Banjo-Kazooie Retrospective | Why You Still Love This N64 Classic

Banjo Kazooie is one of the greatest 3D platformers ever released on the N64, period. In this review retrospective, Sam takes an analytical deep dive as to what makes Rareware's magnum opus stand head and shoulders above the rest of it's platforming competitors from both the late 90s as well as today, as well as what makes Banjo-Kazooie so iconic 23 years later.
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
2:45 - Spiral Mountain
8:39 - Mumbo's Mountain
15:15 - Treasure Trove Cove
20:17 - Clanker's Cavern
23:25 - Bubblegloop Swamp
26:54 - Freezeezy Peak
29:27 - Gobi's Valley
32:25 - Mad Monster Mansion
34:08 - Rosetinted Intermission
34:50 - Rusty Bucket Bay
37:54 - Click Clock Wood
43:18 - Grunty's Furnace Fun
45:50 - Final Boss
47:29 - Outro

[@taylortaylortaylortaylortaylor]

Just searched "Banjo Kazooie" and this came up. Looked at the view count / subs after watching and was genuinely surprised. For a small channel this is top-tier. Keep it up dude.

[@TurnstyleVideo]

Thank you so much for the love! We definitely will!

[@orangeslash1667]

@@TurnstyleVideo I recommend Hat in Time, it's kinda like Banjo and Kazooie

[@ademiguelarribas]

Yes I thought exactly the same. Great video and insight. My biggest problem was that the speaking was so fast that there were lots of parts that I could hardly understand (English is not my mother tongue).

[@mattjacobson3616]

I was going to play banjo tooie but its looks confusing. Anyone have a few tips for a beginner?

[@mario64remix]

Same here, very surprised that even 3 years later this channel is quite small as the humor and voice over is on point. You earned my sub for sure! Perhaps we can look forward to a detailed video on Yooka-Laylee in the future?

[@alexsandell8260]

I'm in my late 40s, never played banjo when it came out and just finished it on Xbox for the first time ever a few days ago. It's my favorite platformer ever and maybe even my second favorite game of all time. So it's not nostalgia goggles it's doing it to you guys, the game is incredible even for those of us who just played through it for our very first time in 2021.

[@TurnstyleVideo]

That makes me happy to hear it wasn’t nostalgia for you either!

[@TheJadeFist]

I just played it for the first time the past few weeks, and I liked it well enough. I won't say it's my favourite or anything but it was still fairly enjoyable. Nostalgia isn't a factor there for me either.

[@username_redacted_1987]

I'm not gonna lie, your comment Alex kinda choked me up a bit. To hear people are playing this game for the first time 25 years after release and they fall in love with it like I did as an 11 year old kid in 1998 makes me so freaking happy. It just tells me how much of a loved, timeless classic this series really is and only confirms my love for this series even more. It tells me how justified I am in considering this my favorite game of all time. Some games age terribly. And my feelings of how WELL this game has aged, again, justified.

[@sanderssmokes]

Man as a kid that grunty boss fight at the end was hard af lmao

[@CrossOutBryce]

This video's writing, editing, and narration is fantastic! I'd love to see more of these longer videos on games you're passionate about!

[@Animeskwl]

I agree. This must be one of the better (if not the best) banjo kazooie reviews I've watched. Gj Turnstyle.

[@Projektblackacid]

I'm 19 and this was the first game I ever played. Hands down my favorite game of all time

[@MarfeeWarfee]

"Conker's Bad Fur Day is too busy getting piss-drunk and passing out in vomit behind a Denny's to try and actually be a GOOD platformer..." Aaand, subbed. Top-tier video essay writing, my friend. GG.

[@Herculesbiggercousin]

Hey man, awesome video. I’m going through a retro gaming renaissance & it’s nice to see Banjo Kazooie still appreciated for what it was at the time it released and the impact it had today

[@connorjoseph872]

Amazing video filled with nostalgia; thanks for putting in the time to create!

[@DCol]

i love that click clock wood features a time-travel aspect throughout the different seasons. actions you perform in spring will affect summer, etc

[@onesielightyear2738]

The mad monster mansion plant caught off me guard and that was an amazing laugh 😂

[@dylansamore3873]

A seriously quality deep-dive. Thank you for this.

[@TurnstyleVideo]

You’re welcome! Thanks a lot for watching!

[@Huey4991]

You randomly appeared to me, and I'm a major Banjo and Kazooie fan!! Loved the video!! 😁😊 Subscribed!!

[@radiobe4179]

Oh, in Rusty Bucket Bay you can kind of tell which windows are breakable. They shine a bit more, like they've been embeveled in photoshop, they seem like they protrude a bit from the surface they're in. The unbreakable ones are very opaque and low key by comparison. It's subtle but not that much, I figured it out as a kid. Loved your analysis, and I agree with everything you said in the video.

[@dizzydee4889]

this is true but its still a bit of a glaring design choice, as they are only really possible to tell apart when you already know, especially playing on CRT back in the day. I think telegraphing the enterable windows in some way would be more player friendly and design consistent.

[@allex3004]

Insanely entertaining retrospective, really did this gem justice! Keep it up, my man

[@Chaesuria]

Subscribed based on this video. I need no more convincing. Your commentary and timing is incredible. Thank you for a hilarious and factual retro of my all-time favorite game.

[@mordymountains1096]

I really dig the upbeat and quick cadence you have. This was a very fun video.

[@TurnstyleVideo]

Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy the next one!

[@lorenzovarofinzi713]

This video is such a banger! Criminally underrated

[@BanjoGate]

Conga, Nipper, the Mutie Snippets, the golden frogs, and the beehive are all 'boss battles' in BK. Not just Boom Box

[@rossbolin1023]

Glad I came across this channel. Best video I’ve seen about one of my favorite games. Would love if you did a video about any of the other Banjo games or touch on Stop & Swop

[@ZwhatshQ]

Had to drop an appreciation comment for this epic video! Just, amazing stuff! I can feel your love for this game! Would love to see a similar video of the sequel!

[@isidoreaerys8745]

Excellent video! Thankyou

[@hippiichick6146]

Subbed omg I love this game and your channel is CRIMINALLY underrated

[@TurnstyleVideo]

Thank you very much!

[@abbasshussainh786]

My son is 8 years old i made him play banjo kazooie and tooie . He absolutely loved it and always talks about it to me how hard grunty was and the epic scale of tooie . I remember playing it as a kid and wanted him to experience it and keep some core memory moments. What games we had in this era

[@IHazSkillzBOI]

I bet you’re a fantastic father

[@iTvngo]

This video was amazing. Definitely deserve more views and subs. Sucks to see you haven’t uploaded in over a year

[@JP-ks9nh]

Banjo is my 2nd game of all time! This game was absolutely magical ! The 90’s was the Best time to be a kid

[@danghootenanny]

Very nice. Found a copy of the banjo kazooie Nintendo power cover issue and ended up finding your video. I particularly love your use of the f-bomb throughout. 5/5.

[@ideasphinx9905]

Damn, man I really enjoy this video a lot, it was very well made. What struck me most is how articulate you are. You have a wide vocabulary, you know how to formulate a thought well and convey it concisely, and bridge from topic to topic smoothly. Overall you just come off as really smart, thoughtful and like someone who is good at creatively interpreting 2 pieces of seemingly completely unrelated information and be able to intuite ways in which they rhyme. It's clear to see you possess a hyperactive thought-generating brain. Maybe it's just cuz our specifc senses of humor happen to match, but you also got some chuckles out of me whereas I'm usually more stoic. I liked your Big Tree rant.

[@TurnstyleVideo]

Wow thank you for the kind words! Massive kudos to my co-editor Tom who helped a ton in bringing the script to the next level, this video would not be as good without his input! Glad I got some laughs out of you! Appreciate you watching! -Sam

[@Malkierian]

Fantastic video and retrospective. The one problem I had was when you said there wasn't a way to tell which windows were breakable in RBB. I will admit, it's still obscure, but the way the shadow falls is different, and the breakable ones stand out a bit from the wall.

[@nintendave2855]

Deserves more love, fucking great retrospective

[@PellpaPaintinator]

Underrated KZbinr, why do you have this many subscribers? You need more. I also can't wait to play Banjo one day! 🙂

[@TurnstyleVideo]

Thank you so much for the support! We just started this channel but we both have years of video experience! Hope you play Banjo soon

[@SamScotMosher]

Any video about a mascot platformer is a must watch for me. And if that video is on Turnstyle? It’s an automatic masterpiece.

[@TurnstyleVideo]

Always a pleasure seeing comments from you Sam! Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@dizzydee4889]

wonderfully articulated and highlights a lot of things that I think are missing in the sequel. the original BK will always be top tier game and well worthy of being considered one of the best of its generation. I'd still love to see your review of Tooie some day. also I'm a fan of rusty bucket Bay. it has one of the best music tracks and is a great challenge level to really test your skills.

[@connorjoseph872]

Keep up to content bro! Would love to see some more N64 collectathon retrospectives (Mario, DK, Rocket) or newer Nintendo sandbox (Zelda, Mario)

[@aranryan-9440]

Sharp turning while swimming was available in the n64, it’s even pointed out on the last page of the Nintendo power magazine

[@DevilBlackDeath]

Somebody probably said it already but the note score was due to a technical limitation. Rare wanted to save the notes but there just wasn't enough room to do so. That's actually why they're bunched up as groups of 2 and 20 notes in Tooie, to save them. Very recently a romhack of BK on the 64 was made to add note saving however, with the trade-off being that you only have one save file instead of three !

[@JetBazooka21]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about one of my favourite games of all time. Also Rusty Bucket Bay gave everyone PTSD as a kid

[@udoaver9726]

When I was little, my mom divorced my dad and that caused us (mom, me, two older sisters, younger brother) to move into our grandparents house. Being addicted to video games at age 3 my mom would eBay bid battle for games and then play them while I watched and rooted for her. She won this game doing a last second bid and I watched her 100% the game. Years later I 100% the game on the Xbox feeling proud I did it just like mom. I had no idea the N64 version had that note restriction. She still completed the game better than I did lol.

[@BynineStudio]

so gratifying to see the landmark level design recognized!!

[@michaelkeha]

I don't think you can call Yuka Laylee theft when the people who worked on it also worked on Banjo

[@catskills8553]

This reminds me how much I loved this game as a kid, well done! If anyone needs me I’ll be doing a 100% run.

[@OpenTruthMinistry]

One of my favorites to this day. Thanks for making this video for memories. Don’t swear so much, that’s my only feedback. ❤

[@angelganon8213]

Regarding bubble gloop swamp you kind of had it right except for two things. The frogs you're supposed to kill for the jiggy is where you're supposed to use the wonderwing ability. You're not supposed to use it for just trekking around. And the Mr vile minigame you're supposed to beat him once for the jiggy and then the later versions you're supposed to come back to once you get the running shoes because the gator is the only transformation that can use the shoes and has them inside viles lair for you use the shoes to beat vile easier

[@justinmiller3294]

One of the biggest platformer games ever made for the n64..."hidden gem".

[@MrInternetHermit]

As a heads up, the main reason why BK had a note score instead of note collectibles was because of hardware limitations. That's also why BT has note bunches instead of individual notes so Rare could turn notes into collectibles instead of a score.

[@dredoomxyt5168]

PLEASE MAKE A BANJO-TOOIE ONE

[@Benjammin43]

dk64 and this are my favorite two games of all time

[@Icyfire25]

Great vid. For the Bubblegloop Swamp frogs, idk why you're using the sliding attack instead of the jump,attack Kazooie beak move lmao. Makes short work of ANYTHING. Easy to hit with, easy to spam, stronger than any other attack

[@ghsrthstrhsrthsthstrh9654]

this is professional, informative and hilarious. you will go far

[@Newline_Void]

Really liked this video, so I thought I'd bring you up to 420 subs.

[@Kani8122]

The intro hits the nail on the head. I can still rember wen Banjo-Tooie was widely considered a superior sequel that improves everything about the original, and the only complaint people had was the framerate.

[@gungore4424]

Happy to see a breakdown of this game, this had a lot of in-depth explanations of topics that people don't tend to bring up. Intricate level/scenario theming is an underappreciated aspect of game design, as I think a majority of game design discourse tends to focus on game mechanics and infrastructure exclusively. Really engaging, dense levels seem to be a dying art form in an industry which has moved towards gigantic copy-pasted open worlds or procedurally generated worlds to meet the ever-growing player expectation for how long a game should be. Also, I hope this doesn't come across as backseat gaming, but the Bubblegloop frog-killing jiggy can be done very easily and cheaply with Wonderwing, that's how I've always done it anyway. I can't tell if that's the intended way of doing it, but it does sort of seem like a setup that the designers would included since this is the level right after you learn that move.

[@ryankulwicki]

Like a lot of people here, I just stumbled upon this video at random and I just wanted to say that I think we're gonna see your channel is gonna grow quite a bit. Keep up the good stuff

[@TurnstyleVideo]

I appreciate it! Thank you very much!

[@Dart.94]

That Cyberpunk meltdown rant was a work of beauty 😂

[@TurnstyleVideo]

LMAO thank you

[@connorjoseph872]

Only 10 minutes in and immediately subbed. Great work on this fun blast to the past. What’s your favorite level?

[@luigit0ilet]

good video! quick question; how did you get the dazzle dvc100 audio working in OBS?

[@yan-amar]

This game's so good that the sewer level isn't even bad.

[@vitorgdc]

"Remember me, when you get to the top" Smoke, Big 1992

[@TurnstyleVideo]

Appreciate you Vitor!

[@ElWeyChingon]

Damn dude you need way more subs.

[@TurnstyleVideo]

Ahaha, thank you! Despite this channel being less than a year old both Tom & I are seasoned video makers! Hopefully we will get there soon!

[@kallmejack6215]

I’m so glad he talks fast this video would be 3h long if he didint

[@jacofallgames9428]

33:46 Snacker is killable. Eggs do the trick

[@mustchow3771]

Wasn’t expecting a nujabes joke 😂😂

[@Harmx123]

i just Luv how you saaid why you still love,as in you assum I've played this game,whitch i have but i first played it two years ago so if this video came out before then the titile wouldn't make any sense to me

[@jontyrosenow9396]

I also only made it to Monster Mansion, though it's a credit to the game that I was able to do that when I could barely make it out of the tutorial in other games (I spent days trying to leave Clocktown in Majora's Mask before getting my friends brother to show me how)

[@Rigarazi]

Good!

[@Chad_Wick]

26:16 that croc is too fast! the shoes: am i a joke to you?

[@xlm905]

For me, Banjo-Kazooie is the greatest game of all time. Not just for all the reasons you outlined in this video, but when you look at it in the context of when it released, this shit is streets ahead of anything else that existed at the time in terms of visuals, sound, movement, polish and NPC interactions. It came out in a pre-Ocarina world. Compare how this game looks compared to absolutely any other game that came out before it on console... I dare anyone to find a game that even comes close to looking and feeling as modern as this game does that was already on the market. It set a new benchmark for gaming and is probably the absolute pinnacle of what this genre of games can ever be. Mario Odyssey is fantastic and all (it really is), but even that doesn't match what BK achieved on limited hardware. Oh, and btw, the N64 notes are definitely better!

[@lpnp9477]

Yes, I too like the big tree

[@kingck101]

Tbf grabbed by the goulies actually is a hiden gem

[@tsumakana4185]

click clock wood was getting over it before getting over it, especially on n64 where youd loose your note progress!

[@Green_Stache_Productions]

Ah yes the N64 classic that everyone loves to play on Xbox

[@PantherPinkRRR]

yo i fuckin love how you fuckin swear all the fuckin time, makes a real good fuckin point

[@keegan7th]

This was fucking awesome

[@tsumakana4185]

snacker gave me nightmares as a kid

[@NoNameNoWhere]

Banjo-Kazooie is amazing. When you have an idea of what you're doing, it's not a very long game. Collecting jiggies and music notes isn't very complex, and the worlds are so fun to explore. Banjo-Tooie is better in almost every way, yet it's not as fun. I think the biggest flaw is that Tooie is too big and confusing. Those flaws alone makes it less enjoyable. But Tooie is under-appreciated none the less. A fantastic game, even if it doesn't have the replayabiloty of it's older brother. I would kill for an HD remake of both games in the Smash Bro's style (on the switch). Preferably with a toggle or mode to let you play the game with original graphics/sounds.

[@jakethedoodleguy1312]

33:47 This games biggest secret is that Snacker actually IS killable, you gotta poop eggs on him from the shore

[@Nonjola]

I usually just use the Golden Feather-move to defeat the yellow dart frogs.

[@owenkrepps4966]

43:51 Tenzin!

[@StonedRaiderswow]

33:30 oh my God, I laughed so hard 😂😂

[@Jsuelieta]

To be totally fair, the transition to permanently collected notes wasn't perfect. If there was a point where you watched an AI controlled Banjo collect notes while within a save file, those notes were actually collected, but not attributed to your total. This happened when you went through the secret bottles puzzles and had Banjo running around doing stuff to make the puzzle harder, but the thing is, he collected notes in some of the stages he was running around it. Not a problem in the N64 version, where notes respawn every time you enter a level, but in the Microsoft ports...well, just don't touch those bottles bonus puzzles until you collected all the notes, or you could end up locking yourself out of a 100% clear on that file permanently.

[@levioneill9677]

The golden age of Rare!

[@michaelbowen3351]

Everyday at work when I use a Microsoft application I think about the memories I dont have playing Banjo Threeie...just make f****** game already!

[@kaih6560]

I admit i liked the bee except for the landing.

[@acekart8]

LOL I made a Banjo-Kazooie thumbnail for one of my videos coming up but it looks way to similar to your thumbnail so I gotta change it 😅

[@captainfach]

Alright mate now it's time to do Banjo-Tooie so that you can see that it's still amazing

[@xoxogossipyoshi]

Playtonic Games the company responsible for Yooka-Laylee was formed by old Rareware employees that worked on Banjo-Kazooie so I'm confused how it was stolen ideas?

[@MegamiShin]

Well, clearly, you need to do Banjo Totooie after this, right?

[@TurnstyleVideo]

Hahaha, maybe not right away but making this video made me heavily considering covering Tooie!

[@HI-pi1er]

Banjo kazooie hidden gem ?

[@Scilence23]

hidden what ? it was one of the bestselling 64 games

[@trenn10]

Key creative talent behind Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong Country present Yooka-Laylee! Out now for Xbox One, PS4 & PC / Mac!... What do you mean steals it?? 1:20

[@TurnstyleVideo]

I address the Yooka-Laylee shade late in the review, but I personally find that YL is a game very similar to BK without a lot of the elements (discussed in this video) that make Banjo so great.

[@benbj3220]

If you get if you get sick from the cold. You're American. If you get if you get sick heat, you Australian. If you put them, I can't really help you with that one 26:58

[@joshuafoote5144]

My guess is that it’s really original.

[@RaceDayReplay]

hidden gem?! *clicks away from channel*

[@SomeRando92]

Bro, you were on the up slope going out of the slums into the upper slums. Duh! Getting lost In night city is a breeze for some, and a challenge for the directionally inclined, sheesh.

[@nedflanders9045]

One of the best games of all time honestly for me it's better than tooie

[@owenkrepps4966]

Me too 26:48

[@BigGeordieUK_]

Bubblegoop swamp was always my least favourite level, freezeezy peak and mad monster mansion are top tier, I also got a soft spot for Rusty bucket bay, I don't think it's as hard as people say especially if you figure out the clip to glitch out of the engine room

[@sethwarwick1075]

Banjo kazooie Launceston with no bugs cyber punk more like cyber bug

[@mr.fearingtoon3549]

You gotta sub from me. Good job lads

[@TurnstyleVideo]

Thank you mate! Glad you enjoy our content!

[@NymphieJP]

I’ll give you a sub, brother. Snackers can be killed. With eggs and wonder wing! Just saying!

[@TurnstyleVideo]

Thank you very much! And I appreciate you for pointing that out

[@Vinicius_Berger]

7:05 It IS a great idea to keep the notes as they were on the N64, because that adds a level of challenge. If you die, you lose all your notes. On the 360 version, there's absolutely NO penalty for dying, nullifying one of this game's core mechanic and going AGAINST Rare's vision. If they wanted to save the notes, they would do that, just like they did on Banjo-Tooie on the exact same console. And that's why the Xbox 360 version is inferior to the Nintendo 64 original. That and the controller, because it's far superior to play BK and BT using the N64 controller.