Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts Updated Preview October 1,2008 - Like a blast from the past, Banjo- Kazooie is set to become the sole platforming franchise on a console, looking to branch out the Xbox 360 into a territory it has since left forgotten in the realm of shooters and action titles. While the furry duo is looking forward to their vehicular-enhanced title Nuts & Bolts, nostalgic gamers will also get to sample a treat from years prior when the original Banjo-Kazooie hits XBLA next month. For a taste of this Banjo-Kazooie goodness, continue reading on.

First and foremost, Nuts & Bolts is an entirely different game from the original Nintendo 64 title. Fans expecting to simply wander around collecting musical notes and jiggies and fighting bosses are going to be disappointed. But that isn't to say that Rare has totally forgotten the core gameplay that made the series so popular, they have just given it a modern day makeover; take for instance the incredibly dubious and mainstream storyline. Nuts & Bolts begins with a look-back at the previous games, in a fantastic retro black-and-white shutter film that expresses the humor and artistic design that Rare is so well known for. After watching this delightful flashback, you soon take control of Banjo and your adventure begins.

It isn't long before the Lord of Games (don't we all wish we can have that title?) descends to earth and brings Gruntilda back to life, who then immediately captures Banjo's sister, Tootie…again. The Lord of Games then captures everyone and whisks them away to his fortress, called Spiral Mountain, and it is here where Banjo must travel to different worlds in order to rescue his sister and return home. Spiral Mountain serves as the main world for which Nuts & Bolts takes place, but inside the massive mountain is one giant base town, known as Showdown Town, which serves as your base of operations of sorts. You will continually come back to Showdown Town to build new vehicles, select new missions, and earn rewards.

Like previous Banjo-Kazooie games, jiggies are needed to venture into new worlds, and only by journeying into various lands are you able to acquire said jiggies. Unlike the past games, however, Nuts & Bolts makes it easier to manage your jiggy count. Once you enter Showdown Town again from earning jiggies, you can then visit a Jig-O-Vend machine near the Jiggy Bank to deposit all the jiggies you earned. Once you earn enough jiggies, new portals open up for you to start new adventures and earn even more jiggies.

But while Nuts & Bolts features plenty of old-school flair to keep veteran fans happy, the key concept of Nuts & Bolts is decidedly the new vehicle construction mechanics that lets you build almost anything you want to drive, fly, roll, or move around in. There are over 100 different parts you can collect throughout the game, all of which are obtainable by locating Mumbo Crates scattered in the different worlds. Once you obtain these items, you must return them back to Mumbo Jumbo in Showdown Town, who will help assemble a vehicle of your choice. From what we have seen, the in-game creation screen is teetered with boxes of text and large amounts of words. That's not to say it's possibly a bad thing, but younger gamers who might be intrigued by the cutesy artistic designs of the game might find themselves dumbfounded by just how much reading is required to play the game.

Mindless reading aside, Nuts & Bolts' vehicle creation management is simple enough to use, and by simply using both analog stick to lift and rotate parts for a better view, it couldn’t be any easier to build. Although there are also hundreds of parts for various uses, the game lets you know what piece is used for what and when you are overcompensating on a specific build. For example, each vehicle really only needs a seat, steering wheel, engine, gas tank, and a body, and adding two of said part will give you an on-screen clue to change things around. Building could take hours depending on how creative you tend to be and how much spark you want to give your vehicle. Many items must be placed in specific parts of your vehicle in order to pass certain areas, and Rare promises that the items you can customize will be incredibly fun to manage and use.

Added to the mix in Nuts & Bolts is a multiplayer aspect that lets gamers play out 28 different challenges with up to eight players at a time that flows into a tournament of six. A nice feature lets you take pictures of your friend's rides, which can then be turned into blueprints and used in your own single player game. If blueprinting is not your style, then you can try your hand at a bevy of assorted games, some of which are uniquely entertaining. One game, entitled "Darts," has players rolling down a very high ramp in an attempt to fly high and hit a target suspended in air. Other games will have you flying around in zero-gravity, swimming underwater with jet propellers, and other various forms of vehicle competition.

Nuts & Bolts aside, fans who pre-order the game will get a chance to download the original N64 hit two weeks before the latter releases. Besides having a solid port from one of the best titles on the Nintendo 64, fans are also greeted with a nice visual tweak that allows the game to fit onto HDTV sets, as well as the inclusion of component capabilities for even higher resolutions. The XBLA version will also have a "Stop N' Swop" mechanic that lets you unlock secret areas and items in Nuts & Bolts by playing through Banjo- Kazooie on XBLA. With added achievements and a sequel, Banjo- Tooie, to follow in 2009, Banjo- Kazooie is looking to make its mark on the Xbox 360 and perhaps help establish a steady base of platformer titles that the system is desperately lacking.

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