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Banjo-Tooie

EMAIL PRINT xbox360

9.3 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 19 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 21 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: 4JStudios - Rare

Genre(s): Action, Platform

Players: 4

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: April 29, 2009

Summary

The bear and bird’s second outing available in full. Loads of rollicking fun to be had here and with the legendary Stop 'N' Swop feature reinstated. The best use of a backpack in a game ever! [Microsoft]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Banjo-Tooie (N64)

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

WonderwallWeb

Nine years was worth the wait, a solid platformer that will please everyone.

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ZTGameDomain

Banjo Tooie is easily one of the best platform games ever created. When you consider how lacking the genre has been lately this will certainly be a breath of fresh air.

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TeamXbox

Banjo-Tooie is a no-frills ROM port that is a slam dunk for those looking to relive some of gaming’s past glory without having to pull out past consoles.

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IGN

If you played Banjo-Tooie back in the day it's worth a revisit to remind yourself how good this game was and earn a few achievements. And if you've never played Rare's masterpiece it's high time you found out why it is considered a high point for the genre.

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PALGN

Classic platformer gaming that will have you reliving the glory days of the N64 console. Whether you're a fan or a newcomer, there's little reason why you shouldn't purchase the XBLA port of Banjo-Tooie.

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NZGamer

As an XBLA download, Tooie is fantastic value. Much cheaper than the actual cartridges go for these days.

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Impulsegamer

I mean really, what's not to like about a bird that can regurgitate eggs from its mouth to batter an enemy, or shoot them out of his butt to zap enemies coming up from behind?

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Official Xbox Magazine UK

Sure to keep you entertained for hours. [July 2009, p.96]

GamePro

By playing Banjo-Tooie, you can get a sense of what platformers used to be like. Besides Nintendo with Mario, no one pulls them off better than Rare and this is no more evident than in this well-made remake of the classic Banjo-Tooie.

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Gamer 2.0

It is really hard to find anything to really gripe about in Banjo- Tooie except maybe how much it is TOO like Banjo- Kazooie.

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Console Monster

Time definitely has not been kind to Banjo Tooie, but it is still as fun as it ever was.

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X360 Magazine UK

Despite the irritating 'cute' dialogue, the script is super funny, while the presentation is sweet enough and the platforming is still very playable. [Issue#47, p.100]

Destructoid

Banjo-Tooie's gameplay is an mid-point between the simplicity of Banjo-Kazooie and batshit insanity of Donkey Kong 64, though it can be immensely frustrating like the latter game a lot of the time.

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Official Xbox Magazine

That nostalgia isn't worth 15 bucks. [July 2009, p.84]

Eurogamer

For every moment where the game deviates from predictable platform tropes, there are dozens more when it's really nothing more than a very nicely assembled and presented riff on what other games were pioneering. Banjo-Tooie, then. Not one of the all-time greats, but when you take off the rose-tinted glasses the result is still enough to make it a standout on Live Arcade.

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GameFocus

When all is said and done, gamers wishing to relive the glory days of wholesome, 64-bit goodness will want to download and enjoy Banjo-Tooie; in reality, most will already have done so. On the flip side, the modern gamer wishing to see what all the fuss about Banjo and his pal Kazooie is will be disappointed, as they will go in expecting something that is amazing and get something that was amazing… back at the turn of the century.

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Gamestyle

Banjo-Tooie is far from being a bad platformer, though instead of taking what made Banjo-Kazooie great and improving on it, the Rare philosophy seems to be throw everything into the mixing pot and see what comes out.

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Teletext GameCentral

Another classy retro conversion but Rare's platforming sequel feels older than it looks.

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Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

A morbidly obese platformer from a developer which just didn't know when to stop. [July 2009, p.104]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 9.3 (out of 10) based on 21 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

[anonymous] gave it a10:
This games was and still is a great fun game. i never really liked the Multiplayer games and stuff....... but the story is great resuming right off the first one and with the XBLA version now you can do the Mysterious Stop n' Swop!

Hayden H gave it a9:
This game represents some of the best childhood memories involving video games. Not only was this one of the best N64 games created, it innovated in many ways. In Mario 64, you had the same move-set for the entire game, whereas here, you learned new moves as you went. While it's a heck of a game, I've played through it so many times that I've started to notice things that bother me just a bit. The game is rather (not to be mean) old, and hasn't really evolved from what it was. Another small quibble is that the FPS sections have a default sensitivity that is much to high. Still, with these minor quibbles aside, let me say that this is one of the N64's best (and platformer's for that matter too). If you have played this game before, buy it again, it won't hurt. If you have never played the game before, what are you waiting for!? The game is $15 and several hours long and it's amazing! Go get it right now if you like anthropomorphic animals, platformers, killing stuff, or awesome games!

Leban M. gave it a10:
Why are certain reviewers takes this game harshly, & the fact that it's "A derivative of SM64" baffles me, it brings a lot to the table. Besides, we need platformers like this anyway, cause the gaming scene is filled with FPS games, I need more originality, people. Ultimately, it's a long lasting title, that will keep you hooked!

Nathan W gave it a10:
Classic game, i beat the game as a kid, and i'm enjoying the experience once again on the 360. Definitely more than worth the $15 they charge for it. And definitely worth a play though if you love platformers. If your looking for an Arcade game that lasts longer than a few hours to beat, this is the game for you.

Bob D gave it a10:
The game is excellent. Who really cares what teletext has to say? Their review should be removed so the real games sites can have their opinion published. As for Eurogamer, the game is just plain fun. It's as fun as it was nearly ten years ago and it has graphics, control and content updates (in the form of Stop N' Swap). This is a classic game - don't let the surprisingly low reviews sway you any other way. The original complaint was the framerate issue - now that's been fixed, what's the problem?

Bat M gave it a10:
Really ? Eurogamer calls it a generic platformer ? It's kinda sad because they gave a 100 to Super Mario Galaxy. I mean it's not like it's the same concept from Super Mario 64 or Sunshine reused in space... Nah And Banjo-Tooie was at least a sequel that was released 2 years after Banjo-Kazooie. Not 10 years later without any gameplay changes, 2 years after. There were 11 years between Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy and what's the difference... well you're moving the wiimote to get launch from stars and collect rocks by pointing at the screen but other than that it's just get stars on X level and then change act and then get X stars on same level Act 2. I'm not saying it's a bad game, I played it, loved it, but Eurogamer is being hypocrite saying platformers are being generic. And since this is an arcade re-release of the old 64 game, you can drop a few 15 to 30 points from your original review.

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