Banjo-Kazooie is a colourful and engaging platformer starring a bear (Banjo) and his bird friend (Kazooie) who rides along in Banjo’s backpack. The game was developed by Rare around the time that the company was in its prime, having cut its teeth on such successes as the Donkey Kong Country games, and as such is full to the brim with gameplay and an art style that 90s kids will instantly recognise and feel at home with.

Banjo-Kazooie’s storyline is simple and easy to follow. The wicked witch Gruntilda kidnaps Banjo’s sister Tootie and plans to use a machine to steal Tootie’s good looks for herself. You, as Banjo and Kazooie, then make your way up Gruntilda’s evil lair. Exploring multiple themed worlds and finding golden jigsaw pieces, musical notes and other miscellaneous collectibles to help you progress.

The gameplay of Banjo-Kazooie centres around jumping and performing special moves to traverse a world of enemies, puzzles, ledges and floating platforms. It can be quite challenging for anyone not already familiar with platforming games, but it does play well, so it should feel like a rewarding challenge rather than a frustrating one. That said, some sections of the gameplay (particularly the flying and swimming mechanics) are very clunky and will be a big turn off for some.

Another occasionally problematic area of the game is the puzzles it asks players to complete. Some tasks throughout the game are locked behind excruciatingly obtuse puzzles, which often leave you wondering how on earth you were ever supposed to connect the dots. This is reminiscent of many games of the era (a good example is the Legend of Zelda games for the Nintendo 64), and was likely intended as a way to pad playtime for a young audience. In today’s day and age however, games that ask you to explore every nook and cranny of their maps, and try dozens of different tactics on one task with very little in the way of clues, are more frustrating than fulfilling.

But Banjo-Kazooie thrives on its art and general style. A vibrant and relentlessly whimsical game, it uses the now aged graphics of 3D video games of the 90s to their absolute best ability. Character models are exaggerated and simplified, textures are easily understood and the colourful backgrounds are easily traversed. All of this helps Banjo-Kazooie appeal to a younger audience by not asking too much of the player’s comprehension.

In addition, the lively tunes that populate the various worlds are upbeat and catchy, I often caught myself humming them absent-mindedly, and they certainly lent themselves to the positive and cheery atmosphere that Banjo-Kazooie constantly tries to create. Even the supposedly spooky Mad Monster Mansion level was cartoony and exaggerated enough that I never felt on edge whilst playing.

Ultimately I enjoyed my time with Banjo-Kazooie, and I highly recommend it to anyone with young children as a good game to get them started. It reinforces good hand eye coordination and problem solving skills without exposing children to anything you’re not ready for them to deal with yet. But it’s also a good, fun time for anyone to have. It doesn’t put you on edge or ask you to stay too focused, but it provides a wholesome way to while away some spare time. I will say though, don’t be afraid to look up any parts of the game that get you confused.