It looks fun and entertaining imo. I also do like the idea of rare trying to re-innovate the genre.

Now and days it just seems like there are to many people out there, that will either get mad at developers for trying to innovate a game or get mad at developers for rehashing the same formula over and over. Ala people call halo 3, halo 2.5, and people are calling gears 2, gears 1.5.

I like the idea of a company trying to push for something new. Especially Rare, because I have so many fond memories of their previous games and I know they can create something fantastic.