As gamers, we look for variety in video games. We all love Modern Warfare, Halo, and Gears of War, but sometimes we all yearn for something different. Sometimes we want to play good old fashion games, but everything has gone hardcore and now everything's all about action, shooting, and killing. But sometimes we want to get away from all that stuff and try something new. Todays review is for Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts, the game that is surprisingly decent for kids.
Honestly, I've never played any previous installments of this game, but I still got a good idea of what was going on throughout the game. So you play as Banjo, who has apparently gained some weight over the years after his last battle with Gruntilda, because he... well he had nothing to do basically! Then all of a sudden, Gruntilda comes back from the dead as a head, and she wants to reclaim Spiral mountain back from Banjo. Then the Lord of Games comes out of nowhere, and decides to settle this dispute with a little contest. Winner owns Spiral mountain, loser works in the Lord of Games video game factory for eternity. Ouch... this guys playing hardball with you.
This is where my first problem with the game comes in... no it's not the bizarre storyline, it's the font. I have a 24 inch tall standard TV, and I can't read the tiny font. It also doesn't help that the characters don't talk, except for the narrator at the beginning of the game. This isn't the first time I've had this problem, I've also had this problem with Dead Rising. I really need to get high definition.
Now to talk about the part where this game shines: vehicle customization. You could literally build a car from scratch. They won't turn out as the hot sports cars in Fortsa Motorsport, instead more like if they were built from Legos. As ridiculous as it sounds, it's actually really addicting and you could spend hours tinkering with cars. If you have a problem if your car gets stuck in a ditch or if it gets turned over, it's easy to lift it out and later customize it. And you can test it out at a track with virtually no loading screen.
Your vehicles can have absurd weapons and gadgets installed. As awkward as it may seem, most of your weapons automatically lock on to your enemies, and if it weren't for that, it could've been a major setback. Sometimes your vehicle may get damaged throughout the game, yet repairing vehicles are simply done by holding the RB button. It may seem like your invincible, but repairing a vehicle while in a race can really set you back, and you need to be careful.
Another positive aspect of this game are the graphics. The graphics are absolutely charming and magnificent. Everything from the beauty of Nutty Acres to the inside of your 360 console are well designed from top to bottom, resulting in truly vibrant graphics.
The music also fits perfectly too. You guys know how much I
GET ANGRY when I don't hear sweet, lovable music. It's one of the most charming tracks I have ever heard and they are very memorable. I would play them in my car (if I had one.) If I'm not mistaken some of these melodies are remixed from the old games. If that's true, then these remixes are great, and they are very catchy.
As for entertainment, I like making vehicles and going on missions to score Gold Jiggies. You need Gold Jiggies in order to beat the game. Think of the Gold Jiggies as stars from Super Mario 64, and you need them to open doors. That's basically what your trying to do throughout the entire game. I also like searching town for new parts to add to my vehicles. There are tons of crates scattered throughout town, and opening them is like a box of chocolates, because you don't know what you're going to get. Also if you don't like making vehicles you could just buy blueprints for them, and parts at a store. Another thing I can safely say is that none of the missions are the same throughout the game. You'll never know what mission you'll be going on next, whether it's designing a machine to kick soccer balls, riding a stunt bike, or going to battle at sea. They always get more challenging when you get near the end of the game... and I like that a lot.
One of my favorite parts about this game is battling Gruntilda occasionally throughout the game. You never know what you're going to be doing when you're at a confrontation with her. Winning a battle against her results in a new weapon or accessory to add to your vehicles. It really adds to the excitement, you don't know what you'll be fighting, and you also don't know what you're going to get.
I really love this game, and I recommend this game to people who are looking for something different on 360, or if parents want their children to play a decent game. The only problems I have had were.... well nothing bothered me actually. I personally thought that if I had a problem with my car, I'd fix it, and maybe tinker around with it. If there was a mission I couldn't do, I'd skip it and go to the next one. Also multi-player would be a lot more fun if there where people online, but this game can be played by yourself for fun. Everything in this game that can get on your nerves actually has a way around it.
If you see this game I strongly recommend giving it a try. Yeah, the font was small, but I'm not one to hold a grudge over something as stupid as that over killer entertainment, and deep replay value.
Final verdict: Super Hyper X says Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts is Super Hyper Awesome. 9/10
Honestly, I've never played any previous installments of this game, but I still got a good idea of what was going on throughout the game. So you play as Banjo, who has apparently gained some weight over the years after his last battle with Gruntilda, because he... well he had nothing to do basically! Then all of a sudden, Gruntilda comes back from the dead as a head, and she wants to reclaim Spiral mountain back from Banjo. Then the Lord of Games comes out of nowhere, and decides to settle this dispute with a little contest. Winner owns Spiral mountain, loser works in the Lord of Games video game factory for eternity. Ouch... this guys playing hardball with you.
This is where my first problem with the game comes in... no it's not the bizarre storyline, it's the font. I have a 24 inch tall standard TV, and I can't read the tiny font. It also doesn't help that the characters don't talk, except for the narrator at the beginning of the game. This isn't the first time I've had this problem, I've also had this problem with Dead Rising. I really need to get high definition.
Now to talk about the part where this game shines: vehicle customization. You could literally build a car from scratch. They won't turn out as the hot sports cars in Fortsa Motorsport, instead more like if they were built from Legos. As ridiculous as it sounds, it's actually really addicting and you could spend hours tinkering with cars. If you have a problem if your car gets stuck in a ditch or if it gets turned over, it's easy to lift it out and later customize it. And you can test it out at a track with virtually no loading screen.
Your vehicles can have absurd weapons and gadgets installed. As awkward as it may seem, most of your weapons automatically lock on to your enemies, and if it weren't for that, it could've been a major setback. Sometimes your vehicle may get damaged throughout the game, yet repairing vehicles are simply done by holding the RB button. It may seem like your invincible, but repairing a vehicle while in a race can really set you back, and you need to be careful.
Another positive aspect of this game are the graphics. The graphics are absolutely charming and magnificent. Everything from the beauty of Nutty Acres to the inside of your 360 console are well designed from top to bottom, resulting in truly vibrant graphics.
The music also fits perfectly too. You guys know how much I
GET ANGRY when I don't hear sweet, lovable music. It's one of the most charming tracks I have ever heard and they are very memorable. I would play them in my car (if I had one.) If I'm not mistaken some of these melodies are remixed from the old games. If that's true, then these remixes are great, and they are very catchy.As for entertainment, I like making vehicles and going on missions to score Gold Jiggies. You need Gold Jiggies in order to beat the game. Think of the Gold Jiggies as stars from Super Mario 64, and you need them to open doors. That's basically what your trying to do throughout the entire game. I also like searching town for new parts to add to my vehicles. There are tons of crates scattered throughout town, and opening them is like a box of chocolates, because you don't know what you're going to get. Also if you don't like making vehicles you could just buy blueprints for them, and parts at a store. Another thing I can safely say is that none of the missions are the same throughout the game. You'll never know what mission you'll be going on next, whether it's designing a machine to kick soccer balls, riding a stunt bike, or going to battle at sea. They always get more challenging when you get near the end of the game... and I like that a lot.
One of my favorite parts about this game is battling Gruntilda occasionally throughout the game. You never know what you're going to be doing when you're at a confrontation with her. Winning a battle against her results in a new weapon or accessory to add to your vehicles. It really adds to the excitement, you don't know what you'll be fighting, and you also don't know what you're going to get.
I really love this game, and I recommend this game to people who are looking for something different on 360, or if parents want their children to play a decent game. The only problems I have had were.... well nothing bothered me actually. I personally thought that if I had a problem with my car, I'd fix it, and maybe tinker around with it. If there was a mission I couldn't do, I'd skip it and go to the next one. Also multi-player would be a lot more fun if there where people online, but this game can be played by yourself for fun. Everything in this game that can get on your nerves actually has a way around it.
If you see this game I strongly recommend giving it a try. Yeah, the font was small, but I'm not one to hold a grudge over something as stupid as that over killer entertainment, and deep replay value.
Final verdict: Super Hyper X says Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts is Super Hyper Awesome. 9/10
