Banjo-Kazooie

[Iron Past]

Who grabbed it? I know there were a few that planned on picking it up after the demo, and I'm just about to put in my copy. I'll be driving to my parents house tomarrow so I can download the original game (yay, preorder goodies!). :)

[LarsenNET]

Still waiting on Amazon to ship it and deliver the code.

[Kelegacy]

Goddamn it, why doesn't Amazon ship games on time? I think they stated 5 days after shipping they'd email the download code as well. Well, I've received no notice as of now. I want!!!

Where did you preorder? I should have done it in-store I think, didn't realize the deal was going on other than Amazon.

I looked yesterday and they were saying the estimated ship date was the 19th. That's terrible. Might be the last time I preorder through Amazon.

[LarsenNET]

Amazon shows estimated delivery is the 14th. I'm a prime member so I don't know if that puts me a little higher in the queue. I don't think they have shipped it to anyone yet.

[MachEnergy]

With Free Super-Saver Shipping, it says mine will be shipped on the 17th. I chose the free option just because I am neck deep in games as it is. Did you guys ABSOLUTELY need to get this game on release date?

[UnderHero5]

With Free Super-Saver Shipping, it says mine will be shipped on the 17th. I chose the free option just because I am neck deep in games as it is. Did you guys ABSOLUTELY need to get this game on release date?

I also took the free shipping, because of the same reason (plus, it saved me money, even if it's only $5).

But yeah, still hasn't shipped, and mine also says the 17th. Not a big deal, as it is. I'm still playing Gears 2, Fallout 3, LittleBigPlanet, and soon Left 4 Dead. They can take their time. The only thing I'm concerned about is the code for the original BK. They had better not stiff me on that.

[Purple Santa]

Goddamn it, why doesn't Amazon ship games on time? I think they stated 5 days after shipping they'd email the download code as well. Well, I've received no notice as of now. I want!!!

Where did you preorder? I should have done it in-store I think, didn't realize the deal was going on other than Amazon.

I looked yesterday and they were saying the estimated ship date was the 19th. That's terrible. Might be the last time I preorder through Amazon.

Amazon does have game day shipped, meaning it's there on release date. I've done that a few times...otherwise it's most likely will be in before that date. I ordered GOW 2 and told them send it free shipping. I got mine that friday...did the game release on tues? So figure 3 days...figure friday possibly...

Glad you did decide to order the game though :). Now let's hope its good for you so you don't track me down and hit me with the copy of yours...

I have mine coming via Circuit City. Don't laugh...I have a credit card with them...plus discount...so i'm hoping mine comes in by the weekend...then I have a decision after I finish Dead Space. Do I start this...or Mirror's Edge...to only be further distracted by Tomb Raider. Which no matter how hard I try to not play until after the semester is over, I will be playing. So which game to kill time till then...hmmmm....

[LarsenNET]

I ordered GOW 2 and told them send it free shipping. I got mine that friday...did the game release on tues? So figure 3 days...figure friday possibly...


Official release date was Friday Nov. 7th.

[LarsenNET]

With Free Super-Saver Shipping, it says mine will be shipped on the 17th. I chose the free option just because I am neck deep in games as it is. Did you guys ABSOLUTELY need to get this game on release date?

No, but I want my code. The "perk" for pre-ordering was to get the XBLA game 2 weeks early.

[Kelegacy]

No, but I want my code. The "perk" for pre-ordering was to get the XBLA game 2 weeks early.

Same here.

But yeah, I ordered the free shipping route. I don't need it right now. But they won't ship the preorder code to your inbox until 5 days after they ship supposedly.

I'm having surgery on the 18th, so I will have enough time, if I'm not too sore, to play it next week.

[MachEnergy]

I wasn't originally going to buy another game for a couple months, because I had already bought so many. However, it was the free XBLA version of the original that sold me. The funny thing is, I own a 64, but never played the game or it's sequel. I've heard a lot of praise over the years. Do you guys think it will hold up well? I tried the demo for Vigilante 8 and realized that what I remembered of the game and what I just played were drastically different.

[Iron Past]

Where did you preorder? I should have done it in-store I think, didn't realize the deal was going on other than Amazon.

Game Crazy (where I usually do my game business). GameStop and maybe one other chain were doing the bonus.

Only played up to the first Jiggy, but it's fun--and a massive change of course from the games I've been playing recently. I actually felt a little overwelmed in the demo, but the full game does a better job of easing you in. The writing's great (though I wish I could slow the text down; the only time you can't control it is when there's scripted events on-screen, like the begining, but I've still missed a couple jokes), lots of poking fun at themselves. Trust me, Rare knows exactly what people are going to complain about. ;)

It's pretty funny reading through the Achievement list, too.

[MachEnergy]

The writing's great (though I wish I could slow the text down; the only time you can't control it is when there's scripted events on-screen, like the begining, but I've still missed a couple jokes), lots of poking fun at themselves. Trust me, Rare knows exactly what people are going to complain about. ;)

I found it hard to completely read all the text in the demo version. There's just a lot of action on screen with a lot of camera movement, so my eyes are automatically drawn to the characters. I'll stop complaining though, as I got ridiculed on EvAv for not being able to read all the text in a fast switching Christian Bale gif. :( Me smart, just slow read words and stuff.

[Iron Past]

Most of the time, there's very little text to read in those parts (as far as I've played), but for example when Grunty talks, she ryhmes, so there's too much to make sense of. Like I said, it's only in a coulpe places so far, but still annoying. Maybe when they get that text fix out the door it'll be easier to read (in a month :().

[Kelegacy]

I wasn't originally going to buy another game for a couple months, because I had already bought so many. However, it was the free XBLA version of the original that sold me. The funny thing is, I own a 64, but never played the game or it's sequel. I've heard a lot of praise over the years. Do you guys think it will hold up well? I tried the demo for Vigilante 8 and realized that what I remembered of the game and what I just played were drastically different.

That's what sold me on the game too. Basically it brings Nuts and Bolts down to $25. Not too shabby. Plus, it's a nice deviation from the other titles I have right now. Fallout...Gears...Banjo-Kazooie?? I like a little spice in my gaming. That's why I had to rent Pure from Gamefly. Spice it up. I can only take so much post-apocalyptia.

I saw some reviews of Vigilante 8 and they said the game didn't port well, or didn't hold up. V8 was one of my favorite PS1 titles, and I even have the sequel on Dreamcast. But I'm guessing Banjo will hold up well.

[Kelegacy]

I read that the intro is as text heavy and annoying as the one for Viva Pinata was. Rare nees to learn to integrate tutorial with gameplay. I was so overwhelmed with Viva at first I set it aside. Came back later, but the initial start turned me off.

[Ondo]

I looked yesterday and they were saying the estimated ship date was the 19th. That's terrible. Might be the last time I preorder through Amazon.
Well, reality could well be less terrible than their estimates - last time I ordered something from Amazon (two Live points cards), I ordered on a Tuesday, and the estimated ship date was the next Monday. However, they shipped it that Thursday, and it arrived on Friday. I'm hoping that something similar will happen with my Banjo order.

Also, I noticed yesterday the game was listed as not being available until November 13th; today its listed as in stock, so they did better than that estimate.

EDIT: And my order status just changed to "Shipping Soon", so that's another good sign.

[Kelegacy]

Mine hasn't shipped yet, but I did receive my preorder code via email this morning!

I should cancel my order now. :) Nah.

[LarsenNET]

Mine hasn't shipped yet, but I did receive my preorder code via email this morning!

I should cancel my order now. :) Nah.

Also got my code and it changed to shipping soon.

[Thrak]

Ditto to the last two guys. Although, interestingly, mine still shows as an estimated delivery of tomorrow, even though I have it shipping via 2 day. I highly doubt they're going to do a free upgrade to next day, but I don't really need it this weekend anyway.

[Elrik Murder]

Got my code as well. I almost forgot to preorder, which I did on Monday. I think I'll wait on actually playing Nuts & Bolts though. My queue is full as is: Fable II, Gears of War 2, Dead Space, Fallout 3, possibly Left4Dead, Castlevania:OoE, Chrono Trigger, etc. :(

[LarsenNET]

Ditto to the last two guys. Although, interestingly, mine still shows as an estimated delivery of tomorrow, even though I have it shipping via 2 day. I highly doubt they're going to do a free upgrade to next day, but I don't really need it this weekend anyway.

It depends on where it's shipped out of. I have prime and always get free two day shipping but once it ships I get it the following day 90% of the time. I almost always get DVD/Bluray releases the day of release. Video games are another story as they seem to never have them in stock on release day just like this one.

[LarsenNET]

Got my code as well. I almost forgot to preorder, which I did on Monday. I think I'll wait on actually playing Nuts & Bolts though. My queue is full as is: Fable II, Gears of War 2, Dead Space, Fallout 3, possibly Left4Dead, Castlevania:OoE, Chrono Trigger, etc. :(

I feel your pain and I'm in the same boat. :(

[UnderHero5]

I got my code from Amazon today, as well. Order is now marked as "Shipping Soon".

[Kelegacy]

At least we'll be able to play the original while we wait for Nuts and Bolts.

[Elrik Murder]

At least we'll be able to play the original while we wait for Nuts and Bolts.

The only reason I bit to be honest. I loved the original.

[Iron Past]

Okay, whoever was wondering, I can now say (as will the others who now have the code), that Banjo-Kazooie (1) has aged phenominaly well. I missed it the first time around for some reason, but it plays great (though I think the writing in Nuts and Bolts is far superior). I understand they upgraded the graphics some (but still the same number of polygons), and I assume tweaked the gameplay a bit, so it's very smooth and works great.

Aw, boo. I uploaded a pic of fat Banjo, but the photo sharing thing isn't up yet at the site.

[Kelegacy]

Played through the first world of Banjo and now I remember a bit more about the game. Talk about collection-heavy. This might be a game up my girlfriend's alley. I will put more time into it later, but right now I have some other fish to fry. I don't think I ever beat this one back in the N64 days. It doesn't look too shabby, other than the blurry N64 ground and wall textures. Holds up decently.

But man are some of those sound effects annoying. Yikes.

[Iron Past]

Also, there's quite a bit of platforming to be done in Showdown Town. I just spent a couple hours hopping around on rooftops.

Edit: As I've now spent a number of hours in the game, I feel compelled to add some impressions. It's alot of fun. For some reason, the demo was very overwelming for me, but the actual game does a good job of easing you in to it. That said, if you didn't like the core of hte demo, you most likely won't like the full game. The text, while not too small for me, moves very fast at times, which is only annoying because I've missed some (very funny) jokes.

Showdown Town is very big, and instead of only moving on to the next section when you learn a new move, it's when you get another upgrade for your trolley by winning special Grunty Challenges that pop up every now and then. The only game world I've been in so far is Nutty Acres, despite unlocking two others (one takes place in the Logbox 720, where technicians are constantly trying to fix hardware failures :)), but each has different acts. The landscape stays the same, but different challenges open up in each act, though I'm pretty sure the music notes are persistent throughout the various acts.

In Showdown Town, where you'll no doubt spend the bulk of your time, the only vehicle allowed is a shopping cart type thing, used soley for getting from point A to point B fast (and carrying objects). There's a fair amount of platforming here, whereas in the game worlds vehicles are more the focus. Collecting boxes nets you more parts, Jiggies (awarded for winning challenges and trophies) open higher acts, and notes are currency for items like blueprints and Trapdoor Tower combinations (you'll find out). Since the challenges thus far are fairly short and simple (I know they'll ramp up in difficulty soon enough), the most fun I've had is screwing around. Many times a challenge actually shows me that hey, you can do this.

I will say the various parts in the shop are a little poorly explained, but I keep forgeting to watch the videos provided, so I think that's my own fault. I'm having fun with it, and it's going to take a while to actually finish. I think it's actually better Rare did it this way; if you want Banjo-Kazooie (1), then you can get that off Marketplace in a cuople weeks, or now--for free--if you preordered. If you want something different, with a smaller focus on platforming and more on inovation, you have Nuts and Bolts. I hear Banjo-Tooie is comming early next year, too. One more thing, I don't remember when I've laughed so much at a game.

[OldJadedGamer]

I pre-ordered through Amazon. Lost my wallet a few weeks ago and had to cancel my cards (I found it afterwards) but one of my credit cards was on the account for Banjo so I got an email saying they couldn't charge me for the game and needed new card info... but right after that email was my email for the code.

So I'm just not going to change my card info and it will try to charge 2 more times on the dead card then it will cancel the order on it's own.

[KamaItachi]

Also, there's quite a bit of platforming to be done in Showdown Town. I just spent a couple hours hopping around on rooftops.

Edit: As I've now spent a number of hours in the game, I feel compelled to add some impressions. It's alot of fun. For some reason, the demo was very overwelming for me, but the actual game does a good job of easing you in to it. That said, if you didn't like the core of hte demo, you most likely won't like the full game. The text, while not too small for me, moves very fast at times, which is only annoying because I've missed some (very funny) jokes.

Showdown Town is very big, and instead of only moving on to the next section when you learn a new move, it's when you get another upgrade for your trolley by winning special Grunty Challenges that pop up every now and then. The only game world I've been in so far is Nutty Acres, despite unlocking two others (one takes place in the Logbox 720, where technicians are constantly trying to fix hardware failures :)), but each has different acts. The landscape stays the same, but different challenges open up in each act, though I'm pretty sure the music notes are persistent throughout the various acts.

In Showdown Town, where you'll no doubt spend the bulk of your time, the only vehicle allowed is a shopping cart type thing, used soley for getting from point A to point B fast (and carrying objects). There's a fair amount of platforming here, whereas in the game worlds vehicles are more the focus. Collecting boxes nets you more parts, Jiggies (awarded for winning challenges and trophies) open higher acts, and notes are currency for items like blueprints and Trapdoor Tower combinations (you'll find out). Since the challenges thus far are fairly short and simple (I know they'll ramp up in difficulty soon enough), the most fun I've had is screwing around. Many times a challeng actually shows me that hey, you can do this.

I will say the various parts in the shop are a little poorly explained, but I keep forgeting to watch the videos provided, so I think that's my own fault. I'm having fun with it, and it's going to take a while to actually finish. I think it's actually better Rare did it this way; if you want Banjo-Kazooie (1), then you can get that off Marketplace in a cuople weeks, or now--for free--if you preordered. If you want something different, with a smaller focus on platforming and more on inovation, you have Nuts and Bolts. I hear Banjo-Tooie is comming early nect year, too. One more thing, I don't remember when I've laughed so much at a game.

Nice write up. I may have to try and get my pre-order in this weekend. Loved the demo, looking forward to the main game a whole lot more now.

[UnderHero5]

I played some Banjo Kazooie (XBLA) earlier today. It's the first time I've ever played the game. Didn't bother with it back on the N64, for whatever reason.
I actually like it a lot. As was said, it seems to have aged pretty well. Decent controls. Looks nice enough.
I mean, you can definitely tell it's a game from the 90's, with the way it plays, but that's not a bad thing. Lots of fun.

Hopefully Nuts and Bolts will ship soon, so I can get into that (well, I suppose it should wait until I finish all these other games I've recently gotten).

[Kelegacy]

I pre-ordered through Amazon. Lost my wallet a few weeks ago and had to cancel my cards (I found it afterwards) but one of my credit cards was on the account for Banjo so I got an email saying they couldn't charge me for the game and needed new card info... but right after that email was my email for the code.

So I'm just not going to change my card info and it will try to charge 2 more times on the dead card then it will cancel the order on it's own.

Hey, at least you got a copy of the Banjo code for free! Sweet.

[Elrik Murder]

Played through the first world of Banjo and now I remember a bit more about the game. Talk about collection-heavy. This might be a game up my girlfriend's alley. I will put more time into it later, but right now I have some other fish to fry. I don't think I ever beat this one back in the N64 days. It doesn't look too shabby, other than the blurry N64 ground and wall textures. Holds up decently.

But man are some of those sound effects annoying. Yikes.

You should definitely devote some time to this one. This is Rare in it's heyday. I would actually say this is one of their best titles. And if I remember correctly, the final boss battle is well done.

Now, if only they would re-release Conker's Bad Fur Day (the original, not the "update"). Aside from Golden Eye that's probably my favorite Rare game.

[Mike Kelehan]

You should definitely devote some time to this one. This is Rare in it's heyday. I would actually say this is one of their best titles. And if I remember correctly, the final boss battle is well done.You remember correctly.

[Urizen]

You should definitely devote some time to this one. This is Rare in it's heyday. I would actually say this is one of their best titles. And if I remember correctly, the final boss battle is well done.

Now, if only they would re-release Conker's Bad Fur Day (the original, not the "update"). Aside from Golden Eye that's probably my favorite Rare game.

Futhamucka, did you play Blast Corps or Jet Force Gemini?

There would be no Gears of War without Jet Force Gemini. Rare had a golden touch for a long-ass time.

[CES]

Futhamucka, did you play Blast Corps or Jet Force Gemini?

There would be no Gears of War without Jet Force Gemini. Rare had a golden touch for a long-ass time.

I would quite honestly sacrifice a good chunk of my family for Blast Corps 2, either as a XBLA or console release.

JFG was just supreme, mostly mindless fun. It had big guns, big enemies and a rather large amount of blood for any game on the N64.

[Deadend]

I would be down with another JFG.

I also would say that there would be no Ratchet and Clank without Jet Force Gemini.

I want to get Banjo eventually, I missed the pre-order and bonus, so why rush to it now?

The demo sold me on the game with the humor and fun of dicking with vehicle modding.

[Murtaug]

I ordered through Amazon back in September, figured I was going to pick this up and the original for free was a nice bonus. Ended up canceling my order because of all the games and just not enough appeal for a purchase right away with the demo. Amazon sent me a code for the original yesterday, even though I had canceled my pre-order over a month ago. Bonus!

The game certainly has not aged as well as I thought it would. It is fun, but the camera is really driving me nuts. Fun distraction though.

[Elrik Murder]

Futhamucka, did you play Blast Corps or Jet Force Gemini?

There would be no Gears of War without Jet Force Gemini. Rare had a golden touch for a long-ass time.

Wow, to be honest I totally forgot about Blast Corps. Early N64 days! I miss that game. I don't think I ever got around to playing JFG on the other hand. Guess I'll have to break out my 64 again and find a copy.

[Variable Gear]

Did anyone see the game discs in the LogBox 720 world? Check the text. It's ridiculous how much detail Rare put into this game. Nuts and Bolts is definitely my choice for sleeper hit of the year!
Who grabbed it? I know there were a few that planned on picking it up after the demo, and I'm just about to put in my copy. I'll be driving to my parents house tomarrow so I can download the original game (yay, preorder goodies!). :)
The game is fucking amazing. Sure, there are flaws (like too many racing challenges), but the vehicle creator is quite fun to work with.

I wish I could comment on the XBLA version of BK, but my store (and city) ran out of codes, so I'm SOL for the moment. I could always pop in the N64 version, though... :p

[Iron Past]

Did anyone see the game discs in the LogBox 720 world? Check the text. It's ridiculous how much detail Rare put into this game. Nuts and Bolts is definitely my choice for sleeper hit of the year!

I definatelt think this becomes a sleeper hit around the holidays. That is, if MS starts actually advertising.

I'm still not quite sure if the fuel recharges itself. I mean, obviously larger and more engines consume fuel at a more rapid rate, but I think I've only been low once, and then it went away. I'll have to experiment.

By the way, the Grabbed by the Goulies disc was pretty funny, "You can probably find this in any good bargain bin." There's so much fun poked at everything. I forget the original joke, but one of the achievements is "Aim for the legs for massive damage." :p

[Variable Gear]

By the way, the Grabbed by the Goulies disc was pretty funny, "You can probably find this in any good bargain bin." There's so much fun poked at everything. I forget the original joke, but one of the achievements is "Aim for the legs for massive damage." :p
I love the Banjo Kazooie disc as well. There's a game that had a lot of detractors for a variety of reasons, but remains popular to this day. Like Rare says, "Who will remember Nuts and Bolts in a decade?"

The Unnecessary Collector achievement was amazing as well. I love how open Rare is to self-mockery.

[Purple Santa]

Outside of Tomb Raider this was the game I was most excited about. Most stated the usual Fallout 3 or Fable 2 etc...but I knew what Banjo-Kazooie was going to be...just pure fun. I've been saying that especially after playing the demo. Glad to see so many enjoying it...I hope it sells well, since I want more BK. I am still waiting for mine from CC...which may never arrive...

[OldJadedGamer]

Just an FYI for anyone running 1080p on the XBLA version, there is big time slowdown when you are in the water but if you switch to 720p, it goes away.

It sucks that they either didn't find this or didn't have time to fix it. I'll just deal with the slow down since I'm not going to drop down to 720p like some savaged animal ;)

[Kelegacy]

Just an FYI for anyone running 1080p on the XBLA version, there is big time slowdown when you are in the water but if you switch to 720p, it goes away.

It sucks that they either didn't find this or didn't have time to fix it. I'll just deal with the slow down since I'm not going to drop down to 720p like some savaged animal ;)

Hmm. I don't even notice a difference on my 360 with 1080p/720p stuff. My secondary gaming tv is native 720, our living room tv is native 1080p. 2 360s. I think it's because the stuff is upconverted, instead of native 1080p, i guess. On PS3, I can tell some things are 1080p. But on 360, I've switched back and forth a few times but nothing.

[Elrik Murder]

I find it hilarious when you select your game file in the original game, Banjo is still playing a GameBoy. :D

[Iron Past]

Awesome. A creative use of the propeller, some high grip tires, and I have a vehicle that can drive on walls. Yes, so cool. Also, I just found my first Stop & Swap item in Banjo-Kazooie, but it's behind a fucking laser fence. Bastards.

[Ten19]

Picked it up today, really liked the demo and the price was right for a new title.

[UnderHero5]

Hopefully my copy will be here tomorrow!
I'm really eager to start the game.

As much as I like LittleBigPlanet, it will be nice to have an in-game creation tool that doesn't require 30+ hours to make something decent and usable!

[OldJadedGamer]

As much as I like LittleBigPlanet, it will be nice to have an in-game creation tool that doesn't require 30+ hours to make something decent and usable!

I'm still going through the tutorials and it's taken me a ton of time!!! I just want my trophy for God's sake and need to move on.

I'm not getting Nuts and Bolts though. Too many games right now so the XBLA game will have to do.

[UnderHero5]

I'm still going through the tutorials and it's taken me a ton of time!!! I just want my trophy for God's sake and need to move on.

I'm not getting Nuts and Bolts though. Too many games right now so the XBLA game will have to do.

Yeah, the tutorials are very long, but worth doing once. They do a decent job getting you started.

I've gone through them twice now (beta and retail) and I will probably sell the game if I lose my save and ever have to go through them again, haha.

[Orca]

Man, I got stuck for over an hour on one TT Trophy. The challenge was to travel as far as you can on momentum alone, launching off a ramp and losing control of all abilities as you did. I couldn't figure out how to get far enough for the trophy.

I tried putting wings on the vehicle, thinking I could glide far enough - no good. Tried making a detachable craft so it'd be lighter and go farther - no good. Eventually I made a detachable cockpit for Banjo that was as rounded as I could make it and fired it off just as I hit the end of the ramp. One bounce, two bounces...roll, roll, rolllllll....just made it!

[MachEnergy]

As I am waiting for my Amazon shipment of Nuts n Bolts, all I can comment on is the XBLA version of the original. Having never played the 64 version, I am very impressed with this. The upped resolution does wonders for the game. I wish I could play MORE 64 games done like this. Imagine Mario 64 with upped resolution, achievements, and leaderboards!

I can also confirm that the game slows down almost to a crawl when under water in some areas, notably inside Grunty's castle.

This is definitely a game that is all about getting 100% on every level. You just WANT it....so much so that moving on to the next level almost seems unforgivable if there are a couple items remaining in the current one. I have only played 4 worlds so far, but each one brings something unique and enjoyable. Transforming into animals just furthers the uniqueness.

For anyone who is a fan of 3d platformers, I would completely recommend paying $10 for Banjo on XBLA. If I hadn't received it for free, I would totally buy this game.

[Variable Gear]

I find it hilarious when you select your game file in the original game, Banjo is still playing a GameBoy. :D
That is awesome!

[Mike Kelehan]

For anyone who is a fan of 3d platformers, I would completely recommend paying $10 for Banjo on XBLA. If I hadn't received it for free, I would totally buy this game.

Would you recommend paying $15?

I would.

[Iron Past]

Man, the first time Klungo's "Save teh World" game "froze," I almost shit my pants. Rare loves their jokes, don't they?

[Variable Gear]

Man, the first time Klungo's "Save teh World" game "froze," I almost shit my pants. Rare loves their jokes, don't they?
That was so amazing. The first time it happened, I was so pissed, because I was so close to completing the level I was on. I must say that I love the background art for Klungo's games, although I do wish that it would change for the different levels. There are tons of little touches like that in Nuts and Bolts, and the overall experience is better for it.

I still have a long way to go, but I finally got to 19 jiggies. :)

[Iron Past]

What. The. Hell.

I found out a few minutes ago that holding LB (left bumper) slows down the text speed (the size really doesn't bother me) and went to test it. Holy crap, it slows it down so much that you can actually read individual letters as they come up. I read that manual cover to cover looking for a text fix, why that hell wasn't that in there? I had to find out on the Banjo-Kazooie forums. Anyway, a tip some will find helpful, I'm sure (holding LB also delays the text from disapearing too fast, even if it's all up).

[MachEnergy]

Would you recommend paying $15?

I would.

As of where I am in the game, $15 still seems totally reasonable. I found Braid to be worth it, and I think this is even more so.

[Ondo]

So my Amazon order shipped last Friday and arrived Saturday, far before their initial estimates. Anyone else as fortunate?

Played the game all weekend. It's fun, but only Showdown Town seems fun in a manner even remotely close to the old Banjo games. I liked exploring areas packed with stuff to find and stuff to figure out. Going somewhere interesting and finding nothing there in Nuts & Bolts was lame.

One thing I don't like is that there doesn't seem to be much point to trying to do as good as possible on a challenge where you build your own vehicle until the endgame - right now I know if I just wait I'll get more options and probably be able to do better later. I wish they'd found a way to avoid this, possibly by having restrictions on what parts you can use on some challenges.

Man, I got stuck for over an hour on one TT Trophy. The challenge was to travel as far as you can on momentum alone, launching off a ramp and losing control of all abilities as you did. I couldn't figure out how to get far enough for the trophy.

I tried putting wings on the vehicle, thinking I could glide far enough - no good.
I think this challenge was, quite frankly, terrible design. I also tried a glider first, and it didn't work. Checking later, the reason it didn't work was because wings stop working. Which is serious bullshit. I also tried free-rolling wheels and they lock up. AFAICT, when you hit the end of the ramp it's not that you lose control, it's that the vehicle starts acting like you jumped out of your seat, and they have bullshit physics kick in to keep it from getting too far away from you.

Man, the first time Klungo's "Save teh World" game "froze," I almost shit my pants. Rare loves their jokes, don't they?
It was funny the first time. It was bullshit the fourth.

I found out a few minutes ago that holding LB (left bumper) slows down the text speed (the size really doesn't bother me) and went to test it. Holy crap, it slows it down so much that you can actually read individual letters as they come up. I read that manual cover to cover looking for a text fix, why that hell wasn't that in there?
It was probably added after the manual was completed, possibly in the initial update.

[Iron Past]

Aha! The picture thingy is up! This is only good for a laugh if you haven't played yet, but behold Fat Banjo:

http://banjo-kazooie.com/Handlers/Handler.ashx?mode=4&id=1995

I'll have to take some good ones now.

[Ondo]

So anyone want to try out the multi-player with me sometime? I probably won't dig deep into it until I have most of the vehicle parts, but I'd like to play some - probably mostly with the default vehicles.

AFAICT, when you hit the end of the ramp it's not that you lose control, it's that the vehicle starts acting like you jumped out of your seat, and they have bullshit physics kick in to keep it from getting too far away from you.
Checking more, wings still function fine when you jump out. So it's just for this challenge that they stop functioning. A reasonable decision to make the challenge hard, but not explaining it clearly is just terrible.

Aha! The picture thingy is up! This is only good for a laugh if you haven't played yet, but behold Fat Banjo:
The image isn't working for me, though I can see it fine if I go to Banjo-Kazooie.com and search on your gamertag.

[Variable Gear]

So anyone want to try out the multi-player with me sometime? I probably won't dig deep into it until I have most of the vehicle parts, but I'd like to play some - probably mostly with the default vehicles.
I'd be up for some multiplayer. I'm not the best designer, and I don't have a great deal of parts, but I can manage to show up. :p

[Iron Past]

Hm, I can't find the 'share' link and I guess they don't want hotlinking. Not a big deal.

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s153/M84Mac/FatBanjo.jpg

[Iron Past]

Okay, this is the fourth reference to KI3 I've found in this game, this time with mock-up box art. Seriously, I'm starting to doubt my, uh, doubts about them not doing it.

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s153/M84Mac/KI3Teaser.jpg

[Purple Santa]

FU to CC for not getting me my order. I don't care if you are going bankrupt...bastards...

[Kelegacy]

I finally fired mine up today and it's decent so far. I'm trying to finish up one other game before I test it out further.

Purple Santa, why not just cancel the order? Can you at this point?

[jacob.armitage]

looks like (http://forums.banjo-kazooie.com/blogs/sample_weblog/archive/2008/11/20/19143.aspx) the XBLA version has been pushed back for the rest of us. Not a move i really understand, and the people who pre-orderd are getting the game for free as a bonus, delaying it for the rest of us doesn't give them anything extra.

shame, i was looking forward to rediscovering Banjo this week.

[Purple Santa]

Purple Santa, why not just cancel the order? Can you at this point?
I can. It's the principal of the matter. And I pre-ordered to get the BK 64 game too...but that isn't happening either. I just can't afford to pick it up now. I ordered it using a CC credit card. Here is hoping someone for xmas gets it for me...
looks like (http://forums.banjo-kazooie.com/blogs/sample_weblog/archive/2008/11/20/19143.aspx) the XBLA version has been pushed back for the rest of us. Not a move i really understand, and the people who pre-orderd are getting the game for free as a bonus, delaying it for the rest of us doesn't give them anything extra.

shame, i was looking forward to rediscovering Banjo this week.
I would guess this is their way of thanking those who did pre-order to make it really worthwhile to pre-order.

[Variable Gear]

And that really sucks for me since I got screwed on my preorder code.

There's a lot to play right now, to be sure, but I would have liked to have Banjo-Kazooie by now.

[Purple Santa]

And that really sucks for me since I got screwed on my preorder code.

There's a lot to play right now, to be sure, but I would have liked to have Banjo-Kazooie by now.

I looked forward to this too despite the backlog from this fall. I wanted to use BK as a pick up and play for a few minutes, picking up notes etc...easy enjoyable gaming when I needed a break from all the paper writing. Instead...I am trying to ignore Mirror's Edge calling me to "play me". I like the game...but not the game you want to play to ease your tension...

[Ondo]

And that really sucks for me since I got screwed on my preorder code.
Well, they're doing this because a significant number of people are in your position. From the link jacob.armitage posted: "We encourage anyone who pre-ordered Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and did not receive a voucher code to follow up directly with your retailer’s customer service team for resolution." I think you should try this.

[Kojak]

Just brought the game and gave it a quick look need to go to work now unfortuantly but man the text is a pretty big problem for me on my crappy television. Rare said they are working on an update at least.

[Dark Prince]

I'm surprised a lot of people are having fun with this. The vehicle controls in the demo put me off it for the most part. I tried just doing platforming with Banjo but realized the vehicles are what will make or break this game.

[CES]

The problem with the vehicles is they seem to suffer from crappy wheelbases. The Trolley and other small vehicles like it just tend to spin out too much, you have to either add more wheels (not a difficult task, by the time you get done with the first world you should have about 16 of the regular wheels and 8 of the high-grip ones) or balance the weight out.

Really though, it's every vehicle that doesnt need wheels that brings the fun. I built a tank that with a press of the X and B buttons switches into a high speed helicopter. It's fairly useless, but damn fun.

[Orca]

The problem with the vehicles is they seem to suffer from crappy wheelbases. The Trolley and other small vehicles like it just tend to spin out too much, you have to either add more wheels (not a difficult task, by the time you get done with the first world you should have about 16 of the regular wheels and 8 of the high-grip ones) or balance the weight out.

Really though, it's every vehicle that doesnt need wheels that brings the fun. I built a tank that with a press of the X and B buttons switches into a high speed helicopter. It's fairly useless, but damn fun.

You will probably have a lot less spin-outs if you switch your front wheels to 'steer-only' and rear wheels to 'drive-only'

[Variable Gear]

I'm surprised a lot of people are having fun with this. The vehicle controls in the demo put me off it for the most part. I tried just doing platforming with Banjo but realized the vehicles are what will make or break this game.
This is a really fun experimental platformer. It's not perfect, but its very well-done. I'm surprised by how much I appreciated the vehicle creator and the challenges I've beaten. The narrative in each act of each world is off the wall, which I can't help but laugh at. Seeing Bottles play the role of a "Professional Coder" in the LogBox720 level was quite hilarious.

I'd say its worth a rent, even if you didn't enjoy the demo.

[Kojak]

Wow after sitting down with this one lastnight for a while I'm having a lot of fun with one and has pretty much sold me on buying Banjo Kazooie on arcade as well despite still owning it (cant be bothered connecting that dam 64).

The actual game its self is fun but I was surprised at how fun the editor is. For a while I just tried to make the most fundamentally flawed thing I could possibly make and then try to make it function.

The text though...not kind on my television or my eyes

[Iron Past]

Really though, it's every vehicle that doesnt need wheels that brings the fun. I built a tank that with a press of the X and B buttons switches into a high speed helicopter. It's fairly useless, but damn fun.

Whoa, how do you this? Is there a part I haven't found? I've been trying to figure out how to make "dual purpose" vehicles and can't do it. Or is it just clever placement of the parts (I figured out how to make a vehicle that drives on walls, which I'm quite proud of)?

[CES]

Whoa, how do you this? Is there a part I haven't found? I've been trying to figure out how to make "dual purpose" vehicles and can't do it. Or is it just clever placement of the parts (I figured out how to make a vehicle that drives on walls, which I'm quite proud of)?

The second set of wings and propellers have a "folding ability". By default they're recessed (and leaving the vehicle as a car) but by pressing the assigned buttons, the rotors unfurl or the wings open out. Instant flyaway. I'll see if i can find some pictures.

Edit: Pics. You do have to love auto-resize.

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/5361/8065536d1408f3d8f29cee3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/134/faa5000d1408f3d76438za6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Purple Santa]

Can you make me that vehicle for real? I'd love to have that to get around :)

Awesome looking vehicle...anyone else want to share their creations? I think it would be cool to see what others have created...

[CES]

Dont know if i can upload blueprints or not. If i can, i'll post it.

[Kelegacy]

Can you make me that vehicle for real? I'd love to have that to get around :)

Awesome looking vehicle...anyone else want to share their creations? I think it would be cool to see what others have created...

You're in luck!

If you have someone on your Friends list, you can send custom blueprints right to them over Live--there's an option for it in the in-game menu. There's even an achievement for it! And you can sent pictures and replays as well. Pretty sweet.

So add people to your friends list and send away! I sent a movie and a blueprint to EternalGamer just to get my achievements. It was a piece of junk car, but it was worth an achievement.

It would be cool to share blueprints back and forth between us, it could help us do much better in the game, too.

[CES]

Would be interesting to see what different people can come up with to solve those challenges. I'm still testing and tweaking a design to punt Jinjo's for those cursed Jinjo Hurl challenges. Cant get it to break 400 distance per shot.

[Kojak]

Theres a mission where you have to put oversized rubbish in a huge trashcan. How did you guys solve that, I'm in the process of making some kind of giant transport for it. Its essentially a helicopter but with long series of poles cominh out from it that connect to about 4 storage trays.

I guess it would be good if I wanted to re-enact scenes from Operation Dumbo Drop


On a side not the text in that game has finally made me go out and buy a shiny new HDTV

[Ondo]

Theres a mission where you have to put oversized rubbish in a huge trashcan. How did you guys solve that, I'm in the process of making some kind of giant transport for it. Its essentially a helicopter but with long series of poles cominh out from it that connect to about 4 storage trays.
I think I actually used Humba's Cargo Copter for that one (as well as many others). A sticky ball works pretty well as an alternative to storage trays.

[CES]

Theres a mission where you have to put oversized rubbish in a huge trashcan. How did you guys solve that, I'm in the process of making some kind of giant transport for it. Its essentially a helicopter but with long series of poles cominh out from it that connect to about 4 storage trays.

I guess it would be good if I wanted to re-enact scenes from Operation Dumbo Drop


On a side not the text in that game has finally made me go out and buy a shiny new HDTV

I built a helicopter based around the same design as the vehicle for the bomb challenge in the first level. Oversized basket shaped body with as many rotors as I could fit on it.

[Kojak]

hrrmmm I dont have this sticky ball part, I guess I should work on unlocking all the parts because that certainly sounds helpful. I kind of promised myself going into this game that I would never use the default blueprints.

[Kelegacy]

The sticky ball was one of the first parts I found in the game. Just explore the hub world in the first area and you should find it. I climbed to the top of nearly everything I could, looked everywhere. Some are still out of reach though. I think I scored it in the first hour or so of the game, and haven't even played the game much. Haven't had time, but I think I've visited a level in each of the two first worlds.