Scribes - November 5, 2008

	It's the stupid Rare letters page! Send us your mail! Don't be scared, we're just misunderstood – like Jason Voorhees!   Dear Rare Scribes,      Last week you made a joke about Captain Falcon's first name. He actually has a first name which appears in a few newer games. His full name is Captain Douglas Falcon.      Now that's that, did you guys know that creating Krystal in Star Fox Adventures would cause such a massive array of... fan "items" for people's "enjoyment"?      Balladofwindfishes I don't know which is funnier, Captain Falcon being called Doug or you saying the last edition of Scribes was 'last week'.      As for Krystal, well, she was still hanging around the Star Fox team in the last game I saw, so she's clearly got some sort of staying power. If people want to pay tribute to that by featuring her lovely friendly face on cross-stitch patterns or commemorative thimbles, who are we to disapprove? Dear Rare,      Hi! I have a question about Banjo-Kazooie's moves and one about Grunty. It really crushed me when I heard that Kazooie's moves had been taken away. So I was interested in how she actually lost her moves. I read somewhere that Grunty had taken them away. Is this true? Now, about Grunty. Does Grunty still have her magic at hand, or not because she has a robot body. The reason I ask this is because I noticed in the new videos that in Showdown Town she just stands there with paper and pencil in her hand with sunglasses on. If Grunty does have her magic still, why doesn't she try to blast Banjo-Kazooie when they get near her? One more thing about Grunty. Have we seen her new assistant before?      I have always been a Banjo fan. I think I even liked it better than Mario 64. I am really excited about Nuts & Bolts.      Michael Sorcery isn't a big theme of Nuts & Bolts, to be honest. It's mostly mechanical (hence the name), including Grunty's new body. Also, L.O.G.'s in charge and he ain't up for no foolin', yo. Should you require slightly more detail, here's Shaun from the N&B design team.      "Kazooie's moves are actually taken from her at the start of the game by a new character known as L.O.G. (a.k.a. Lord of Games). L.O.G. is tired of the old-school platforming moves and so decides to rob them from her in exchange for a magical wrench (a trade she's not overly happy with!). In all seriousness, the decision to remove the characters' moves was a very important one. The emphasis of this game is on the vehicle components and the huge amount of ways the player can combine them to progress through the game. Once the new direction for the game was decided it soon became obvious that the fewer moves the characters had, the more importance shifted over to the components. It may take some old-school fans a while to get used to the new structure but after a short time with the game we hope everyone will see that Nuts & Bolts is a true Banjo game, just approached a little differently.      "As for Grunty, L.O.G. firmly believes in a fair fight so she will also have to rely on the abilities provided by the components to thwart Banjo. To help her this time around she is accompanied by a cute pink kitty (with razor sharp teeth) going by the name of Piddles."   Dear Rare,       If BK:N&B is a success, will there be Banjo Pilot 2 for DS?      I think if there is a sequel it should have almost EVERY SINGLE banjo character in it as a player. Also using all the tracks. and some new glowbos :) pink, yellow, blue, green, mega. I think that there should also be some kind of Mario like game like the stages that are either left or right like Super Mario Wars but with banjo characters, banjo levels and different objectives than that of a mario game, not to copy a mario game      The #1 BK fan You started out well, then seemed to lose control of the English language towards the end. Grammar can be a treacherous serpent, my friend. If you don't straddle it and grip it firmly by the neck, you lose the right to protest when it fangs you squarely in the eyehole.      Nevertheless, requests for Banjo Pilot 2 don't come along every day, even wholly impractical ones. Let's see what someone who worked on the original game has to say on the matter:      "No."      I'm afraid I can't clarify whether that's "no" to the inclusion of every single Banjo character, "no" to any possibility of a sequel whatsoever, or just a "no" of quiet horror at your typing.   Dear Scribes,      This is a link to our Banjo-Kazooie's 10th year anniversary film.      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyyHoQCVLkY      As a big Rare and Banjo fan I wanted to create something that old Banjo fans could appreciate. It should also be an intro to new Banjo players. It's been 8 years since the last Banjo console game appeared and a lot of younger gamers who grew up with PS2, Xbox, or Gamecube have not had the chance to play a Banjo game. This video should introduce them to the Banjo universe. To do so I had to include game footage of all 4 Banjo games, namely the original Banjo-Kazooie, its follow-up Banjo-Tooie but also the Gameboy Advance games like Banjo Pilot and Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge.      When we were looking for a way how to present these games, we thought it would be cool to have an onscreen character that could tell the story. Instead of using a standard character or real life person we went on to look into the Banjo Universe. We were searching for a character which wasn't a main character, but he had to be able to tell the complete story. And there was that one guy... he had never spoken a word in the games but he was always there... yeah... Mumbo's Wand!      The Story: Mumbo's Wand is really jealous of Banjo and Kazooie's screen time. He thinks that he and his Master Mumbo are the real stars of the show and that is where the story begins... from his point of view.      Mario Paiano Blimey, that must have taken you a while. We're used to getting 15-second stick drawings of men with crude arses for faces in this neck of the woods, so well done. If we're being honest a bit more polish wouldn't have done the text any harm, and Mumbo's wand itself may well give young children nightmares, but the overall package is an impressive labour of love.      Nuts & Bolts does contain something similar by way of introduction to bring the newcomers up to speed and refresh the fuddled old minds of series veterans. We had hoped to get it narrated by Brian Blessed, but he was busy so we got a man out of Casualty instead (I mean the TV series, we didn't just go and abduct someone from a casualty ward).   Dear Scribes,      In Kameo, right after you beat King Thorn and there's that cinema scene, what is the music playing?      It also plays once you reach the first gate in Thorn's Castle at the beginning of the game where you have to put those metal balls in the lava..      Zach Jones Kameo musician Mister Burke goes in-depth in your face!      "Hi Zach. There are several pieces of music (lovingly cobbled together) in that final 'end game' cutscene when you have defeated Thorn. My memory is a bit hazy on this, but I'll give it a shot...      "The track that plays when you're knocking the metal ball Trolls around in Thorn's Castle is a freebie MP3 in the Kameo Downloads section, and is called Castle Fight. The music that was used in Thorn's Castle just after you knock the ball Trolls out of the arena and make your way across the bridge is also used in that final cutscene. It's the orchestra and choral track. That track is on the Kameo soundtrack CD, the final track, called Legend Unfolds."   Greetings and Salutations to the many people at Rare,      I will begin this letter with many words of praise to you, the people at Rare. For you see, Rare is the omnipotent of video game manufacturing. I've got to commend you for your efforts in the game Perfect Dark. I played it for the first time recently and it is AMAZING. The effects, the gameplay, the story, Elvis!!! I almost peed myself with enjoyment, oh, what am I saying, I did pee myself.      But I'm a little saddened by the fact that Rare is no longer affiliated with Nintendo. I don't own an Xbox 360 and don't intend to get one and therefore I may never get the opportunity to play your games. But it sure is great to hear you're making some games for the Nintendo DS (which I do own luckily) which gives me the opportunity to play Viva Piñata. Okay, well, now I have some questions which you will hopefully answer to the complete extent of your knowledge. Okay, here I go...      1. Is there a Rare headquarters in Australia or is it possible to work for Rare from Australia?      2. Would it be possible that Rare will be making any DS only titles and not games that are parts of already existing series?      3. Is there any artwork on the internet that displays the weapons used in Perfect Dark coz I can't find any pictures at all?      4. In the new Banjo-Threeie will Mumbo be a playable character with new abilities different from those of other games?      Well, that's all I gotta say really, it'd be great to hear your comments and answers.      Tom 2 the P We get a warm happy glow every time a Rare game causes someone to urinate against their will. It means we're doing something right.      1) There isn't a Rare headquarters anywhere other than here, 'here' being the middle of the English countryside, surrounded by birds and fields and all that. Of course, Microsoft has regional offices everywhere. If you can't bear to leave the kangaroos and comedy corky hats behind, that might be a better target. Not that we haven't hired Australians in the past, but generally speaking we do ask employees to be present in the building.      2) Anything's possible, except maybe KI3. Ahaha! Only joking. Or am I? We have nothing to disclose on DS projects at the moment, but I'd say big brand spin-offs would be more likely than all-new properties, the DS market being so vast that the extra push of recognisable IP is often needed to help a title stand out. But who knows? One of our designers might come up with a brilliant idea for a stylus-controlled game about wafting aside clouds of cow flatulence, and we'd be off like a shot.      3) Hang on, I'll just check THE ENTIRE INTERNET. Nope, can't see it. I'll have a dig around here and see if I can rustle up the originals...      4) Mumbo's busy in his garage, man. He does have new abilities, if you count his l33t hands-on mechanic skills, but so do Banjo and Kazooie. One thing at a time, you crazy kids with your text-message-style nicknames! Does yours mean you need the toilet?   Dear Scribes,      So I recently stumbled upon an interesting article in a popular gaming website... come to think of it I'm not sure if the site is popular, but that's not the point.      The article was entitled "Quartermann: Rare Readying New Killer Instinct?" and was published back on May 23, 2008. Now don't worry, I'm not writing in to ask about the possibility of a new KI game, or to beg for exclusive media, or any of that rubbish. I just want to know what that little article did to your inbox?      Juan Jose Ruiz      P.S. But seriously if I beg really hard? PLEASE. Well, you know, there's always a KI3 rumour buzzing away somewhere. That one might have been a bit more mainstream than most, but it still didn't end with the concussive blast of a Microsoft mail server meltdown. I'd be more perturbed if the KI3 emails just dried up completely. Even the reaction to the KI Piñata Vision cards has been quite muted in terms of website correspondence... almost as if we have a reputation for avoiding or openly making fun of KI3 queries.      But as always I'll pass on the sentiment to the next random person I bump into. See, you can't say we're disregarding your feedback.   Hey! Just a few questions... (Even though you have answered them a million times I'm sure...)      Hey, I'm Jason Gunn from California and Banjo's #1 Fan... (no really I am... You should see my room... I have Banjo wallpaper, bed, lamps, clothes... etc. I think I should get a medal for that or something ha ha). Here are my questions...      #1 When do you guys think you will be releasing the Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts demo? Any time soon? What will be in it?      #2 Will there be a limit as to how BIG you can make your vehicles?      #3 Will you guys release bits of the soundtrack? I would love to hear the Banjoland Music!      #4 When will the original Banjo-Kazooie come out on XBLA? Will it be the same or have some differences? (Like music changes, color changes, objectives, levels, and stuff like that.)      #5 Do you guys think you will ever release Banjo-Tooie on XBLA?      #6 Will there still be Jinjo Collecting?      I know Rareware is ULTRA SECRETIVE but these are a few things I was wondering, I would LOVE if you would answer my questions!      Jason Gunn Bet you didn't buy It's Mr. Pants though, did you? Exactly. Everyone's all 'Banjo, Banjo, Banjo' with no time for the real heroes. Now I'm too depressed to go through your questions, so it's just as well that Shaun from the team has volunteered his own answers.      "1. Very soon, like now! Head over to the 360 Marketplace, it's there waiting for you...      "2. Vehicles are limited to a 19x19 grid space (which is pretty big) and a total block count of 250 (also flipping huge).      "3. Although releasing a soundtrack sounds like a great idea, no plans are yet in place to do so. I'm sure if enough people ask for it our music guys would love to oblige." (MP3 downloads hopefully coming soon... ish... at some point. - Ed)      "4. Soon, very soon. The game is pretty much identical to the original in everything but the framerate which is extremely slick and really adds to the feel of the whole package.      "5. Yep, it's in the pipeline but no further details as yet, sorry.      "6. Nuts & Bolts is a Banjo game through and through, so our colourful friends return with an even bigger role to play than in the previous games."   Dear Shirley Scribes,      Where oh where are the Trouble in Paradise and Nuts N Bolts MP3 files you promised me over bridge the other day? And you said you'd put on the music from Perfect Dark Zero level 11 that you said categorically would be available during bowls the other day! Your reputation amongst the PFJ is getting soggier, sir!      Your obedient servant,      The Quite-Rightly Reverend Chuck Norris, Deceased We'll get some new MP3s up there sooner or later, but I hope you don't think you're hurrying us along with your demands, Norris. Frankly you should consider yourself lucky you're even allowed onto this site any more, after your drunken attempts to play bridge with Pokémon cards and improve your bowls game by saturating the turf with motor oil.   Dear Chaps at Rare Who Gave Us Our Favorite Bird and Bear,      In honor of Banjo and Viva Piñata being developed and shipped into the arms and systems of us giddy consumers, I believe you fine chaps should consider advertising, like game companies did in the old days. I suggest the soda line, who wouldn't want to drink a flavor like "Banjo Berry" or "Viva Piñata pina colada"? They will sell like hotcakes and those games will skyrocket to the top, and you're the star, baby.      P.S. Why is it called "Scribes"?      With all the love in my heart,      Will Are you trying to suggest that our games aren't extensively advertised? I'll have you know I saw a TV advert for Pocket Paradise a few weeks ago. An actual TV advert. It wasn't cripplingly awful either. That's not to discount the soft drink approach entirely, of course. Maybe something harder is the way forward when it comes to ensnaring the older demographic. I bet they would have killed for a shot of Gin Force Gemini with an It's Mixer Pants back in the day.      PS That's a funny place for a PS. It's called Scribes because the site was meant to kick off with an ancient Egyptian visual theme back when it first went online, which wasn't long after the use of papyrus died out, as it happens.   Dear Scribes guy,      You have probably been getting lots of e-mails from Banjo fans. I have no doubt many people are excited for Nuts and Bolts, and rightly so. It looks like a good game. But it doesn't look like a Banjo game. In fact, it looks nothing at all like a Banjo game. Many loyal fans feel like they have been stabbed in the back and pushed 50,000 feet off of a cliff by Rare. Banjo games didn't need a drastic change. You had a perfectly good formula, and instead of tweaking it, you trashed it. This doesn't look like a game meant for Banjo, this looks like a game made for somebody else with Banjo's name slapped onto the cover. Please, I am not the only one. If you don't want to make another Banjo game, fine! Just don't ruin what all Rare fans have come to know and love. Make this game about a walrus with a banana in his backpack for all I care, just don't throw Banjo into it, because this isn't a Banjo game.      DK from MI Walrus... banana... *puts notepad away*      At the end of the day, we all get where you're coming from, but this IS a Banjo game. It's come directly from the mind of the series' creator, and it's been put together by many of the same core people – more than you'd normally expect to be on the team of a sequel eight years down the line. There's nothing to state that it must follow exactly the same format as previous games to qualify as part of the series. Of course it's not going to please everyone, but with the era of Banjo-Kazooie and its fellow platformers a decade behind us, the team felt the need to try out some new things. It's that simple. And it's not as if they turned it into a dating simulator or survival horror.      Still, apologies for stabbing you in the back and pushing you 50,000 feet off a cliff. Imagine what would have happened if you'd had a flair for melodrama too!   Dear Scribes,      I'm Luiz from Brazil and I am huge fan of you guys, I want to say I love what you guys are doing with Banjo and Viva Piñata and I will always support Rare, I'm sorry if my English is not very good, I hope you understand.      As everyone knows, Kameo had DLC on Xbox Live after launch, but that was a considerable time ago and they still have the same price tag. Maybe you guys don't know, but it is really difficult to get Microsoft Points and the Live signature here, and when we manage to get, is not something we can spend mindlessly, so I would like to know if you guys could contact Microsoft and ask them to make Kameo DLC free, and don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the content is not worth it, it's just that even if it's just $2,25 or so, for us it comes at a higher price, I hope you guys understand my point.      The other question is, do you guys plan to make past games like Grabbed by the Ghoulies – which I never had the opportunity to play – and Conker (same here) available anywhere else than the Xbox itself? (Xbox Originals for example.) Ebay sellers are most of the times hard to trust for me, and it is quite hard to make them send it to Brazil, plus, it comes with a high price because of elevated taxes. High price is not a big problem when talking about such good games, but it's not always possible to see if the game comes complete or not, and it is the only source with these games available.      I'm not asking it just for myself, since even Americans have problems buying these games, you guys must know that you have a huge fanbase that likes to support the company and that would like to play most of Rare's games, so, I hope you guys consider it, and even if you can't make it, I would be glad that you guys tried to do something for the fans.      Thanks for reading and keep the good work,      Luiz As far as I know we still haven't heard anything about Conker or Ghoulies joining the unpredictable Xbox Originals line-up. Let's check on other possibilities with Shaun from Banjo: "Don't worry Luiz, your grasp of the English language is better than most of the guys I work with! Currently no plans are in place to bring back the games you mention. It's perfectly feasible that classic Rare titles could appear in some guise or another at some point in the future, just no plans as yet."      And on the way back we'll swing past Chris from Kameo: "Sorry to hear about your DLC woes, but I'm afraid we haven't got any news on a price drop as it's something that requires action by a lot of different people, many of whom are now busy with other things. There are a few free DLC packs up for Kameo, including the Co-Op pack and the Design-A-Skin costumes, so hopefully they'll tide you over. Blimey, that was a depressing answer. How come we get questions about international trading standards and Gregg gets to answer easy ones about the Kremlings house-sharing with Grimshaw in their University days?"      Two teams. Two designers. Two quotes. The lingering threat of actual information. STOP THIS MADNESS. Hi everybody,      I hope I reach the right people for this question, but I'll try.      Over here in Germany, we are all playing Viva Piñata on DS and are having a lot of fun with this brilliant game BUT: nobody seems to find a Jeli over here.      So since there are a lot of really good players who already achieved everything else and still didn't get one, maybe the developers might tell us what we have to do to make this piñata appear. Please. Because this is driving some people up the wall.      Or did they take it out of the European version? I don't think that's it, so please help!      K. Hoppe Hmm, let's see. The main thing: it is possible. But a combination of low odds from the outset and the Jeli's very specific requirements (and camera-shy nature) mean that not every garden is 'eligible' for Jeli visits. One thing to look out for is an unexpected house becoming available in Willy's shop, then at least you know you've successfully passed the random chance stage. From there, it's up to you. If you don't see the Jeli house, chances are you ain't getting a Jeli so you might want to find someone who has, or use your progress to fast-track another garden in a separate save slot. If you still can't find the Jeli, see if you can find Uncle Tusk instead and ask him.   Dear Scribes,      First I want to say a big "thank you" for finally bringing the original Banjo to XBLA. I have a few questions regarding this release and Rare's future plans.      1) I noticed that the XBLA Banjo will feature connectivity to Banjo 3 through swap feature. Would that mean you have to change the ending for the XBLA version since the N64 Banjo ending states connectivity through Banjo-Tooie?      2) With Banjo 1 coming out for XBLA, can I safely assume that Banjo-Tooie will follow along with other N64 Rare games such as Blast Corps, Perfect Dark, and Jet Force Gemini for XBLA release?      3) When do you think we can expect the announcement of the inevitable Banjo-Tooie: Nuts and Bolts (sequel to Banjo 3)?      I'm sure other fans of Banjo and N64 Rare games are wondering the same thing that I'm asking you. So if you post this, it will prevent tons of other emails asking the same questions that I'm asking now.      Don 1) That would seem to be the case, squire, judging by the text strings I've seen.      2) Whoa there, Donald! Each one of those is a different kettle of fish, so you may safely assume nothing of the sort! Well, except for Banjo-Tooie, that one's kind of confirmed.      3) It would be a dark day indeed if that was the title. Let's see how this one does before we stagger drunkenly into the spotlight bawling release dates for a string of sequels.      Ah, if only answering emails in Scribes did stem the flow of further emails asking exactly the same question. Alas, the neverending stream of questions about Stop 'N' Swop and Donkey Kong Country 4 and the GoldenEye beta (the latest one of those came in last week, would you believe) rather knackers that theory.   Dear Rareware (aka "the awesomest people ever to exist"),      Thanks for FINALLY revealing details about Banjo: Nuts and Bolts! I don't care what the other fans say, this game looks like it will be awesome. I have a couple questions though (come on, you HAD to have seen this coming!).      1) Will there still be more fantastic weapons, such as eggs, along with the vehicles and squirt guns and the like?      2) Will you be using the original sound effects and voice loops from the first two games, or will you be creating new ones?      3) Will the sub-levels still have specific themes to them (Fire, Christmas, Haunted House, Pirates)?      4) Not much of a question, but more of a request: You've had Pirates in all four previous games, and I heard someone ask for Ninjas (good idea, please listen to him!), but what about robots? They're awesome too, and the technology theme of the game should make them a perfect fit.      5) Any plans for future Banjo games? I'm not asking for details, I just want to know if you guys have any ideas.      Well, with not one, not two, but THREE big Rare games out by the Holidays, it looks like a good time to be a fan! I can't wait!      The Sergeant Which Sergeant? Sergeant Rock? Sergeant Bilko? Sergeant Benton from 1970s Doctor Who? You just haven't given us enough to go on. While I begin the process of stalking you for more information, here's Shaun to handle your transparently diversionary questions.      "1. Nuts & Bolts has a fantastic range of weapons and then some. Both egg guns and liquid squirters are waiting to be discovered as well as a whole host of even more 'off-the-wall' stuff.      "2. Our sound guys have been hard at work creating all-new, super hi-fidelity sounds for this game but rest assured, all of those familiar Banjo FX should be instantly recognisable.      "3. For this game I guess we've tried to theme the levels slightly differently to the previous instalments. Each challenge world exists in something we call a Game Globe. These globes are actually a product of L.O.G.'s imagination, and so have allowed us to create some pretty fantastic and somewhat crazy locations.      "4. You're in luck. Since the last game Grunty has been hard at work creating a whole army of robots known as the Gruntbots. There are over a dozen different kinds, each with their own unique style of attack. These range from Rusters that latch onto your vehicle and cause it to slowly decay to Shouters that literally blow you away with their loudspeaker mouths.      "5. We're always thinking about the next game and hopefully the bear and bird won't be in hibernation for another eight years!"   Dear Scribes,      Quick question: in GoldenEye, Kevin Bayliss is credited for voicing James Bond. When did Bond speak in the game?      Thanks,      Some Schmuck Ah, one of those old chestnuts, the email that would fall under Snippets if it wasn't for the fact that somebody's now replied to it and the reply is too long for the one-line Snippets format. If you see what I mean.      The game's designer Mr. Botwood says: "Bond did not speak in GoldenEye, and so Kevin Bayliss did not provide voice for James Bond. If he had spoken, voice would either have been provided by Pierce Brosnan under contract conditions or by alternate members of the GoldenEye team doing their very best Sean Connery impersonations until corpsing uncontrollably and the next person taking over."   Dear Scribes,      I have a couple of interesting questions to ask you (yes they're about Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts but don't worry, they AREN'T hugely important questions that will leave you saying "Erm, we can't really tell..." like usual).      Question #1: Will Brentilda be returning in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts? She wasn't in Banjo-Tooie and she was instead replaced with Grunty's two other, haggy sisters, Mingella and Blobbelda (which sort of took out the point of one good sister and one bad in Banjo-Kazooie, and yet added an interesting situation, Brentilda has three other sisters!)      Question #2: What IS Mumbo Jumbo's history?? I mean he obviously has some deal with Gruntilda as in Banjo-Kazooie if you get a game over and Gruntilda sucks the cuteness out of Tooty and into herself, Mumbo Jumbo comes-a-runnin' with a flower and a marriage proposal. Not that he doesn't with any hot girl – I think the end of the game with the girl holding those melons are MORE than enough proof – but he is also among the pictures of Gruntilda's closest friends and henchmen in Mad Monster Mansion. So, this leaves me with one more question: besides Mumbo Jumbo's full history which I know I'm not going to get – is Mumbo Jumbo an old sweetheart of Gruntilda against his will – or an old date willingly – or was he an old henchman of hers? I mean, it wouldn't be the first time one of her henchmen saw the light. (I hear Klungo currently owns his own arcade...)      Hey, I didn't say the questions weren't huge text-wise – just not hugely important.      Joel Bryner 1) As Gregg stated in the last Scribes (which was last week, I believe) that both Brentilda and Tooty had been rounded up and taken away by the 'Rubbish Characters in Video Games' Police, I'm guessing no. Anyway, you know how it is with long-lost/previously unseen siblings in TV and films and games, for all we know Gruntilda's got a dozen sisters and a brother called Anthony who's an estate agent.      2) I don't think Mumbo necessarily has "some deal" with Grunty (apart from the whole skull-face thing) just because he comes running with flowers when she turns all foxy. Maybe he's just your average red-blooded male. Having said that, I've been rummaging through archived website content for the original Banjo-Kazooie and it claims that he used to be Grunty's teacher before she turned to the Dark Side. Are we sticking to that story? No idea. But do pass on our regards to your dad Yul the robot cowboy.   Hullooo, Rare.      This is just a short message inquiring into the current placement of Mingy Jongo in N&B. Will he be making an appearance? Will he have a large role? Small role? Sausage Roll? What will be the fate of our favourite Crafty Shaman Impersonator?      Here for your enjoyment is a picture of Mingy Jongo using my 'l337 ski11z' in Photoshop. Yeah, I stole your concept art for Mumbo and mutilated it, so what?! I don't see your solicitors knocking on my door.      Oh, and before I go, Cinnamon Grahams or Golden Grahams? Go on, I won't pressure you into anything :D      Oh, and one last thing, do you fellows pronounce Shaman 'Shah Mahn' or 'Shaih Mahn'?      Alex (Vect 01)      P.S. The Mingy art is as it stands, I did no work on the body, so enjoy it for what it is ;) There's at least one returning Tooie boss in Nuts & Bolts, but I can neither confirm nor deny that it's Mingy Jongo.      It's 'shay-man' for me but I'm sure there are those here who say 'shah-man', probably throwing in a comment about my rubbish accent at the same time. And while Golden Grahams are borderline inedible, they're still a step up from Cinnamon Grahams, which are strictly for masochists. And they appear to have been renamed 'Curiously Cinnamon' these days, though I fail to see how this makes them any more acceptable. All opinions are personal and do not represent the views of Rare of Microsoft, etc. Back off, Mr. Nestlé! I won't hear a bad word said against your Frosted Shreddies!   Dearest Scribes,      Do you ever plan on updating the picture of L.O.G., or for that matter adding Humba, Trophy Thomas, etc., on the character pages of both the Rareware website and the Banjo-Kazooie website? Everyone who has been paying attention has already seen renders and/or clips of Humba and Pikelet, and people have known what L.O.G. looks like for quite some time. That question mark isn't fooling anybody.      Or maybe it is. I don't really know.      No No No, Wrong Way! Aye. I've blagged some more renders to fill the gaps, and you're right, L.O.G. isn't much of a secret any more (commonly pronounced 'log' rather than 'ell-oh-gee', by the way, we just had to punctuate the acronym to make it stand out from the traditional all-caps game text – exciting Banjo backstage revelation for you there). So consider him updated, and we've got the rest of the in-game nutjobs ready to add at some point. We just have to co-ordinate our cast list updates with those of Microsoft's B-K community site, so you can always check there if for some reason they're not here.   Hello Rareware.      Now I know you have probably about a thousand questions about Banjo coming and probably won't respond to this, but I decided long ago that I will ask this question anyway. Seeing as the new Banjo is basically the older Banjo games, but with vehicles taking the place of older moves, I wanted to know, is it possible to do every challenge in the game with just one vehicle, sort of like a god-vehicle, or does almost every challenge require you to change parts on your vehicle?      Thanks, and sorry to hear about Grant Kirkhope (even though it's old news).      CFS You're supposed to get into the spirit of the thing and amass a range of blueprints for all occasions, not be Mr. Boring from Boredom Land who just builds one vehicle and leaves Banjo sitting in it for so long that the seat remoulds itself around his hairy posterior. But technically I suppose you could.      Shaun from the team: "Nice question. Theoretically, a vehicle could be built that could accomplish every challenge in the game (not actually heard of anyone trying it yet though). It certainly wouldn't be possible until the player had completed a good percentage of the adventure as such a beast would require a wide range of components.      "Don't be too sad, Grant's alive and well and no doubt lording it up in pastures new! Everyone here at Rare wishes the old bugger all the best for the future."   Dear Scribes,      You guys need to make a Banjo-Kazooie TV show. Like, right now. Get on it. Now.      Stop typing, get up, and start pushing the Banjo show on the next person you see. Do you want children to go without the morals only Banjo and his friends can impart? Do you want to live in a world where young people cannot reflect on Banjo-Kazooie-related programming to instill better judgement in their day-to-day activities?      Oh, did I forget to mention the best part? You get to use all the dirty innuendo you want; kids won't catch on.      STEP ON IT, SLAVE!!      Your friend,      Bottles Kids might not catch on, but Microsoft editors and legal people (and TV executives) probably would. Like they did when the Jinjo Hurling game hosts in Nuts & Bolts started offering helpful tips on tossing. They don't any more.      Anyway, what about the obvious restriction that everyone in the Banjo universe only communicates in garbled moaning and farting noises? Kids aren't really that big on subtitles (and yes, I am ignoring the fact that the Piñatas couldn't talk until the TV series either). But, you know, never say never and all that. Tom Baker for the voice of L.O.G. please.   Dear Scribes,      I noticed in a Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts trailer, Banjo busted through a fence while he was in a vehicle. Will all the stages have at least one feature which you can destroy?      After beating games that you can roam around in, I roam around, and I like to destroy things, so it is fun.      Gbleek2 OMG U IS KRAZY D00D. This isn't meant to be the next Blast Corps, but you should be able to push around and/or trash a fair amount of stuff. It's physics and that, innit?      Crowd-pleasing team quote: "Fortunately your tastes for destruction are well catered for! Just about any object you can find in Nuts & Bolts can be hit, smashed, broken off and played around with to your heart's content."   Scriiiiiibes! :D (WARNING- HUGE FAN)      HEY THERE! What's up? You're one of the few companies I know of that actually reads fanmail and RESPONDS in a hilarious way. I really have to say, it's very much appreciated. Pretty much everyone else just gets a robot to write replies for them.      1) You guys are so awesome, I was wondering, how much mail do you actually get? Do you read through all of them, or do you just pick a random email, open it, and decide whether or not it's worthy of your time?      2) I LOVE the new BK designs, but for some reason, other people went insane and protested... as I'm sure you know. My question is: Did that hurt you guys' feelings? Or do you instead, kinda... feed off their rage?      3) Is there any chance whatsoever of there being a Banjo-Kazooie TV show? I think you mentioned something before to someone about how there wouldn't be enough ideas for episodes and stuff... but I think I'd have to disagree. They live in a very rich world of imagination, filled with colourful characters – all hilarious in their own unique way. Ideas would be the least of your worries! I think Jolly Roger and Weldar should make lots of appearances.      4) Did Mingella and Blobbelda die after Banjo-Tooie? Is Brentilda dead too? If so, why does it take Gruntilda longer to die?      5) Will the Minjos be returning?! I sure hope not! Whoever invented the Minjo was a dangerously disturbed individual. Those things scared me to death each and every time I heard their harmless little 'help' and now I trust no one.      6) And finally... er... I know it's a long-shot, but could I get an autograph from you or whoever else happens to be standing by? I don't care if it's scrawled on Paint using a mouse, dammit!      Thank you a million times for looking at this email!!!!!!! Even if it's an awkward, mildly disgusted glance, I don't care.      Tara :) 1) Yes, all emails are read, except the ones containing loads of rubbish game ideas that the sender would then claim we stole without giving them credit if we happened to put something even remotely comparable into a game 12 years later. For Scribes, I just pick out the ones that are entertaining, have something new to say, or ask a question likely to prompt a decent answer from someone on a game team. It's an ELABORATE SCIENCE, is what it is.      2) We restrict our rage-feeding to the KI3 issue and the many wild, unreasoning demands that surround it.      3) Covered that subject a mere two letters back, but you're right about Weldar and Jolly Roger (who may have had a makeover but he's still just as, er, expressive as always).      4) She's nothing if not stubborn. Hard to say for sure what became of the Ming & Blob partnership, but Brentilda left the series amidst rumours suggesting that nobody could be bothered to stop her.      5) In that case, I dread to think what kind of psychotic break you'll have when you're exploring the quiet streets of Showdown Town and one of the evil buggers suddenly goes whipping past your ankles.      6) How about a moody photo of the Rare gates in the rain, taken this morning, signed by some of the concept artists I sit with? That's the best (read: easiest) solution I can come up with at short notice. Enjoy.   Dear Scribes,      As you may have noticed, I'm a big fan of Banjo and Kazooie/Viva Piñata (TiP is awesome!) and I just wanted to ask a quick question that has been bugging me and some of my friends: Now, whenever you think of Humba Wumba, you think of an Indian in a Wigwam, right? Well we were just worried that there were some legal actions people could take because she sets a stereotype for Native Americans (not that I am one). If you could reassure us that this game won't be taken off store shelves because of that, then that would be great. It would also be nice if we could find out her purpose in the game, but that's just hopeful wishing.      Trey Grimsman      P.S.: I cannot wait for this game to come out! Humba Wumba now sells blueprints and vehicle parts from her exclusive emporium in Showdown Town, occasionally channelling Lottie from Viva Piñata. I don't think we could realistically be sued for depicting a Native American character with a wigwam – it's not so much stereotyping as, you know, fact. And even if it wasn't, Banjo-Tooie never claimed to be an accurate historical reference work. We got all that out of our systems in Conker's War level. Dear Rareware,      I very much would like to see a Counter-Operative mode much like the one found in the original Perfect Dark to one day be available for Perfect Dark Zero via the Xbox Live Marketplace.      I've looked around, and from what I've found, it seems as if a Counter-Operative mode for Perfect Dark Zero would one day be available for free download from the Marketplace.      So, I'm simply wondering if it will ever be made possible for download, free or not.      Thank you,      Cameron Schimpf So let me get this straight, you're asking if a Counter-Operative mode will be available for download from the Marketplace? Let's take it up with that old soldier of Scribes, D. Botwood.      "I am sorry to have to disappoint you, but we made the difficult decision not to implement such a mode during the main phase of the project, since it would have required far too much time to do when we were already under pressure to cut planned content. It would have required much groundwork to be laid in the core AI code, which meant that it was unlikely to be available as downloadable content post-release. The project has long since been wrapped up, and we have no plans to add any more content to Perfect Dark Zero."      See that tact and politeness? You may be disappointed, but at least you didn't get hit with a level 5 Botwooding.   Dear Scribes 'o' Matic,      First off, I am a huge fan of all the work Rare has done over the years. Even before I paid attention to the developer, I bought a lot of Rare games without even knowing they were all from the same company.      Anyway, done to business. I have several queries that have been plaguing me for some time, and it would help a lot to have some input from you:      1) You revealed once that a Giraffe animal buddy was considered for Donkey Kong Country. Were there any other animals that never made it past the drawing board? Perhaps a Hippo or something?      2) In Diddy Kong Racing, most of the racers are brand new, never before seen characters. Were there any other new characters that were considered but didn't make it into the game?      3) In Diddy Kong Racing, there is a boss named Tricky the Triceratops. Is this the same Triceratops from Star Fox Adventures? They don't look very similar, and I heard they were the same at one point during the development of Dinosaur Planet, but I'm not sure if they are meant to be the same. If they are, how do you explain the difference in characteristics? Does Star Fox Adventures take place in the past or something?      Thank you for your time,      Jomingo 1) Probably, but Gregg's in America or moving house or something at the moment and can't provide any specifics. I'll just claim in his place that the game originally featured an alpaca and a giant earwig.      2. Let's rack the designer's memory on this one: "The only ones that come to mind are two characters that we designed early on but never followed through with – one was a pantomime horse and the other was a baby mammoth." Really? That sounds even more arbitrary than the stuff I said just now.      3. And again: "Yes, they started out as the same character as Dino Planet was initially a 'sequel' to DKR (it was called something else too but I can't really remember). It even had Wizpig in it again. Then it changed to more dinos and Tricky stuck around, then it changed to Star Fox and we really should have renamed him but didn't."   Dear Rare!      I just thought I'd drop you a line after I stumbled across your webspace whilst looking for an old book which has gone out of publication now called "Solfege, A Musical Journey Through The Eyes of Guido of Arrezo".      I thought mistakenly that Rare might be a good place to look! But maybe it wasn't the finest avenue to take from the Google webspace. I am however rather glad that I did as my Grandson Benjamin has a computer games centre and is always playing horribly violent things on it that should really not be allowed at all!      I was looking at the colourful and exciting games that you seem to have on your webspace and 'Viva Piñata' caught my eye most definitely. Do you think Benjamin would like it? He likes bright colours and things. I remember a trip to Mexico many many moons ago where we were enjoying the sunshine in Pablo and Consuela's garden (Charlotte and I met them on a cruise ship in '76 and we've stayed in touch since!) and their Grandson had just put the finishing touches to a Piñata. I had never heard of one before then! They seem to be everywhere ever since don't they!      I would like to know if the game involves breaking open a piñata? I tried to understand the webspace but I do not know what a Buzzlegum or a Fudgehog was and became slightly bemused.      I know that he has a Microsoft game centre because I remember the discussion I had over dinner with him about that man Gates! If you piled up his money it would reach the moon and maybe even the Pleidas Cluster don't you think!      Thank you so very much for your time, I do hope to hear about the game for Benjamin soon and I do hope that you are very well indeed.      With the Warmest of Regards,      Barnaby We should get more letters from confused old people. Genuine ones, I mean. I thought we were definitely going the right way about it, making colourful, family-friendly games featuring big bold animals with eccentric names – perfect 'birthday present from grandparent' fodder. But no, we still don't get that many bewildered pleas for enlightenment, and so most of my daily amusement continues to come from the ridiculous tat people offer on Freecycle and videos of people getting clonked with shovels on YouTube. Speaking of which, yes, piñatas do get broken open in the game, but not often by the player; they're usually preoccupied with bashing the little seed man over the head until he cries.      Good luck with Guido of Arrezo. Those wacky monks! If they're not meddling with time or having their heads swapped for tentacles in Spanish castles, they're holed up somewhere radicalising music theory.   Hi Rare Gods,      I heard about the Banjo Promotion, and I've been calling GameStop everyday for the past 2 months asking if they have the codes. How about a new Perfect Dark that takes place after the original for the Nintendo 64, and 4J Studios recodes the original and you can sell it on the Xbox Live Arcade! The original is a lot better than Perfect Dark Zero. And I love Elvis the Maian. Also, BANJO-KAZOOIE IS FOREVER!      I can't wait for Nuts & Bolts!      Matt While I think the free Banjo XBLA promotion is a great idea, I know next to nothing about the operational specifics so don't go asking me if I can ring up GameStop and talk them through it or something. Ask Microsoft, it was their idea and they love answering your questions.      Duncan says: "If and when Rare come to make another Perfect Dark game, rest assured we will consider placing it before, after or during the timelines of either one of the existing games." Whoops, looks like his facade of helpful approachability is slipping a bit.   Dear Clever Nickname or Pun,      I'm not sure what to write here, but you seem to like some sort of zany preamble to the questions, so... well that was it. Sorry, I'm not very creative.      1. As a mildly OCD 360 owner, I can't help but collect all the achievements for game unless I can really justify not doing it. So really it's sort of a lazy OCD situation. Anyway, I was wondering if you could leak us a complete and final list of all the achievements in the upcoming Banjo game, hopefully several of which hint at levels, features, and abilities we don't know about yet. Quick, while Microsoft isn't looking! No? What about approx. how long they'll take to complete? Please don't make me win 10,000 challenges online. Cause I'll do it, and then hate myself. And that'll be on you.      2. What's it like having a strong currency? Nice?      3. Did you ever consider taking a more realistic approach to Banjo graphics this time around? You know, gluing a bunch of ping-pong balls to an actual bear while he was sleeping or something and then trying to get him to drive and the whole nine. What made you decide against it?      4. When people from Microsoft come to "visit" or whatever they call it, do they bring guns? I always picture it's sort of like a mixture of your mom bursting into your room unannounced at a, well, poor time and being invaded by a well-funded paramilitary.      5. Goldfish or Cheez-its?      Geoffrey 1) Already done it, Geoffrey. Just for you. In fact we might add one last Achievement to the list, called 'Geoffrey's Jollies'. It's not as bad as you make out: you only have to cinch 5,000 online matches, but you do have to do it in a single unbroken winning streak, and it's worth 0 points.      2) I wouldn't know, we haven't got one. Or do you mean the musical notes in Banjo? Have you confused fantasy and reality again, Geoffrey?      3) The only time I've ever seen a bear at a zoo, it did nothing but walk slowly up and down a hill... backwards. I can't vouch for the experiences of the Nuts & Bolts animators, but that alone would warn me that the realistic approach might not make for a flexible and fun-packed game.      4) We've never seen them with guns. More to the point, your comparison makes us sound like a bunch of frustrated teenagers doing unpleasant things in gloomy bedrooms all day. We might be striving to understand the preferences of a broad spectrum of gamers, but it doesn't go that far.      5) Too American for us to understand. Your question should be: Quavers or Wotsits? In which case the answer would be Quavers.   Dear Scribes,      Hello to you. I am a longtime fan and have constantly been impressed with your music, my favourite score of yours is easily Jet Force Gemini, which brings me to my questions, please answer them and I will jump for joy.      1. Any chance of a Jet Force sequel?      2. If question one is a no, any chance of hearing its epic score orchestrated and put out on your site? Or for that matter, a whole selection of tunes, from Banjo to Kameo recorded live, as nature intended them to be?      3. Can I have a free Xbox to play Banjo on please?      Al Wylie Check it, homeboy, we're answering your numbered questions in a non-numbered format. Jet Force sequel? You mean Jet Force Capricorn, which has been in development for three years? No, not really. Sorry. There are quite a few Rare staffers in my immediate vicinity who think JFG would cut a fine dash on Xbox 360, but we're not the ones who make the decisions (or would ultimately have to code the game). And so, Albert, you must continue to wait. Also, you can't have a free Xbox and it's unlikely that Robin would suddenly be allocated a large budget for a live overseas recording of the soundtrack to a game released almost a decade ago on a format we no longer support. But thanks for the questions!   Dear Mr. Scriby guy,      First, I would like to say I'm really looking forward to your next big project (not Battletoads 360 [but that too]), Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts! Everything I've seen of the game so far looks absolutely magnificent, awesome, beautiful, etc. Well, ALMOST everything. There is but one thing that keeps haunting my dreams, keeping me awake at night, makes me walk around in circles for hours, makes me try and beat Canary Mary in Cloud Cuckooland with a broken N64 controller... That thing is...      The note counter. The note itself looks wonderful, but then there's this tiny white number beside it that burns my eyes. PLEASE TELL ME YOU WILL CHANGE THIS! IT SHOULD BE YELLOW/GOLD! IT HAS TO BE YELLOW/GOLD! I WANT THE OLD COUNTER BACK! I'M BEGGING YOU! AAAAAH!      I will refuse to buy the game if you won't change this (not really). If you decide to change it, then keep up the good work! If not, at least keep up the rest of the good work.      I love you anyway.      Cheezdoodles Shaun, quick! Have you got thing to calm down this mentalist? Don't blame me, it's not my fault Gregg's gone AWOL and deserted his Scribes duties.      "Okay, here's the deal. I've just dragged one of our totally exhausted coders back into work from his well earned R&R break to make the note counter flash white and YELLOW whenever you collect a note. In return, you make sure you place that pre-order for the game, ya hear?      "Oh, and we love you too."   Dear Scribes,      Normally I start these out with something silly, but you don’t even comment on my "Scribes top of the letter" silliness anymore... I get all cheeky and snarky JUST for Scribes, too...      A) I LOVE Jet Force Gemini. If there were two things I have wondered about the story, why do the Jet Twins and rhino-footed dog actually decide to fly to the backwater planetoid Water Ruin and the defunct Spacestation? I just feel like there's much more than what was presented than meets the eye. What's with the bear? Did they know the Station was an Abandoned Wreck when they ventured there? Is Juno bald? Any in-game answers here?      R) There's no denying that Halo 3 is a good game, and that Rare lent some help to the monkeys who made Marathon to help make Halo 3. I'm going to give it a try and guess that Rare had something to do with the Grunt Birthday Party Skull? YAAAAAY! Or was it something lame, like "gameplay" or "quality"?      S) One of the medals you can earn in Conker: Live and Reloaded is the Jade Star for destroying 500 enemy units. Is it really un-earnable via a glitch? If so, will you share the avatars from the Bonus Avatar pack it would've unlocked? Super. What made the Jade Star un-un-lockable?      E) Since the Banjo Team claimed to have all of the Star Wars vehicles covered, suddenly the Jawa Sand Crawler came to mind. How big is the biggest drivable machine that the Team has made? Any comparisons to a sizeable in-game thing would be helpful. I plan on making AT-AT style walkers myself.      S) Cheato vs. Ortho: Who wins?      If you need me, I'll be sulking in the corner being ignored by Mr. Loveday while helpful folks from the team lavish their attention on me...      Zenek Shush, boy. I'm answering your email, aren't I? Isn't that what I'm doing? Right now? Isn't it?      1) Sidequests need have no logic. Long-standing videogame rule. Plus it was 10 years ago, the designer's not here any more, and the rest of us have forgotten, if we ever knew.      2) The word from someone who'd know is that we "helped out with art and also software". Apologies for the lack of funnies in that statement.      3) It's for 500 vehicles, apparently. I don't know if that helps. I did ask some programmers, but after some discussion concluded that they all have dementia and can't remember if it works. I could draw you some bonus avatars just in case, but it wouldn't really be helping anyone.      4) Let's give Shaun a break and get Shelley from the Banjo design squad to answer this. Come on, the Scribes folks won't bite. Well, they might. But it's just instinct, they don't mean it. Go! "The biggest vehicle it's possible to make is 19 blocks square. Banjo stands about two blocks tall, so as you can imagine it is possible to create HUGE vehicles. More than enough for a sandcrawler."      5) When you come at it from certain angles that's a reasonable question, but trying to answer it still makes me feel uncomfortable. Shelley? "Errr, they both flap at each other a lot and then decide to be friends. Magic book fights are a bit pap really." Dear Scribes,      I have been looking through the archives of computer gaming only to discover that you released Sabre Wulf on the GBA. Boy that brought back memories of sneaking into my brother's bedroom to play on his Speccie when I was supposed to be asleep. I am pleased to say I have managed to find a copy of Sabre Wulf & I can't wait for it to arrive! anyway this got me thinking why haven't you released the rest of the Sabreman series? I personally think it would be awesome to see the likes of Underwurlde & Knight Lore revamped & released for perhaps the DS.      Here's living in hope,      Mandy Sneaking into someone's bedroom to play Sabre Wulf on the Spectrum while they slept sounds like the most impractical thing ever attempted. Speccy games took 10 minutes to load, for a start, and then you'd have been using the keyboard or a clicky Kempston joystick and shouting swear words every few seconds when you got jumped by a rhino. Was your brother on heavy-duty tranquilisers at the time?      No immediate plans for further Ultimate 'reimaginings', but in terms of Rare handheld classics there's always It's Mr. Pants. If you or any other Brits reading this have yet to obtain a copy and live in the Lichfield area, the people in the local branch of Game would appreciate you relieving them of their last second-hand copy as it's the only thing holding them back from a total GBA stock clearout (as I discovered a couple of weeks ago to my delight).   Dear Scribes of the Rare variety,      I am writing in (er... typing in) to inform you that I NEED A COLLECTOR'S EDITION of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts! It must be made! I am prepared to do whatever you ask of me to have a collector's edition made. Hop on one leg for the rest of my life? Done. Rob a bank and give you all the money? Got it. Create a petition and force people at gunpoint to sign it? Locked and loaded. Play Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge Missions? ...If I must, I will! So, are you going to make one, and if so what could we expect in it? A Banjo (or Kazooie, or Banjo and Kazooie, or Grunty, or Mumbo, or a Jinjo, or a jiggy, or Bottles, or...) plush or figurine would be great! And then when the tip of Banjo's nose breaks off because of poor packaging (not that you would ever make that mistake), you can send us all another one, plus an artbook! You should throw in a DVD and CD for good measure. It should all be packaged in a bullet-proof and padlocked box.      Your assassin for hire,      Super Zombiee      P.S: Feel free to send me as much Banjo swag as possible. We're doing all that and more! Microsoft insisted! You also forgot to mention the newly minted banknotes tucked under the clip with the manual, the keyring made from an uncut diamond and the life-size inflatable Humba Wumba 'comfort pillow'. All for just $60, or £200,000 in the UK. Ooo, little bit of economic satire there, ladies and gentlemen.      Translation: sadly no Nuts & Bolts Collector's Edition on the way, unless it's so secret that we haven't even been told. But thanks for your (only slightly sinister) interest.   Why, hello there, Uncommoncommodity! ...wow, that sounded confusing.      Anyway, 2 questions. First, would you be able to build a fridge-mobile in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts? For snacking on the go! Wherever fridges and mobiles are sold. Wait, what?      Anyway, 2nd question, if, in Banjo Pilot, Cheato says to stop bugging him and swop the game for a book, is he saying that you should read him and... well, I guess that would still be bugging him. Probably. My actual question has nothing to do with Banjo Pilot and I was just wondering if Cheato is in BK: NB. Because he should be. With codes. And chambers. And code chambers. Or at least a Code Garage. Because codes being in-game like Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie was cool. And is cool. And are cool. Even if most of the old codes probably wouldn't be all that useful in the new game.      In closing, I hope Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie get on the Nintendo Virtual Console. Even if it's not in your hands.      Topmonhit You could build a fridge-shaped vehicle, but I don't recall Mumbo stocking the parts for an actual working fridge, no. Bad luck. And lots of questions about Cheato lately. Must be another one of those bloody forum petitions on omgwelovecheato.com or something. Shelley, are you still there?      "1. Wait, what?      "2. Cheato indeed makes an appearance in Nuts & Bolts. Not so sure about the aforementioned codes, chambers, code chambers and code garages. Wait, was that some sort of code?"      No immediate plans to put Kazooie or Tooie on Virtual Console, as you might expect now that they're both due out on Xbox Live Arcade. Not having much luck with these questions, are you? Next time ask if we want free chocolate, beer and cable channels.   G'day,      I just read the third Dev Diary, and what it sounds like, to me anyway, is that for the script you've got the one for the Americans and another for the Brits and Aussies etc. Is this a slightly different script or just different spelling or have I read this completely wrong? If not, will Australians be getting the British version of the game, the one with the letter 'u' where it should be and what-not?      Also, you got a rough idea when the forums will be up?      Chris Hiddins The way it seems to work is by deciding a basic 'language' for the game in advance. We managed to wangle UK English for VP but usually it's US English, what with Microsoft and the gimongous American market and everything. If it's in UK English, US English has to be treated as a separate language for localisation, whereas if it starts off in US English... well, it stays in US English. So I doubt there will ultimately be a Spiffing Queen's English version of Banjo with '-ise' spellings and 'u's in the right places, no.      Forums? If you mean the ones on banjo-kazooie.com then they're up now, as far as I know – I don't have much involvement with the MS community sites beyond contributing bits and pieces of content. However, the bloke who'll be moderating the forums is actually working in-house at Rare, which means I can observe his slow emotional unravelling as you internet lunatics get cracking on his sanity. His name's Mike, and he would very much enjoy being asked about KI3. Snippets   I think you should make a create-a-character competition for Banjo-Threeie in which people may create a character to be in Banjo-Threeie. Am I being repetitive? I don't think so. Am I being repetitive? I don't– Chewbacca What, after the 'name a character' competition for Banjo-Tooie landed us with Chris P. Bacon?   Watching a couple videos of showdown town, I noticed a Pig walking around in a coconut bra, and a Rhino/Big al in a bikini. Why are there animals walking half naked like that.....its just really creepy. Fan There's even one who scolds you for looking at her in her 'skimpies' (designer Steve can take the credit for that).   Donkey Kong is a cold blooded murderer! He kills people over bananas! Cul Mclane Who did he kill? Lanky Kong? I thought I hadn't seen that lurching freak around lately.   And now, the most important question ever: will the Jinjonator be in N&B? If he's not, I'll do anything (and I mean anything) for him to get in there. If he's already there, I love each and every one of you (in a totally straight way). Jinjonator There's a fleeting reference to him, if nothing else. And I'm pretty sure there's nothing else. Don't take your love away from us, man.   Grabbed by the Ghoulies is the best game ever!!! Are you going to make Grabbed by the Ghoulies version 2? Jose So this is where Gregg's been, lurking in a Spanish internet cafe creating false identities. Honestly...   are you making Killer Instinct 3 on ps3 i hope you do it wood be a dream Ittheclown1985 It would, then you'd wake up and realise there was a thunderstorm going on, the neighbours were having a row and you'd wet yourself.   how about a Jet Force Gemini remake for the 360. ur prolly not the guy to talk to but if you could get the ball rolling that would be great Jake Rix Hey, what makes you think I'm not a major creative force at Rare? No, alright, fair enough.   Hello, I want to know, what happened to rare and nintendo, why arnt you working with nintendo anymore, you gotta amit the new banjo game looks like ****, banjo tooie rocks, also can you make new conker games, from David Walker David Walker Who's this from again, Danny Waters? And the new Banjo game looks like what? Cher? Fart? Pies?   I was just wondering if the feathers on Mumbo's head had flying properties like Kazooie's? I mean did he rip them from Kazooie or something? Bryner Possibly. Maybe he sliced her head open like Sylar and now he can do a Talon Trot as well.   I can't wait for Banjo-Kazooie! I literally crapped my pants when I heard the big news. I'm also looking forward to Nuts & Bolts but I want to try the demo first (make it happen please). Christopher 'Chito' Escobar Everyone's having accidents in their pants today. Demo's up now, so stop cacking yourselves and go play it.

	Scribes - November 5, 2008