The original box art.

Background Information

Banjo-Kazooie is high quality video game franchise created by RARE that involves exploring vast lands, platforming, puzzles, collecting many items and gaining new abilities and weapons. The first game, Banjo-Kazooie, released in 1998 for the Nindendo 64, was the story about how Banjo, a bear, who's sister has was kidnapped by the selfish and evil witch, Gruntilda. Old Grunty wishes to be the most beautiful in the land, however that titles falls on Banjo's sister, Tooty. Grunty snatches up Tooty and plans to create a machine that swaps their attractiveness. Banjo, and his best bird friend Kazooie, must go on a long adventure and stop Grunty before she turns his sister into an ugly troll. An adventure ensues across multiple worlds strewn within Gruntilda's layer, ending with a game show and a final battle.

In the second game, Banjo-Tooie (also on the N64), Grunty is brought back to life as a rotted skeleton by her sisters. Banjo and Kazooie must set out on another adventure after their friend Bottles is killed, and to stop Grunty once again. This game is far more expansive and difficult than its predecessor, with an adventure set about a wide variety of lands and the massive Isle O' Hags. Unlike the previous game, this one cannot be completed linearly, as it requires much backtracking if you wish to have perfect stats. There are also more impressive feats in this game.

In Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge on Game Boy Advance, Grunty is resurrected as a cyborg by her loyal servant in an alternate universe to Banjo-Tooie.

There have been a few spin off games, such as Banjo-Pilot and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, which are racing games. Banjo first made his appearance in Diddy Kong Racing on the N64 in 1997. Banjo and Kazooie have also made cameos in Diddy Kong Racing DS and Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing with Banjo-Kazooie.

Standing in the Battledome

While the characters are rather slow, Banjo and Kazooie have their arsenal of fire, ice, and grenade eggs; as well as remote explosives. Banjo has upgrades that allows him to regenerate health over time. When characters die they become ghosts, and can be brought back as zombies or robots with magic or science. Mumbo Jumbo and Humba Wumba have transmutation magic that can turn people in to various animals or objects. Mumbo can also send people back in time, Gruntilda and her sisters can fire energy blasts, have a degree of Immortality, can create forcefields, and with prep, can drain the life force of islands. The series takes place in a small multiverse. In Nuts and Bolts, there is the Lord of Games, who is superior to all of them.

Character Profiles

• Banjo and Kazooie
• Gruntilda Winkybunion
• Humba Wumba
• Klungo
• Mumbo Jumbo
• Lord of Games

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