It’s time for another Retro Ad Replay article! This is the series where we head backwards in time to reminisce and celebrate the anniversary of some of the most significant moments in gaming. If you find yourself wanting more content like this, be sure to visit Mandatory.com.
In this June 29 edition of Retro Ad Replay, we’re traveling back 22 years to when Banjo-Kazooie first launched on Nintendo 64. That’s June 29, 1998. Created by Rare and originally published by Nintendo, the first game that paired Banjo and Kazooie together saw them go up against the witch Gruntilda, who was trying to steal the beauty of Tooty, Banjo’s younger sister. The game later became available on Xbox 360.
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Gameplay-wise, Banjo-Kazooie was a platformer that tasked players with navigating a complex (for the time) 3D world. There are nine worlds in total, each full of enemies to wipe out and helpful allies to assist Banjo and Kazooie.
The original GameRevolution Banjo-Kazooie review awarded the game a 4.5/5, commending it for its “stunning graphics,” fantastic gameplay, and the sound and music which helps “establish the overall mood of the game nicely.”
Here’s a snippet from the GR review:
All in all, this is the best platform game that I have played in a long time. Of course, it follows the basic formula of a platformer – kidnapped female, evil castle, jump on enemies, etc. But the reason the formula still exists is due to the fact that, occasionally, it works really well. Banjo-Kazooie is a case where the cliche works to perfection. Although we question Nintendo’s blatant violation of the genetic cloning ban put in place by the president, they did so for a good cause, and a damn good game.
Take a look at a promotional trailer for . from 1997 (via RarewareArchives on YouTube):
