Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

Overview

They're back.

Nuts & Bolts, released on November 11, 2008 for the budget price of US $39.99 and AU$69.95, marks the first time the Banjo-Kazooie franchise has seen an appearance on a non-Nintendo platform(not including 2 games based on Grunty's revenge released on mobile phones).  A demo of the game is available on the Xbox Live Marketplace.  After a one gigabyte download, players can try out the game's vehicle customization and several of the worlds available in the retail product. A special pre-order bonus allowed players to download the Xbox Live Arcade version of the original Banjo-Kazooie for the Nintendo 64. However, due to a shortage of the codes many pre-orderers of the game were not given the codes. (although a few specific retailers did in fact order codes for people to come in and pick up if they kept a receipt.) 

Plot

Yup, she's back too.

Nuts & Bolts takes place eight years after Banjo-Tooie. In a dilapidated Spiral Mountain, Banjo and Kazooie have grown fat and lazy due to an excess of video games and pizza in the absence of the previous games' villain, the witch Gruntilda. Despite being bested three times by Banjo and Kazooie, Gruntilda's own memory of events tells quite a different story, which causes mysterious deity Lord Of Games (LOG) to arrive in Spiral Mountain, where he proceeds to transport the heroes and villain to his own domain, Showdown Town. LOG then forces a final confrontation between the heroes and Gruntilda, putting the deed to Spiral Mountain up as the winner's prize, and the loser being forced to work in LOG's game factory until the end of time.

Gameplay

Nuts & Bolts adheres to a similar setup as previous games in the series, despite the addition of vehicles.

Basic Progression

Much of the game takes place in the hub world, equivalent to Gruntilda's Lair and the Isle o' Hags in previous titles. Each of the five levels are opened by connecting their game globe to their respective plinth in the town, which then opens a series of doors based on how many jiggies the player has collected at that point. Each door opened provides a different entrance into the same level, similar to the episodic nature of Super Mario 64.

Exploration of the town is limited to the abilities Banjo, or Banjo's vehicle, as seen in the previous game's hub worlds.

Banjo Copter

Vehicle Creation

While past Banjo-Kazooie games have been traditional 3D platformers, Nuts & Bolts, through the use of the game's vehicle creation mode, has been designed to allow the player a higher degree of choice when attempting to complete the game's various tasks. On top of the previous collectible items such as jiggies and notes, the game's worlds contain a host of vehicle parts available for use in the construction of the vehicles, culminating in a totaling over 1,000 parts. Over the course of the game, the player will be tasked with various challenges that can be solved in a variety of  ways, depending on what vehicle the player chooses to create. Upon completion of challenges the player is awarded a ranking that relates to the time taken to complete the challenge, the score attained, or a host of other factors. When the player successfully completes a boss battle with Gruntilda, they will be awarded a key component upgrade to their Showdown Town vehicle, allowing the player access to different areas of Showdown Town.

The creation tool gives extensive control over nearly every aspect of the vehicle in the workshop. Blocks of various shapes and sizes can be used to build the chassis, while a wide variety of wheels, treads, engines, propellers, rockets, and wings, allow the player to create vehicles that operate on land, sea, air, or combinations of all three. Every choice the player makes in the workshop will affect the vehicle's handling, speed, ammo amount, fuel capacity, and durability.

Levels

Showdown Town Showdown Town   The main hub world that is home to Mumbo's Motors, Humba's blueprints and parts shop, Bottles' tutorials, Gruntilda, and a host of other characters from the past Banjo Games. This is also one of the few worlds in the game that utilizes banjo's original platforming skills as there are certain areas the Trolley cannot reach. This is also the only world where you're not allowed a custom made vehicle to use.

Nutty Acres Nutty Acres   The first world in the game is an artificial coconut farm based level that also contains an ocean, a marvelous beach, many rolling hills, and a large mountain that is home to a piping hot volcano. Along with the  picturesque landscape, the world contains many characters, both new and old, to keep Banjo busy completing a variety of tasks.

LOGBOX 720 LOGBOX 720   This world is a giant computer filled with RAM, many memory connection cables, a cooling system, and its very own mother board to power the entire world. Banjo's friends and enemies are there to help him log some time in this computer.

Banjoland Banjoland   Banjoland is an homage to all of Banjo and Kazooie's previous adventures. Everything about the world from the way it is patched together (it consists of bits and pieces of previous levels such as Freezeezy peak, Gobi's Valley and Clankers Cavern) to even the shape of the level (it is the shape of Banjo's head). The music in this level takes from Freezeezy peak and Gobi's Valley, depending on where the player is.

Jiggosseum Jiggosseum Main page: Jiggosseum   This world is modeled after the ancient roman colosseum and is filled with many physically straining challenges for Banjo to conquer. Gruntilda even has a little fun with this level, turning the Jiggosseum into a giant water polo court.

Terrarium of Terror Terrarium of Terror    This world is filled with overgrown plants filling a set of domes floating in the middle of space.

Characters

Banjo and Kazooie Banjo-Kazooie Main page: Banjo, Kazooie   The main protagonists of Nuts & Bolts, Banjo does the jumping and driving, while Kazooie picks up objects and activates switches using the magical wrench given to her by Mumbo.

Gruntilda Gruntilda "Grunty" Winkybunion Main page: Gruntilda   Banjo and Kazooie's arch-nemesis from the previous games in the franchise, Gruntilda is yet again the villain  in Nuts & Bolts.  During one act of every world (with the exception of two showdowns in The Jiggoseum) Gruntilda makes an appearance.  After defeating her, L.O.G. will bestow Banjo with a new part for the trolley in Showdown Town, allowing Banjo to reach new areas within the hub-world.

The Lord of Games Main page: The Lord of Games  The creator of Showdown Town, as well as the creator of video games, L.O.G. is the one who pits Banjo-Kazooie and Gruntilda against each other in a battle for the deed to Spiral Mountain.

Mumbo Jumbo Mumbo Jumbo Main page: Mumbo Jumbo    Mumbo is the magical owner of Mumbo's Motors where Banjo is able to go to build and test new vehicle creations.  While searching Showdown Town, Banjo my come across parts crates, which can be taken to Mumbo to unlock their contents.  At the beginning of the game Mumbo gives Kazooie a magical wrench that allows her to pick up objects and fix vehicles if they have been damaged.

Humba Wumba Humba Wumba Main page: Humba Wumba  Mumbo's Humper monkey , Humba, runs a shop in Showdown Town where Banjo can buy parts or vehicle blueprints.  She also makes a hilarious appearance in LobBox 720 as a member of the "Hag Dolls" a girl gamer group that pokes fun at Ubisoft's real life "Frag Dolls".

Bottles Bottles Main page: Bottles Bottles is back from the dead, and in addition to making a number of hilarious cameos in the worlds, he also runs an information shop in the town square of Showdown Town.  For a price he will show Banjo several spots of interest within Showdown Town, reveal the combination to unlock trapdoor tower number two, and give Banjo information on Stop 'an Swop crates.

Klungo Klungo Main page: Klungo No longer Grunty's bumbling side-kick, Klungo is now the bumbling owner of an arcade, where Banjo is able to play an old-school arcade game featuring Klungo.  The game features five levels, the last of which is unlocked after Banjo banks thirty jiggies.

Captain Blubber Main page: Captain Blubber    A grog swigging captain who's flying saucer has crash landed in Showdown Town, Captain Blubber will give Banjo the combination to one of the trapdoors, in exchange for a donation to help him with his current financial situation.

The Jolly Dodger Jolly Dodger Main page: Jolly Roger This difficult to find merchant can usually be found somewhere around Klungo's arcade.  The crafty businessman holds five Jiggies that can be purchased from him for a price.

Mr. Fit Main page: Mr. Fit The health conscious ant-eater can be found running through Showdown Town in a none-too-flattering track jacket.  If Banjo manages to catch the jogger during one of his breaks, he can purchase a trapdoor tower combination from him for ten notes.

Pikelet Pikelet the Pig Main page: Pikelet The ornery captain of the Showdown Town Police Force, Pikelet will complain about "trouble-makers" who are ruining Showdown Town.  Confusing Jinjos with Minjos, Pikelet has accidentally locked up six innocent Jinjos throughout Showdown Town. Banjo can find and free these unfortunate souls, who in return will present Banjo with a gift of notes. Pikelet's police force is constantly changing the laws of Showdown Town, but if Banjo finds himself in trouble with the law, Pikelet won't refuse a bribe towards his donut fund, and he will call off his annoying officers.

Boggy Main page: Boggy Boggy is the out-of-shape proprietor of Boggy's Gym, where Banjo can purchase upgrades to his strength, stamina, and speed.  Just don't expect to work out with the rotund polar bear, he gets tired just speaking.

Trophy Thomas Trophy Thomas Main page: Trophy Thomas   Showdown Town's resident obnoxious, ultra-competitive, jock, Trophy Thomas will reward Banjo with T.T. Trophies if he completes jiggy games within the blue limit.  For every four T.T. Trophies Banjo earns he will receive a jiggy.  Only 96 of the 97 T.T. Trophies need to be obtained to earn all the jiggies within the game.

King Jingaling King Jingaling runs a bingo game in Showdown Town where Banjo can win fabulous prizes such as unique vehicle parts and notes.  To win, Banjo must find the Jinjos hidden throughout out the five worlds.  After finding the Jinjos the player must complete their challenge to win a Jinjo token.  These tokens are then placed on King Jingaling's game board.  To win a prize Banjo must fill either an entire row or column with the correct Jinjo token colors.

Klungo'sss Arcade Gamesss

Klungo Sssavesss the World

Klungo Sssavesss the Universsse

Multiplayer

Downloadable Content

LOG's Lost Challenges Revealed

Soundtrack

Album cover art

1. The Bear and the Bird Begin
2. Showdown Town Square
3. Testing Times
4. Let the Jiggoseum Games Begin!
5. Parading the Jiggoseum
6. Jiggoseum Japes
7. Jiggoseum Jiggery-pokery
8. Grappling with Gruntilda
9. Banjoland Visitors This Way
10. Discovering Banjoland
11. Banjoland Buffonery
12. Beating Banjoland
13. The Terrarium Awaits
14. Exploring the Terrarium
15. Terrarium Trickery
16. Test of the Terrarium
17. Trial by Jinjo
18. LogBox 720 - Access Granted
19. Inside the LogBox
20. LogBox Lunacy
21. LogBox Larks
22. Cruising Showdown Town
23. Welcome to Nutty Acres
24. Out Around Nutty Acres
25. Nutty Acres Action
26. Nutty Acres Aggro
27. Spiral Mountain Shoutin'
28. The Final Fight

Xbox 360 Game Installation

Xbox 360 Games on Demand