GamesRadar - Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

Why do you wear yellow shorts but no top? (News)

Oct 3, 2008

Taken from the Banjo Blog:

"Ever wanted to ask Banjo about his questionable fashion sense? Or ask Mumbo about what he was like as a child? Well if you have, then you are in luck! Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo, L.O.G. and Grunty will be answering your questions on their Facebook profile pages."

Rare Reveals Two Unique, Scuttled Versions Of 'Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts' (News)

Sep 29, 2008

MTV Multiplayer's Patrick Klepek reports:

"When you play "Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts" in November, you won't be playing what Rare initially set out to make with their revival of "Banjo Kazooie."

Series creator Gregg Mayles told me last week at a review event for the game in San Francisco that Rare went through several iterations of a new "Banjo Kazooie" before settling on their current path.

One of them even included a pseudo-remake of the original Nintendo 64 platformer produced alongside Nintendo. Keep reading to discover the three iterations (two of them now dead) of a next-generation "Banjo Kazooie.""

Banjo-Kazooie XBLA Video Leaked, Nintendo references removed from the game (News)

Sep 25, 2008

A video of the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade remake of Banjo-Kazooie, which was announced for a November 26th release yesterday, has been leaked onto YouTube. The video is over nine minutes long and contains gameplay footage from the start of the game.

Banjo-Kazooie remake appearing on XBLA November 26th (News)

Sep 24, 2008

Microsoft announced today that Banjo-Kazooie, remake of the original Nintendo 64 game, is to be released on the Xbox Live Arcade on November 26th, 2008. The game will be priced at 1200 MS points and will contain graphical enhancements, along with achievements and gamerscore support.

X3A: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts Achievements (News)

Sep 22, 2008

There are 50 achievements with a total of 1000 points.

Rare laughed at Banjo motion control rumours (News)

Sep 20, 2008

From GAMER.tm: "Rare has said that Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts would never have worked with motion sensing control, and that it laughed when rumours emerged that the game would use such a system.

"Recalling the incident [where a Microsoft executive appeared to confirm motion control for Banjo] with GAMER.tm recently, Rare literally laughed off suggestions that it ever intended to use motion control, and went on to explain that Nuts & Bolts is too complex to work effectively with such a control system.

"[When the rumours first emerged] we were like, 'haa haa ha!'" Rare senior animator, Elissa Miller recalled.

"Lead artist Neill Harrison then went on to explain that while a few elements could have worked using a device such as the Wii Remote, it would have been impossible to use it with some of the game's major elements.

GameBrit reveal the achievements for Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (News)

Sep 12, 2008

Fresh from a hands-on with the game, GameBrit list all the achievements from the upcoming Banjo Kazooie sequel.

Videogamer: 'Barely a quarter' of Banjo revealed (News)

Sep 11, 2008

Rare says the game is 'immense' and they've only touched on what it has to offer:

Speaking to VideoGamer at a recent Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts press day, Rare's lead technical artist Neill Harrison and senior animator Elissa Miller have teased fans with news that there's plenty of the game still to reveal.

"There are two entire game worlds that nobody has seen yet - we might be revealing those at Tokyo," said Miller. "The thing is, it's such a massive game that what we've shown so far is barely a quarter of the actual experience. It's an immense game, which makes it quite hard to develop, but it also means there's loads to see and do... we've barely touched on it."

Harrison added: "There are lots of components we've not shown off yet. And there are over 100 challenges - we've only ever shown off a handful of them."

Banjo dev: Game play through time 'almost irrelevant' (News)

Sep 11, 2008

Speaking to VideoGamer.com at a recent Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts press day at Microsoft's Reading HQ, Rare's senior animator Elissa Miller said that the time it takes gamers to play through a modern video game is pretty much "irrelevant".

Asked about the apparent move away from linear gaming to much more free experiences - LittleBigPlanet, Spore, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts - Miller said this is the kind of gaming she enjoys most.

"For some people, that's the most interesting part. I know it's what I enjoy the most. Rather than play a game through from start to finish, I like to get lost in it," said Miller.

She added: "The amount of time it takes to actually complete a game is almost irrelevant, nowadays."

Banjo-Kazooie DLC is possible (News)

Sep 11, 2008

Speaking to VideoGamer.com at a recent Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts press day at Microsoft's Reading HQ, Rare's lead technical artist Neill Harrison has confirmed DLC for the upcoming Xbox 360 title is possible, but they haven't "really thought about it yet".

Regarding DLC Harrison said: "We haven't announced anything, or even really thought about it yet, but it's certainly possible... People always assume we're not allowed to say, but actually most of the time we don't even know! But yeah, we'll finish this and then we'll think about what's next."

9 things you didn't know about Banjo-Kazooie Nuts and Bolts (Feature)

Sep 11, 2008

Did you know these nine facts about Banjo and Kazooie's next adventure? Feed your brain cells! ...

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (Preview)

Sep 9, 2008

The new Banjo-Kazooie is not a racing game. It is, despite appearances, very much a platformer. Even for a Rare title, the blend of concept and gameplay is a bizarre one, and, we’re not going to lie to you, it doesn’t feel much like the comparatively simple Banjo games of the N64 era. Nuts & Bolts is a brand new start for the franchise, and based on what we’ve seen, we reckon its quirky approach might just work... ...

Next Banjo will "expand" N&B concept (News)

Sep 8, 2008

CVG writes: "The next Banjo-Kazooie game could expand upon the vehicle-building concept of upcoming sequel Nuts & Bolts - provided the new game goes down well with the public, Rare has told CVG.

"[Nuts & Bolts] is like an introduction to what we could do," senior animator Ellissa Miller told CVG. "If we went on and did some more then we could push it. If it was accepted and people enjoyed it then we could definitely push it in a much bigger direction. This is like an opening to a new type of gaming I guess."

New Banjo Kazooie was originally a platformer (News)

Sep 8, 2008

OXM reports that Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts did originally start life as a platformer.

However, Rare's Neil Harrison admits that it felt stale and didn't fit in with today's market.

"We thought well, we'll just do another platform game as Banjo Kazooie," Harrison explains. "We did that for a bit and as gamers and as developers, it just felt a little bit stale. It felt like it didn't fit in today's market. With the 360, there's just so much more we can do, we thought we'd try something different."

Banjo 64 coming to VC? (News)

Aug 30, 2008

In the latest issue of OXM there is a small segment on Nuts and bolts. It states that the Banjo 64 coming to XBLA will be an exact port and specifically states "will include the Nintendo logo on the title screen". It then says that Microsoft made a deal with Nintendo...

Belgians, Dutch jipped by Banjo, VP2 translations (News)

Aug 29, 2008

From GAMER.tm: "Gamers in Belgium and Holland will be paying more than other European countries for Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts and Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise, due to the cost of translating both games.

"While both titles are widely expected to go on sale for around EUR 39 in most major markets, it seems that gamers in Holland and Belgium will be paying EUR 59 for Pinata 2 and Banjo Nuts & Bolts respectively.

"When asked by Dutch site Perfect-Rare why this was the case, a Microsoft Benelux spokesperson blamed the cost of translating both games and the relative size of both markets for the decision."

Nuts & Bolts and BK XBLA's European release date (News)

Aug 22, 2008

When MundoRare yesterday asked Rare about Nuts & Bolts' European release, the answer they gave was "around a week after the US' release." Thankfully someone over there saw it differently for you guys, and today MundoRare got a new answer.

As opposed to a week after November 14th, now the official release date for Europe is... November 14th. That's right, for the first time in... well, ever, a Rare retail game will be released on the same day for both North America and Europe.

As for Banjo XBLA? ...

Banjo-Kazooie Xbox 360 pre-orders soar at retailer (News)

Aug 21, 2008

Advanced orders for Microsoft Corp.'s Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts for the Xbox 360 upon availability at Amazon.com this week.

On Wed., Nuts & Bolts held a 17,850 percent sales increase to rank at No. 4 in Amazon's Video Games division.

Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts Demo Confirmed (News)

Aug 20, 2008

Addict Gaming Writes ""A Marketplace demo? Yes," lead programmer Salvatore Fileccia told Eurogamer when they visited their studios last week for a Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts hands-on preview, published today. "We've got various different ideas. I think all the leads on the team all have their own idea what the demo should be, and it obviously makes sense for the demo to happen before the game ships. We all feel that it's essential because the game is so different.""

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts $39.99 with FREE Banjo XBLA code when preordering (News)

Aug 19, 2008

Ready your spring-loaded propeller boat and fasten your seatbelt, "Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts" is hitting U.S. store shelves on November 14, and pre-orders begin today. For the retail price of $39.99, those who pre-order at participating retailers will get in on all the Banjo fun right off the starting line, and as a special bonus, will also receive a free download code for the original "Banjo-Kazooie," launching on Xbox LIVE Arcade later this fall.

As Kazooie likes to say, "The early bird gets the worm." Since the original "Banjo-Kazooie" will not debut on Xbox LIVE Arcade until a couple weeks after "Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts" releases, pre-ordering the game gives you a two-week head start on the Arcade title and the opportunity to take advantage of "Stop N' Swop" before anyone else. "Stop N' Swop" rewards players' accomplishments in the new game with extra content and features in the Xbox LIVE Arcade game, giving fans who pre-order "Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts" the chance to experience more Banjo action than ever.

Pre-order Banjo N&B, get Banjo XBLA early (News)

Aug 19, 2008

From CVG: Banjo-Kazooie dated Nov 14 but if you pre-order before Nov. 14 you get Xbox Live Arcade game free and first.

Rare to deploy all their Fall offerings on Leizpig's GC (News)

Aug 18, 2008

The german Games Convention of Leizpig has progressively gained relevance as one of the main events of the gaming industry each Summer to the detriment of the dying E3. And despite Rare not likely showing anything new, this year Rare will find it the perfect place to deploy all their offerings for this Fall, including updated versions of the recent demos from the American showcases.

Banjo-Tooie also coming to XBLA (News)

Aug 10, 2008

"MundoRare has confirmed through different insider sources that, apart from Banjo-Kazooie XBLA, external developer 4J Studios is also working on its sequel, Banjo-Tooie, which will hit our consoles sometime in the future.

Therefore, the idea is not only to provide players with a new connection between BK XBLA and Nuts & Bolts, but also -quite possibly- bring back the original (or, at least, similar) feature between BK and BT that Rare wasn't able to add on Tooie due to later revisions of the N64 circuitry."

Banjo & Kazooie: NAB and Viva Pinata 2 to be Priced at $39.99? (News)

Aug 9, 2008

Endsights writes:

Two of Microsoft's key family-friendly titles might be discounted when they ship this Fall. On a number of online retailers, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts and Viva Pinata 2 have been mysteriously priced at $39.99

No Rare IP is dead suggests developer (News)

Aug 8, 2008

Speaking to VideoGamer.com at Develop last week, Rare senior software engineer Nick Burton, an employee at Rare for over 10 years, has revealed that when talking about the studios' owned intellectual property "there's a good chance of seeing any of it again".

"You might see Killer Instinct, you might see Battletoads. Or as I said the other month Killer Instinct meets Battletoads in the GoldenEye universe!" joked Burton.

The titles the Microsoft owned studio is currently working on is something that's constantly debated on internet forums, and speculation isn't helped by Rare's constant teasing. Do you remember the Rare 2007 Christmas card that hinted at a new Killer Instinct? Burton was all too happy to reveal the story behind the card.

"You'll probably have to rephrase this, we're just fu!$ing with you!" he joked. "Have you not noticed a theme in our Christmas cards? We do it every year! It's just sometimes people don't notice it because it's that subtle.

"Ryan (Stevenson, senior concept artist), when he was doing it said, oh I'm putting Killer Instinct in that, I am. The conversation was, put Battletoads in as well! Or Snake Rattle and Roll, come on do it! We have a reputation for teasing. Sometimes we do it for good reasons and other times it upsets people. We're English, we're allowed to!"

Burton wouldn't be drawn on confirming the existence of a new Killer Instinct title, but say that "you could pick anything in our back catalogue and then turn it into something new".

"Fresh" Banjo stuff behind closed doors at Leipzig, new screens released (News)

Aug 8, 2008

Rare's George Kelion's confirmed that "fresh" Banjo stuff will be shown behind closed doors at Games Convention.

Rare dev: 'I don't think 360 has reached its limit' (News)

Aug 5, 2008

Speaking to VideoGamer.com at the Develop conference in Brighton last week, Nick Burton, a senior software engineer at Rare, has assured Xbox 360 gamers that there's plenty more to come from the console.

"You never can push them as far as they can go. The reality of the peak performance of the console is yes, you could look to a generation beyond where we are now and think, yeah, I could use that power. But the reality is in 360 and the PS3 and the latest generation PC graphics, the amount of power in the GPUs is such that you're more bound by your creativity and the aesthetic you're going for than you're really bound by polygon pushing power," said Burton. "You're probably actually more bound maybe by art authoring and the amount of data throughput that, just the amount of memory you'd need, but I don't think 360 has reached its limit."

Rare: Half the studio working on secret projects (News)

Aug 5, 2008

Speaking to VideoGamer.com at the Develop conference in Brighton last week, Nick Burton, a senior software engineer at Rare, revealed that currently announced Rare titles only account for half the development studio.

Asked directly if Rare would be making a second Kameo title Burton replied: "This is where I have to be enigmatically vague. Never say never. I'll say that I'm not working on one at the moment. I'm not working on one at the moment. Doesn't mean nobody else is, but that doesn't mean they are either. Sorry. For the obvious PR reasons we can't talk about what we're doing now."

He went on to suggest that there's plenty going on behind closed doors at Rare that should have gamers getting very excited.

"All I can say is, you know about VP2 (Viva Piñata Trouble in Paradise), Viva Piñata on DS, Banjo obviously. There's a couple of things on the roster that are going to be pretty cool as well. Obviously you do the math. Look at the size and how big the Banjo team currently needs to be, how big our shared technology group and asset group are. Look at the number of games and how they're staggered and how many teams we have. There's about half the studio missing from the release schedule at the moment (laughs)," said Burton.

Xbox Developer Dead in Murder-Suicide (News)

Aug 3, 2008

Very sad news from Redmond, Wash. Melissa Batten, 36, a software development engineer in Microsoft's Xbox division, was murdered by her estranged husband, who then shot himself to death, earlier this week.

Banjo-Kazooie vehicle sharing a 'possibility' (News)

Jul 25, 2008

Videogamer writes: "But only if Rare deems it a 'definite worthwhile improvement'.

There is a "possibility" that players will be able to share complete vehicles in upcoming Xbox 360 exclusive platformer Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, developer Rare has revealed.

As the title suggests, Nuts & Bolts, Rare's follow up to the N64's Banjo-Tooie, features vehicle creation using parts discovered by players during exploration of the game world.

Currently players will only be able to share vehicle blueprints with players, both friends and strangers. These blueprints tell players what parts are needed to construct a particular vehicle. They do not provide them."

Creativity Should Be Part of the Game, Says Lobb (News)

Jul 23, 2008

The future of user-gen includes some noteworthy players, not the least of which is developer Media Molecule and LittleBigPlanet, which has become a hype machine for the PS3. But this piece of work looks like it just might live up to the hype. Already people have witnessed the flexibility of the level-creation system (At E3, Sony used LittleBigPlanet to great effect to present what would've been a boring slog through sales figures), and the community aspects attached to this title are just as promising.

But there is another user-gen game, one that people didn't know was user-gen-centric until a few months ago: the Rare-developed Xbox 360 title, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, a game whose hook is allowing users to create and share vehicles to traverse virtual landscapes. Is this Microsoft's mass market, user-gen answer to LittleBigPlanet?

Rare: Banjo 3 Multiplayer Mostly Finished (News)

Jul 18, 2008

"The highly anticipated return of Banjo to the Xbox 360 is drawing ever closer and the boys (and girls) over at Rare have decided to let us in on some juicy development information regarding Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. In the first of many dev diaries, Rare explains that the Banjo team is squarely focused on the single player campaign, with multiplayer nearly complete."

E3 08: Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts - B-Roll footage (Video)

Jul 15, 2008

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (Screenshots)

Jul 15, 2008

E3 08: Why wait? E3's biggest games reviewed NOW (Feature)

Jul 15, 2008

You know the problem with E3? You have to wait months before you find out if a game that looked great in July is going to kick ass or blow goats when it finally arrives in November. And it it sucks, you feel deflated. If only you could read, right here and right now, which games are really worth eagerly anticipating and which you should just start fitting for cement shoes right now. Wouldn't that make the world a better place?

Here, for the very first time, are the exclusive first reviews for all of the games you're most excited about this very E3. ...

E3 08: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts - Trailer (Video)

Jul 14, 2008

Rare slams Banjo motion control rumours (News)

Jul 10, 2008

Rare just told VG247 that rumour of Banjo motion control is completely incorrect.

Microsoft: 'no truth' to Banjo-Kazooie motion control speculation (News)

Jul 9, 2008

Microsoft has sent along a brief statement allegedly clarifying what Microsoft Game Studios creative director Ken Lobb meant when he said, "you twist the controller around and it'll move different things in [Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts]." The explanation goes a lil' something like this:

"There is no truth to this speculation. Ken's comment is in reference to rotating the left analog stick while hitting the X-button to move different things in the game."

While the statement seems to confirm that Banjo-Kazooie will stick to conventional controls, it by no means denies that Microsoft is preparing a magic show for E3. Will the wand be waved? Stay tuned.

Aw Nuts (and Bolts)! No Motion Controller in Banjo (News)

Jul 9, 2008

Kombo writes: Gamerscore Blog's Chris Paladino who, along with having the coolest last name ever, is a trustworthy source.

"All of the motion controller hopes and complaints regarding the Banjo video on IGN are false," he said. So long, rumor.

Rumor: Ken Lobb Confirms Motion Controller for 360? (News)

Jul 9, 2008

Kombo Reports :"In a walkthrough video of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, Lobb clearly states at the 4 minute mark: "So you basically grab with the wrench, and then you twist the controller around."

Shane Kim: 360 Predicitions for 2008 (News)

Jun 13, 2008

Microsoft's Shane Kim has suggested that the 360's gaming line-up for 2008 could surpass last year's success. Kim stated this year's line up is "just as strong, if not stronger" than last year's

Rare on Banjo: "We're not competing with LittleBigPlanet" (News)

May 28, 2008

VG247: Salvatore Fileccia, lead programmer of Rare's Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, has said his game isn't in direct competition with Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet, despite the two platformers sharing a passion for furthering the genre.

"I don't think we're a competitor," he said. "I think, obviously, we compete in a completely different dimension; we're 3D, they're 2D. I mean, I don't know the complete details of LittleBigPlanet, obviously, but I'm pretty sure the two games are going to be pretty different."

MS chest thumps over "flood of brilliant 360 games" (News)

May 23, 2008

Microsoft has begun chest thumping over it's 2008 line-up of games, saying its invention of Xbox has led to a "Christmas Eve like never before" every week of the year.

In an update on its official website the company cites Gears of War 2 (Nov 2008), Ninja Gaiden 2 (June 6), Too Human (August 29), Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise (Sep 2008), Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (Holiday 2008), Fable 2 (2008) and Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One (out now).

It says: "It's going to be very tough sleeping at night with this amazing haul coming so soon."

Videogamer: Rare explains Banjo's blocky look - The designers made a conscious effort to retain an angular look (News)

May 21, 2008

Videogamer writes: "In a post over on the Xbox.com forums, Rare community manager George Kelion (under his XBL gamertag Monkeythumbz) has offered an insight into the "blocky" visual style seen in the developer's upcoming Xbox 360 video game Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.

"Banjo's new look is meant to be self-referential," explained Kelion. "Videogames have developed their own visual language - from the pixels of 8-bit gaming, through the parallax backgrounds of 16-bit to the blocky, low-poly designs of 32 and 64 bit gaming. We reckon it's fun (and a little bit cool) to purposefully incorporate and celebrate these themes as an artistic endeavour."

Kelion also shared the thoughts of Steve Mayles, Banjo team's lead creative artist and brother of Gregg Mayles."

Rare: Original Banjo still holds up (News)

May 17, 2008

CVG Writes: "During our exclusive sit down with Rare's head of design Gregg Mayles, we asked him if, looking back, there was anything he wished he'd change about Banjo?"

Rare: Original Banjo still holds up (News)

May 17, 2008

CVG writes: During our exclusive sit down with Rare's head of design Gregg Mayles, we asked him if, looking back, there was anything he wished he'd change about Banjo?

Two previous Banjo 3 concepts were scrapped (News)

May 15, 2008

Speaking in a live chat with some Rare fan sites, Rare's head of design Gregg Mayles revealed that that Banjo-Kazooie 3 as we see it today is actually the third iteration, with the two previous concepts having been scrapped.

"This is actually the 3rd Banjo 3! We scrapped two other approaches, didn't think they offered a big enough step forward," said Mayles. "So I would say it started after Ghoulies. But then got scrapped a couple of times. Then I worked on Piñata. Then came back to Banjo again! Oh, and I think I did some puzzles for Mr. Pants too!"

New Banjo will shake up "stale" platform adventuring genre, says Rare (News)

May 15, 2008

VG247: Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts dev lead Gregg Mayles reckons platform adventuring of old is over - and the new Rare game is the true evolution.

"It's true that anyone wanting a carbon copy of the previous two games will be disappointed, so I'm not even going to make out that it is," he said in a live chat with Rare fansites.

"What I believe it to be is an evolution of the platform adventure genre. The genre is too stale: it needed shaking up, so we're trying something different, but within the framework of a 'traditional' Banjo game."

Banjo 3 is 80% vehicles (News)

May 15, 2008

Rare's head of design Gregg Mayles has revealed that approximately 80% of game time in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts will be spent with vehicles.

"I would say around 80% vehicles, but just a rough guess. Banjo gets in and out of the vehicles all the time, but the travelling is done in the vehicles. A lot of the tasks require Banjo to get out and either do something to the vehicles, put something in the vehicles and so on," explained Mayles.

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts - gameplay (Video)

May 14, 2008

Rare: Violent Mario Cameo Just an Innocent Joke (News)

May 14, 2008

There was no malicious intent behind the brief scene Super Mario getting his head blown off in the debut gameplay trailer of "Banjo Kazooie: Nuts And Bolts," a developer working on the game told MTV Multiplayer yesterday.

Salvatore Fileccia, the lead software engineer behind the upcoming vehicle-based Xbox 360 platformer, said his team has the utmost respect for the Nintendo icon.

Rare: People are "less tolerant of really long games" (News)

May 14, 2008

CVG writes: Banjo creator says today's gamers aren't into long games as much as they were.

Microsoft Games: Little Big Banjo? No Lips. No Ninja Blade (News)

May 14, 2008

As its Gamers Day kicks off in San Francisco, Microsoft has released information regarding the next Viva Piñata (this one's called, Trouble in Paradise), Fable 2, Too Human and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.

Xbox 360: All the new game details (News)

May 14, 2008

Having trouble keeping track of the info-burst coming from Microsoft's spring media summit? You can find it all here in a condensed, confusion-free lump. ...

Mario spotted in new Banjo-Kazooie trailer (News)

May 14, 2008

Joystiq writes: In case you missed it, check out the Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts trailer one more time. Watch closely, especially at the 1:45 mark. Yep, that's an 8-bit Mario in all his planar glory, as both a testament to the user-generated nature of the game as well as we suspect a not-so-subtle nod to their former publishing partner.

Mass Effect 2 Going Multiplatform, Halo Wars Pushed Back (News)

May 14, 2008

While Microsoft has been pushing this year's line-up their silence on other high-profile titles may be all the evidence needed to substantiate the rumors. Mass Effect 2 on PlayStation 3, a year without a Halo game? Say it ain't so!

Banjo cast list revealed on top secret site (News)

May 13, 2008

VG247 exclusive: The cast list for Banjo 3: Nuts & Bolts has been revealed on a top secret Banjo site that videogaming247.com fell over earlier.

Banjo Nuts & Bolts story revealed (News)

May 13, 2008

VG247: We just chanced across the full PR introduction to Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts' plot in an Amazinhiddenbanjofolder on Rare's site.

Banjo-Kazooie Using Only Regular 360 Controller, No Motion Controller (News)

May 13, 2008

Kombo has received official confirmation that Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts will not be the flagship title of the rumored Xbox 360 motion controller. Quite the contrary, in fact, Banjo-Kazooie will only be using the traditional Xbox 360 gaming pad.

Rare: Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts Not a Mindless Collect-a-thon (News)

May 13, 2008

Kombo writes:

All these Banjo announcements are giving me the warm 'n' fuzzies for Banjo Kazooie on the N64. Oh wait, I meant to say that they're awakening repressed memories of collecting warm things, fuzzy objects, whosits, whatsits, musical notes, honey combs, and numerous other tiny, brightly colored items. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder met its match in Rare's game about birds, bees, and witches. Thus, it's with a sigh of relief and a sloppy hand wiping sweat from my brow that I point to a comment by Rare's head of design, Gregg Mayles.

Banjo-Kazooie: "Hot New Bird On Bear Action" (News)

May 13, 2008

Kotaku writes:

"Furries? So hot right now. Also hot: videos! We've seen Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts excel in stills, but in video, it's quite moving. In this gameplay clip, Banjo and Kazooie collect coconuts, traverse bright green terrain and pilot various vehicles to the constant din of sproing-y and boing-y sound effects. The eyes? Googly. the characters? Fuzzy. The game? So Rare."

-The video after the link

Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts Hands-On by Wired (News)

May 13, 2008

"It's not just simply adding objects to pre-defined chassis to create the desired effect, although the game does have some pre-built ones for you to add on to if you like. Every block can be placed individually including all the superstructure, and then the game's physics goes to work and, voila, a vehicle.

But the screenshots are only going to tell part of the story. This is a complete Lego experience, and you can keep on clicking those blocks together. During the demo, a towering statue of Mario, which one of the testers made, was shown off -- and you can apparently drive it, though we're just treated to seeing his head cheekily blown off to demonstrate how the vehicles are made of individual objects.

This is only the start. A tester tells me about that during an internal competition to see what was possible, he constructed a functioning space shuttle, complete with ejectable boosters. When they were sent spinning into the ether, a pair of wings slid into place, allowing you to fly the titan."

writes Wired.com

Xbox unveils full 2008 software line-up (News)

May 13, 2008

MCV writes: "Gears of War 2, Too Human, Fable 2 and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts all arriving before Christmas.

Unfortunate internet leaks may have reduced the wow factor, but Microsoft Game Studios has finally revealed its list of big-hitting 360 software releases from now until the end of the year.

The platform holder is set to confirm the list at its product showcase in San Francisco later today."

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts - hands-on (Preview)

May 13, 2008

Back in April Microsoft invited a handful of press to spend a day inside the barns of Rare's HQ for the world's first look and play of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. They made us sit through Viva Pinata 2 first, but it was still worth it. Because when Willy Wonka opens the doors to his factory, you drop everything and make travel arrangements. This was the moment we'd been waiting for since the game was announced in September ...

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts - interview (Feature)

May 13, 2008

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is up there with Gears of War 2 as far as 360's monster games of 2008 go for us. We've seen a bit about Gears 2 already, and now Rare's finally lifted the cauldron lid on Banjo's third adventure.

To get an idea on what we can expect, check out our hands-on preview. But to find out how the change in direction came about, read this very exclusive interview with Rare's head of design, Gregg ...

Microsoft Gamers Day Roundup (News)

May 13, 2008

A roundup of all the announcements from the Gamers Day taking place in San Francisco including news on Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Gears of War 2, Viva Pinata 2 and Too Human.

Banjo Kazooie 3 - first level in one of six gaming worlds described (News)

May 13, 2008

Danish site Gamereactor has described in detail the first level of Rare's new genre-blender, Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.

Banjo-Kazooie 3 multiplayer details revealed (News)

May 13, 2008

Speaking of a recent press day at Rare, Gamereactor has revealed a few multiplayer modes for the new Banjo-Kazooie title - supposedly named Nuts & Bolts - on Xbox 360.

"The best part of the day by a mile was when Rare had arranged some duels between the journalists," said the site, translated by videogaming247.

Read the rest through the link.

First Official Details on Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (News)

May 12, 2008

The first official details surrounding Banjo-Kazooie 3 have surfaced. Vehicles and platforming meet.Welcome, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.

First Banjo Kazooie story details (News)

Apr 1, 2008

UK developer Rare has revealed the first story details of its upcoming Xbox 360 only adventure, Banjo Kazooie. The only problem is, the cheeky monkeys have buried it amongst a load of hoax plotline untruths and we've no idea which one be the real deal! ...

Banjo Kazooie "still on target" for 2008 (News)

Feb 12, 2008

Amid rumours circulating the net, Microsoft UK has confirmed that the Xbox 360 edition of Banjo-Kazooie is "still on target" for 2008, and will be out later this year."As announced at E3 last year, the next installment in the popular Banjo franchise is still on target for 2008," a Microsoft spokesperson tells us."We share the excitement of Banjo fans worldwide as anticipation 'builds' for the game's release later this year."The confirmation ...

10 games to watch in '08 (Feature)

Sep 5, 2007

Sept 5, 2007 10) Fable 2 It's what we've always wanted out of life - grow a 'stache, embark on epic adventures, bag yourself a lady friend and er... raze entire villages to the ground. After Pete Molyneux shocked the gaming world by revealing a pet dog, he described the potential of a next gen, living, breathing Albion. We bought the dream, ...

Banjo-Kazooie to return on 360 (News)

Sep 28, 2006

The long-rumoured third episode in Rare's Banjo-Kazooie series has indeed made the jump to Xbox 360, with Microsoft announcing the as-yet-untitled game at its X06 ...