Why Banjo-Kazooie is better than Super Mario 64
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Date: 2023-12-10
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Comments and reviews: 30
-mutantmagnet
I felt this was pretty weak and didn't make a convincing enough case to appreciate why Banjo could be better.
-Banjo allows you gain more movesets as you progress while Mario gives you everything at once. -
Ok I get the whole idea of feeling accomplished for unlocking new moves and being amazed once you're given something new to do. This is why most games are structured this way but there is merit in giving the player all the tools immediately. Most games don't allow you to re-explore old territory with better movesets because it breaks their design. Games that take these advanced options into account make revisiting content more fun as you find new ways to navigate the world and deal with challenges in more precise ways.
-Banjo has powerups that allow you to become different animals that help you in the overworld and the sublevels. -
Mario's caps did the same thing.
-The level design was advanced and allowed for more things to happen. -
You actually touch on this point better at 8 minutes and basically repeated my reaction to that assertion. Mario did have very varied levels but they restricted how you accessed it by punting you out of the level with the stars mechanic. Essentially you're arguing Banjo is better because Nintendo felt compelled to have what is ultimately an active loading screen gating the content. It's annoying when looked at that but the complicated level design is being understated.
It's around the 5: 30 mark when I felt you made a case for Banjo that is definitely better in design than Mario.
-The world is more fleshed out. Everything that is there feels like it has a reason to exist. -
I can see where you're coming from with this Nintendo's usage of imagery was very limited compared to these snippets I've seen in this video. The levels and NPCs have visual and audio queues that definitely give you a sense of a richer world.
-The music is so much better. -
Maybe I will like the music more too but that's still subjective. I wish you had gone over the usage of that music and how it can influence your tempo or give you clues to hidden content which started to become more of thing around this time period Banjo came out.
Banjo ultimately looks like it has more polish by creating a more seamless stage transition experience augmented by more thought put into fleshing out all the characters.
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I felt this was pretty weak and didn't make a convincing enough case to appreciate why Banjo could be better.
-Banjo allows you gain more movesets as you progress while Mario gives you everything at once. -
Ok I get the whole idea of feeling accomplished for unlocking new moves and being amazed once you're given something new to do. This is why most games are structured this way but there is merit in giving the player all the tools immediately. Most games don't allow you to re-explore old territory with better movesets because it breaks their design. Games that take these advanced options into account make revisiting content more fun as you find new ways to navigate the world and deal with challenges in more precise ways.
-Banjo has powerups that allow you to become different animals that help you in the overworld and the sublevels. -
Mario's caps did the same thing.
-The level design was advanced and allowed for more things to happen. -
You actually touch on this point better at 8 minutes and basically repeated my reaction to that assertion. Mario did have very varied levels but they restricted how you accessed it by punting you out of the level with the stars mechanic. Essentially you're arguing Banjo is better because Nintendo felt compelled to have what is ultimately an active loading screen gating the content. It's annoying when looked at that but the complicated level design is being understated.
It's around the 5: 30 mark when I felt you made a case for Banjo that is definitely better in design than Mario.
-The world is more fleshed out. Everything that is there feels like it has a reason to exist. -
I can see where you're coming from with this Nintendo's usage of imagery was very limited compared to these snippets I've seen in this video. The levels and NPCs have visual and audio queues that definitely give you a sense of a richer world.
-The music is so much better. -
Maybe I will like the music more too but that's still subjective. I wish you had gone over the usage of that music and how it can influence your tempo or give you clues to hidden content which started to become more of thing around this time period Banjo came out.
Banjo ultimately looks like it has more polish by creating a more seamless stage transition experience augmented by more thought put into fleshing out all the characters.
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-KahnuevsKrake
Both of them are great games that I thoroughly enjoyed as a kid. While Mario 64 was a technically revolutionary game that paved the way for Banjo Kazooie, it hasn't aged well. Obviously the graphics are dated on both of them considering they're over 20 years old, but Banjo Kazooie was just BURSTING with personality thanks to Rare's sense of humour, whereas Mario 64 feels pretty flat by comparison, the characters have little to no personality.
In fact, of the popular platforming games of the late 90's, Mario 64 probably had the least interesting personality and has aged the worst in my humble opinion. The new kids on the block, Banjo Kazooie, Crash Bandicoot and Spyro The Dragon all had a unique sense of humour, whereas Mario 64 felt like an older Mario game converted to 3D. Kinda like the Avatar of the gaming world. Technically revolutionary and changed gaming forever, but the lack of a good story and personality prevent it from being one of my favourites.
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Both of them are great games that I thoroughly enjoyed as a kid. While Mario 64 was a technically revolutionary game that paved the way for Banjo Kazooie, it hasn't aged well. Obviously the graphics are dated on both of them considering they're over 20 years old, but Banjo Kazooie was just BURSTING with personality thanks to Rare's sense of humour, whereas Mario 64 feels pretty flat by comparison, the characters have little to no personality.
In fact, of the popular platforming games of the late 90's, Mario 64 probably had the least interesting personality and has aged the worst in my humble opinion. The new kids on the block, Banjo Kazooie, Crash Bandicoot and Spyro The Dragon all had a unique sense of humour, whereas Mario 64 felt like an older Mario game converted to 3D. Kinda like the Avatar of the gaming world. Technically revolutionary and changed gaming forever, but the lack of a good story and personality prevent it from being one of my favourites.
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-TranceCore3
this video is hilarious.
It would be sad if a Mario 64 imitator, especially this one which was considered AAA at the time, that came out two years after the game that laid the ground work be better than it. It would be a kick in the teeth if it was worse.
We never got a Mario 64 2. Just other 3D Mario games. That future banjo games couldn't even touch.
It's a cool little circle jerk video for banjo fans, but it's not like the games came out at the exact same time to compete with each other. Everyone was ready for a new Mario platformer by the time banjo came out. Which is why we got so many rumors' around Luigi and a possible sequel in the first place. Could have been possible, but the N64 DD failed and that's that.
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this video is hilarious.
It would be sad if a Mario 64 imitator, especially this one which was considered AAA at the time, that came out two years after the game that laid the ground work be better than it. It would be a kick in the teeth if it was worse.
We never got a Mario 64 2. Just other 3D Mario games. That future banjo games couldn't even touch.
It's a cool little circle jerk video for banjo fans, but it's not like the games came out at the exact same time to compete with each other. Everyone was ready for a new Mario platformer by the time banjo came out. Which is why we got so many rumors' around Luigi and a possible sequel in the first place. Could have been possible, but the N64 DD failed and that's that.
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-inceptional
Hey, I'm sure in some ways Banjo-Kazooie actually is better than Mario 64, certainly it has better graphics (so there's one thing right there, but it learned pretty much everything that made it great from not only Mario 64 but all the Mario platformers that came before it too.
Just something to keep in mind, when you so nonchalantly use such an obviously trolling title like -Why Banjo-Kazooie is better than Super Mario 64- for your video. You just know that's going to get some people's backs up.
Maybe it would have been better to say -How Banjo-Kazooie improved on Mario 64's revolutionary foundation-, or something like that.
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Hey, I'm sure in some ways Banjo-Kazooie actually is better than Mario 64, certainly it has better graphics (so there's one thing right there, but it learned pretty much everything that made it great from not only Mario 64 but all the Mario platformers that came before it too.
Just something to keep in mind, when you so nonchalantly use such an obviously trolling title like -Why Banjo-Kazooie is better than Super Mario 64- for your video. You just know that's going to get some people's backs up.
Maybe it would have been better to say -How Banjo-Kazooie improved on Mario 64's revolutionary foundation-, or something like that.
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-BassbaitGG
Super Mario 64 is a platformer first, and Banjo Kazooie is an adventure game first. Comparing them doesn't make sense. It'd make more sense to make an Ocarina of Time versus Banjo Kazooie comparison and at that point, I'm pretty sure everyone would say Ocarina is better, because those reasons listed off in this video as to why Banjo is better are present in Ocarina and more so than Banjo.
As a platformer, Super Mario 64 is unbeaten in the 3D realm. No 3D platformer even compares.
Also, Conker's Bad Fur Day and DK64 are better than Banjo Kazooie, although I would also label them adventure games first.
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Super Mario 64 is a platformer first, and Banjo Kazooie is an adventure game first. Comparing them doesn't make sense. It'd make more sense to make an Ocarina of Time versus Banjo Kazooie comparison and at that point, I'm pretty sure everyone would say Ocarina is better, because those reasons listed off in this video as to why Banjo is better are present in Ocarina and more so than Banjo.
As a platformer, Super Mario 64 is unbeaten in the 3D realm. No 3D platformer even compares.
Also, Conker's Bad Fur Day and DK64 are better than Banjo Kazooie, although I would also label them adventure games first.
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-Arnalv
Ya but Mario 64 is the speed runners game as the glitches enhances the game and teach you game design better than banjo kazooie in areas that are so good in banjo kazooie that you just get an idea of a good game while 64 teaches you how to make that good game like the iconic blj which teaches you to always include speed caps as well as collision issues allowing you to go to the attic 1 second faster which is the difference in speedruns between getting a world record and being in 52nd place and you can get to peaches castle roof with 0 stars with a secret trickwhile banjo kazooie is just a good game
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Ya but Mario 64 is the speed runners game as the glitches enhances the game and teach you game design better than banjo kazooie in areas that are so good in banjo kazooie that you just get an idea of a good game while 64 teaches you how to make that good game like the iconic blj which teaches you to always include speed caps as well as collision issues allowing you to go to the attic 1 second faster which is the difference in speedruns between getting a world record and being in 52nd place and you can get to peaches castle roof with 0 stars with a secret trickwhile banjo kazooie is just a good game
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-Fadeddreams5
Controversial? There's literally not a single video or article where I don't see someone saying this. It's basically the same game, only with better graphics, plot, writing, controls, and being able to stay in the levels after collecting a jiggy. Hell, Super Mario Odyssey, the current kingpin of 3D platformers, borrows more from Banjo-Kazooie than any other 3D Mario game released before it. The one thing Super Mario 64 has over Banjo, which may be why some people prefer it, is the ability to do crazy speedruns. The only other reason would be it being Mario.
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Controversial? There's literally not a single video or article where I don't see someone saying this. It's basically the same game, only with better graphics, plot, writing, controls, and being able to stay in the levels after collecting a jiggy. Hell, Super Mario Odyssey, the current kingpin of 3D platformers, borrows more from Banjo-Kazooie than any other 3D Mario game released before it. The one thing Super Mario 64 has over Banjo, which may be why some people prefer it, is the ability to do crazy speedruns. The only other reason would be it being Mario.
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-SotNist
I'm no Mario 64 fanboy (in fact, I think it's overrated and overzealouts fans make me dislike it more than I normally would, but hell no. Not at all. Compared to Mario 64, Banjo Kazooie is a tedious mess of me-too mascot style, retro-European platformer style -go EVERY direction ever and get ALL the things- (ala Super Frog and Putty Squad, and Sonic Adventure-90's cartoon levels of dialogue, explanation, and attempts to have characterization/context etc. You can't see the forest for the trees.
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I'm no Mario 64 fanboy (in fact, I think it's overrated and overzealouts fans make me dislike it more than I normally would, but hell no. Not at all. Compared to Mario 64, Banjo Kazooie is a tedious mess of me-too mascot style, retro-European platformer style -go EVERY direction ever and get ALL the things- (ala Super Frog and Putty Squad, and Sonic Adventure-90's cartoon levels of dialogue, explanation, and attempts to have characterization/context etc. You can't see the forest for the trees.
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-Post_Leako
Ehhhh, maybe it's cause I played Mario 64 back in the day and didn't play Banjo-Kazooie till like last year (the 360 version, but for my money Mario 64 is better in every way other than graphics and maybe music which imo is negligible (I mean they're N64 games. I've also replayed Mario 64 a lot over the years and 100%'d in 2011 and still had a blast. Banjo-Kazooie isn't bad by any means, but for me it has aged far less gracefully. That's just my opinion though, good video.
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Ehhhh, maybe it's cause I played Mario 64 back in the day and didn't play Banjo-Kazooie till like last year (the 360 version, but for my money Mario 64 is better in every way other than graphics and maybe music which imo is negligible (I mean they're N64 games. I've also replayed Mario 64 a lot over the years and 100%'d in 2011 and still had a blast. Banjo-Kazooie isn't bad by any means, but for me it has aged far less gracefully. That's just my opinion though, good video.
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-sheepinator999
Some people need to take of the nostalgia glasses. Mario is a great game that created the genre if there was no mario no banjo. The music in banjo is incredible and it improved with more varied levels/design not kicking out of the level, overworld, puzzles, abilities and characters(I. e in Mario you didn't really get why something was the. I'm not hating on mario I love the game I prefer it for nostalgia reasons but as a game banjo is better.
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Some people need to take of the nostalgia glasses. Mario is a great game that created the genre if there was no mario no banjo. The music in banjo is incredible and it improved with more varied levels/design not kicking out of the level, overworld, puzzles, abilities and characters(I. e in Mario you didn't really get why something was the. I'm not hating on mario I love the game I prefer it for nostalgia reasons but as a game banjo is better.
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polygon
the ENGLISH HUMOUR
the talksounds of the animals makes me laugh out loud any time. bought yokaa laylee 2 also.
also english humour. mario games are japanese games cannot include UK humor in that have to please overall audience. rare went further with conkers bad fur day. nintendo cannot afford to make that kind of content. some monster talking to you about ghotic architecture. priceless. love bajoo more in any sense also grand kirkhope
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the ENGLISH HUMOUR
the talksounds of the animals makes me laugh out loud any time. bought yokaa laylee 2 also.
also english humour. mario games are japanese games cannot include UK humor in that have to please overall audience. rare went further with conkers bad fur day. nintendo cannot afford to make that kind of content. some monster talking to you about ghotic architecture. priceless. love bajoo more in any sense also grand kirkhope
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-CCNightcore
Based on today's standards, yes Banjo is the better game, but as you guys said at the beginning of the video, Banjo wasn't as revolutionary at the time. In a lot of ways Super Mario 64 showed us what was possible in planning a 3d platformer and Banjo just sampled from that formula for a unique and beautiful game that will stand the test of time. I definitely agree that Banjo Kazooie is the better game.
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Based on today's standards, yes Banjo is the better game, but as you guys said at the beginning of the video, Banjo wasn't as revolutionary at the time. In a lot of ways Super Mario 64 showed us what was possible in planning a 3d platformer and Banjo just sampled from that formula for a unique and beautiful game that will stand the test of time. I definitely agree that Banjo Kazooie is the better game.
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-asnakeneverdies
It bears noting that Super Mario Sunshine brought more personality to its courses. It also managed to contextualize obstacles, platforms and locations in order to give coherence to the game world as a whole, but in the end, it wasn't really all that more compelling than 64. Some even say that it hindered the experience to the point where it became one of the main reasons the game failed.
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It bears noting that Super Mario Sunshine brought more personality to its courses. It also managed to contextualize obstacles, platforms and locations in order to give coherence to the game world as a whole, but in the end, it wasn't really all that more compelling than 64. Some even say that it hindered the experience to the point where it became one of the main reasons the game failed.
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-JohnGallagherSJC
Hey Danielle! Just so you're aware, you CAN get the Ice Key along with all the hidden eggs to fill out the Stop 'N' Swop menu. There's no crossover capability for Banjo Tooie, but you can still get them for personal satisfaction. There's a list of Sandcastle Floor codes that open up the Ice Key and eggs for you to go get.
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Hey Danielle! Just so you're aware, you CAN get the Ice Key along with all the hidden eggs to fill out the Stop 'N' Swop menu. There's no crossover capability for Banjo Tooie, but you can still get them for personal satisfaction. There's a list of Sandcastle Floor codes that open up the Ice Key and eggs for you to go get.
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-SonicJrandSarah
Very well said. Banjo-Kazooie is really a fun adventure game. One of my favorites from my childhood. I just wish that it could have been a lot bigger and had a lot more to offer. It was a shame it had to be shortened to the time that it was compared to the original plan on having 16 levels in the game.
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Very well said. Banjo-Kazooie is really a fun adventure game. One of my favorites from my childhood. I just wish that it could have been a lot bigger and had a lot more to offer. It was a shame it had to be shortened to the time that it was compared to the original plan on having 16 levels in the game.
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-TheDeathOfLucifer
Bro Sonic 3D games for Dreamcast were AMAZING. I'm not saying they were better than Mario 64 or Banjo. But they are NOT bad at all. Honestly I'd say Sonic Adventure 1&2 are the only great 3D Sonic games but that's debatable which I can understand. Chao Garden was the best
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Bro Sonic 3D games for Dreamcast were AMAZING. I'm not saying they were better than Mario 64 or Banjo. But they are NOT bad at all. Honestly I'd say Sonic Adventure 1&2 are the only great 3D Sonic games but that's debatable which I can understand. Chao Garden was the best
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-Deffpoised
I see Banjo Kazooie more as a platformer with a focus on exploring and Mario 64 as a platformer with the actual focus on platforming.
That's why I'd say in the end It's really only a matter of preference because of the fact that the games are designed in very different ways.
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I see Banjo Kazooie more as a platformer with a focus on exploring and Mario 64 as a platformer with the actual focus on platforming.
That's why I'd say in the end It's really only a matter of preference because of the fact that the games are designed in very different ways.
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-SkaiCyan
You make very good points but I gotta say I disagree in the end. All of the collecting in BK gets tired late game (I usually start to get sick of it around Freeze Easy) and the platforming in levels like Click Clock and Rusty Bucket gets to be obnoxious too.
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You make very good points but I gotta say I disagree in the end. All of the collecting in BK gets tired late game (I usually start to get sick of it around Freeze Easy) and the platforming in levels like Click Clock and Rusty Bucket gets to be obnoxious too.
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-frankymanky322
Mario 64 is really ugly. OoT and Banjo Kazooie is absolutely beautiful looking games, but Mario 64 looks like they just barfed highly detailed assets everywhere like it was some kind of tech demo. It was the proof of concept for 3D platformers.
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Mario 64 is really ugly. OoT and Banjo Kazooie is absolutely beautiful looking games, but Mario 64 looks like they just barfed highly detailed assets everywhere like it was some kind of tech demo. It was the proof of concept for 3D platformers.
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-CroffCoins
Both games are amazing, I played both growing up and I-d probably say banjo is definitely better, but they are both nonetheless some of the best 3D world roaming games to exist. I also include banjo tooie cause that game is amazing as well.
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Both games are amazing, I played both growing up and I-d probably say banjo is definitely better, but they are both nonetheless some of the best 3D world roaming games to exist. I also include banjo tooie cause that game is amazing as well.
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-truthseek3017
Too bad SM64 is more fun and has better gameplay. It is also faster paced and less of a collectathon, more of a 3d platformer. Banjos moveset is just not like marios, you can fling mario around and do complex tricks and wall jumps etc.
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Too bad SM64 is more fun and has better gameplay. It is also faster paced and less of a collectathon, more of a 3d platformer. Banjos moveset is just not like marios, you can fling mario around and do complex tricks and wall jumps etc.
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-jaym5118
I never played Banjo Kazooie, so I can't state my opinion on that. But I will say that, the one thing that bugged me about Super Mario 64 is that it didn't feel like a real Mario game. It didn't even look like the Mushroom Kingdom to me.
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I never played Banjo Kazooie, so I can't state my opinion on that. But I will say that, the one thing that bugged me about Super Mario 64 is that it didn't feel like a real Mario game. It didn't even look like the Mushroom Kingdom to me.
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-chromosoze
-Banjo Kazooie is better-
_Which came first, Banjo-Kazooie or Super Mario 64? _
_Duh_
-So every 3D action-adventure game with worlds and collectibles that help you proceed is a Super Mario 64 clone? -
_Yes_
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-Banjo Kazooie is better-
_Which came first, Banjo-Kazooie or Super Mario 64? _
_Duh_
-So every 3D action-adventure game with worlds and collectibles that help you proceed is a Super Mario 64 clone? -
_Yes_
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-DarkAnomaly
Super Mario 64's controls were horrendous. I felt like I has far better control of the characters here unlike 64 where I often found myself battling the controls, apart from this both games are beautiful as a whole.
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Super Mario 64's controls were horrendous. I felt like I has far better control of the characters here unlike 64 where I often found myself battling the controls, apart from this both games are beautiful as a whole.
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-chain_links
I absolutely agree that Banjo Kazooie is better than Super Mario 64, but did anybody else groan at 0: 49 when she said -many of the 3D Sonic games- and nothing else when talking about not-so-great 3D platformers?
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I absolutely agree that Banjo Kazooie is better than Super Mario 64, but did anybody else groan at 0: 49 when she said -many of the 3D Sonic games- and nothing else when talking about not-so-great 3D platformers?
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polygon
To me Mario 64 is like Super Mario Bros 1 of 3D games, other platformers (like megaman) may top it in many ways but nothing will ever match the classic ageless quality of Mario, maybe im just bias. Good video though.
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To me Mario 64 is like Super Mario Bros 1 of 3D games, other platformers (like megaman) may top it in many ways but nothing will ever match the classic ageless quality of Mario, maybe im just bias. Good video though.
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-minicle426
Won't lie, I've always found the entire Mario series tediously overhyped (spare me the self rightous routine fanbrats.
Rare for me made the 64. Banjo Kazooie had far more personality and memorable characters.
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Won't lie, I've always found the entire Mario series tediously overhyped (spare me the self rightous routine fanbrats.
Rare for me made the 64. Banjo Kazooie had far more personality and memorable characters.
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-KadrickNinness
-Here's a concrete example-.
Gives an example of Mario's superior gameplay design, and an example of Banjo's more elaborate cut-scenes.
Goes back to rambling aimlessly about betterness.
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-Here's a concrete example-.
Gives an example of Mario's superior gameplay design, and an example of Banjo's more elaborate cut-scenes.
Goes back to rambling aimlessly about betterness.
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-kennethfegley7552
When comparing platformers shouldn't the plat forming be priority 1? Does anyone think the actual platforming in Banjo Kazooie is better? That felt like the only comparison she didn't make
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When comparing platformers shouldn't the plat forming be priority 1? Does anyone think the actual platforming in Banjo Kazooie is better? That felt like the only comparison she didn't make
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-tyhill111
i think that super mario 64 has more intelligent level design, personally (mario games are historically very well built in terms of teaching the player the mechanics. both are great games though
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i think that super mario 64 has more intelligent level design, personally (mario games are historically very well built in terms of teaching the player the mechanics. both are great games though
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