Banjo-Tooie is one of those N64 classics that just oozes charm. You’re back as Banjo and Kazooie, this time facing off against Gruntilda (again) in a bigger, weirder adventure. The worlds are massive compared to the first game—like, you’ll spend actual hours poking around Isle o’ Hags just figuring out where everything connects.

What I love is how the moveset expands. You’ve got split-up abilities where Banjo and Kazooie can separate, new transformations (the T-Rex is ridiculous in the best way), and these weirdly satisfying puzzle setups where you’re rolling eggs into pipes or timing jumps just right. Some of the later levels get brutal, but in that good "I’ll figure this out eventually" way.

Also, the humor holds up. The dialogue’s still snappy, the characters are goofy, and there’s this one moment with a toilet that made me laugh way harder than it should’ve. If you liked the first game, this one cranks everything up—for better or worse, depending on how lost you’re willing to get in a swamp full of quicksand.