• The worlds in Banjo-Kazooie are gigantic, and chock full of crazy items to collect
• Musical Notes, Puzzle Pieces, Mumbo Tokens, and Jinjos are just some of the swag that Banjo must stuff in his backpack to complete his adventure
• While some of the necessary items are simply stashed off the beaten path, others will require puzzle solving skills to turn up.

The game introduces two of the most charming virtual heroes in recent years--the goofy, floppy honey bear, Banjo, and his faithful, feathered sidekick Kazooie. In the game's introduction, we discover that the sinister witch Gruntilda not only nabbed Banjo's sister Tooty, but stole her beauty as well. Naturally, it's up to the bear-bird team to retrieve Tooty and rid the world of one darned inconsiderate witch.

In this beautifully-rendered and massive game world, players run, jump, swim, climb, and flip over obstacles, defeat all sorts of "baddies," and find and collect numerous items and clues that help the quest to progress. Playing as both Banjo and Kazooie, players hone their characters' actions, learning nearly two dozen special moves that help players expertly defeat foes and successfully tread through the nine worlds.

Banjo-Kazooie is one of those games that can demand hours upon hours of perseverance, patience, and learning of skills to complete. But don't let that discourage you. This epic game is so much fun that reaching the end will be an afterthought. --Eric Twelker

Pros:

• Nicely-paced game world filled with well-designed challenges
• Excellent character control with numerous special moves
• Gorgeous graphics

• Numerous--often complex--special moves may discourage some casual gamers