Shock and horror! Is there any way that any game can even come close in comparison to the mightily majestic Mario 64? Wipe off those rose-tinted spectacles and listen up: Mario 64 really was not the best platformer ever, Banjo Kazooie was.

During the N64 era both Rare and Nintendo were at the top of their game (arf) and each company was churning out classic-after-classic on the console. Rare were arguably the more original of the two companies in terms of their output, so it seems ironic that one of their best games was nearly a clone of Nintendo's flagship title.

Mario 64 was the first truly 3D game to absolutely nail 3D controls and camera within the environment. But this came at quite a high price in terms of what was going on within the game itself. Mario 64 lacked a certain amount of personality in its execution that just plain left me cold.

The game world was stunning as it was the first full-interactive 3D world to be presented with such care on a console. However, the game world was pretty much empty with massive expanses of nothing to do and lengthy, difficult tasks that did not tax your gaming skill so much as your patience. Sadly also, the shoe-horning of Mario into a single mission at a time did nothing to make you interested in expanding your search. No greater reward than gold, red or blue coins could be found by combing every inch of a level. And though this was a mission in and of itself, it got a bit samey.

Something has to be said for the implementation of analogue control in the game. As this was the first (or at least the main) N64 title to use analogue, it had to be pretty special. For the first time, home console gamers could enjoy a precision of control hitherto only dreamed of, and the possibilities were endless. Gentle nudges meant gentle movements past sleeping enemins, a full tilt of the control stick saw Mario head hell-for-leather dodging fireballs and Thwomps. Breathtaking.

Mario was undoubtedly the first true 3D platform game to be anything like we had hoped for, but as it was the archetype, things could only get better with subsequent titles that copied the style. It's a bit like the Lord of the Rings: the original trilogy set the template for every succeeding fantasy novel. Expanding on that analogy, both LotR and Mario 64 are vociferously defended for their style and execution. And they should be derided for the same reasons: long, boring passages, that while interesting from a literary or gaming point of view, hardly added anything but chaff to the experience that would have been none the weaker for their exclusion.

Shift the focus to the next year of the N64's life and along came pretenders to the throne, Rare. This was a company that had cut its mainstream gaming teeth on the three excellent Donkey Kong Country games for the SNES, so it was perhaps a logical step for them to try their hand in 3D gaming. Luckily for the N64 crowd, they brought just as much humour and intelligence to the table as they did with their previous efforts.

Banjo Kazooie was certainly prettier than Mario 64, and rightly so. It was in development for a little longer, so the hardware had already been put through its paces by the big N themselves. No points there for Rare. But Banjo Kazooie was really a much, much prettier game almost surpassing Nintendo's effort on every level.

The whole world and the characters inhabiting it were infused with so much personality that it was hard not to stop and stare. Banjo and Kazooie had their little stationary actions that were worth watching time and again, the enemies were plentiful and funny with their cute soundbites and funny walks. Game worlds were rich in textures, subtle lighting techniques and full of little touches that made you smile.

Personality plays such a big part in making this a better game than Mario 64 that we have to say more. The overworld of the Princess' castle in Mario 64 was rather symmetrical and dull in its design, while Gruntilda's lair provided a slightly more organic approach. The NPCs in Mario 64 were pretty much all Toads or larger versions of existing characters. Whereas in Banjo Kazooie, NPCs were mostly quite different from each other, had specific soundbites and more unique body language and facial expressions than all the Toad-clones.

The realisation of the 3D world was on a par with Mario 64, although the camera was not quite as "intelligent" as in its predecessor. Certainly there were times when you couldn't quite see what was going on and this proved highly frustrating in particular areas.

What Banjo Kazooie really excelled in was its ability to make you want to explore. Every time you achieved a new skill you could go back and re-visit the areas of the overworld and game levels that were previously inaccessible. Some levels even required you to move further on in the game and then return to a point before to use some new skill gained two worlds later.

Exploration in the levels themselves was encouraged by the lack of a map and the absence of a specific task to complete. You knew the Jiggies were in the level and that there were ten of them. What you did not know was exactly where they were or how you were going to get them. While this was hardly sandbox gameplay, the choices open to you were really refreshing compared to the limited point of view offered by Mario 64. Even the end game provided a refreshing twist to a familiar formula with the introduction of the quiz game � another aspect of the game that rewarded your exploration. I actually made a specific save file to go back over the game again and again to test my knowledge of the game world.

Overall, Mario was a great game. But the undeniable truth is that Banjo Kazooie took all the things that made Mario 64 good and instead made them great. Perhaps its sacrilege to say it, but I actually believe that Mario 64 would not have had anywhere near the success it enjoyed had Banjo Kazooie came first. Still, hats off to Nintendo for proving that 3D gaming could really work. However, that's not really enough to satisfy the gamer in me, and this round goes to Rare.

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