Giiga
08-02-2005, 07:07 PM
#3 review/preview BANJO PILOT
INTRO
I personally don't believe that there's a kart racer out there that can truly compete with Mario Kart. There have been numerous attempts made in an effort to steal Nintendo's thunder, some of which have been really quite impressive; but there has never been a kart racer released that captures the same magic and excitement that Niintendo manages to exude in their Mario Kart titles. Rare's Diddy Kong Racing was perhaps the only game that really gave Mario Kart a run for it's money and it was with that thought that I purchased Banjo Pilot. Created by Rare and published by THQ, I had really psyched myself up for some fantastic kart racing (or in this case flight racing) action. Originally titled Diddy Kong Pilot, Rare was forced to change the title, as they no longer had license to utilize the Nintendo based characters, but that didn't matter to me; and while Rare's noticeable absence from gaming in general has been something to ponder, I never really gave it a second thought. This game, this Banjo Pilot, would be a new era of racer that would put Rare back on the charts and provide me with some much needed racing bliss...
IN-GAME INFO
I usually enjoy beginning my reviews with some sort of synopsis of the story, but in the case of Banjo Pilot, that would be an unnecessary addition to my review. This is based solely around the fact that there is no real story to be found within the game at all.
Must... get... Honeycomb!!!
Of course, it's a racing game, so this is an excusable omission, but I had pegged this game as a Diddy Kong Racing styled competition and had expected some type of plotline above and beyond the whole "Just Race!" sort of attitude. Sadly, this would not be the case.
Banjo Pilot, as I said before, is a racer and it certainly offers up enough options in terms of gaming opportunities through which you can strut your funky stuff. There will be no squealing of tires at the start nor will you smell the acrid odor of burning rubber in the air as you take a sharp corner. These facets will be shockingly absent in this kart racer. Why is that, you ask? Banjo Pilot takes place in the clear blue skies, utilizing aircraft, rather than traditional ground based karts.
GRAPHICS AND SOUND BREAKDOWN
The graphics in the game are simply brilliant and each and every level and character maintains a high level of detail at all times. Even in motion, there are no real hints of pop-up or problems with framerate. The draw distance itself is a bit cumbersome for the GBA to handle, so you might notice it a bit more in certain levels, but overall the graphics are crisp, clean and relatively free from glitches. The backgrounds are stocked to the gills with distinctive ambience such as palm trees, snow capped peaks and rocky ridges and are as impressive as can be for a GBA game.
Sound effects are a mixed bag, however. There are some sound bites, but they are usually limited to the characters name and a few silly noises. Other than that, Rare has opted to use gibberish sounds for character voices, such as those found in Grabbed by the Ghoulies and Sabrewolf. It's realy annoying at first, but you get used to it quickly enough. Aircraft sounds and weaponry are all rather generic sounding, with nothing to really differentiate it from any other game in the genre, so I can't honestly say I was impressed by the sounds overall.
FINAL IMPRESSIONS
It's hard not to like Banjo Pilot simply because it manages to be maintain a fun factor, even given the fact that the game is far too easy for its own good. Graphically, the game is wonderful, the controls are quite user-friendly, and the dogfighting is incredibly entertaining. However, if you're looking for a challenging kart racer, one that will have you cursing the computer out time and time again, than this is certainly not the game for you. The AI lacks any real challenge and the track layouts are somewhat poorly thought out. Overall, the game is entertaining, but the longevity and competition just aren't enough to keep you on your toes for an extended period of time and that leads me to think that the game is only worth a purchase if you're a die-hard Banjo fan.
[Note]: If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them, but please read the review first. :)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Rare Genre: Sports - Racing
INTRO
I personally don't believe that there's a kart racer out there that can truly compete with Mario Kart. There have been numerous attempts made in an effort to steal Nintendo's thunder, some of which have been really quite impressive; but there has never been a kart racer released that captures the same magic and excitement that Niintendo manages to exude in their Mario Kart titles. Rare's Diddy Kong Racing was perhaps the only game that really gave Mario Kart a run for it's money and it was with that thought that I purchased Banjo Pilot. Created by Rare and published by THQ, I had really psyched myself up for some fantastic kart racing (or in this case flight racing) action. Originally titled Diddy Kong Pilot, Rare was forced to change the title, as they no longer had license to utilize the Nintendo based characters, but that didn't matter to me; and while Rare's noticeable absence from gaming in general has been something to ponder, I never really gave it a second thought. This game, this Banjo Pilot, would be a new era of racer that would put Rare back on the charts and provide me with some much needed racing bliss...
IN-GAME INFO
I usually enjoy beginning my reviews with some sort of synopsis of the story, but in the case of Banjo Pilot, that would be an unnecessary addition to my review. This is based solely around the fact that there is no real story to be found within the game at all.
Must... get... Honeycomb!!!
Of course, it's a racing game, so this is an excusable omission, but I had pegged this game as a Diddy Kong Racing styled competition and had expected some type of plotline above and beyond the whole "Just Race!" sort of attitude. Sadly, this would not be the case.
Banjo Pilot, as I said before, is a racer and it certainly offers up enough options in terms of gaming opportunities through which you can strut your funky stuff. There will be no squealing of tires at the start nor will you smell the acrid odor of burning rubber in the air as you take a sharp corner. These facets will be shockingly absent in this kart racer. Why is that, you ask? Banjo Pilot takes place in the clear blue skies, utilizing aircraft, rather than traditional ground based karts.
GRAPHICS AND SOUND BREAKDOWN
The graphics in the game are simply brilliant and each and every level and character maintains a high level of detail at all times. Even in motion, there are no real hints of pop-up or problems with framerate. The draw distance itself is a bit cumbersome for the GBA to handle, so you might notice it a bit more in certain levels, but overall the graphics are crisp, clean and relatively free from glitches. The backgrounds are stocked to the gills with distinctive ambience such as palm trees, snow capped peaks and rocky ridges and are as impressive as can be for a GBA game.
Sound effects are a mixed bag, however. There are some sound bites, but they are usually limited to the characters name and a few silly noises. Other than that, Rare has opted to use gibberish sounds for character voices, such as those found in Grabbed by the Ghoulies and Sabrewolf. It's realy annoying at first, but you get used to it quickly enough. Aircraft sounds and weaponry are all rather generic sounding, with nothing to really differentiate it from any other game in the genre, so I can't honestly say I was impressed by the sounds overall.
FINAL IMPRESSIONS
It's hard not to like Banjo Pilot simply because it manages to be maintain a fun factor, even given the fact that the game is far too easy for its own good. Graphically, the game is wonderful, the controls are quite user-friendly, and the dogfighting is incredibly entertaining. However, if you're looking for a challenging kart racer, one that will have you cursing the computer out time and time again, than this is certainly not the game for you. The AI lacks any real challenge and the track layouts are somewhat poorly thought out. Overall, the game is entertaining, but the longevity and competition just aren't enough to keep you on your toes for an extended period of time and that leads me to think that the game is only worth a purchase if you're a die-hard Banjo fan.
[Note]: If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them, but please read the review first. :)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Rare Genre: Sports - Racing