In 1998 Rareware released 'Banjo-Kazooie' to great acclaim. Praised for its innovative gameplay and open-world design, it was one of the top-selling franchises on the N64.

The latest sequel in the series, however, strays from the franchise's roots in a risky move.

Using the 'Viva Piñata' engine, 'Banjo-Kazooie' has a great foundation. Much like 'Viva Piñata', the game takes an unusual path. Building vehicles is the main focus of 'Nuts and Bolts', with hundreds of available combinations.

While the platforming aspect of the series is still present in that you can exit your vehicle at any time, the focus is clearly on the driving/flying aspect of the game.

Apart from the focus on vehicles, 'Nuts and Bolts' still has the same atmosphere of previous games. From the lack of dialogue to the platforming sections, the atmosphere is definitely very well done.

'Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts' retains the cartoony look of previous games, with a new layer of sheen thanks to the 'Viva Piñata' engine. The environments are quite varied; from the usual array of colourful valleys to levels taking place inside videogame consoles, there is a lot to see in this game.

After eight years of inactivity though, it seems that Banjo has grown rather rotund and, not being so fit anymore, he'll need a vehicle to get around. Enter the vehicle creation tool, which allows you to construct a helicopter, car, hovercraft or whatever tickles your fancy from scratch.

The sound department is the only lacklustre element of the game. Previous games in the series lacked in this department, though this could have been written off as due to the Nintendo 64 cartridges' limitations. Of particular note is the voice acting (or lack thereof) — gibberish accompanies the cut-scenes, while Banjo himself remains silent.

The story in 'Nuts and Bolts' is a humorous one, parodying videogame conventions. Predictably, this is merely used as an excuse to explore various worlds in an effort to reach Gruntilda, the rhyming witch and antagonist of previous games.

While the main campaign is not multiplayer-oriented, Rare has tacked on a multiplayer mode, both for Xbox Live and split-screen play. Although not the focus of the game, it is certainly chock-full of features. The ability to use custom-made vehicles is a huge plus, as is the ability to swap those blueprints with friends.

Apart from the multiplayer modes, 'Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts' will have you busy for a few days, thanks to the huge variety. With many environments and challenges to discover, there are enough unique challenges to play through — and once the game is completed, there are still trophies to collect.

For all its faults, 'Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts' is an innovative game that's deserving of a look.

7.4/10

Buy this game: Xbox 360