Banjo-Kazooie is one of those N64 gems that just oozes personality. You play as Banjo, a honey-loving bear, and his sassy bird pal Kazooie, who literally lives in his backpack. The first world, Spiral Mountain, throws you right into this colorful, slightly goofy universe where everything talks (even the molehills have opinions).

What really stands out is how each level feels like its own little playground—you’ll climb trees in a jungle, dodge snowballs in a winter wonderland, and even sneak around a haunted mansion. The moveset starts simple but gets wild fast—Kazooie lets you shoot eggs, do a weird beak-barge attack, and even fly later on. Jiggies (those golden jigsaw pieces) are your main goal, but there’s always some weird side task, like helping a hippo with her weight loss crisis or racing a talking engine.

It’s got that perfect mix of challenge and charm—sometimes you’ll get stuck on a puzzle, but the music and ridiculous NPCs keep you grinning. If you missed this one back in the day, it’s aged way better than most N64 platformers.