There are all kinds of gamers out there, with all kinds of game passions. There are many people who play videogames, who want more knowledge of games of the past; they want history, and review. So a series of articles was born: The Retro Review Series. The games covered in this series of articles are going to be gems; games that are beloved to some, which are not necessarily the best or most popular games. Our first three episodes have covered two different consoles: The original PlayStation, and the original Nintendo Entertainment System. For this fourth month, we are going to switch to the most overrated console of all-time: the Nintendo 64!
I say it’s the most overrated because people really love it, and there are only about 30 or so good games for it, but boy do those 30 or so games shine! And the best of those games is going to be covered in this month’s Retro Review! Well second best… the undisputed best game for the N64 is The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time. But the highly disputed second best game… is Banjo-Kazooie!
As I wrote in Episode 1 of the Retro Review Series, I wasn’t into videogames, when the Nintendo 64 was first released. My brother had one, and I loved Mario 64 and Shadows Of The Empire, but I had no interest in playing them beyond the casual rental. The only game he owned was Turok, and it was ok. Then Banjo-Kazooie came out, and something magical awoke inside of me! The first two levels had this incredible, lush sense of scope I hadn’t seen in a videogame before. I wanted to just run around Mumbo’s Mountain, and climb as I high as I could in Treasure Trove Cove, just so I could jump off the top. I wanted to do everything. And little did I realize the game’s best level would be its last.
Even though it was my brother’s N64, I bought Banjo-Kazooie, and made a perfect save file that started right at that last level, so I could play it over and over (after renting it a few times, I knew those first five or so levels a little too well).
Banjo-Kazooie is still my favorite 3D platformer to this day. Aside from some wonky camera stuff, it has aged incredibly well. So tune in this month to find out about its developer’s history, its bizarre development, and whether it may or may not appeal to you!
These articles will be released every month on COGconnected, and split up into 4 weekly parts: The Intro, The History, The Review, and The Verdict. So here ends The Intro. Next week: The History of one of Nintendo’s finest developers, and one of their finest games, Banjo-Kazooie.
