Banjo's Got Wheels

Published December 10, 2008

Rare has created a new breed of game with Banjo-Kazooie® Nuts & Bolts. This highly customizable vehicle-platformer brings all manner of new strategies and considerations into play, including how best to approach building vehicles, and then how to use them effectively in the challenges.

It's easier to build than you think.

Keep the following tips in mind and you should come to grips with some fundamental vehicle dos and don'ts as well as understand how best to tackle the game at large.

Chassis First

Don't think you have to build every bit of your own custom vehicles from scratch. You can craft some truly stellar creations by using prebuilt chassis at Mumbo's Motors. For example, if you're dealing with a standard race in bumpy terrain, using one of the Land Chassis as a base, and then installing wide-set high-grip wheels and a pair of engines for extra thrust, can go a long way toward turning the mundane into a very effective vehicle.

Even if you don't keep much of the original chassis, starting with one provides a valuable foundation for those unused to detailed customization.

Symmetrical

Generally speaking, always try to keep your vehicle creation as symmetrical as possible. You can't have one side of your craft sporting more weight than the other. Weight distribution is important.

For example, if you place your engine on one side of your vehicle, make sure to put something equally heavy on the other side, such as a fuel canister, to offset the weight. If you build an elaborate roll cage, make certain that an equal number of poles are used left, right, front, and back.

Angled bow cuts through water better.

Physics Considerations

While the game physics may not be rooted firmly in the real world, the basics are still the same.

• Center of gravity: Your vehicle's center of gravity is of great importance. Make sure your base isn't too narrow, especially if you're building a tall structure. If your wheels are placed too close together, the slightest bump in the road can cause the whole thing to tilt and crash on its side. All in all, the squatter, wider vehicle is the better performing vehicle.
• Light or heavy: If you want a fast, nimble vehicle, be sure to build with light body parts. The less weight, the more easily your engines can propel you forward. Conversely, if you want your creation to take a beating, heavier body parts are the way to go.
• More is better, but: If one medium engine is good, you can bet two would be even better. The more power you add, the faster you'll go. That said, the more speed you generate, the harder it will be to navigate tight, technical turns, so watch your balance.

Test-O-Track

The test track is your best friend when it comes to fine-tuning your craft. Unless you're extremely confident, never immediately enter a challenge after finishing up in the Workshop.

You may add "Floaters" to your tank so you can zip over water, but you may have forgotten to slot in propellers so you can turn in said water. It's always better to check first before taking the plunge.

With collapsible wings you've got a car and plane in one.

Your Own Path

You can safely assume that whatever path the game suggests to complete a challenge, whether through blinking arrows or simple implication, is almost never the fastest route to your objective. If you're trying for record times or at least attempting to earn the TT award, always keep your eyes peeled for shortcuts.

If you're tasked with retrieving an item several floors above you, it may seem quite logical to take the natural road, ramp by ramp, up to its location. Look closer though and you may spot an elevator that will send you skywards in a few short moments. Or, create a helicopter with a Stick Ball to flit straight up to the objective, grab it on the fly with the ball, and hurtle back down to drop it off.

Likewise, if you're tasked with navigating a very narrow pathway during a race, why not use a plane to fly through the checkpoints rather than bother with a land-based vehicle?

Blue, Yellow, Red

If you ever find yourself confused about where you stack up in a challenge when it comes to earning Notes, Jiggies and TT awards, there's an easy solution. A performance meter tracks your progress throughout the challenge. It begins with blue (TT award), winds down to yellow (Jiggy), and ends in red (Notes).

Unlock new Trolley parts by beating Grunty in battles.

Of course, if you end in the blue, you'll earn the TT awards, and the Jiggy and Notes. Best of all, this meter gives you a good feel for how well your chosen/created vehicle stacks up to the challenge. If you finish nowhere near the blue, you know you need to go back to the drawing board and build something more creative and appropriate to the task at hand.

Showdown Town Navigation

While every game world challenge requires the use of vehicles, navigation in Showdown Town is broken up fairly evenly between vehicle travel and classic platforming. Make sure you hop out of your Trolley now and then, and get busy crawling up poles, pulling yourself up onto ledges, and picking your way across tightrope wires to collect Notes and Mumbo crates filled with parts. Also, keep the following in mind:

• Stack and climb: Remember that your magical wrench (Right Trigger) can be used to pick up and move all sorts of odds and ends, including large boxes which you can easily arrange to help you reach high-up places.
• Trolley upgrades: If you find yourself unable to progress to a new area, chances are you're simply not supposed to go there yet. For example, the slick green slopes that lead to new Showdown Town districts can't be explored until you've earned the high-grip wheels after beating the first Gruntilda battle.
• Bird's eye view: Perhaps the best way to track down new items is to look down on the city from high above. LOG's tower works great for this. Not only does it loom above the town but you can reach its summit (well, almost) right from the beginning.

Crates, Then Worlds

Whenever you unlock access to a new game world, you can be sure the challenges will require all manner of new kinds of vehicle innovation. You can also be sure that the new area of Showdown Town surrounding the game world houses some previously unfound Mumbo crates.

Make sure you pick the district clean of crates before tackling the challenges. That way, you can be confident you possess the tools required to beat the challenges.

Ready to take on all challenges!

Cannibalizing Parts

You're not always going to have plenty of unique parts to build your new vehicles. Sure, body parts, engines, and fuel canisters are cheap and easy to track down, but when it comes to rare weapons, gadgets, and accessories, feel free to rip them off already existing vehicles to use on a new craft.

If the Boot-in-a-Box weapon on your racing vehicle would prove helpful in a flying-based challenge, head to the Workshop, yank it off the car, and attach it to your helicopter. You can always switch it back later.

Shared Blueprints

Building your own cleverly designed vehicles is half the fun in Nuts & Bolts, but you can still profit from the efforts of your friends. Remember, you can send and receive blueprints from the community.

Specifically, try looking up the Leaderboard position for your Friends on individual challenges. If you spot someone on your Friends List that's far and away above your own position, try sending them a message and asking if they can send you the blueprint for the vehicle they use. Strategies are meant to be shared.

With the preceding tips at the ready and your own ingenious vehicles at hand, it's time to conquer the challenges of Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts.

Article by Ryan Treit