Banjo-Tooie Review

Back in 1998, my 11 year old self watched the credits to one of the greatest platformers ever made after I completed Banjo Kazooie. Like some modern Marvel flick in the mid 2010’s this game directly told me a sequel was soon to come with new challenges and new secrets. A giant Ice key, and mysterious eggs with a Question mark labeled on them..? I was ecstatic. Would you believe me if I told you video game sequels back in the late 90’s took only a couple of years to come out? That’s right, Banjo Tooie arrived only two years after the first game. Ironically back in those days the wait still felt longer than sequels of today. After all the hype the oddest thing happened when I finally played it.. I was somewhat, let down? Banjo Tooie was a hard game to digest, because frankly it heavily changes the tone of what we remember from it’s easy fun gameplay.

Banjo Tooie takes place 2 years after the original, during that entire time Grunty is trying to escape the boulder that imprisoned her. Two mysterious Witches who claim to be her sister arrive and break her free. Gruntilda emerges from the rubble as a broken figure, missing skin as only bones and eye balls are seen. She’s edgier, angry even; and in typical witch fashion sends a spell designed to kill Banjo and friends! She succeeds by killing Bottles (yes, you heard that correctly) killing Bottles as Banjo and Mumbo barely escape the carnage. You are now tasked to chase and defeat Gruntilda again, only this time the animal duo hint that it won’t be so easy.. And that’s a fact.

The game brings you into yet another colorful world, but it’s a little gloomier. This is what originally turned me off to the game when I first played it nearly 26 years ago. I have a complicated history with it. At first I dropped it after an hour of playing. Ten years later (around 2010) I pick it up again, and progressed through about half the game before I stop. It took two more tries with years in between till I finally decided to roll up the sleeves and dedicate my time to actually beating it. After 3 failed attempts, I have now officially joined the club in beating Banjo Tooie. The verdict? I love this game, no regrets. while it’s a small step down from the beautiful, simplistic design of the original; it still brings the same personality to the table with a slightly darker tone, and heavier challenge.

Perhaps this game was meant for me to be played as an adult. While the original completely satisfied my younger self, I couldn’t help but feel the game over the years slowly got easier and easier the more I played it. Tooie seems to fill that hole and give a genuine struggle in comparison to more simple platforming games. Banjo Tooie is a very ambitious game, it’s bigger and bolder than the original in mechanics and puzzle solving. An example: The game introduces First person shooter segments (or First person Eggers), as Rare reminds us of their Goldeneye influence. The secrets are tighter & more subtle, the boss encounters are far more complex like an underwater fight in Davy Jones’s locker versus a giant angler fish, or against a giant living Welding Torch in an industrial plant (I’m not making this up). Arguably the most controversial feature (among fans) is the interconnection between all the worlds (the levels are connected to each other in and outside the world hub).

To my great relief, I can confidently say the music is top notch and memorable here. The levels also have personality and charm. One world is an underground glitter mine, another is a Jurassic world full of large Dinosaurs ready to eat you, also there is a Witch centered theme park which warns tourist’s that they might not survive the rides! The humor takes a step up, with tons of references to Rare & Nintendo, there is a toilet in this game who asks you to help unclog him, as Kazooie tells him to hire Mario the plumber (the toilet reminds us that Mario isn’t in that line of work anymore). Banjo Tooie can be a bit much. It can be overwhelming in how often you have to backtrack, the worst is not knowing when you should proceed to the next level (you can’t collect everything per level in a single attempt unlike the prior game). Atlast, the game ends on one of the most difficult boss encounters you’ll experience on an N64 game, Grunty doesn’t only bring in more fire power, she ask’s you questions similar to the first game, only the stakes are higher & the questions are tougher. It’s almost like Rare expected the fanbase to grow up before diving into this sequel.

While the game’s biggest weakness requires a lot of tedious backtracking, I will confidently mention it’s greatest strength: The visuals. I’m making a bold statement, but I personally think Banjo Tooie might be the best looking N64 game ever made. This game came out one year before the GameCube did. It’s incredible what Rare managed to pull here, they completely nailed the aesthetic and style of the N64’s limits. I don’t think this game needs a remaster, it still looks great, the N64 cartoony visuals only assist what it’s trying to do. You can say it’s a “Rare” achievement.

Banjo Tooie is for the completionist. It’s for the true Banjo Kazooie fan who feels the first game isn’t quite enough. It’s for true gamers who call themselves platforming addicts. I do not recommend this game for anyone looking for a nice relaxing platformer. This game is for those looking for a retro experience, something with a little teeth. This game may not be as great as it’s predecessor, but it will satisfy the 25 year old Banjo Kazooie itch we all have from time to time, if this isn’t enough then your last hope is trying to learn how to play the Banjo itself!

Final Score

8.5/10