so is banjo worth it?

Most definitely. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is a big and beautiful game for only $39.99. It'd be well worth $59.99. It's not lacking content or quality.

I got Nuts and Bolts and I'm very disappointed that they went completely away from the platform element. I downloaded the original Banjo Kazooie from the XBox Live Arcade and I'm having more fun with that. It looks great in 720p, and you can control the camera with the right stick like a real 3rd person game. Another great thing is that when you leave the world and re-enter it, the game remembers how many notes you collected, so you don't have to start all over again like with the N64 version. I wait for Banjo Tooie next year.

I got Nuts and Bolts and I'm very disappointed that they went completely away from the platform element. I downloaded the original Banjo Kazooie from the XBox Live Arcade and I'm having more fun with that. It looks great in 720p, and you can control the camera with the right stick like a real 3rd person game. Another great thing is that when you leave the world and re-enter it, the game remembers how many notes you collected, so you don't have to start all over again like with the N64 version. I wait for Banjo Tooie next year.

DSPX

"Completely away"? That's not entirely true. There's a lot of platforming in Showdown Town, and Showdown Town is absolutely gigantic.

Honestly, if value and length are your biggest bone - in a week the original Banjo Kazooie will be out on XBLA for probably $10, $15 at the most, and it's definitely one of the best platformers of all time. I'd say in the same class as Mario 64 (and on the same system).

edit: er, BK64 is out now? even better.