Nuts and Bolts...

[GreenMagic469]

I wanted to say, I really think this game didn't get the praise it deserves.

I got Banjo Kazooie as a kid back in the late 90's, and I remember enjoying the hell out of it. I became a big fan of Rare, with Perfect Dark becoming one of my favorite shooters of all time. So, I'm no Rare noob, I've been with these guys since the start and I know what their classics are like...

However, when Rare made the leap to the Xbox, a lot of people said the quality of their games suffered. Although they may not make 100% AAA smash hits like they use to, Rare still has the magic.

Nuts and Bolts, to me, is classic Banjo Kazooie. The humor is there, the whimsy and magic of the world is there, the characters are there, and most of all: the fun is there. Anyone who says the game doesn't cater to its platforming fanbase didn't really understand what NNB was about. Whereas in the old BK games, you might gain a new ability that let's you fly, or shoot eggs, etc, in NNB, you can vehicle parts which do those exact things. In a way, the vehicles/parts represent powers and are effectively a replacement for those powers. The game isn't some racing sim like people make it out to be, it's actually very clever and the systems within it are well implemented to allow customization and control over your creations while maintaing a platformer-feel.

I, for one, would rather playing NNB any day than an HD Banjo Kazooie 3. Maybe I'm in a minority, but I think they did fine work. People constantly talk about games like Uncharted or Halo 4 having the best graphics of last gen, but this game was a true diamond. I've never been so blown away by what are, essentially, pixar graphics in video game format. The world is lush and beautiful. And there is so much to do! Multiplayer modes, building new vehicles, finding vehicle crates with some old-school on-foot platforming, hunting for jiggies, buying blueprints, releasing jinjos... So much, it takes forever to see it all.

What do you think? Do you prefer the older games or were you happy with NNB?

[GreenMagic469]

What a tool.

[The Banjonator]

You have a respectable opinion, but I still wished we'd gotten an HD BK3 before a Nuts and Bolts. But overall, it was still a fun game

[JohnyT94]

My mind is genuinely blown that it's been 6 years since the release of N&B. Wow. When did that happen.

On topic, I disagree. I don't like the vehicle element or the characters in the game. They used the same characters over and over in different costumes/roles. It was nothing like BK/BT.

[Esteban Colberto]

I agree, it looks beautiful and the music is good. But I just didn't like the gameplay or the mission-based design. It made levels feel so empty and barren. Also, I didn't like the humor. I thought it missed the mark by being just a bit too self-aware.

[The Banjonator]

Agreed with the humor. I can't remember much but I do remember thinking they made Banjo say things that didn't really fit his character. Like calling Bottles Goggles.

[Kab]

i thought it was really cool that the game had this gorgeous cartoony atmosphere, but all the characters were really tired and bitter about being in a new game

they were just like adults who were sick of their 9-to-5 job and i thought that was really funny

[Keegan]

nuts and bolts is good game very original but it suck so hard 0/0, bro

[Frankie]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOJlNQ1Od1g

[Salty Hippo]

Great game, bad Banjo-Kazooie.

[Twi]

I agree with you Green.

What makes a Banjo game a Banjo game for me isn't the platforming or even the genre of game he's in. Banjo makes a Banjo game. The characters and their personalities and appearances make up part of the Banjo charm.

Banjo-Pilot was a racing game, but it still felt like a Banjo game even though it was a totally different genre.

Take Mario for example. He's been in every genre of game except for maybe shooters and simulation games. They all feel like Mario games because Mario is in them and he looks and acts the same. Being made by the same people helps too.

As a game, Nuts & Bolts is fun as hell, then again I'm a sucker for Legos, Minecraft, and the Gummi Ship builder in Kingdom Hearts.

[The Colonel]

I think it was a good idea that could have been executed better and should have been done using a different IP simply to avoid the inevitable backlash, and it all lacked any sort of charm. I agree with Stephen Colbert, the game was trying to be so self-aware and snarky some times that it just ended up being kind of irritating. Nothing in it really felt... I dunno, genuine. Maybe it's because I haven't played Nuts & Bolts in a couple years, but I just remember it feeling sort of half-hearted at times.

[krueger14]

Wow 6 years. Honestly feels just like yesterday we were all waiting for details on the new BK3 game.

Anyways, I never liked the game. It's not my type of game.
I think the game did bad because it was a Banjo game.

[Hollow Note]

I really enjoyed the game, though not so much when it first launched. The teaser trailer for BK implied huge adventure and platforming. Not a single mention of vehicle based exploration at all. So of course, I was kind of pissed when it turns out that most of it was going to be vehicle based.

Coming back to it after a few years was actually really fun. I had gotten over the fact that it was no Banjo Kazooie 3, but a stand-alone game in and of itself. The problem that I had with the game was the Logbox level, since it was so tight and cramped for aerial piloting.

But I also have to agree with Mr. Colbert there, the humor started off interesting (oh, lol, collectathon, you cheeky Rare...) and then kind of kept beating a dead horse (Log made all games, got it. Now shut up already about how you made all games.)

Still, the gameplay mechanics were pretty solid and I actually got all the Jiggies last time I played through the game.