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BANJO-KAZOOIE AND ITS SEQUEL Banjo-Tooie are a couple of the most revered platform games on the Nintendo 64, introducing a level of sophistication and gameplay to rival Super Mario 64, a game they ape magnificently. While the reception for the franchise's subsequent outing on the Game Boy Advance, Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge, was a little muted, it still presented an entertaining challenge. Now developer Rare brings characters from those games to the GBA for an aerial kart racer, piloting planes around courses set in a variety of terrains, in Banjo Pilot.

Kart racers using characters from other games are a tried and tested idea, often spawning from a lack of creativity in the original franchise. Sometimes, though, the games they produce are just as exciting as the franchises they came from, with Mario Kart an obvious example. From what Gameplanet has seen, Banjo Pilot could certainly be in this category, with what look to be a fun, airborne racer packed with characters and courses and a host of unlockables.

With a motley assortment of contestants and courses hand-picked from the N64 and GBA adventures, the recognition factor is high, but powering a triumphant Klungo past Gruntilda way up in the air over Treasure Trove Cove is an experience we very much doubt you've had before in the Banjo universe.

Single-player gameplay offerings include the full Grand Prix mode complete with decisive dogfights against reigning champions, Jiggy Challenge in which you race a series veteran while simultaneously battling to snatch Jiggies from the sky, plus that staunch favourite Time Trial and the single-track instant fix of Quickrace.

In multiplayer terms you can link GBA systems to engage in aerial competition with (or against) up to three friends. Grand Prix is a multiplayer version of the four-track staple, Head-to-Head offers the simple argument-deciding power of one quick competitive race, while Dogfight does exactly what it says on the tin. Blow those boggle-eyed freaks out of the sky!

Add to all this a bristling array of weapons from Triple Ice Eggs to the Saucer of Peril, advanced manouevres designed to clip seconds off your lap times, trophies and rosettes to win plus all manner of unlockable secrets contained within Cheato the spell book's missing pages, and you're looking at a game with a lifespan measurable in hundreds of air miles.

Features: .

· Unmatched handheld air racing with fast, fluid gameplay and soaring, sweeping action.

· Choose from different pilots from the Banjo-Kazooie series, each with their own unique stories and custom aircraft.

· Choose from tracks filled with obstacles, power ups, and numerous opponents.

· Game Boy Advance Game Link cable support for up to four players.