Why Banjo-Kazooie is better than Super Mario 64

Polygon:
It's time for a controversial opinion! I've been playing Banjo-Kazooie again, thanks to the recent Rare Replay. I've always loved the game, but I was struck on this playthrough just how well-designed and memorable the game is, from top to bottom.

Playing so much Banjo-Kazooie led me to start playing Super Mario 64 again. And while Mario 64 is clearly the more important game to gaming history — it's the first truly great 3D platformer — the developers at Rare took that structure and improved upon it for their game (which came out a little less than two years later).

[StrayaKNT]

Banjo kazooie is amazing. I'm loving rare replay.

[breakpad]

Crash Bandicoot 1-2 are far better than the 2 of them...but ok there is the idiotic unscripted rule that whatever mediocrity or decent game Nintendo brings must be legendary and better than anything out there

[demonddel]

Are you high son

[TheCommentator]

Seriously, you're complaining that Nintendo makes mediocre games and that CRASH is better??? The only reason Nintendo is still in business IS their games! Anyways...

Banjo had funny characters, great level design, interesting abilities, and was easily more fun than SM64, which felt more like a tech demo. SM64 also loses points for its tease at the end by showing you Yoshi, but giving you 100 guys instead. I was like, "OMG, I get to ride Yoshi! Wait... really? WTF do I need 100 guys for? I just beat the whole game..."

[TheFirstClassic]

Crash games on ps1 are fun, but they have nothing on banjo kazooie and mario 64. People don't like these two games because they were released by nintendo, they love them because they are amazing platformers. Almost perfect games honestly.

[breakpad]

@cpayne yes i know why people loved these games ..were indeed good platformers ...but almost perfect as you say were Crash Bandicoot 1-2 (also 3 but a bit too easy)...go play them now Banjo, Mario and Crash and you ill understand what i mean...you may stuck and want to finish Crash right away bit if you start the others (and you have already finished them at least once) you will bored probably at the start

[TheFirstClassic]

Your garbled grammar makes it sort of difficult to understand what you're saying, but I'll assume you aren't a native English speaker.

I've played all three crash games and the mario and banjo games all within the last couple of years. Mario and banjo destroy crash. The games have way more moves, better platforming controls (especially mario 64, there's so many ways to jump and move around levels), big levels you can explore, better music, and more diverse gameplay.

[3-4-5]

uhh I love both games but NO Banjo is NOT better than Mario 64.

* The first 2-3 levels somewhat compare but at some point Banjo gets frustrating in ways it doesn't need to.

Love both series, but yea Mario 64 is still the better overall game.

It gets too many small details right for it not to.

[TheFirstClassic]

I agree but banjo does have some things over mario 64. Graphics, bigger worlds, characters and story, more moves, humor etc.

Mario 64 wins for me because the jumping mechanics are more fun. And that's what makes a platformer a platformer.

[AzubuEntus]

The era when Rare games actually rivaled against Nintendo's own series.

[Concertoine]

Rare's games were more technically impressive than Nintendo's. They discovered development techniques before even Nintendo did. They used full models on Diddy Kong racing while Nintendo used dynamic sprites and mastered texture production on N64 before Nintendo did. Star fox Adventures looked better than what Nintendo was making after 3 years of optimization. So dumb of them to sell to MS. If i remember right, they sold for 175 million, that is pocket change for Nintendo and they would be better off with Rare.

Ive always preferred Banjo to SM64. Clever writing, more detailed environments. You can also complete a level without leaving it 7 times.

[RosweeSon]

Maybe I need another run through banjo but have done it twice now 64 and 360 was more looking forward to blast corps and Conker, jet force Jemini and the Banjo I didn't play but each to their own I think I just like the Japanese way a bit better but no doubt Banjo was a great game. Rare have always pushed things Donkey kong Country 1-3 I'd still play them now... On my 3DS hint hint Nintendo pull your finger out. Don't think they really sold them to Microsoft pretty certain it was a case of who makes good games ok well buy them and then they did and nothing happened. Star fox adventures on GameCube was probably their last pretty good/great game but it's been pretty average at best since I think times just moved on the the great people from RARE did also hence why we got timesplitters and things. RARE replay shows that RARE did no questions make some of the best games around for their time but majority are from the 90's not many on their from the last 5-10 years really. Nuts and bolts and perfect dark zero, not terrible but it's no Banjo 3

If Nintendo did sell them then it was a wise move as I personally don't think since they were making these classics on the N64 that the quality has been there from RARE most left and set up Free Radical Design I believe and made the awesome Timesplitters. Best time to part ways.

[TheFirstClassic]

They were geniuses at n64 hardware back in the day.

[RosweeSon]

Yeah these games kept the N64 afloat, we all had Mario 64 Mario Kart 64, Pilotwings? (I did anyway loved 64 version) Zelda of course but without these classic rare games wouldn't have been half as good a console as it was,
Goldeneye of course, perfect dark, Blast Corps, Jet Force Jemini, Banjo and Kazooie, never got round to tooie or conker but did play donkey kong and diddy Kong racing Mario kart was better but still a really great game, Banjo was really cool and a brilliant game for the time but you can't beat Mario not just because of the fact of without it no Banjo but purely because it's Mario and was a classic not just because of its historical value, banjo was great but had a Lot Of collecting ;( other than that tho was really good glory days of gaming.

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

Yea I'd agree I find Banjo just more enjoyable.

[Hoffmann]

It is not.

[slate91]

*Looks at title*
Now lets not get carried away lol. SM64 has arguments for greatest game of all time haha IMO

[OC_MurphysLaw]

they do state in the video that SM64 is the more important game so I don't see this as a slight to SM64 but rather a nod to Rare's game and it being a "better" game that came out later but often gets over looked in those conversations.

[Dread]

No one was denying the importance of Mario 64, namely the fact that it was the first game to show us a truly realized 3D game on console. Mario 64 changed gaming forever, no doubt about that.

But could you argue that it was a better 3D game than Zelda 64? maybe, but I would say that Zelda was the better game because, among other things, it utilized 3d more effectively. Not surprising given that it came out approximately three years later, when Nintendo was more familiar with 3d games and the 64 hardware.

He basically is saying that Rare improved significantly on the 3d formula created by Nintendo. So much so that he opines that Bango is a better game than the classic Mario 64.

[demonddel]

Zelda oot is the best game ever created wish they would update with today's technology

[InTheLab]

Not even the greatest Mario...

[JLynn943]

They're both excellent games. The level design in Super Mario 64 is phenomenal (and that's not a slight on Banjo-Kazooie's), and the cast of characters and creativity of Banjo-Kazooie are fantastic (also not a slight on Super Mario 64's). You really can't go wrong with either.

[Kal-V3]

Had to be Polygon to spew out some clickbait non sense like this.

[Kal-V3]

"oh. look at me.. I think (less popular game) is better than (more popular game) because im all hipster and in the know, i pretend to have a different outlook on things just to let people know that i am smarter than them and not going along with the grain. Now, i know im wrong, but it'll get a bunch of people clicking on my article to generate hits and attention while they argue over their fanaticism so i'm going to go ahead and do it, even if it's not true....and they'll fall for it every time"

-- Most Gaming Media Today Including Polygon

[cd1]

I loved Banjo Kazooie but disagree its better than Mario 64.

Graphically id say it had the edge but what do you expect, Mario was the first N64 game and graphics always improve as Devs learn how to get more out of the Hardware available.

In every other aspect Mario wins in my book.

[Ocsta]

"Because its now in Microsucks stable." I swear to G** this agenda is off the charts.

[Dread]

Dude, I think you dropped your tinfoil hat. Go make another one.

[Ocsta]

Dude open your eyes. Unless your a 'bot in which case: "Hail Spencer!"

[Dread]

so basically according to your conspiracy theory the author is only saying that he prefers Banjo over Mario 64 because Banjo is also playable in MS consoles.

wow.

[TXIDarkAvenger]

Looking back, I actually agree. Banjo-Kazooie is better than Super Mario 64. Now as to why Super Mario 64 is considered one of the greatest games of all time and not Banjo-Kazooie is probably because it revolutionized the genre with its 3D game design and dynamic camera system. Banjo-Kazooie took what made Super Mario 64 great and made it even better. If Banjo came out first, it would definitely be considered one of the greatest and most influential games of all time.

Probably get disagreed to oblivion so I'd like to ask why do you think Super Mario 64 is better?

[InTheLab]

Makes perfect sense. The first to do anything is always considered the greatest.

[DualWielding]

I think 3D platformers in general suck, Mario 3D land is the first 3D platformer I have ever enjoyed and even that I did not enjoy as much as I would a 2D one

[Jmanzare]

Mario Galaxy is so much better

[InTheLab]

I'm with you there. The 2d Marios are far superior. Of course, I grew up with SMB Nes and crapped myself watching Fred Savage play SMB3 in the movie "the Wizard".

[Th3o]

....

[higgins78]

Banjo-Kazooie is/was a very, very good game, great even. Super Mario 64 is a masterpiece, flawless, played today still one of the best, in its time a leap of epic proportions into the 'next gen' - truly.

[ThePsychoGamer]

Thinking about it, I can't think of a single thing Mario 64 did better than Banjo kazooie.

[TheFirstClassic]

Jumping mechanics?

[DeadManMMX]

GTFO. Mario 64s variety alone gives it the win.

[TheFirstClassic]

Well banjo would have more "variety" in most all ways so i dunno what you mean there.

[InTheLab]

It's not a crime to consider Banjo better than Smb64 but considering the source.... it's suspect as hell.

My opinion? Jak, Ratchet, and Sly trump them all.

[Donnywho]

Classic case of someone left an industrial sized bottle of rubber cement open in the room you frequent the most. It happens, and Banjo Kazooie is definitely a great game.

[zugdar]

1. It has a better story with more interesting characters.
2. Seamless worlds that do not reset after each star.
3. More unique worlds.
4. More platforming mechanics to enjoy.
5. Secrets and cheats.
6. Mumbo Jumbo

[KryptoniteTail]

Because you're smoking crack?