Rare's "dream" game, Banjo-Kazooie, is shaping up to be a doozy! The developers have been hard at work on the title, and the new, playable, version of the game shown at the Nintendo Gamer's Summit looked simply outstanding. The game has progressed tons since last E3, and there are now six playable worlds. In the final version there will be 9 worlds total, and according to Rare, even if you know the locations like the back of your hand, it will still take you at least 15 hours to complete the game. With all the stuff you need to find and do in the game, this seems like a very conservative estimate.

Banjo-Kazooie's fairy tale back story is reminiscent of Snow White's. In the new real-time 3-D intro sequence, a gnarled, ugly witch named Grunhilda asks her magical cauldron who is the fairest of them all. Of course, the pot's answer doesn't please the hag-- he singles out Banjo's sister, Tooty. When Piccolo turns up missing, Banjo and his birdie buddy Kazooie set out to find her.

The worlds in Banjo-Kazooie are gigantic, and chock full of crazy items to collect. Musical Notes, Puzzle Pieces, Mumbo Tokens and Jinjo Birds are just some of the swag that buffoonish bear Banjo must stuff in his backpack to complete his adventure. While some of the necessary items are simply stashed off the beaten path, others will require puzzle solving skills to turn up. If variety is the spice of life, Banjo-Kazooie doesn't need any more pepper!