Review: Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge (GBA)

Just try and imagine it. Imagine the madness of trying to fit an N64 game onto a tiny little GBA cartridge. But with Banjo-Kazooie, that's exactly what Rare have chosen to do. But surely N64 into GBA doesn't go, does it?

Those of you with long memories will doubtless recall the two rather fabulous Banjo-Kazooie titles on the N64. Developed by Rare at the pinnacle of their 64-bit 'game', Banjo-Kazooie and its sequel (Banjo-Tooie) were real alternatives to Mario 64 in the 3D-platformer stakes. Obviously, it hasn't been possible for Rare to shoehorn a full 3D environment into the constructs of a tiny GBA cartridge, therefore the action has shifted to an isometric viewpoint. Aside from this change however, you'd be forgiven for thinking that you were playing the N64 original, as Rare have done a fantastic job with the port.

All of the fun-filled gameplay elements have returned: there's plenty of platform jumping, enemy bashing, collecting all kinds of items, and being transformed into an animal, vehicle or even a candlestick - courtesy of Mumbo - in order to reach new areas of a level. There are also plenty of all-new mini-games scattered around which break up the platforming nicely (however, Gamestyle does note that the fishing game bears more than a passing resemblance to Donkey Kong Country's mini-game of the same nature - hardly surprising, as both titles were programmed by Rare). Furthering the similarities between this game and its predecessors are the great visuals and sounds.

The graphics are colourful and sharp, with all of the pre-rendered characters sporting some fantastic animation. The backgrounds are also eye-catching - if a little repetitive at times - and the quirky music and speech from the original games also returns (for better or for worse). The controls are simple, yet work incredibly well given how few buttons the GBA has when compared to the N64. Banjo begins with a bare minimum of moves, but as the game progresses, new moves can be earned by collecting the musical notes scattered around the levels. The game never overwhelms the player with new abilities, and there are always places nearby to test them out. Once you've found the kidnapped Kazooie, her moves are activated by a combination of pressing the left shoulder button and then another button as required - simple, but effective. Unfortunately, squeezing this much goodness onto the GBA meant something had to give, and that something was size.

The levels are desperately short - particularly the early stages - and most players will be able to complete this game in around 10 hours. It's also possible to save absolutely anywhere, further shortening the game's length. However, there is replay value - should you decide to collect 100% of the items, play all of the mini-games (on a craftily-placed 'arcade' machine), or catch both of the game's endings. The lack of a multiplayer mode further detracts from any long-term interest in this game. In addition to its short nature, there is also a problem with variety.

There are less than 20 different enemies scattered around Spiral Mountain and the surrounding areas, lending a feeling of repetition to proceedings. Rare are labouring under the mistaken belief that one enemy, appearing in several palette-swapped colours, will convince people that there are actually lots of different enemies. The plot is also an opportunity wasted; time travel is used as an excuse to set everything up, but then never returned to (save for the ending).

Admittedly, Gamestyle wasn't expecting a plot to rival Back to the Future, but the use of time travel - other than to effectively provide 'book-ends' for the game - would have been appreciated. And the switch to an isometric viewpoint also creates problems. For example, it can be very difficult to judge the distances between some platforms and ledges (and even the location of enemies), leading to some intensely frustrating moments during play.

Gamestyle also found that it was possible to lose sight of Banjo behind some obstacles. These sorts of errors really are unacceptable for a platform game and probably show why there are so few titles that adopt the isometric viewpoint. Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge answers the very question that it poses: N64 into GBA doesn't fit. But, surprisingly, there isn't much to separate them - Banjo-Kazooie looks and sounds good, and for the most part plays extremely well. It also has charm by the bucketload, but it's very difficult to recommend a title with such a short lifespan and limited replay value. In other words, it's a missed opportunity.

Rating: 6 / 10

Words by Andy Lucas