Whilst Rare is still one of the most recognizable studios in gaming, the company has been remarkably quiet in recent years and there's no guarantee that their upcoming fantasy game Everwild will come out in time to change that in 2023. Forced to make do with Banjo and Kazooie being added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate a few years ago, it's been a quiet period for Rare fans.
Luckily, Banjo-Kazooie was added to Nintendo Switch Online along with a bunch of other N64 titles last year, meaning now is also the perfect time to play through the collect-a-thon classic once again. However, replaying the game makes it clear how much of the praise towards it is deserved and how much is just nostalgia.
Banjo-Kazooie's Nintendo 64 Graphics Have Aged Poorly
The early days of 3D video games have fared far worse visually than most other eras and, whilst Banjo Kazooie is certainly one of the better examples, it's impossible to deny that it doesn't look seriously old in hindsight. Low-poly models and low-detail textures give everything a vintage feel, but few would argue they look amazing now.
Luckily, Banjo Kazooie is rescued by the iconic designs and memorable locations that made it an outstanding game in the first place and mean it's still far from an unappealing game to look at now. It might be a far cry from later 3D platformers, but it's arguably aged a lot better than other iconic games like Mario 64.
The Camera And Movement In Banjo-Kazooie Are Awkward
Though it may well be another symptom of the time during which it was made rather than a fault of the game itself, Banjo-Kazooie is undeniably flawed when it comes to the camera and movement. Even with a button to center the camera, it still feels like the player is fighting against it a lot of the time.
On top of that, replaying the game now draws attention to how awkward a lot of Banjo's movements are, and it can be frustrating to pilot the good-natured bear at times. Many games from the late nineties have aged worse in this department but it's still an issue that can be hard to ignore.
Banjo-Kazooie Is A Dead Series Now
Whilst there have been rumors of a new Banjo-Kazooie game for a while now, there has long been radio silence from Rare themselves on the matter so it's fair to assume any new title is in early development at most. One of the harshest realities to accept when playing through the still endlessly-fun Banjo Kazooie is how the series ended up like this.
With Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts proving one of the most controversial video game sequels of all time in 2008, it seems the public lost their hunger for more of the duo and Rare decided it was best to put them to rest. However, the original game still has such a compelling gameplay formula and the characters are still iconic, so it's sad that the series still hasn't been resurrected.
Banjo-Kazooie's Death Mechanic Can Be Tedious
Whether it's because the hours seem to blend looking back or because people tend to get less patient with games over time, one thing about Banjo-Kazooie that many forget until replaying it now is how annoying dying can be. In the original version of the game, dying means losing all collectibles and learned moves from that level.
When it comes to the harder later stages, that can mean a ridiculous amount of retreading the same areas and collecting all of the same musical notes all over again because hard enemies force a reset. It may have been the norm during that era of video games but it's not a particularly fun feature in 2023.
Banjo-Kazooie Suffers For Mario 64 Comparisons
As the other big platformer for Nintendo 64 aside from Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie's comparisons to Nintendo's flagship platformer were inevitable, but it's unfortunate that it still can't escape from these today. On a technical level, Banjo-Kazooie has a lot over its counterpart including bigger levels and better visuals.
However, Mario 64 is one of the most important titles in the history of video games, and it's no surprise many feel a strong affection towards it despite its flaws. That's why Banjo-Kazooie often still feels like the lesser Nintendo 64 platformer despite its advantages as it will never quite be as iconic as Mario.
Banjo-Kazooie's Overworld Can Be Confusing
One place where Banjo-Kazooie particularly suffers from unfavorable comparisons to Mario 64 is in the hub world which, compared to Peach's castle and the simple painting system used to navigate to levels, is confusing, to say the least. Requiring the player to find the place where the level is unlocked and then find the entrance as well, the game certainly doesn't walk the player from A to B.
In an age of massive and confusing open worlds, it might not seem so bad but that doesn't mean the tedium of having to work out where the player is supposed to go to get to the next stage isn't something that has to be accepted when replaying Banjo-Kazooie.
Gruntilda's Rhymes Are Kinda Lame
Giving a character a unique way of speaking is always a fun way to inject some personality but having Gruntilda rhyme in every single line might not have been Rare's smartest decision. Whilst it's the bizarreness of some of her rhymes that make it a funny and endearing trait, some cross the line into just being painful to read.
Rhymes like "Come to me, my little pretty, you'll soon be ugly, what a pity!" and the self-referential "Why do I talk all the time, it's really hard to make these rhyme!" are some of the worst lines from the game. Gruntilda is still the perfect antagonist in Banjo-Kazooie but anyone replaying the game will be forced to admit she might not be cut out for writing rhymes.
The Final Boss Fight In Banjo-Kazooie Is Rough
Banjo-Kazooie couldn't have ended with anything other than a final battle against the villainous Gruntilda and it certainly delivers an epic and multi-stage boss fight. The only problem, which replaying the game now only confirms, is that the fight is extremely difficult and not in a particularly fun way.
Each of the stages is an opportunity to mess up and instantly lose everything and have to attempt the fight again whilst some of the stages themselves are particularly bad. Flying is hardly a Banjo-Kazooie strong suit and incorporating it into an entire phase of the Gruntilda fight only makes it more of a punishment to get through.
Banjo-Kazooie's Hitboxes Are Janky
One of the harshest realities of replaying Banjo-Kazooie is realizing that it's not just the fault of the player when they die for no reason sometimes - the hitboxes are that janky. When aiming for an enemy, it can sometimes be a complete mystery whether the hit will connect or not.
It's not just enemy hitboxes either as, for example, one of the worst elements of the Gruntilda fight are the fireballs where the hitbox can easily screw over an unsuspecting player. Though it might be less immediately obvious than the visuals and camera, Banjo-Kazooie's weird hitboxes are one of its most frustrating features.
Banjo-Kazooie Shows Why Collect-A-Thons Should Still Be A Thing
Perhaps the biggest reason why the Banjo-Kazooie series hasn't continued on in recent decades is that the collect-a-thon platformer itself quickly became a dying art. Aside from rare and often amazing modern exceptions like Yooka-Laylee and Super Mario Odyssey, which is so much more than that, it's a genre that hasn't remained as big as it once was.
Replaying Banjo-Kazooie makes it clear why that's a bad thing, as it's still a consistently entertaining formula when accompanied by likable characters and good gameplay. A modern revival doesn't seem on the cards anytime soon, making this a harsh realization rather than a positive one.
Source:gamerant.com