Topic: Banjo-Kazooie is back & now on XBox 360

[Nick DiMola]

I can't see any evidence from those IGN videos that this game still retains B-K's platforming roots. Climbing up 3 ladders on a crane does not a platformer make. It just looks like a whole lot of driving around. I'd prefer smaller, well designed areas as opposed to giant Daytona USA tracks.

Agreed. I thought Banjo-Tooie got a little too big on the Overworld. Banjo-Kazooie had it nearly perfect.

[Peachylala]

I found that the back-tracking killed Banjo-Tooie. It's like that redid Donkey Kong 64 and just replaced the five main characters with a bear and bird.

I am also saddened that B-K 360 is not called Banjo-Threeie. Then again, maybe it shouldn't be.

[Flames_of_chaos]

Ready your spring-loaded propeller boat and fasten your seatbelt, “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” is hitting U.S. store shelves on November 14, and pre-orders begin today. For the retail price of $39.99, those who pre-order at participating retailers will get in on all the Banjo fun right off the starting line, and as a special bonus, will also receive a free download code for the original “Banjo-Kazooie,” launching on Xbox LIVE Arcade later this fall.

As Kazooie likes to say, “The early bird gets the worm.” Since the original “Banjo-Kazooie” will not debut on Xbox LIVE Arcade until a couple weeks after “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” releases, pre-ordering the game gives you a two-week head start on the Arcade title and the opportunity to take advantage of “Stop N’ Swop” before anyone else. “Stop N’ Swop” rewards players’ accomplishments in the new game with extra content and features in the Xbox LIVE Arcade game, giving fans who pre-order “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” the chance to experience more Banjo action than ever.

[Nick DiMola]

Epic fucking win

[Caliban]

$39.99? Interesting, yet alluring. I would still buy this game at $59.99 anyway.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Wow, I'm amazed they are giving away B-K away for free, I would have payed for it!

[Nick DiMola]

Wow, I'm amazed they are giving away B-K away for free, I would have payed for it!

Haha, me too! Microsoft, thank you for hooking me up. Between the value price and B-K for free I don't which is better. All I do know, Stop 'n Swop is goin down this Fall.

[Bill Aurion]

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit, those BASTARDS luring me in with the only thing that could! >=O

[Schadenfreude]

You sold me on the game Microsoft. You sold me.

[NWR_pap64]

Ready your spring-loaded propeller boat and fasten your seatbelt, “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” is hitting U.S. store shelves on November 14, and pre-orders begin today. For the retail price of $39.99, those who pre-order at participating retailers will get in on all the Banjo fun right off the starting line, and as a special bonus, will also receive a free download code for the original “Banjo-Kazooie,” launching on Xbox LIVE Arcade later this fall.

As Kazooie likes to say, “The early bird gets the worm.” Since the original “Banjo-Kazooie” will not debut on Xbox LIVE Arcade until a couple weeks after “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” releases, pre-ordering the game gives you a two-week head start on the Arcade title and the opportunity to take advantage of “Stop N’ Swop” before anyone else. “Stop N’ Swop” rewards players’ accomplishments in the new game with extra content and features in the Xbox LIVE Arcade game, giving fans who pre-order “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” the chance to experience more Banjo action than ever.

This includes Gamestop and EB Games, right? I hope they do.

And Stop N' Swop?? Does this mean that Rare finally figured out how to work the extra features into the original game???

[Schadenfreude]

The pre-order bonus is now available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Banjo-Kazooie-Nuts-Bolts-Xbox-360/dp/B0019MLWL4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1219191530&sr=8-1.

I already pre-ordered. 

[DAaaMan64]

Those Rare style graphics don't transfer well to 360 style. Banjo and Kazooie look dumb.

[NWR_pap64]

Those Rare style graphics don't transfer well to 360 style. Banjo and Kazooie look dumb.

I admit that's the only thing that annoys me about the game. The textures and designs look splendid, but the character design is so so.

I also hope the vehicle mechanic works well. If done wrong it could mean clunky driving controls, weird physics and slow gameplay.

EDIT: I don't know why, but I get the feeling the pre-order bonus only applies to online orders...

The Amazon page says that you'll get the code 5 days after the game is released. How will this work when you pre-order the game at a store? Will they give you the code when you pick up the game or do you have to wait a few more days after you pick it up?

[Flames_of_chaos]

Amazon just sends out a mass email to people who pre-ordered it. I'm sure for retail stores you will get a paper token or something that you have to scratch a silver strip or pull a paper tab to reveal the code.

[Flames_of_chaos]

Achievements

Pointless Collector 10
Take part in the L.O.G. badge collecting challenge at the start of the game in Spiral Mountain

Open Nuts 10
Place the Nutty Acres Game Globe on its plinth in Showdown Town

Next-Next-Gen 10
Place the LOGBOX 720 Game Globe on its plinth in Showdown Town

History Lesson 15
Place the Banjoland Game Globe on its plinth in Showdown Town

Let the Games Begin 15
Place the Jiggosseum Game Globe on its plinth in Showdown Town

Super Banjo Universe 20
Place the Terrarium of Terror Game Globe on its plinth in Showdown Town

My First Bank 10
Bank your first Jiggy in Showdown Town

Little Banker 20
Bank 10 Jiggies in Showdown Town

Big Banker 30
Bank 30 Jiggies in Showdown Town

Shower of Gold 40
Bank 60 Jiggies in Showdown Town

Jiggillionaire! 50
Bank 131 Jiggies in Showdown Town

Pimped Up 20
Complete the Showdown Town Trolley with Parts won from Grunty battles

Witch Hunt 50
Defeat Grunty at the end of the game

My First Trophy 10
Earn a T.T. Trophy from any challenge

Few Trophy Pts 20
Earn 10 T.T. Trophies from any challenges

More Trophy Pts 30
Earn 30 T.T. Trophies from any challenges

A Lot of Trophy Pts 40
Earn 60 T.T. Trophies from any challenges

Be Crateful 15
Find and return two crates to Mumbo's Motors

Blueprint Buyout 15
Buy a blueprint from Humba in Showdown Town

Roid Rage 15
Train Banjo once in the Showdown Town gym

Start to Free the Showdown Six 15
Free and re-house a Jinjo in Showdown Town

Vigilante 15
Lock up a Minjo in Showdown Town

Bingo! 20
Complete a line on the Bingo card at King Jingaling's Palace

Stop 'n' Swop 0
Return a Stop 'n' Swop crate to Mumbo's Motors

BBQ Beef 20
In Nutty Acres, they like their steak well done

Massive Damage 20
Aim at the 10 legs for massive damage

Test Your Strength 20
Roll up, show the whole of Banjoland how strong you are

Great Balls of Fire 20
Take a heavy ball around the Jiggosseum and get a burning sensation

Ultimate Combo 20
More like a three-hit combo in the Terrarium of Terror

Floater in the Pipe 20
Eeurgh! That's not going to help the Test-O-Track plumbing

Burn the Witch! 20
Showdown Town witch hunt

Head for Heights 20
Find the best view in Showdown Town

Fuzz Off! 20
POP goes the Weasel!

Paint Your Wagon 10
Paint any part of your vehicle in Mumbo's Motors

Speedy of the Colossus 25
Build a vehicle with 200 blocks or more and go over a set speed

Minimalist 25
Build a vehicle with five blocks or less and go over a set speed

Whoa Nelly! 25
Travel in a vehicle over a set speed

Loose Change 20
Collect ALL the Showdown Town Loose Change

Arcade Pwner 20
Finish all levels of Klungo's Arcade game

Sunday League 20
Play in and complete a multiplayer game League

Premier League! 40
Play in and complete a marathon multiplayer game League (Every Race, Every Sport or Every Race and Sport)

What's That Smell? 10
Play an Xbox LIVE multiplayer game against a Banjo team member, or somebody who has already done so

Bit of Blue 10
Share a blueprint with another player or Friend over Xbox LIVE, or save 20 blueprints

Paparazzi 10
Take a photo and upload it to Xbox LIVE, or take five photos

Caught on Camera 10
Send a video replay to a Friend over Xbox LIVE, or save five replays

High Fives All Round 10
Be on the winning team in a ranked team game

All My Own Work 20
Win a ranked solo game with a custom vehicle

Too Easy! 10
Win a ranked solo race by reversing over the finish line

Too Easy Too! 20
Win a ranked solo race by running or swimming over the finish line

[Caliban]

I tried the demo. It's... OK. I guess. There's not much you can say about the demo other than to not expect too much out of this game. I think they should have made the vehicles as a supplementary game play element while maintaining the traditional platforming element of this series.

[matt oz]

Wow, I could not play this demo.  At all.  The text was infuriatingly small, especially as I'm temporarily playing on a 19" screen.  I also don't like Rare's idiotic practice of unskippable cutscenes.  I didn't even get to any actual gameplay before I deleted it.  Presentation has become really important to me this generation, for some reason, and I really can't tolerate poor presentation anymore.

[KDR_11k]

Only this demo? From the demos I played on my 360 it looks like Microsoft has zero usability requirements for text, it's tiny and very low contrast in almost all games I saw and some of it could simply not be read at all, was like 8 pixels tall or less and the low contrast made it just painful to look at. The only game where text didn't hurt to read was Cv SOTN. It's like MS was TRYING to scare away new gamers with horribly overloaded, unreadable and complicated user interfaces everywhere, no wonder the Wii is obliterating it. Yes, my TV is blurry but it didn't matter with any other console connected to it.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I've heard they rectified the text problem in the final game. Regardless I really hope the game has more exploration for Jiggy pieces instead of "Talk to random people and do their self contained event".

[Bill Aurion]

I've heard they rectified the text problem in the final game. Regardless I really hope the game has more exploration for Jiggy pieces instead of "Talk to random people and do their self contained event".

Even Banjo-Tooie had this problem, so I don't see why they would even bother going back to the original's perfection...The whole focus on vehicles pretty much throws any chance of true exploration Jiggies out the window anyway... =\

[Caliban]

19" screen

There's you're problem. You, and KDR_11k are better off connecting your 360 to a PC monitor because it supports higher resolutions that these games are supposed to be played on.

The only game where text didn't hurt to read was Cv SOTN.

SOTN's text looks bad on a 50" HDTV.

I think a lot of us are used to the text scaling for different monitor resolutions for a PC, and forget that when dealing with consoles they have to stick to one standard. In the 360's case it is 720p.

[KDR_11k]

Well, can't they read which res the game is output at and scale with that? Anything else is a waste of fill rate and fragment shader cycles anyway.

And who the **** got the idea that a console has to be played on new and huge TVs? It's plugged into a crappy secondary TV here because the main TV is for watching TV and I don't think I'm alone with that setup. VGA would need extra stuff like a matching cable and one of those input switcher boxes since I'm not going to crawl behind the PC every single time I want to switch. Even at higher resolutions the small size and low contrast of the text would make it unreadable unless you sit right in front of the TV so it pretty much has to be oprated at a computer desk. I know if I ran this thing on one of the living room TVs people I know own (and our own too, of course) I still wouldn't be able to read **** even if it was in HD because living rooms have the couch much further away from the TV.

[matt oz]

19" screen

There's you're problem. You, and KDR_11k are better off connecting your 360 to a PC monitor because it supports higher resolutions that these games are supposed to be played on.

Argh, there's YOUR problem.  Bad grammar!   

Thankfully the 19" TV is just temporary.  I ordered a new 32" Samsung HDTV online last week, and I prematurely sold my old TV, so I've been playing on a 19" for the past few days.  I've actually been staying away from most games outside of Rock Band and arcade games because everything looks like crap on it.

Fun fact: I've never played a Banjo Kazooie game.  I may download the original when it makes it to XBLA, but we'll see.

[NWR_insanolord]

I'd have to cancel my preorder for this game if I weren't getting a new TV soon because of that text even though I enjoyed the gameplay of the demo. I have also never played either previous Banjo Kazooie, though the free XBLA download of the original was what got me to preorder this game.

[Caliban]

19" screen

There's you're problem. You, and KDR_11k are better off connecting your 360 to a PC monitor because it supports higher resolutions that these games are supposed to be played on.

Argh, there's YOUR problem.  Bad grammar!  

To quote on Homer Simpson: D'oh.