Banjo-Kazooie Rare Retrospective

If there’s any Rare game that can claim to have rivalled the original DKC in terms of all-out media attention, it’s Banjo-Kazooie. Kept as tightly wrapped in secrecy as all Rare games for a large part of its development life, the game triggered heated debates across the Internet and worldwide press from the moment that the first mention of ‘Project: Dream’ filtered through to the outside world. The true title of what was to become another flagship product for Nintendo was announced barely a week before 1997’s E3 show, prompting another wild rush of opinion before the public finally got their first glimpse of the game itself.

The unusual title has been the subject of much argument in itself, but the explanation behind it is simple: the decision to name the game after its main characters was made early on, so Dream had actually been known as Banjo and, later, Banjo Kazoo for some time when the time of the trademark check finally came around and problems began to arise. A minor change was needed that wouldn’t cause too much disruption to existing graphics and publicity material, so Kazoo became Kazooie and the name hyphenated as a further precaution.

One of the most important features in lifting Banjo-Kazooie above allegations of straightforward cloning is the teamwork element that needs to exist between the two lead characters if they are to make any serious headway in their adventures. Banjo himself (a Honey Bear out to rescue his kidnapped sister) is the obvious choice for any matters of brute strength, and he also finds himself doing most of the footwork with Kazooie (a raucous Red Crested Breegull) comfortably holed up in his backpack. On the other hand, however, Kazooie’s long, energetic strides can easily carry the duo across terrain that Banjo might not otherwise be able to manage, and of course her raw flying abilities have plenty of potential if enough feathers can be collected to provide her young wings with the power to keep both herself and her partner aloft.

And of course the pair have a wide range of moves resulting from a combination of their abilities, moves which are always available due to the characters’ inseparability. Kazooie’s wings can lend a great deal of height and distance to Banjo’s jumps, while Banjo provides a solid basis of strength and weight for Kazooie to use in exercising her destructive urges on whatever enemies cross their path. Still, should the explorers find themselves in need of more exotic aid, the wandering shaman Mumbo Jumbo can be hunted down and his transformation magic put to good use, which often proves the only way for Banjo and Kazooie to safely venture into a certain area or solve a particular puzzle.

In addition to this outside assistance, the ursine and avian talents at hand complement one another perfectly, providing Banjo with at least a sporting chance in his quest to find and rescue his sister from Gruntilda the hag and her sinister beauty-draining machine – a quest in which Kazooie seems only too happy to lend a wing. Together they’ll search the mysterious depths of Gruntilda’s Lair for golden jigsaw pieces, which in turn will open the pathways to higher and higher levels. And only by thoroughly exploring every last nook and cranny can the gallant duo hope to reach the confrontation at their journey’s end…