Brian Gouldman
i_rule@dreamcastrocks.com

Infinite Lives
----------------
At the sand castle in Treasure Trove Cove spell out "cheat"
then spell out "lotsofgoeswithmanybanjos" there won't be any sound
signifying you did it right until the last letter. so don't mess up.

Infinite Air
----------------
At the sand castle in Treasure Trove Cove spell out "cheat"
then spell out "givethebearlotsofair" there won't be any sound signifying
you did it right until the last letter. so don't mess up.

Maximum Energy
----------------
At the sand castle in Treasure Trove Cove spell out "cheat"
then spell out "anenergybartogetyoufar" there won't be any sound signifying
you did it right until the last letter. so don't mess up.

Infinite Eggs
----------------
At the sand castle in Treasure Trove Cove spell out "cheat"
then spell out "banjobegsforplentyofeggs" there won't be any sound
signifying you did it right until the last letter. so don't mess up.

Infinite Mumbo Tokens
----------------------
At the sand castle in Treasure Trove Cove spell out "cheat"
then spell out "dontbeadumbogoseemumbo" there won't be any sound signifying
you did it right until the last letter. so don't mess up.

Infinite Red Feathers
----------------------
At the sand castle in Treasure Trove Cove spell out "cheat"
then spell out "nowyoucanflyhighinthesky" there won't be any sound
signifying you did it right until the last letter. so don't mess up.

Infinite Gold Feathers
-----------------------
At the sand castle in Treasure Trove Cove spell out "cheat"
then spell out "agoldenglowtoprotectbanjo" there won't be any sound
signifying you did it right until the last letter. so don't mess up.

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Back to the N64 Page

When Mario 64 came out, it redefined gameplay, established a new genre and opened people's eyes up to the potential for 3D platformers. Since that game's release, there have been many clones, but not one has exceeded the scope and design of Miyamoto's masterpiece… until now.

Rare's effort in the form of Banjo Kazooie has been a long time coming with multiple delays but like much of Nintendo's work, it's been worth waiting for. In a nutshell, Banjo-Kazooie does everything Mario 64 did, only better. Advancements in technology and understanding of the Nintendo 64 hardware has enabled Rare to up the ante in a number of ways. New twists on Mario 64's gameplay have allowed for hours of fun with little repetition.

The game's mechanics focus around the character design of Banjo and Kazooie. Taken separately, the character designs for Banjo and Kazooie are fairly uninspiring, but the pairing of the two characters and the interplay of their abilities makes for some amazing gameplay elements. What's more, is that because there are so many abilities and items to use, Rare has ramped up the difficulty level in such a way that it's accessible for novice gamers yet the promise of new abilities keeps experienced gamers motivated to continue. Similarly, difficulty levels ramp up at a similar pace and by the time advanced gamers get into the game but a few hours, they'll find themselves challenged.

Level designs within the game are extremely varied though is occasionally unoriginal. Snow levels, haunted houses, sewers, etc. have all been done before, but admittedly, Rare has an extremely nice flair for design and has made every new area a beauty to behold. The key to the game's appeal is the fact that there are so many different 'special' tasks to do. While like Mario, there are puzzle pieces to collect instead of stars, getting each puzzle piece generally requires more thought and strategy than simply getting to the top of a certain area.

Graphically speaking, the game is easily the most beautiful title to date on the Nintendo 64. Textures seem to be considerably higher resolution and the variation is unlike anything that's been done before on the system. The cartridge space limitations seen in other games seem to have vanished in comparison. Characters are smoothly animated and there is no shortage of variation in the levels. Once in the levels, they seem far larger than those in Mario 64 and you can see seemingly forever in them with regard to the horizon clipping. Granted, elements such as the objects you collect and bad guys are clipped out at fairly close range, but the effect of seeing an entire level stretch before you after having flown hundreds of feet up is really something.

One of the great technical breakthroughs Rare made was on the audio side. Every character has his/her own 'sound' and while it's just a simple sound
sample that is varied, the effect is well done. Additionally, dynamic music that changes depending upon objects that one comes near or new areas one
explores is extremely well done. Simply by switching an instrument in an arrangement, the music can take on entirely new moods. This technique was experimented with by Rare in Diddy Kong Racing but it was perfected in Banjo-Kazooie.

All in all, Banjo-Kazooie is of the level of quality that Nintendo and Rare have become known for.