Banjo-Tooie is that rare sequel that actually builds on everything great about the first game—bigger worlds, more moves, and way more chaos. You start off in Spiral Mountain again, but things go south fast, and suddenly you're hopping between massive, weirdly interconnected levels like a dinosaur theme park gone wrong and a literal cloud world. Switching between Banjo and Kazooie (or even splitting them up) keeps the puzzles fresh, though some of the backtracking can get brutal if you're not taking notes.

The humor’s still top-notch—Gruntilda’s back with her awful rhymes, and every NPC has some ridiculous quip. Jiggies are hidden in even more devious spots this time, and good luck figuring out how to open some of those warp pads without a guide. It’s messy in the best way, like a N64 game cranked to 11. Just don’t expect the pacing to hold your hand.