riginally titled Diddy Kong Pilot (and based on the flying sequences of Diddy Kong Racing for N64), Rare retooled the game following its split with Nintendo, replacing Diddy and co. with characters from the Banjo-Kazooie universe and inking a publishing deal with THQ.

The game is a graphical masterpiece, especially considering the limitations of the hardware. Its very advanced Mode 7 scaling effects do a great job of creating the illusion of true 3D. Kudos to all involved.

However, I didn’t find the gameplay to be as involving as the technical aspects of this title. Without the cart and hoverboard racing segments that added variety to Diddy Kong Racing, the "flying" gets a little repetitive. I use quotes around flying because this game’s vehicles are still essentially tied to the track as much as any racing title. You can fly up about 20 virtual feet in the air, and cannot really veer beyond the sides of the roadway. Yes, it’s good, solid stuff, but it could be so much more. The "boss battles" where you have to shoot down the champion of each circuit do add some interest, but I’d really like to see the developers use this technology to break the bounds of the genre (and the track) and send Banjo on some more creative dynamic battles in the skies.