Banjo Tooie expands on everything the original did. Its levels, music, movement, story, visuals, racism, and every other element is brought up in scope and ambition here. I was worried Tooie had aged similarly to Donkey Kong 64 with its tedious constant gated collecting and backtracking, but save for a few elements (Mumbo and the new racist caricature) the pacing was smoother than i expected.

Most of the new shit here rocks, fast travelling makes the larger level sizes comfy and the new moves you get are fun as hell. I actually really liked the FPS sections too, they didn't go on that long and they control really well. Unfortunately, whenever the game makes you shoot while flying or swimming I wanted to die, that fucking cursor is absolute evil. playing as Banjo and Kazooie separately is fun though not very impactful and I wish you had a menu to do it anytime. if this game had a radial menu on the dpad that allowed that alongside switching to Mumbo or the transformations you unlock this could beat the original in terms of pace.

I think the biggest improvement Tooie makes is with the story and presentation. this game's lighting is unholy for Nintendo 64 and its cutscenes are really good. the writing and tone is a lot darker and comedic than the first game's in a way that kicks ass. Bottles just immediately fucking dying is one of the funniest things I've seen in a game. Kazooie is why i support women's rights alongside women's wrongs and if this came out now she'd probably be a popular furry porno character but she kinda lucked out. Tooie's world is just a lot more fleshed out and imaginative than the first game's.

oh, also I was playing the XBLA version. but uh, I never actually finished it. I was at Grunty Industries, 100% up to that point, and then my save file just decided I was back in Glitter Gulch and would not work again. So really this is only a review of most of Banjo Tooie, with the rest played on an emulator while really wishing i was playing the XBLA version, but I had a great time overall.

this little shitfaced monkey has the audacity to, first off, be so curious it became his identity. which i just find ridiculous. curious about what? he's not smart enough to understand anything anyways. but secondly this little ape has the worst double jump in all of gaming. you gotta press the jump button twice before it registers, you can't double jump at a point during the first jump you gotta commit immediately. I'm sorry everyone but curious george on ps2 isnt that good. i know that's hard to take in and im sorry

just like with IV Apocalypse, the story is dogshit - but the game is really fun and from the promo materials (and every other Atlus game as of late) i didn't have any high expectations for the writing. still, its narrative is unique in that it doesn't even fucking try - this game never once puts any focus on its characters or story in a meaningful way and whether that's good or bad is up to you.

combat's peak SMT, mechanically solid as hell and incredibly satisfying. demon fusion is the most sensible its ever been and the replacement of smirk for magatsuhi is a welcome change. Nahobino feels pretty good, the combat's at its best, and the art and music are a massive step up from the previous two games - even if some of the designs are dogshit. sadly, SMT V's world is very uninspired, content with just doing something akin to blasted Tokyo the entire way through with little points of interest or unique areas. save for two dungeons, it's just the desert but with a different colour each time. paired with the nonexistent story, i felt like my time with SMT V blended together despite its runtime. which is pretty fucking lame. the game never throws any curveballs your way, if you play the first five hours you've basically played the entire thing.

it isn't as atmospheric as Nocturne, its world design is lacking and is largely forgettable, but SMT V is a really fun time in terms of gameplay, which is its major focus. Shin Megami Tensei V is a game that probably won't stick with you in the ways Digital Devil Saga or Nocturne do, but it's a comfortable and breezy experience i had a good time with. though it could've been so much more.