of new concepts was a disappointment for ONM, which noted the collect-a-thon gameplay as typical of a Rare platformer and thus expected. However, some critics also believed its shortcomings ruined the experience and only recommended it to fans of the series or Rare's games. Some reviewed Grunty's Revenge in the context of the GBA library. Play celebrated it as a "rare treat" given the low amount of "fully featured platformer/adventures" available on the handheld device, Cube labeling it the best of them so far. GameSpot and Eurogamer, on the other hand, argued it did not stand out from other GBA games; Eurogamer also thought it was inferior to other GBA platform releases, such as a 2003 re-release of Super Mario Bros 3 (1988). Reviewers generally agreed the story was subpar. IGN called it "half-baked", weak, and poorly written; they felt it did not use the time travel aspect well and should have had more in-jokes and references to the two previous Banjo-Kazooie games. Others described it as too confusing, lame, "ludicrous", and failing to add anything innovative to an experience already fill with recycled elements in its gameplay. However, Jeuxvideo.com praised its offbeat, humorous tone. Reviewers were more generous towards its gameplay, with Nintendo Power calling it "fast-paced and enjoyable" and many favourably comparing it to that of the original games. GameZone and GameSpy thought the series' gameplay transitioned well from the N64 to the GBA, with GameSpy writing Grunty's Revenge did not merely mimic the N64 games and, unlike other platformers, was never repetitive. Jeuxvideo.com found the environments vast. The transfer of the gameplay depth of the N64 to a handheld console with less hardware was praised, Play emphasizing this while the original games' issues of camera and backtracking were address: "Every level offers new challenges and new abilities, so the quest continues evolving and new areas are continuously unlocked. The minigames were also praised as an addictive and fun diversion that added depth to the main game. On the negative side, reviewers were disappointed the promised multiplayer mode was absent; IGN and GameZone agreed the racing minigame would have worked well in a multiplayer mode. Other complaints were levied against the overhead view—which was said to make it difficult to judge heights—and GameSpot believed the best aspects of the game were "overshadowed by its Sisyphean focus on item collecting". The visuals were acclaimed for their successful recreation of