7. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts was the much-anticipated third entry into the Banjo-Kazooie series which began on the N64, appearing 8 years following the last game, Banjo Tooie, with the evil Gruntilda back to cause more mayhem. I'll be the first to admit that Nuts and Bolts is quite a daring change for fans of the series, given that the pair primarily use vehicles now to move around the world, and the regular platforming actions such as jumping, grabbing ledges and so on are pretty much nowhere to be found. Instead, it's all about vehicles... Though I had low expectations going in, Nuts and Bolts is a
great game, benefiting from the same brilliant design as the previous titles, as it pertains to both the level structure, replay value, and generally peppy aesthetic of the whole thing. It may leave some fans yearning for just a few traditional platforming levels - and frankly, that may have been a good idea - but who knew that Rare could change the series' direction so drastically, and largely succeed?