Banjo Tooie | Xbox Game Pass Review cloudgaming

November 30th, 2023

The Banjo and Kazooie adventure continues in Banjo Tooie! Relive your childhood memories in this nostalgic release on Xbox Game Pass cloudgaming. Initially released in 2000 by Nintendo on Nintendo 64, this classic returns to big screens.

The game continues the story of Banjo and Kazooie, the heroic bear and bird duo, who must stop the evil witch Gruntilda and her sisters from destroying the Isle O’ Hags with a powerful machine called B.O.B. The game expands on the gameplay and features of its predecessor, offering bigger and more diverse worlds, new moves and abilities, more collectibles and secrets.

The best feature of them all being multiplayer, where you can vs your friends and siblings in arcade style gameplay. Bring on the sibling rivalry!

Banjo Tooie offers additional combat options for players compared to the first instalment of Banjo Kazooie. Jamjars, Bottles’ brother will be your instructor for this instalment of Banjo Tooie. You will find him scattered around worlds where he will teach you new abilities.

In addition to combat moves, Banjo Tooie offers players an upgraded arsenal of eggs to be fired from Kazooie’s beak or butt. Players can choose from standard eggs, grenade eggs, fire and frost eggs and a remote control bird that players can move and detonate on their enemies!

Also new in Banjo Tooie is the ability to play as Mumbo Jumbo, the shaman who helped you defeat Gruntilda in Banjo Tooie. You will need to play as Mumbo Jumbo in Banjo Tooie to help you unlock certain areas.

Another new character in Banjo Tooie is Humba Wumba. Humba Wumba replaces Mumbo in transforming Banjo and Kazooie into different characters. For some reason that is not explained in the game, there is a rivalry between Humba Wumba and Mumbo Jumbo.

Similar to Banjo Kazooie, in Banjo Tooie, you will collect musical notes and jiggies. Musical notes will help you learn new combat abilities from Jamjars and jiggies will help you unlock new worlds and progress in the game.

One of the most impressive aspects of Banjo-Tooie is the size and scope of its worlds, which are significantly larger and more complex than those of Banjo-Kazooie. The game features nine worlds, each with its own theme, atmosphere, and objectives. The worlds are also interconnected, meaning that the player can travel between them without returning to the hub world, and that some actions in one world can affect another. For example, the player can use a train to transport items or characters between worlds, or use a cannon to blast open a passage to a new area. The game also features several mini-worlds, such as the inside of a giant fish or a haunted mansion, which add more depth and diversity to the game.

Banjo-Tooie is a game that can appeal to anyone who enjoys a fun and engaging platformer game, with a lot of humour, creativity, and nostalgia. The game is a masterpiece of its genre and era, and has influenced many other games that followed. The game is currently available on the Xbox Games Pass cloudgaming, a subscription service that gives access to hundreds of games for a monthly fee. This is a great opportunity for those who want to revisit or discover this gem of a game, as well as its predecessor Banjo-Kazooie and its spin-off Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. Banjo-Tooie is a game that will make you smile and laugh, and will never get boring.

Rating: 9/10