Advertising Blurbs
www.nintendo.com:
Our favorite N64 bear in tight yellow shorts takes to the skies.
One of the GBA games snapped up by THQ when Nintendo sold its interest
in developer Rare a few years ago, Banjo-Pilot is one purty racer.
Features
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16 tracks in four circuits
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Quickrace, Time Trial and Jiggy Challenge modes
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Plenty of unlockables
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Multiplayer racing for as many as four
Lush graphics has always been one of Rare's strong suits -- 'tis to be
expected from the company that wowed the gaming world with Donkey Kong
Country back in the '90s. Banjo-Pilot's richly colored landscapes and
highly detailed characters have plenty of wow in 'em and more than make up
for the occasional pop-up.
At first, only Banjo, Kazooie, Mumbo
Jumbo and Jingo are unlocked. As you earn your flying stripes, you'll gain
access to other characters from the Banjo-Kazooie franchise, including
Humba Wumba, Klungo, Gruntilda and Jolly Roger. Most aren't exactly
household names, but hey, at least they look good. Characters are rated
for handling, acceleration and top speed.
After coming out on top
of the four races in a circuit, you'll face a one-on-one boss race that
places a premium on maneuvering. In fact, the unusual game mechanic
sometimes has the camera swinging 180 degrees to view your character from
the front. At these times, your only goal is to avoid getting hit.
Even though the controls are quick and supple, Banjo-Pilot feels very much
like a kart racer, with power-ups, zippers (turbo boosts) and more. You
can climb a bit and execute a barrel roll. Illogical for an
airplane-racing game but perfectly logical for a kart racer, you'll slow
down if you go off course.
The clever folks at Rare have never been
able to resist larding their games with collecting expeditions. On this
score Banjo-Pilot feels a little more relaxed than previous Rare efforts,
but you'll still get a feeling a sameness. The Jiggy Challenge, for
example, follows the grand prix circuits, only this time you have to
collect at least one Jiggy (jigsaw puzzle piece) while outracing a boss.
You'll have to prospect the tracks yet again to pick up musical notes that
earn unlockables from the ornery Cheato.
Bottom Line
Banjo-Pilot is an extremely handsome and well-tuned racer. Even if you
grow tired of completing all the challenges, this game still delivers
plenty of voom-voom.
Contributed by Evil Ryu (31582) on Jul 17, 2005.
thq.com:
rareware.com:
The bear takes to the air! They should put that one on the box. Yes, in the opening stretches of 2005, the Game Boy Advance gets its second dose of Banjo action with the high-flying, all-star race spectacular that is Banjo Pilot. With a motley assortment of contestants and courses hand-picked from the N64 and GBA adventures, the recognition factor is high, but powering a triumphant Klungo past Gruntilda way up in the air over Treasure Trove Cove is an experience we very much doubt you’ve had before in the Banjo universe.
Single-player gameplay offerings include the full Grand Prix mode complete with decisive dogfights against reigning champions, Jiggy Challenge in which you race a series veteran while simultaneously battling to snatch Jiggies from the sky, plus that staunch favourite Time Trial and the single-track instant fix of Quickrace.
In multiplayer terms you can link GBA systems to engage in aerial competition with (or against) up to three friends. Grand Prix is a multiplayer version of the four-track staple, Head-to-Head offers the simple argument-deciding power of one quick competitive race, while Dogfight does exactly what it says on the tin. Blow those boggle-eyed freaks out of the sky! (The characters, not your friends… no, come to think it, those too.)
Add to all this a bristling array of weapons from Triple Ice Eggs to the Saucer of Peril, advanced manoeuvres designed to clip seconds off your lap times, trophies and rosettes to win plus all manner of unlockable secrets contained within Cheato the spell book’s missing pages, and you’re looking at a game with a lifespan measurable in hundreds of air miles. And it should be available in a shop near you (or at least in a country in your hemisphere) right now – so by all means jump on board and take it for a spin.
Contributed by gamewarrior (5122) on Jul 11, 2005.
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