DESCRIPTION

They say too many witches spoil the brew, but you should see what they do to perfectly good cottages. One night when Banjo, Kazooie, Bottles, and Mumbo were relaxing to a nice game of cards, a terrible rumbling occurred. Ever the brave medicine man, Mumbo quickly took a look to see what, other than Banjo's empty belly, could have caused such a sound. Apparently those no good witches, Blobbelda and Mingella, were performing a magical spell to free a certain someone from captivity. They succeeded.

Banjo's nemesis Gruntilda, the witch who captured his little sister Tooty, was released from her prison. Only this time she didn't seem quite so ugly or as threatening — after being cooped up for years, the wicked one was reduced to a pile of bones! She also carried a grudge that didn't bode well for our stalwart heroes. Pointing a crooked finger at the surprised Mumbo, Gruntilda fired off a spell that crushed Banjo's home and left its occupants dazed and confused. All, that is, except one. Bottles the mole did not wake up after repeated nudging and coaxing. Gruntilda had killed him.

So begins the story of Banjo-Tooie, the sequel to developer Rare's first 3D platform game, Banjo-Kazooie. This new adventure takes place across nine themed areas, with boss characters to battle, hundreds of collectibles to find, and 14 mini-games to unlock. Banjo-Tooie also marks the debut of Kazooie being a separate playable character. No longer tucked away inside Banjo's backpack, Kazooie is free to roam the land using her distinct moves. Players will even have the opportunity to control Mumbo Jumbo and transform into different objects to complete specific tasks.

As is the rule with most sequels to successful games, a number of new enhancements can be found in the presentation. Some of the improvements to the graphic engine include real-time lighting, a widescreen option, higher quality textures, and a refined camera system. Audiophiles will note the surround sound option in addition to the interactive soundtrack that dynamically changes depending on where you are in a level. As an added bonus, once a mini-game is unlocked in the main adventure, it becomes available for multiplayer competition from the menu screen. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide