It's not enough to have a quirky sense of style or an attitude if you want to make it as a platform-action star. Mario, whose personality is as exciting as the pipes he works on, rests on the laurels of his genre-establishing gameplay to garner popularity. Failed mascots like Bubsy, however, tried too hard to sell style over substance. Rare knows the writing's on the wall for cheeky characters without something to show and have ratcheted up their platform duo for success. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts embarks on a wild new direction that builds on the unique style of the series, while at the same time introducing interesting innovations.

The game showcases the competition between series star Banjo and malcontent witch Gruntilda as they compete in the Gaming Olympics. Tired of the quarreling between the two, the Lord of the Games has commissioned a series of challenges with the winner declared the owner of Spiral Mountain. Arrogantly proclaiming to have created every video game ever made, the Lord of the Games designed each of the contest's stages. From the patchwork world of Nutty Acres to the bustling domain of Showdown Town, every level is packed with equal parts crazed imagination and competition. Grabbing the gold means taking control of Banjo and flying sidekick Kazooie and beating Grunty to the punch in 15 challenges set across six worlds.

Unlike the first two games, the emphasis isn't so much on traditional platform-action. Instead, Nuts and Bolts utilizes vehicles to accomplish a wide variety of objectives. While there some straightforward platform challenges remain, most of the game is focused on using vehicles to get the job done. From driving to hovering to flying to gliding--there's practically no limit to the kinds of vehicles available in the game. In fact, you're able to customize vehicles to suit your particular needs using any of hundreds of parts. Solving puzzles means thinking about vehicle physics and customization, not physicality like in most traditional platform games.

Take one mission, for example, entitled "Vac-o-nuts." This simple task has Banjo placing coconuts inside of a crate. Using a vehicle equipped with a vacuum, you can load up on coconuts and drive up the hill on which the crate is located. Alternately, you're free to swap out the vacuum for a set of helicopter blades and claw attachment. Now, you can hover above the crate, pick it up with the claw, and deliver it to the bottom of the hill near the coconut trees. Hop out, chuck a few fruit into the crate, and the mission is accomplished. There's no one way to tackle a challenge, the only limit being your available stock of parts and creativity.

Vehicle modification makes up a large part of Nuts and Bolts, obviously, and a workshop provides you with a space in which to customize your ride. Parts include everything from engines and wings to wheels and propellers. A hodge-podge of weapons will also make it into the mix, along with odd items like springs and egg-shooting guns. Acquiring new parts is naturally done by completing challenges and collecting jiggies littering each world. As you gain more parts, you expand the range of vehicles that you can possibly create which in turn opens up new areas for exploration. Venturing over a high ridge might require building a helicopter, but getting the rotating blades involves completing a challenge first. Finish the task and you can then outfit your vehicle with the blades to scale the cliff.