The problem with Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts.....

[Jediuser]

The problem with Nuts and Bolts isn't that it isn't 'Banjo-Threeie.' It's that the writing likes to rub it in players' faces that it isn't 'Banjo-Threeie.' It opens with the two of them mocking the dated mechanics of the original games. I don't think I've ever seen a game as smug towards its fans as that one is.

Shame, because once you get over the fact that it's not 'Banjo-Threeie' it's actually a really fun vehicle-based game, as well as one of the best looking 360 games. But they really don't want players to forget that it's not 'Banjo-Threeie.'

 

[Boscobilly]

That's a funny bit though.

 

[Yousef]

this game made me go nuts

 

[RomaniMajorasMask]

I remember getting the game in my Jontron-phase when I was a child thinking it'd be something to have a fun time mocking.
What I accidentally found was one of the most fun vehicle creation games on the market, with amazing set-designs and mini-games that kept little me entertained for hours on end. Something not easy to do with an ADHD-ridden child.

But yeah- the tongue-in-cheek "oh-ho-ho yes remember BANJO? remember- remember BANJO KAZOOIE? WELL GUESS WHAT WE'RE NOT THAT SORRRRY BUD" dialogue gets so degrading so fast. Which is a shame because when they're not doing that, the game has a lot of charm.

 

[ciro64]

I took a quick peek on this game playthrough recently to remind how it was. While the gameplay is obvious different, the game aesthetic felt surprisingly Banjo-unlike too. They really had go hard with the music and the references to remind you this was a Banjo game.

I think I played this game at the right time in my life. The vehicle mechanics is a creative one, but outside of the main hub on foot exploration it boils down to vehicle race/fetch/destroy missions, which makes me question how fun they actually are once the novel factor is gone.

Despite the comment I made about the aesthetic, the graphics very much impressed me back then, considering it was one of my first 360 games while before that my most powerful console was a Wii.

 

[RageBurner]

The joy I derive from this game is the fact I'll never play it.

 

[Sonic Boomer]

The game was surprisingly enjoyable and fun for me, I don't get hung up on whether it's like the rest of the series or not. What made it unplayable was the auto scrolling text which was so poorly laid out and difficult to read even after the text patch that it made it impossible for me to read my objectives or what the characters were saying on time.

 

[Jon-Patrick-S]

A decent amount of hate probably came from the fact that it felt like rubbing salt in the wound. If they had done a Banjo-Threeie and then popped out with Nuts and Bolts a year or two after I imagine it would have been far better received, I never played it myself because I never got into the 360 but a lot of people I've spoken to who have been willing to give it the time of day in the years since seemed to have at least enjoyed themselves.

 

[SpikeSlania]

I had a decent time with the game, nothing memorable or makes me think that I need to go back and play it again. It was alright, never beat it but at the time was decent. Definitely not a game that will make someone's top 10 360 games unless they played less then 10 games and Nuts and Bolts happened to be one of them.

 

[ciro64]

I had a decent time with the game, nothing memorable or makes me think that I need to go back and play it again. It was alright, never beat it but at the time was decent. Definitely not a game that will make someone's top 10 360 games unless they played less then 10 games and Nuts and Bolts happened to be one of them.

I guess my list would be one of those LOL

Here's my unordered list, in fact:

Just Dance
Street Fighter 4
Marvel vs Capcom 3
Tekken 6
Mortal Kombat 9
Banjo-Kazooie Nutz n Bolts
Lego Rock Band (should never had sold those intruments)

I remember CoD Modern Warfare 2 fondly for the wow factor but the rest of the hetero shooters can take a hike

 

[Jediuser]

I remember getting the game in my Jontron-phase when I was a child thinking it'd be something to have a fun time mocking.
What I accidentally found was one of the most fun vehicle creation games on the market, with amazing set-designs and mini-games that kept little me entertained for hours on end. Something not easy to do with an ADHD-ridden child.

But yeah- the tongue-in-cheek "oh-ho-ho yes remember BANJO? remember- remember BANJO KAZOOIE? WELL GUESS WHAT WE'RE NOT THAT SORRRRY BUD" dialogue gets so degrading so fast. Which is a shame because when they're not doing that, the game has a lot of charm.

I actually do really like the game, it IS a really fun vehicle creation game with great building mechanics that provide a great deal of flexibility in how you approach objectives. But the smugness of the writing did irritate me. Rare's had a habit of trolling players since being bought by microsoft, like randomizing health in Grabbed by the Ghoulies.

Post automatically merged: Mar 23, 2025

A decent amount of hate probably came from the fact that it felt like rubbing salt in the wound. If they had done a Banjo-Threeie and then popped out with Nuts and Bolts a year or two after I imagine it would have been far better received, I never played it myself because I never got into the 360 but a lot of people I've spoken to who have been willing to give it the time of day in the years since seemed to have at least enjoyed themselves.

Honestly, once you get over the fact that it's not 'Banjo-Threeie,' Nuts and Bolts actually IS a lot of fun (and, if the lukewarm reception for Yooka-Laylee is any indication, they may have had a point about the dated mechanics). The problem is simply how smug it is over not being 'Banjo-Threeie.' Rare seems to be trolling the fans who waited years for a proper sequel to Tooie, and, uh....general rule of thumb, making fun of the consumers who support your products is NOT recommended.