A Rush of Nostalgia For You Good Sir

In case you didn't know, Banjo-Tooie and Virtual-On just released alongside the new Broken Steel DLC for Fallout 3, so I've been busy trying to keep up. So far, Broken Steel is an awesome addition to extending Fallout 3's notorious ending, but BT has completely engrossed me. The legendary Stop & Swop feature that was never fully implemented in the original games has come to fruition, even if the actual payout feels a little less then expected.

Banjo-Tooie was released back in November 2000 as the sequel to the then hit success, Banjo-Kazooie. A game from Rare about a bear with some snappy shorts (Banjo) and the bird that lives in his backpack (Kazooie) and there adventures. It's quite a feeling seeing as the first game got you to relate to Banjo and Kazooie as one, cohesive character. Now in Tooie, the big draw is how they can separate and play differently. Incredible! I'm having more fun playing as a bear or a bird separately as opposed to what's effectively a flying bear-bird!

I'm having more fun now on this platformer, nearly 10-years-old, then any other platformer as of late. Hell, I'm enjoying coming back to this game now more then Mario Galaxy from two years ago. Every level has a new move to learn to expand my movement and revisit older levels with and each level has a distinct flavor that makes it unique, a hook if you will. My favorite, Jolly Rodger Lagoon, has 90% of the level take place underwater, and in order to even attempt the level, you need the help of now playable Mumbo Jumbo to use his magic and oxygenate the water. A level that takes place underwater without the hassle of your character's breath capacity! I also think it's funny they revitalized the cliched ice or lava by making a level that is two islands; one ice themed and the other lava themed.

And the last thing is the humor. Banjo-Tooie is rife with clever humor, especially new text pertaining to the Stop & Swop. If you've downloaded Banjo-Kazooie, you can go back and collect items which will carry over to Tooie. When you hatch an egg for example, Banjo comments how he's been carrying it for 10 year, waiting to get rid of it. Banjo gets transformed into a variety of things throughout the game, and a washing machine is one of them. An one of the bosses is a near-sighted welding torch. I mean, sure, a living welding torch, but near-sighted?

The game is just loaded to the brim with things long lost on modern day platformers, from humor, to creativity, to development. Nuts 'n' Bolts may be their new gig, but I refuse to see it as Banjo-Threeie (as Gruntilda prophecized).