Above all else, I play games to get sucked into an engrossing world. Gameplay mechanics alone won't win me over, I've got to want to just hang out in the game's levels, and Banjo-Kazooie was one of the first games to really do that for me. When I was 9, life had been pretty miserable until we moved in with my Grandparents for a while. My uncles had an N64, and Banjo was one of the first console games I ever beat. I got fully sucked into in Grunty's Lair, and hiding away from my parents in Grandma's basement playing Banjo was literally the happiest I had ever been. The charm of the levels, moves, characters, and especially the music were like a warm, comforting security blanket that I had never had. For whatever reason, Banjo made me feel at peace for the first time in my life.

After having played the game various times since '99, I'd describe Banjo-Kazooie as striking the right balance between simplicity and complexity. A lean, fantastic 3D platformer. While I'd argue Tooie improves on BK in every way, you really need to start here.

Every level has a strong sense of identity with memorable and varied set pieces and challenges, which is the most critical thing a 3D platformer has to nail (aside from the controls, of course). BK's greatest strength is its All-Killer-No-Filler approach. It's not too long, but every area you visit (including the hub world) is a joy to explore from start to finish.

I am 110% biased here, but I will always consider Banjo-Kazooie (as well as Tooie) to be among the all-time greats. I'm certainly not breaking any new ground by saying that, the game's a certified classic. But beyond being a fun 3D platformer, it's supremely important to me on a personal level. Obviously Banjo's just a 3D render of a cartoonish animal, but 20 years ago, it felt like he saved me. Like his Guh-huhs meant everything was gonna be okay.

I love that big dumb bear.