Banjo-Kazooie

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Banjo-Kazooie
North American box art
Developer(s)	Rareware 4J Studios (XBLA) [1]
Publisher(s)	Nintendo (Nintendo 64) Microsoft Game Studios (XBLA)
Designer(s)	Gregg Mayles
Composer(s)	Grant Kirkhope
Series	Banjo-Kazooie
Platform(s)	Nintendo 64, Xbox 360 (XBLA)
Release date(s)	List Nintendo 64: JP 6 December 1998 NA 30 June 1998 [2] EU 17 July 1998 Xbox Live Arcade: NA 3 December 2008 EU 3 December 2008 AUS 3 December 2008 JP 3 December 2008 [3]
Genre(s)	Platform, action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player
Rating(s)	CERO: A ELSPA: 3+ ESRB: E OFLC: G
Media	128 Mb (16 MB) cartridge 48 MB XBLA download
Input methods	Nintendo 64 controller, Xbox 360 controller

Banjo-Kazooie is a platform and action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo as the inaugural game in the Banjo-Kazooie series. It was released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64 and later re-released in 2008 for the Xbox Live Arcade.

The game is set in the fictional location of Spiral Mountain where a bear named Banjo and a bird named Kazooie live. Gruntilda the witch kidnaps Banjo's sister, Tooty, to steal her beauty via a transformation device. Banjo and Kazooie set out on a dangerous adventure to rescue Tooty.

Banjo-Kazooie was a critical and commercial success, and went on to become one of the best-selling games for the Nintendo 64.^[4][5]

Synopsis

The game opens on Spiral Mountain, home of Banjo, Kazooie and the witch Gruntilda. Gruntilda learns that the most beautiful girl of all is Tooty, Banjo's sister. Enraged, Gruntilda kidnaps Tooty. Banjo and Kazooie learn from Bottles the mole that Tooty was taken to Gruntilda's mountain lair, which they then enter.

At the top of the tower, Gruntilda intends to swap her level of beauty with Tooty, thus making her young and beautiful while Tooty becomes a monster, using a machine created by her minion Klungo. To save Tooty, Banjo and Kazooie must travel through various worlds that branch from within the lair. In each world, they can collect up to ten jigsaw pieces, or "Jiggys", which can be used to unlock more worlds, as well as 100 musical notes, which open special doors that allow the two to progress deeper into the lair, and five Jinjos, small creatures that reward the two with a Jiggy whenever all are found in each world. Aiding them on their quest is Bottles, who teaches the two new moves and abilities, and the shaman Mumbo Jumbo, who transforms the two into various animals to accomplish certain tasks.

Deep in the lair, Banjo and Kazooie face Gruntilda in a trivia game ("Grunty's Furnace Fun"), with questions and challenges related to certain aspects of the game. If they win, they will win a prize of their choice, with Tooty being one of them; if they lose, they will be cast into a lava pit. The two win and rescue Tooty while Gruntilda escapes. Banjo and Kazooie return home and celebrate with their friends with a barbecue, until Tooty reminds everyone that Gruntilda is still at large.

Banjo and Kazooie confront Gruntilda at the top of her tower for a final showdown. With the aid of the Jinjos they rescued, who dispatch a giant robot called the Jinjonator, the two defeat Gruntilda, who falls to the ground and is buried underneath a boulder. Banjo and Kazooie return home and visit the beach with their friends, anticipating their next game. Gruntilda, with Klungo attempting to move the rock covering her, swears revenge.

Gameplay

Banjo-Kazooie is comprised of nine non-linear 3D worlds in which the player must gather jigsaw pieces, or "Jiggys", to progress. Banjo and Kazooie are aided by Bottles, who teaches them new abilities, and Mumbo, who uses magical powers to transform them into other creatures, such as a termite, pumpkin or crocodile.

The player progresses in the game by finding Jiggys, Musical Notes and Mumbo Tokens. Jiggys open doors to new worlds by collecting enough to complete the corresponding jigsaw puzzle. There are ten in each world; nine must be found through exploration or the completion of challenges and puzzles, and one is granted by finding all five Jinjos on each world. Musical Notes open note doors that allow Banjo and Kazooie to progress further into Gruntilda's lair. There are 100 notes in each world, and 900 total in the game. Mumbo Tokens grant the player magical transformations at Mumbo's hut when the player collects a sufficient amount; there are a total of 115 tokens throughout the game.

Besides these primary items, the player can also collect items which are used in performing certain moves. Bottles must teach Banjo and Kazooie the move before the item can be used. Items include blue eggs, red feathers and gold feathers, which can be held in quantities of up to 100, 50 and 10, respectively (however can be increased to 200, 100, and 20 by finding all three Cheat-o's and using his codes to increase the maximum you can carry). Blue eggs are fired as projectiles or ejected from Kazooie's rear, and fire in a straight line or bounce slowly until they either hit an enemy, or break on their own; red feathers are used in flight and flying attacks; and gold feathers are for the most powerful attack, Wonderwing, which uses Kazooie's wings to make her and Banjo invincible and can kill almost any enemy, or at least protect the bear and bird. Rarer, temporary items can be found which have specialised use in puzzle-solving, namely wading boots, which enable the crossing of hazardous terrain, and turbo trainers, which grant extra running speed, often as part of a race or a time-based puzzle. Other items include extra lives and honeycomb energy, which respectively increase the player's lives and health, and extra honeycomb pieces, which give the player a permanent increase of one honeycomb of health for every six collected.

The game uses Gruntilda's Lair as an overworld in which the player progresses. Individual levels are accessed through Gruntilda's Lair by collecting enough musical notes to open various doors. Levels in Banjo Kazooie contain a diverse selection of challenges and special items. Mumbo's skull is found in Mumbo's Mountain, featuring a transformation of Banjo into a giant termite; Bubblegloop Swamp, featuring a transformation of Banjo into an alligator; Freezeezy Peak, featuring a transformation of Banjo into a walrus; Mad Monster Mansion, featuring a transformation of Banjo into a pumpkin; and Click Clock Wood, featuring a transformation of Banjo into a bumblebee. Levels in Banjo Kazooie include (in the order that the player can access them):

1. Mumbo's Mountain - features include a small pond with a bridge, slippery mountain sides. A giant gorilla who hurls oranges at the player, a bull with a nose ring who repeatedly charges after the player, and a massive termite mound which is only accessible after Banjo visits Mumbo to be transformed into a termite. Enemies include purple goblins and termites.
2. Treasure Trove Cove - an island surrounded by shark-infested waters. Whenever the player enters the water, the music changes to a series of notes similar to the theme of the movie Jaws, and a shark named Snacker gives chase. The enemies include Snacker, giant crabs, and treasure chests with sharp teeth. Distinguishing features include a central lighthouse, a beached pirate ship, an enormous hermit crab who tries to pinch the player in his claws, and a massive sandcastle in which players can press letters to activate cheat codes, and the Sharkfood Island, containing the Mystery Pink Stop 'N' Swop Egg.
3. Clanker's Cavern - a dark lake inhabited by a massive mechanical shark named Clanker. Much of the time in this level is spent underwater. Some enemies are mutated crabs similar to those encountered in Treasure Trove Cove, Players can enter Clanker's belly through his blowhole, gills, or missing teeth to obtain several Jiggys, Jinjos and notes.
4. Bubblegloop Swamp - a lush marshland featuring dangerous swamps and high treetops. The player must battle enemies such as alligators and piranhas who chews up anyone who's not an alligator who enters the swamp. Key features include a giant wooden maze, a huge alligator sculpture that the player can enter only after being transformed by Mumbo, and the debut of the wading boots, which are used to safely venture across the swamps without being harmed by the monster.
5. Freezeezy Peak - a giant snowman with a spiral scarf leading up it. The journey is marked by giant snowmen who hurl snowballs at the player. Freezeezy Peak features a cave with a glass wall through which the player can view the mysterious Ice Key, part of the Stop 'N' Swop aspect of the game. Other landmarks include a Christmas tree, ponds with freezing cold water, and a sled hill on which players can race against a polar bear named Boggy.
6. Gobi's Valley - a hot valley that looks like Egypt. The level features several pyramids into which the player can venture, beds of quicksand, a flying carpet, and massive mummy hands which attempts to squash the player. Landmarks are Jinxy, the main pyramid, and a desert door containing the Mystery Blue Stop 'N' Swop Egg. Gobi the camel can also be met here who is repeatedly Beak Busted by the player.
7. Mad Monster Mansion - A haunted mansion and its surrounding grounds. The house features two floors in addition to a cellar where the Mystery Cyan Stop 'N' Swop Egg can be found, along with the Mystery Green Stop 'N' Swop Egg. In the church hall, a ghostly hand plays an organ, appearing to have no body attached. On the upper floor, the player can win a Jiggy by entering a toilet as a pumpkin. Enemies include gravestones that come to life if the player comes too close to them, ghost, and skelletons who can only die from the Wonderwing.
8. Rusty Bucket Bay - a cargo ship in a small body of water. This level features the return of Snacker, who continues to chase the player when Banjo enters a caged in part of the murky water. Features include a dolphin pinned by the anchor of the ship, a difficult engine room with dozens of pitfalls sending Banjo to his death, and a crane holding a caged Jiggy. Enemies are goblin sailors, fume hoods which activate if the player comes too close to them, a series of bolts and screws which attack the player, and Boss Boom Box, a massive crate who spews dynamite at Banjo. Here the Mystery Red Stop 'N' Swop Egg can be found.
9. Click Clock Wood - a forest which can be entered during each of the four seasons of the year. Features include a massive beehive, and the home of a squirrel (Nabnut) in who is gobbling a large pile of acorns and asks you to go get more for winter (Mystery Yellow Stop 'N' Swop Egg found in his house in winter).

Each of the nine levels in the game also features a button with Gruntilda's face printed on it, called a Grunty Switch. When activated, these switches trigger events in Gruntilda's Lair that allow the player to obtain a Jiggy.

Stop 'N' Swop

Stop 'N' Swop is a special feature in Banjo-Kazooie that remains incomplete in the Nintendo 64 version of the game. Six coloured eggs and a key made of ice were discovered in Banjo-Kazooie that would be viewable in a menu titled "Stop 'N' Swop". In an ending sequence of the N64 version of Banjo-Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo would state that secret areas would be accessible via a link with the sequel, Banjo-Tooie. Stop 'N' Swop was never realised in Banjo-Tooie. The special items can, however, be collected in Banjo-Kazooie using in-game cheat codes, but serve no purpose. The Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) version of Banjo-Kazooie features "reinstated" Stop 'N' Swop connectivity, allowing the player to collect the items for use in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. The XBLA version of Banjo-Tooie also implements the "original plan" for Stop 'N' Swop^[6] with the added bonus of including Stop 'N' Swop II.

Development

Banjo-Kazooie was originally known by the project name Dream for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The project starred a boy named Edison, who owned a wooden sword and got into trouble with a group of pirates lead by Captain Blackeye. Dream was also scheduled to include a rabbit that looked like a man, a dopey dog and a bear that became Banjo.^[7] After its code was transferred to the Nintendo 64, it was shown at the 1997 E3 as Banjo-Kazooie.

The game received a significant amount of hype partly due to being marketed as the game that would be to the N64 what Donkey Kong Country was to the SNES in terms of an advancement in graphics. It was originally supposed to be released as Nintendo of America's big holiday game for 1997 with a Taco Bell toy promotion lined up, but Rare needed to delay it several months. Diddy Kong Racing took its place and features Banjo as a playable character.

Instead of dialogue, the characters make limited speech-like sounds when they talk, which are a looping of voice-like sounds. This choice was made due to memory limitations on Nintendo 64 cartridges. Rare considered using fully-voiced dialogue for the Xbox 360 game Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, but ultimately retained the older style as it felt that the games had become known for it.^[8]

Xbox Live Arcade

It was announced at Microsoft's E3 2008 press conference that Banjo-Kazooie would be made available for download on Xbox Live Arcade in the future.^[9] This version would feature increased screen resolution and minor graphical refinements.^[10] Properties of Nintendo have been removed throughout the game. For example, the animated Nintendo 64 logo is absent from the opening sequence, while the Nintendo company logo on Mumbo's xylophone in the introduction was replaced by the Microsoft Game Studios logo. The Game Boy that Banjo plays in the file select menu remains, but the Game Boy start up sound heard when the file is highlighted is removed. Characters who have appeared in other Nintendo-published games are unchanged, including Bubblegloop Swamp's Tiptup and Click Clock Wood's Gnawty the Beaver. On its website, Rare revealed that the port would be handled by 4J Studios. The game was released on Xbox Live Arcade on 3 December 2008 for 1,200 Microsoft Points.^[11] It was also released as a preorder bonus for Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts on 12 November 2008.^[12]

Among new adjustments made to the game is the ability to permanently collect musical notes. Individual notes are saved on collection, whereas the original Banjo-Kazooie only saved the highest score. Bottle's hidden jigsaw puzzle game features sequences showing areas from different levels. On the game's release, if the player completed a puzzle showing notes from a level, a glitch occurred where those notes were permanently removed from the level before they could be collected.

Reception

Banjo-Kazooie was highly successful at the time of its release, selling nearly two million copies in the United States.^[4] It was praised for its graphics, humour and gameplay.

IGN editor Cam Shea ranked it seventh on his top 10 list of Xbox Live Arcade games. He stated that while not perfect, it was a landmark title for a reason.^[13]

Awards

At the 1999 Interactive Achievement Awards, Banjo-Kazooie won in the Console Action/Adventure and Art Direction categories, and was nominated for Console Adventure Game of the Year and Game of the Year. ^[19]

On an episode of Reviews on the Run Banjo-Kazooie was number 1 on their list of the "5 classic Rare games you should try"; it beat out Sabre Wulf, Conker's Bad Fur Day and Kameo: Elements of Power, which were also running for the same award.

Music

The music in Banjo-Kazooie was composed by Grant Kirkhope and is an example of an interactive soundtrack. The themes heard in the game dynamically change style to reflect the environment and dangers to the characters.^[18] For example, whenever the main characters submerge in any body of water, the music changes into a harp arrangement of the main world theme for an aquatic ambiance. The musical theme for Gruntilda's Lair takes on a different arrangement to reflect the level entrance the player is near, such as taking on music box instrumental style near the ice level entrance, or organ near the haunted mansion. The music gradually fades from one style to the next without pause, while the overall melody loops continuously. The background music of Gruntilda's Lair is believed to be a variation of "Teddy Bears' Picnic" by John Walter Bratton.^[20][21]

The soundtrack album of Banjo-Kazooie was released by Nintendo of America on a limited edition Compact Disc. This CD was sold exclusively at Best Buy stores and the Nintendo Power Catalog with two additional tracks.

References

External links

• Banjo-Kazooie on the Banjo-Kazooie Wiki, an external wiki
• Official Rare website