Rareware / Rare / Playtonic

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Well, I played it for about 3 hours tonight, and I like it quite a bit so far. The framerate on PS4 is just fine with no noticeable drops and the camera is nowhere near as bad as people say it is. Still, it does feel and control like an N64 game in a lot of ways, so I can see why some would have problem with it. For me it's a non-issue, but it's certainly a little disappointing that they couldn't have tightened things up at least a little.

I played the entire un-expanded first world and had a blast. The level is fun to explore for collectibles, it's bigger than the worlds in Kazooie but not overwhelmingly large like Tooie's could be, the music is lovely, and the writing is generally humorous. I will say that Rextro's arcade games are pretty bad, though. Trying to get the high score in the first one is like Beaver Bother part 2.

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Okay, I've finished the game now - all collectibles, platinum trophy, etc. Overall, it's pretty good, but it's not quite up to the standard of the N64 originals and at times can feel a bit sloppy. Tooie haters need not worry, as it's much more like the first Banjo than the second. Worlds 4 and 5 are the most Tooie-like, but they're still far more compact and less complicated than its predecessor's.

Most - I'd say about 85-90% - of the game's challenges are either fun or easy. Unfortunately, Yooka-Laylee does delve pretty deep into the tedious mini-game territory of the N64 era at times, with certain sequences being far worse than anything in either Banjo title. One timed sliding challenge enraged me like no game has in a long time. I'd also say that it probably needed about 3-6 months longer in the oven, as World 5 feels extremely unpolished and some promised content didn't make it into the initial release. That said, Y-L is - for the most part - a pleasant and nostalgic experience. Not a perfect Banjo-Threeie, but something close to it. It successfully sated me and I no longer have a longing for the nonexistent game I've been wanting since I was a child, and that's exactly what they set out to do.

World 3 is easily the best one IMO - the entire thing was just a joy to play, even the swimming sections. World 4 was also very creative and had by far the best tracks from both Grant Kirkhope and David Wise. On the whole, the soundtrack is good, but I'd say only a few songs really stand out as memorable; the ones in World 4 are really something else, though. (Seriously, just listen to the boss theme... holy shit David Wise.) Great, great stuff. Worlds 1 and 2 are great fun but feel a little too derivative of past works, while World 5 has the coolest designs and ideas but some parts are so obviously unfinished that I had a hard time enjoying it half the time. The bosses are all cool but most go on for way too long. I played the PS4 version and didn't notice any performance problems whatsoever.

So yeah, it's a classic Rareware game, only less polished. If you liked Banjo-Kazooie as a kid and still return to it sometimes as an adult, you will definitely like Yooka-Laylee. It's not as good as its predecessors (though I think most will end up preferring it over Tooie), nor is it one of the better games released in this absolutely packed year, but it's well worth playing for any fan of the genre.

[Daikun]

A new Battletoads has been announced at E3.

[FoxKidsLover16]

Here's my thoughts on the RareWare Games I have played

Donkey Kong Country Trilogy: Fantastic games. Great level design and the animal buddies are a lot of fun. Still love them to this day

Blast Corps: I don't remember much of this game admittedly, but I remember finding it pretty awesome and underrated. Loved blowing up stuff with the different vehicles.

GoldenEye 007: Its been a while since I've played it, but I remember enjoying it. From what I can recall, the controls haven't aged that well, but the multiplayer is really fun. I honestly didnt really like the single player mode much (Unpopular opinion right there) since it bored me, but I enjoyed playing the multiplayer mode with other people. I'm not a fan of FPS' at all (Red Steel 2 aside (and even that ones more of a first person swordighting shooter)), but GoldenEye was a fun one to play with other people.

Diddy Kong Racing: Its a very good game. I prefer "Mario Kart 64" since I think its more polished and fun, but this does have its own charm and has some very fun tracks to race on and a fun adventure mode. Also, the music is amazing.

Banjo Kazooie: I couldn't get into this game. Its not a bad game at all (Its a well made one), but there's a reason I couldn't get into it. While I do like exploration games like Zelda, I am not into the kind of 3D Platformers that requires you to explore every nook and cranny, since I get bored by them. Its a shame I couldn't get into them, since I like the music, characters, and humor. I will admit, its a good game, but the game just wasnt for me.

Donkey Kong 64: I love the Donkey Kong series, but I couldnt get into it like Banjo Kazooie and I got bored playing it. Love the DK Rap though.

Viva Pinata: Honestly a really fun simulation game. I love simulation games and this was a fun and relaxing one to play and it was pretty addicting. Animal Crossing is better, but this is still a fun little one.

Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise: Its even better than the original one. There's a lot of content in this one. I find the game to be a lot of fun. Even with this one though, I still find Animal Crossing to be better, but this one is an improvement upon the original

Out of all of them, my favorites are The Donkey Kong Country Trilogy

[Daikun]

Tencent has acquired Playtonic