banjo-kazooie
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Banjo-Kazooie searches for Jiggys on the XBLA
Today, Rare's classic Banjo-Kazooie is (finally) available for purchase off the Xbox Live Arcade and brings with it a measurable amount of bear and bird dander. For 1200 Microsoft points, you'll be treated to the entire N64 Banjo-Kazooie experience, complete with the once missing Stop N Swap feature as you attempt to take down that mole wearing witch Gruntilda. A charming bear with a bird in his backpack, seriously, what's not to love? %Gallery-32726%
This Wednesday: Bird, bear, backpack join forces on XBLA
This Wednesday's Xbox Live Arcade update will finally deliver the spruced-up N64 classic, Banjo-Kazooie. After experiencing a brief delay, fans of the backpack-packing bear from Rare will be able dive headfirst into nostalgia, once again transforming into compulsive note-collecting maniacs. It happens to the best of us.Aside from notes, tokens and jiggies, this version also requires one other collectible: Microsoft Points. You'll need 1,200 of them to proceed beyond the trial version.
Banjo and Kazooie head to XBLA this week
After the title was delayed -- presumably so those who pre-ordered Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts could feel a little more special -- Microsoft has announced that the original Banjo Kazooie will finally be headed to Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday. The game will be available for the price of 1200 Microsoft Points (been seeing that price a lot lately, haven't we?) and features Banjo and his pal Kazooie in the original game that launched the series way back on the Nintendo 64. Apart from being one of the more well-known platformers, Banjo Kazooie also offers connectivity with Nuts & Bolts, allowing gamers to unlock new content in the XBLA game by playing its console-bound cousin.
Banjo-Kazooie XBLA release pushed back a week
With today's SSFIITHDR Live Arcade ninja-like release, Banjo-Kazooie is no where to be found. Remember, Rare promised we'd see the XBLA release of Banjo-Kazooie today, November 26th. Well, it doesn't look like a Banjo release will happen this week, but next week is looking more plausible. According to the official Xbox.com Banjo-Kazooie page, the new release date is next Wednesday, December 3rd, which would make it seven days delayed. What kind of world do we live in where Street Fighter can bump Banjo-Kazooie from its release slot? What kind of society do we live in? Why is the sky blue? [Thanks, jarid]
General Banjo-Kazooie XBLA release delayed until Dec. 3
Microsoft has come bearing (GEDDIT? BECAUSE BANJO IS A BEAR) bad news, notifying 1UP that the general Xbox Live Arcade release of Rare's classic N64 platformer, Banjo-Kazooie, has been delayed until Dec 3rd. It would appear the high-res re-release has been pushed back in order to extend the period of exclusivity, granted to those who preordered vehicular adventure Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and failed to receive their bonus XBLA download codes.Microsoft is currently "investigating" the holdup, urging customers who did not receive a redeem code to contact their retailers' customer service departments. That's always a grizzly task. GEDDIT? BECAUSE GRIZZLY IS A TYPE OF BEAR AND BANJO IS A BEAR. Gallery: Banjo-Kazooie (XBLA)
Rare promises to 'surprise' with future projects
Talking with GamesIndustry.biz, Rare studio manager Mark Betteriedge hinted that their future projects will "surprise a lot of people, both in terms of what they are and the different styles."Betteriedge goes on to discuss Rare's roll within' Microsoft's overall gaming strategy, saying that Rare's goal is to expand the Xbox 360 demographic beyond the "shooter box" or "hardcore box" perceptions. "It's more about what we will do to change conventional thinking of games and entertainment. I don't see us fighting the same battles as everybody else." Hmm, doesn't sound like we'll be seeing a Killer Instinct sequel anytime soon ...
Rare drops Battletoads, Killer Instinct gags in Banjo-Kazooie
You're going to be seeing this picture circulated a lot in the coming days, so we just wanted to get out in front of it for you. Yes, the above image, which hints at new Battletoads and Jet Force Gemini games, can be found in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. But no, you should absolutely not take that to mean that any of those games are actually coming. It says as much in the image itself, but that won't stop the internet from crushing itself under the weight of its own excitement. As recently as today, Rare talked about how its next project is going to surprise people. We're not sure that points to a lot of its franchises being revived. ... We can still hope though, right? [Thanks, Justin; via GameTrailers]
Rare set to accept Nuts & Bolts challenges
With Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts making its way to retail, team Rare is stepping up to the multiplayer plate and will be swinging at anyone who dares take them on.On Sunday, November 23rd from 3-5:00PM eastern, members of the Rare dev team will be on Xbox Live sporting a stylish pair of sunglasses and will be taking on any and all Nuts & Bolts challengers. As a bonus, you'll have the chance to earn the "What's That Smell?" achievement for playing against any Rare member or (for the less cool) playing with someone who already has. Good luck and show Rare that X3F fanboys take no mercy.
Rare to fix Banjo-Kazooie's text issues after all
Hastily abandoning an ill-advised plan to include a magnifying glass with every purchase of the game, Rare has resolved to solve reported text issues in its build-a-bear's-car adventure, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. After stating that the in-game text, allegedly illegible on standard-definition television sets, would be "too expensive in terms of time, resources and money to alter," the company has committed to releasing a correctional title update within the next 30 days.This is "good news for everyone," according to a post on the developer's website. "Including us, as we would actually like people to enjoy our game and not revile us with a fiery passion." There you have it, internet. You may now return to being angry about other things, like Banjo's square nose.
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts getting fixed for SDTV owners
They always said the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and yet again that adage has proven true. After demo players of RARE's Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts found the text to be unreadable on SDTVs, word was passed on that the issue would remain in the final version of the game. Now, however, RARE's George Kelion has stepped in to announce that a fix is indeed in the works. To quote: "We would like to assure you that contrary to earlier reports, we are aware of the [text] issue and [are] currently working on a title update to be released within the next 30 days that will fix it for those with standard-definition TVs." Nice job raising cain, people.[Via The Escapist]
Rare has a change of heart, will fix Nuts & Bolts' small text problem
After hearing the collective internet vent in anger regarding the tiny on-screen text in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts not being embiggened, developer Rare has had a change of heart. Rare just announced that they will be fixing the Nuts & Bolts tiny text issue with a title update post launch. The update should be "released within the next 30 days" and "will fix it [the small text] for those with Standard Definition TVs". We say nice move Rare ... nice PR move. Now that we've won this tiny text battle, who's up for focusing our text embiggening efforts on Capcom and Dead Rising? Show of hands, please.
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts text unreadable on SDTVs, no fix planned
Whoa, boy. Talk about causing an uproar. Rare, the development studio behind the forthcoming video game Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, has decided to move forward with the game without fixing a glaring textual issue when playing on an SDTV. Essentially, the text in the game -- of which there a lot -- is darn near illegible on standard-def televisions. When playing the game on an HDTV (even at 480p), it's relatively easy to make out what's going on; when attempting to play on an SDTV, things get ugly. As you can see above, we find it hard to believe SDTV owners will be able to stand the game-play for more than a few minutes, and amazingly, Rare has admitted that there are no plans to fix things before it goes gold. So, how do you feel about this? As a presumed HDTV owner, you probably couldn't care less personally, but should SDTV-owning gamers be given more respect here?[Via Joystiq]
Metareview -- Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (360)
We were admittedly cynical about Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts before we actually got our hands on it at E3, when we fell and fell hard. It seems like most reviewers are having the same response, even though some are pining for the simpler days of Banjo. 1UP (A-): "To all the Rare-haters out there: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (the latest in a series that's scarcely been heard from since the Nintendo 64 days, barring a pair of Game Boy Advance spin-offs) puts the ailing developer on the road back to relevancy. Nuts & Bolts' single-player structure, addictive multiplayer, and intricate vehicle-crafting system handily show that this isn't just another generic cute-n-furry platformer." IGN (83/100): "A game that never stopped being fun for me. It's an odd duck that doesn't fit into any conventional game genres and probably isn't right for everybody. Despite its friendly appearance, Nuts & Bolts isn't exactly easy to pick up and play and might be over the head of some small children. There's a lot of depth here and the vehicle creation tools allow you to flex your mind and your fingers at the same time. " Eurogamer (70/100): "Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is not a platform game. The game it has become instead demands thoughtful, exciting challenges that inspire the player to pitch in and help get the most out of each level, but it fails to provide them, and even though it's worth persevering with for the occasional hurdles race, egg-and-spoon and a game-world in aptly Rare form, ultimately it's a brilliant shell with a mostly hollow centre. "
Rare will fix SDTV Banjo-Kazooie text issue [update]
Update: Rare is now planning to release a patch within the next 30 days.Original story:Rare has confirmed that Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts' unclear text on standard definition televisions will not be fixed. The issue came to light following the release of the demo last week and now Rare states that the issue is "too expensive in terms of time, resources and money to alter."SDTV haters aside, let's accept the fact that this is a serious oversight on par with Dead Rising's tiny text. Adding insult to injury, CVG points out that Xbox Live Arcade games must be playable, which includes text being readable, on a 14" SDTV. Too bad Microsoft doesn't seem to hold its first-party retail games to that strict standard.Source - Rare community manager statement [NeoGaf]Source - No fix for Banjo SD TV issue [CVG]
No fix planned for small Nuts & Bolts text
If you've tried the Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts demo (now available on the XBLM) and played it on a SD television you may have noticed that the text is Dead Rising itty-bitty small. Heck, HD television owners claim the text is rather difficult to read. And if you think team Rare can / will fix the small text issue in the retail build of Nuts & Bolts, then you're sadly mistaken because no text embiggening will be done. Rare community manager George Kelion informed CVG that "this is an issue that doesn't look like it will get changed," confirming that "the text you see in the demo will be the same as that which you find in the retail version of the game." Our advice, get an HD television, a new pair of reading glasses or sit seven inches away from the screen. No more, no less.[Via Evil Avatar]
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts demo on Xbox Live
There's now a demo for Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts on Xbox Live and you may just want to prepare yourself. Even if you've never had any patience for a game about a bear wearing a bird-stuffed backpack (which is still not a good idea for a game, bee-tee-dub) you might just find yourself, as we did, happily slapping together vehicles with a stupid grin on your face.Go ahead, ignore our warnings and download the 1 gigglebyte slice of joy. Just don't come crying to us when everyone you know starts judging you. Harshly.[Thanks, Travis!]
Nuts & Bolts slated for Nov. 14th Euro release
In news that we thought was already confirmed, Microsoft and Rare just "officially" announced that Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts will be hitting European retail shelves on Friday, November 14th. So, if you were like us and were under the impression that November 14th was Nuts & Bolts' European release, then take this as a confirmation of your gaming wisdom. Also, don't forget you still have time to get your pre-order on and take advantage of the free Banjo-Kazooie XBLA offer.
Video: Banjo-Kazooie 360 vs. Banjo N64
The Gametrailers folks posted a comparison video that pits upcoming Banjo-Kazooie on the Xbox 360 versus old-school Banjo-Kazooie on the N64. After our expert analysis (watching the video) we can attest that the 360 version is nearly identical to the N64 version in terms of content, but has the added benefit of crisper models and a deeper color palette. The other bonus is the replacement of all Nintendo references with Microsoft Game Studios logos. Huzzah! [Via Game Stooge]
TGS 08: Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts sharing detailed: blueprints, replays (and bears!)
Many of us at Joystiq are still torn on Rare's upcoming Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, the build-a-bear's-car platformer heavy on vehicle creation. This morning's demo of the game at Xbox Tokyo, steered by Rare's Neill Harrison, once again reinforced our positive appraisal of the game's creative possibilities while leaving this writer as-yet-unconvinced of the game around the toy.Preaching a message of replayability and open-endedness, Harrison detailed some of the game's "sharing" functionality: Blueprints and replays. Particularly cool vehicles can be shared amongst friends by "gifting" blueprints to them. Spent twelve hours making the absolute perfect jet/boat/car with detachable helicopter and torpedo attachments? Want to share it with Grandma? Gift it to her and go head-to-head in a multiplayer grudge match. Or challenge her to beat your best time in one of the game's Challenge Modes.%Gallery-22741%
Banjo-Kazooie site adds forums, diaries and more
In preparation for its release next month, the official Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts website has received a Banjo-sized overhaul, adding new community features and functionality. And we hear Kazooie did all the updating tasks while Banjo received the credit. Selfish bear.The official Banjo-Kazooie site now has its own dedicated forums, nifty new developer blog, a content-rich fan site kit, and news / press sections. And as if that wasn't enough, when the game releases there will be active leaderboard and showroom areas. We're sure you can find other delicious Banjo-Kazooie bits on the site, so start your search at the homepage and begin the website surfing process.
