#it was hidden behind wading through 10 meters of lava

[moonsinkfoxgirl]

they actually coded a complete 3D map of absolutely everything for you to find at the very end of the game

[game-boy-pocket]

I just finished Banjo Kazooie: Jiggies of Time - a full length mod by Mark Kurko

I don’t normally do reviews because I find it hard to be objective... and this will be no different, so just think of this as me gushing. I’ll go ahead and put the long winded bit under a read more. But the short version is, fans of Banjo Kazooie and Ocarina of Time should play this FOR SURE. Banjo Kazooie fans may actually still love this if they’re not fans of Zelda ( but Zelda knowledge helps sometimes ). Zelda fans may not fare so well if they don’t love the Banjo Kazooie gameplay  ( perhaps they should try the first game as a test if they haven’t played it?  *nudge nudge* )  

I’ve been aware of this project for some time but didn’t really know too much about it. There were a lot of Banjo Kazooie hacks that were just smaller projects that take less than an hour to finish. I was suprised to learn just a few days ago that this project was completed, and was a full length game with the same number of worlds and collectibles as the original Banjo Kazooie. Even better, it ran on a real Nintendo 64! I played mine on the real deal and it ran near perfectly ( there were minor frame dips and a few graphical bugs but nothing too distracting or too frequent )

I’m assuming you already know how Banjo Kazooie plays if you’re reading this, but just in case, Banjo plays a lot like Mario.  You run around in little sandbox areas collecting things, the main collectible being golden jigsaw puzzle pieces called Jiggies, you find these out in the open, by solving puzzles, or by helping NPCs, the secondary collectible being golden music notes, both are needed to progress.  Each level also has five different colored critters called Jinjos that award you with a Jiggy when you find them. Each level has two empty honey comb pieces, collecting six adds another unit of health to your life meter. There are also silver skull shaped tokens used to transform your character into another form in certain levels, and finally, other miscellaneous collectibles to restore health, abilies, and lives.  Pretty basic stuff, you should be familiar if you’ve played any of the Sandbox Mario games, though in Banjo, you unlock your abilities as you progress. 

As I said before the game has 10 worlds. You start in Kokiri forest just like Ocarina of Time. You learn your basic moves in the Lost Woods, though I question the practicality of that, I actually did a full two worlds without my three basic attacks.  I got... lost... I just assumed I was going to learn the attacks elsewhere.  Kokiri forest is actually the first world, with Lost Woods serving as a sort of “Spiral Mountain” area.  Brentilda makes a return here offering three tips about the game each time you encounter her, as well as refilling your health. She appears in every world. Once you get some notes, you can leave to Hyrule Field.

Hyrule Field is the “Gruntilda’s Lair” ( Your Hub world for the uninitiated ) portion of the game, Everything is where you expect it to be, but it’s all sealed off. Instead you need to look for new areas containing jigsaw puzzles to open the locked areas. You will eventually learn a trick to simulate the Sun song as well, but it can only be done here. There’s 10 Jiggies to collect in Hyrule, 7 of which are contained within Lon Lon Ranch, I won’t spoil anything but Lon Lon Ranch has changed pretty drastically. The remaining 3 Jiggies are a bit more elaborately hidden. I’ll get back to those.  When you’re here, Gruntilda will banter with you, just like the original Banjo Kazooie, but sometimes, other characters will talk instead, and there is some genuinely hilarious exchanges between characters here.

Castle Town is the second world, and this is where you get the idea that “oh this isn’t just Banjo in Ocarina of time” because you start to uncover a lot of areas that were not in the original game. It only makes sense that a character with completely different skills can reach places Link never could.  Mumbo Jumbo returns in this world, all of his transformations are the same as the original game, but they’ve been reskinned to fit a Zelda theme... well... mostly.  

Once you wrap up in there, you head to Kakariko village, the third world. And it’s pretty standard. You actually learn the final move in this world. This game utilizes all of the original game’s moves except for the wading boots... they were kind of lame anyway I suppose.  This is also where you start to notice that this game is absolutely loaded to the gills with easter eggs. game cases and consoles are littered everywhere, Nintendo characters playing games are hidden away ( except for one ), and you may also notice some Golden eye characters spying on you ( they actually creep me out when I first catch a glimpse of them. They look ghoulish to me... ) 

Explore Kakariko enough and you should find the way to open Death Mountain, which is the fourth world.  Now this part of the game drove me slightly crazy. Death mountain has lava. Lava is an instant death for Banjo. When you die, you lose all of the notes you collected, and all of your Jinjos too if you haven’t got them all yet.  Here’s the thing, it’s another world where you have to turn into a small creature to get some of the notes, but before you do, you have to open the path for the creature as Banjo. And you have a LOT of ground to cover ( it includes Dodongo’s Cavern, the  mountain trail, Goron City, and a few extra areas not in Ocarina of Time ), so it’s almost like you have to do everything in this level twice... I died several times, at one point all I needed was five more notes, I was about to blow a gasket. After you finish up there, it’s time to head to Zora’s Domain. The world actually starts at Zora’s River, I enjoyed the world a lot but it was also pretty taxing. It demands a LOT of resources I had previously been taking for granted. Namely the eggs you shoot.  I was expecting Jabu Jabu to be replaced with Clanker the whale from the original Banjo Kazooie, but no, it’s just Jabu Jabu.. which is probably fine, this is Hyrule after all.  Jabu Jabu is not actually a dungeon though, which is a little disappointing, but there is some very interesting stuff in there... and this is where I start having a little bit of an issue with the easter eggs, subtlty goes out the window here and we actually start leaving the Zelda theme behind for two pretty big areas in this world.  It doesn’t bother me too much but I really wish this sort of thing was kept for secret levels instead of the main game... there’s a lot of tough platforming around Jabu Jabu’s area.

By now you should have stumbled across the means of opening the way to the Forest Temple. And this is one of the coolest parts of the game but also one of the most long winded and complicated parts.  The game expects you to go back to the old days of taking notes on paper.  You explore the temple looking for letters of the Hylian Alphabet and their English equivalent, you’re expected to to write these down as a chart and then use them to decipher some messages written in Hylian Text through out the temple... the thing is, a lot of the things the text asked me to do, I figured out on my own. There are also paintings on the wall meant to give clues, but I got mixed messages from one of these paintings that was meant to be used in tandem with the hylian writing. So I was trying the wrong thing over and over...  But I will say this level is truly the most jam packed with Zelda easter eggs and It’s hard not to spoil any of it, because I lost my mind at some of it...

At this point I should throw in that this game doesn’t have any new enemies or bosses. Most of the enemies are reskinned to be Zelda themed. It’s pretty effective in selling the illusion... except in the case where it’s not.

Next destination is Lake Hylia. I’ve got to stop to talk about the music real quick because Lake Hylia has my favorite track in the game.  This game has an amazing soundtrack.  It’s mostly Zelda songs remixed in a way that makes it sound like a song you would expect to hear in Banjo Kazooie ( and some hints of Banjo Kazooie/Tooie tunes get mixed in as a medley as well ), very bouncy and fun.  Not all of it is Ocarina of Time music. Lake Hylia actually uses an upbeat version of the Twilight Princess lake hylia theme.   In any case, this level sees you explore the lake, the fishing hole, the water temple, and a new series of floating islands above the lake.  As far as the Water Temple goes, it’s not too bad.

Next is the Gerudo Valley area, which includes the valley, the gerudo fortress, and the desert temple. Disappointingly, you cannot explore the insides of the gerudo fortress.  You can enter them, but you just exit out a different door in the fortress, like some kind of warp maze.  This area was also a real drain on my gold feather and blue egg resources, I almost had to leave to stock up on gold feathers, but I was sly and found a work around my problem and was able to progress. It was probably the least impressive area in the game if I’m being honest... also, Brentilda says that the hylian letters I wrote down were going to be useful here, but I couldn’t find anywhere  in the dungeon that had Hylian letters... hmm.

With this, you head to the final world.  The means which you use to enter this world are very cool. I won’t spoil it but it should be obvious to anyone who’s played already, assuming they haven’t completely forgotten one of the most important locations in the original Ocarina of Time...  Now, the world itself?  It’s cool thematically, but the usage of another small creature transformation really drags the world down.  Not to mention another easter egg really kills the mood of this final world, but it’s easily forgiven.

The final world is also what houses the entrance to the final battle.  But this game actually requires you to get ALL the Jiggies save for three in order to enter the final battle, so if you missed any jiggies at all during the normal levels, time to turn back and get them... unless you’re only short three, and wouldn’t you know it, there are three “secret levels” in this game with extra hidden Jiggies.

So, you would have no doubt seen this by now if you were playing the game but in Castle Town, there’s a museum you can reach by transforming into a small creature and crawling through the keyhole, and this museum houses clues to the location of these secret levels, as well as the secret jiggies within those levels. They’re pretty well hidden.  The clues get revealed more and more as you collect notes. First, just a general description of the area, then a more exact description of the area, but written in hylian, then a photograph of the area you need to inspect to find the entrance, and lastly, a picture of the hidden jiggy in the secret level ( though if you wait this long, the nature of the secret level will be spoiled, and these levels are BIG easter eggs. ), so maybe don’t wait too long to find them.

The final Battle with Gruntilda is the same as it was in the original Banjo Kazooie, but the arena is just slightly altered to make it a little more difficult, but not unfairly so.  Not much more to say beyond that.  The game has a pretty cool credits sequence and ending that Zelda fans are sure to appreciate.

I do kind of wish there was a Quiz show like the original Banjo Kazooie, I was expecting to get my Zelda knowledge tested, but no such luck.

Playing this game was such a blast and it made me feel like I was experiencing Banjo Kazooie and Ocarina of Time for the first time again at the same time, which is a very strange but welcome feeling. I never would have expected these two games fused into one to work so well, but it really is remarkable how well it works, and it tickles my nerd fanboy bone for Zelda in many ways, as well as Banjo, Rareware and Nintendo in general too.  I can’t recommend it enough for fans of both games...  I can only recommend this to non Banjo Zelda fans if they’re willing to play the original Banjo first to see if they like it.  But non Zelda fans of Banjo, I think you’ll just enjoy having a new Banjo Kazooie Adventure to tackle, though the lack of Zelda knowledge might make the road a little bumpy in a few areas.

I love these games to death but i’ve replayed them so much that they don’t entertain as much as they used to. This was a great way to freshen up the experience for both. I’m dying to play more like this. There’s a very interesting “Link in Mario 64″ mod i’m keeping my eye on. But that may take a lot of time, as it’s only released the first demo... for now... I actually kinda want to replay the original BK and OOT agian. Heh.  

[shoplittleleaf-blog]

Why Everyone's Going to Iceland (and Why You Should Join Them) A few reasons we're obsessed with Iceland: Elves, the Northern Lights, canyons, puffins, waterfalls, glaciers, long-haired ponies... The first mistake I made in packing for my week­long trip to Iceland was the number of books I brought. By my logic, the Ring Road, an 840-­mile highway that skirts the entire coast of Iceland would take roughly 16 hours, which factored into 3 books to pass the time between each stopping point. What I didn’t account for is that Iceland is—and really, there’s no delicate way to put this—painfully magical. As soon as you pull yourself away from the waterfall you discovered in a secluded cave, you’ll head straight into the most beautiful rainbow you’ve ever seen, framing a sheep­-dotted cliff with the largest glacier south of the Arctic circle cresting the horizon. There’s probably a puffin or pony cavorting somewhere in the distance. This is how it is for the entire drive. I didn’t read any books. During the drive around the Ring Road with my two travel companions, I gave up on counting the daily waterfalls we passed (I don’t think we went 10 minutes without seeing one), swam in a hot spring, stood in the splash zone of several waterfalls, enjoyed daylight until 9 P.M., and saw the Northern lights. It’s no wonder 40% of Icelanders believe in elves—how else do you explain the country’s disproportionate allotment of natural beauty? For a country the size of Kentucky, it packs a punch. Here are some of my favorite spots I visited in Reykjavik and along the Ring Road: Reykjavik Some of the best advice we received before leaving on our trip was to only spend two full days in Reykjavik—the city, while home to some interesting restaurants and a never­ending supply of Scandinavian design stores, is extremely small. It takes about 15 minutes to walk from one end of downtown to the harbor. The Blue Lagoon: The milky­-blue waters of the Blue Lagoon, supplied by natural run­off from the nearby geothermal energy plant, are a popular tourist attraction halfway between the airport and the city of Reykjavik. A day pass will give you access to the enormous man-made lagoon that differentiates itself from the average public pool by its tubs of natural silica (which can be used as a face mask), saunas, and waterfalls. If you have long hair, just be sure to keep it up, because while the silica is good for your skin, it can irreversibly damage your locks. While wading through the chest-­deep water, look out for the Icelandic women carrying trays of the Blue Lagoon’s line of silica products—they’re a wealth of information. One woman explained that they couldn’t build the expansion to the Blue Lagoon (which includes plans for a five­-star hotel) until the president of Iceland hand-delivered the building plans to the lava-dwelling elves.    Left: An ominously-named design store tucked into a side alley with hand-drawn maps. Right: Whimsical paperweights at Aurum. Design stores: Downtown Reykjavik is a haven for unbelievably cute design stores, which you could easily spend a day perusing. Some of the highlights include Aurum, a great place to buy kids’ toys and delicate, hand­cut mobiles; Foa, home to non-­cheesy, touristy gifts, like Ninna Thorarinsdottir’s line of cheeky, illustrated postcards; Hrím and Hrím Eldus, which has a large assortment of beautiful ceramics and an adjacent kitchen store that I had to walk out of for fear of buying an entire set of Icelandic pots; Dead, a gothic store with an assortment of hand-drawn maps of Iceland; and Spark, which carries some children’s clothes and printed, colorful maps of the country. Coffee and quick bites: While artisanal coffee and espresso is still a relatively new addition to Iceland, it’s taken off—there are several per block of downtown’s main walking street, Laugavegur. After trying several (jet lag is a cruel mistress), Mokka, a dim coffee shop housed in a cozy, dark wood gallery, won several times over for its Swiss Mocha, an espresso topped with hot chocolate and whipped cream, while Sandholt had the best baked goods. For a quick lunch, head to the hot dog stand near the harbor, Baejarins Beztu Pylsur for a classic Icelandic hot dog: a lamb, beef, and pork dog placed atop a bed of both raw and fried onions, topped with pylsusinnep (a sweet brown mustard), remoulade (a Scandinavian mayonnaise and relish condiment), and ketchup. Or go for “The Clinton,” which just has mustard, just like Bill had on his visit. For a classic Icelandic snack, head into the fish market—it's inside of the flea market in a huge warehouse on the harbor—where you can find dried, salted cod with butter (think of it as fish jerky, topped with butter) or, if you dare, try the hákarl. Bluntly put, hákarl is fermented shark (aged in soil for up to 16 weeks), which was notoriously declared by Anthony Bourdain to be the worst thing he’s ever eaten. While traditionally chased by Brennivín, an Icelandic brand of schnapps, in the fish market, it’s served to unsuspecting tourists in bite-­sized samples off of plastic plates. All I can tell you is that I still shudder at the thought (“putrified” comes to mind as the primary descriptor) and Post-Traumatic Hákaral Disorder is a real thing. If you make the same mistake I did, head further down the harbor to Fish and Chips to remind yourself that not all Icelandic fish products are terrible. The Mikkeller bar in downtown Reykjavik is decorated with illustrations by Keith Shore. Restaurants: At first glance, most of the restaurants in downtown Reykjavik are almost impossible to differentiate—most places have some sort of lamb and potatoes dish, several fish dishes, and a high proportion of hamburgers (all of which come at a hefty price tag). But there are a few stand­out places: Under the Mikkeller bar, which is worth visiting for its selection of draft Spontan beers, is an unnamed pizza place that, despite its marquee attraction, serves several traditional Icelandic starters. Fiskmarkadurinn (Fish Market) is an upscale restaurant that serves puffin and an array of seafood including arctic char and salmon, and Snaps is an adorable French bistro on the corner of a residential street just off the main walking street that serves a twist on traditional Scandinavian smørrebrød, piled high with shrimp, pork belly, or seasonal vegetables. The tasting menu at Dill though, Iceland’s only Michelin­-starred restaurant by Gunnar Karl Gislason, the author of North, was the city’s highlight. The Golden Circle and Southwest Iceland   A roughly two­-hour loop of four scenic attractions just east of Reykyavik, the Golden Circle is an abridged version of the Ring Road that can easily be done in half a day if you need to keep your trip to Iceland short. Scuba or snorkel between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates: This is the only place in the world where a mid-ocean ridge of divergent tectonic plates appears on land, but you’d never know it looking over the unassuming lagoon in Thingvellir, the national park. All of the action happens underwater, but can be seen by snorkeling or scuba diving (in appropriate gear—the water is barely above freezing!). Once underwater, you can swim between the two tectonic plates, which separate into a nearly endless fissure where new crust is created every day, causing the plates to move apart up to 2 centimeters every year. The chilly water is worth the view. Visit the Gullfoss waterfall: Named for the golden light that reflects off of it during sunset, this waterfall has two ninety-degree falls that combine into one that’s viewable from the observation deck directly opposite it. See the original geyser: One of the most popular attractions along the Golden Circle is Geysir, which is also the source of the English word. This one no longer spouts, but follow the crowds of people to Strokkur, which erupts dramatically about every 10 minutes—just don’t stand downwind of it. Hike around the Kerid crater (pictured above): Once a volcano that caved in on itself and filled with magma, it now holds a lake at the center of its crater. Walk along its rim, then follow the quick, 100­-meter trail down to the water’s edge. The Sights to See on the South Coast The South Coast is where most of the Ring Road action is—think endless canyons and ever-changing scenery, from rolling hills to steep basalt cliffs, with an enormous glacier. And sheep, everywhere. Seljalandsfoss: The first waterfall (pictured above) that you come to along the Ring Road—of literally hundreds—is one of the most impressive. It cascades from nearly 60 meters into a small river, and while many of the waterfalls along the road have lookouts that are level with the top of the falls, this one is unique: You can stand from the bottom looking up, and even walk along a path that leads to a ledge behind the falls. One of the best parts, though, may be the lesser­known fall roughly 1 kilometer away that’s tucked inside of a cave—you would never know it’s there if you didn’t go inside. Once you do—and you should—you’ll find a fall that’s flooded with light from an opening at the top that looks like something out of a fairytale.    Left: Roughly 1 kilometer west of Seljalandsfoss is a waterfall completely hidden in a cave. Right: Skogafoss is beautiful, but it's what's at the top that's truly breath-taking. Skogafoss: Like Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss has a lookout from the bottom of the fall, which creates an impressive rainbow at some points in the day, but make sure you walk up the side of this fall. The daunting 400 steps, followed by a quick hop over a fence, lead to the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen: Above the waterfall is a rushing river with tapered plateaus of mini­-waterfalls with moss-­covered cliffs, plus small islands covered in trees and black sand beaches that look like their own micro­worlds. My advice: Take the stairs. Dyrhólaey: Be sure to see these—they look over a basalt rock arch in the middle of the ocean formed thousands of years ago by an underwater explosion. Vik: A tiny town (Population: 290) at the base of the glacier-­covered volcano, Eyjafjallajökull (which was inspiration for the car game we invented, “Try to Pronounce Eyjafjallajökull”), Vik is surrounded by green hills. It’s also home to two restaurants (The Grill and The Bistro)—both of which are in the town’s center. Pro tip: If you plan to go for a run on Vik’s famous black sand beaches, just know that it may be cut short when you become distracted by watching the puffins do their morning fly into the ocean.    Left: The view from the top of Skogafoss. Right: Leslie's boyfriend follows sheep up a small stream at the Thakgil campground. Thakgil campground at the end of dirt road 214: It didn’t take long for us to learn that when you have the option of taking a dirt road or a trail in Iceland, take it—it will inevitably lead you to yet another beautiful place. This road, a blip on our map which we decided to follow in the moment, took us through roughly 16 kilometers of rolling hills with sheep and dramatic cliffs, over black sand ravines carved out by glaciers, and ended at a campground at the base of a waterfall with sheep drinking from it. Like I said, magical. Fjadrargljufur Canyon: Lined with sheer basalt columns covered in a thin layer of green, this canyon ends at a point where three waterfalls join into a pool. Dverghamrar basalt columns outside of Kirkjubaejarklaustur: Said to be home to elvish royalty, these columns, which rise out of the middle of a field, have intricate rock forms that are almost beautiful enough to completely distract from the adorable town that serves as its backdrop. The Sights to See on the Southeast and East Coast The largest glacier in Iceland is visible along the horizon line for much of the drive in the South. The East Coast is much less touristy than the South, but no less beautiful. It’s also the perfect place to spot the Northern lights since there’s hardly any light pollution—head outside around 11:30 P.M., look north on a clear night, and you might get lucky. Skaftafell in Vatnajökull National Park: Home to the largest ice cap outside of the Arctic Circle, Vatnajökull contains both the lowest and highest point in Iceland—with an average thickness of 1,200 feet—that covers active volcanoes (which leads to huge glacial floods when they erupt). There are paths of various lengths, including one that that leads up to the base of the glacier.    Jökulsárlón: Only 80 years old, Jökulsárlón, or the Glacier Lagoon, is the result of glacial melt. It’s now a lake that holds enormous icebergs that are floating to sea after they’ve fallen off the glacier. Seeing the enormous icebergs is magnificent; if you’re lucky, you can see one flip to maintain its 90% below water, 10% above ratio, and boat tours are available in the lagoon, but it’s just as striking from the shore as it is from the water. The Sights to See on the North and West Coasts   Dancing Northern Lights—visible from a cabin we stayed in—in the Northeast. Home to the second largest city in Iceland, the North coast is slightly more populous than the East coast, and is just one degree south of the Arctic circle at some points. If you have time, make a detour to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and Westfjords for more beautiful scenery and world-­renowned bird watching. Dettifoss: The most powerful waterfall in Europe, Dettifoss is among the widest along the Ring Road and resembles Niagra Falls in its girth. It also gives off tons of mist (this is incidentally where my camera, after being exposed to more than its fair share of waterfall mist, finally gave out). Asbyrgi Canyon: According to myth, this U­-shaped canyon is the result of a Nordic god’s horse’s hoof print. And that’s exactly what it looks like, with a base filled with trees and trails that lead to the top of the canyon. Húsavík: This tiny town has fantastic whale watching. If you have the opportunity, stop for a bowl of fish stew at Naustid, which is one degree south of the Arctic Circle and has a view of mountains on the other side of the bay. Lake Myvatn and Dimmuborgir: These dramatic rock forms and barren lake on the North Coast of Iceland have served as the background for several Game of Thrones episodes. It's no wonder—it really does look like a magical land in the middle of nowhere, with hot springs and a maze of lava caves (called Dimmuborgir) to boot. Akureyri: This is the second largest city in Iceland—take a walk down its main street, which doesn’t have nearly as many shops as Reykjavik, but boasts its own style of Icelandic hot dog (all the fixins, plus pickled red cabbage). Peninsula and Westfjords: While I didn’t have time to head out to the peninsula this trip, as it's a significant detour off of the Ring Road, it's highly recommended for its sheer cliffs and bird watching. My Takeaways: Icelanders take their Skyr (a cheese with the consistency of a thick Greek yogurt) with heavy cream poured over top, which may forever change the way I eat yogurt. It’s colder than you think it will be, but there are a lot of hikes—so pack in layers and bring plenty of rain gear. One restaurant we visited in East Iceland had the longest list of Icelandic craft beers, which amounted to about five breweries: Gull and Viking are the two big players and make a pretty solid pilsner (I preferred Viking), Borg makes a great Imperial Stout, and Einstök, a brewery out of Akureyri, made decent versions of pilsner and white ale. Whether you believe in elves or not, it’s safe to err on the side of caution while in Iceland—if you insult the environment in any way, which is by extension their home, your family will be cursed for seven generations. In other words, don’t litter. Have you ever been to Iceland? Do you believe in elves? Tell us in the comments below!