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Its been a decade since we have last seen two of platform gamings most well known and popular characters. The Banjo Kazooie games enlightened many of us young and old and offered some of gamings most savored platforming experiences. Naturally when Rare announced that these two gaming icons were coming out of retirement for another gaming adventure the industry took notice. Whilst Rares releases since Microsoft's acquisition have not been bad, they have failed to match the expectations of gamers who remember the greatness of Rare games from the Nintendo 64 and before. To bring Banjo and Kazooie back was a risk, if the game failed it would be disastrous for Rare and would put their credibility on the line should they choose to introduce any of their previous characters to new titles. Thankfully Banjo - Kazooie is not a disaster nor a failure but in so many ways it is not the Banjo - Kazooie of old. Banjo - Kazooie: Nuts and bolts needs to be played with an open mind to get the best experience out of it. The question that remains is to the fans of the old entries of the series, will you accept change?

Nuts and Bolts starts with our main characters vegging out watching the tv and playing video games, showing that in the time since their last game they have been enjoying the high life and Banjo showing he has been eating lots of food. Everything seems great until the Lord of Games or L.O.G for short shows up to turn their world upside down. L.O.G has brought Grunty back meaning that Banjo and Kazooie are left to once again save the day. The game then introduces you to the central hub or the game, Showdown Town. From Showdown town you will be able to run quests, perform side missions, play a form of Bingo and play other games, buy new vehicle blueprints and parts and access Mumbo Jumbos mechanic workshop. Scattered throughout showdown town are many of the series' previous characters who may offer hints and tips, the occasional mission or upgrades for Banjo. Jinjos who were a popular race of characters from the previous games also make an appearance and you will spend some time freeing them from the grasp of local law. Mumbo Jumbos workshop is a important part of Nuts and Bolts as its where you will spend the majority of your time with this game tinkering and creating new vehicles before evaluating their performance in the Testing Zone.

Whilst opportunity does arise to buy new parts from the local store, the majority of new parts are unlocked by collecting Mumbo's crates which are scattered throughout Showdown Town. These crates have a varying difficulty and cannot always be accessed early in the game until such time when your vehicle has been upgraded in showdown town. In Showdown Town you cannot modify the standard vehicle whenever you want. Upgrades occur at milestone occasions and are purely added to give you more access to Showdown Town. These milestones are dependant upon the amount of Jiggies you have collected. These Jiggies, which are gold puzzle pieces, unlock more levels to access around Showdown Town. To earn Jiggies you will need to complete missions within each level which usually consists of racing, errands or destroying an enemies vehicle within a given time limit. This is where some may be less enthralled with Nuts and Bolts as every mission required the use of a vehicle which does away with traditional platforming elements.

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