Interesting, will you make a TL out of this?
Eventually. But first, here is my final version of Rare's Banjo-Threeie (2002). Which will eventually replace its Fantendo article.
Banjo-Threeie is a 2002 platformer developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Gamecube. It was first released in 12 December 2002 in North America and Europe and on 13 Feburary 2003 in Japan. It is the third instalment in Rare's iconic Banjo-Kazooie series and serves as a sequel to the original Banjo Kazooie and its sequel Banjo Tooie. The story of the game follows series protagonists Banjo and Kazooie in their third battle against Gruntilda. Who has hired a scientist to build her a body, as the entirety of it except for her head was destroyed at the end of Tooie.
Development of the game started in 2000, directly after the release of Tooie. The game's level are even larger than those of Tooie, with the amount of jiggies in said worlds increased to 15. It also includes a multiplayer mode where Banjo and Kazooie can be played as seperate characters until one either collects a jiggy or dies. At which point the other character gets a turn. By 2006, the game had sold more than 5.5 million copies, making it one of the best selling games for the Gamecube. It is also considered by many one of, if not the, best 3D platformer ever made.
Gameplay
Similar to its predecessors, Threeie features open worlds containing various items for the player to collect. The most important one of which are golden puzzle pieeces called jiggies. Which are then used to open new levels for the characters to explore. Instead of puzzles in temple of Master Jiggywiggy resides like in Tooie, this game returns to the first game's method of placing jiggies on an incomplete picture of each world. Whenever the player has obtained the number of Jiggies required, they go around Spiral Mountain looking for picture, typically found in shortcuts leading to parts of what was once Gruntilda's lair, or in places where Banjo learned his moves in the first game. Unlike the first two games, each main level (and, by extension, Spiral Mountain), has 15 jiggies. The result of the Gamecube's bigger storage space.
Musical notes return in Threeie, and share the same function as in Tooie. All of Banjo and Kazooie's moves from the first two games return in Banjo-Threeie, and the player can acquire several new moves. Most of these new moves simply are shooting more varieties of eggs, individual attacks for the bear and bird, or new kinds of boots. Though several new attacks that require both of the two are present. Such as one where Banjo throws Kazooie like an American football to rather high ledges.
Mumbo Jumbo also returns as a playable character like in Tooie. While Klungo replaces Humba Wumba as the character who transforms the duo in different forms. This time in a matter similar to scientific mutations. As if that wasn't enough, Bottles appears as a playable character as well. In which he finds patches of soil. Which he can then dig through to create shortcuts for Banjo and Kazooie.
The worlds are, like in Tooie, connected to the hub world, in this case Spiral Mountain, where Banjo and Kazooie live. In addition, Chuffy the train returns from Tooie with an expanded role, as only one locomtoive in an entire fleet belonging to the Jinjo and Calico Railroad. Additional locotmovies include a 4-8-0 steam engine called Puffs. These engines can be added to help Banjo with certain things, including transoprtation to various parts of the world otherwise inaccesible to Banjo and Kazooie. Though some also involve transporting varous loads in between levels that are too hard for smaller trains like Chuffy itself. Or even trying to get from one world to the other in a certain time.
Plot
Two years after Gruntilda's body was destroyed by Banjo and Kazooie, the duo have moved to the Isle O' Hags to live with their friend Bottles and the Jinjos. Banjo's sister Tooty also lives there. While Banjo has begun to date Claire, a female bear who teaches at Tooty's School. Meanwhile, Grunty hires an unemployed scientist named Professor Gunzel. Who she has build her a new body in return for money. Then she strikes and invades Spiral Mountain. Forcing Banjo and Kazooie to fight again. This time, she does so by manipulating Gunzel, forcing him into creating all sorts of abnormalities across Banjo's world. First, she has Gunzel transport her to the Isle O'Hags. Where she launches a series of attacks the force all the Jinjo families to run away, and eventually be separated.
At the time, Banjo, Claire, Bottles, and King Jingaling are playing a game on a N64 parody. When Tooty comes in and alerts everyone about what has happened. Having barely escaped herself. Banjo and Kazooie immediately set off to the rescue, and Bottles promises to do all he can to help them. To start, Banjo and Kazooie decide to return to Spiral Mountain to look for possible clues regarding's Grunty's return. But Mumbo arrives and tells them there was an eruption of a large volcano near his new home on on the Treehouse Plateau. Forcing the shaman to call for the duo's help. The duo eventually arrives. And with Mumbo and Bottle's help they defeat Lalava, a monster Grunty sent to further terrorize the plateau.
The duo continues to trek Spiral Mountain for jiggies. With Tooty giving information about various jiggies that can be found in the hub world. Banjo and Kazooie also discover the Jinjo and Calico Railroad, the company that owns Chuffy from Tooie, has built a line to Spiral Mountain. Which the duo uses to travel to farther off worlds.
Eventually, the duo track down Gunty on a large mountain near Jinjo village. Where, in her mechanical body, she tries to finish off the duo. But she is eventually destroyed when he robotic body blows up. And Brentilda comes to seal her in a jar which she then dumps into a water filled sinkhole. Everyone celebrates Grunty's defeat. Though in the end, the beautiful Humba Wumba finds the jar Brentilda sealed Grunty in on the shore near her village. Foreshadowing the next game.
Worlds
Like the first two games, the game has its main worlds, one hub world, one starter world, and nine main worlds. While are also a variety of secret levels that can be discovered in parts of the Isle O' Hags, or Gunty's Lair on Spiral Mountain. Unlike the first two games however, the hub world and the main worlds have a total of 15 rather than 10 jiggies.
Starter World
- Isle O' Hags
- Bottle's House
- Jinjo Vilalige
Hub world
- Spiral Mountain
- Banjo's old House
- Gruntilda's Lair
Main Worlds
- Hotgrass Savannah
- Mount Frostbite
- Port Cockeye
- Runny Rainforest
- Bullion-Bill Junction
- Tranformation: Shunting Locomotive
- Prickly Pear Bayou
- Weird Windy West
- Fire Eye Island
- Column Castle
Production
Early plans were first proposed by Tim Stamper. He originally wanted to remake the first game in the series as a co-op multiplayer. With several improvements like better framerates and textures. But several other senior members of Rare objected as they were concerned it would take too long. That said, Stamper's dream was eventually realized. As Banjo Kazooie was eventually remade as Banjo-Kazooie 3D for the 3DS in 2012. The first world, Vulcan Plateau, evolved from an idea of Mumbo's Mountain erupting as a volcano. Another concept that was retooled and implemented in this game was Bottle's revenge. A scrapped multi player mode from Tooie. However, this time it was retooled to feature the ghost of Gruntilda's sisters Mingella and Blobbelda. Who a third and fourth player would take control off an possess certain enemies with to try and kill Banjo. Meanwhile, Microsoft had approached Nintendo for a deal to make software for the Gamecube and later Nintendo Consoles. Nintendo was initially not interested, but they changed their mind very soon after. The team initially considered co-operating with Microsoft to retexture levels returning from the first game. But decided to instead devote a second team to doing so. While Grant Kirkhope returned to compose music for the game, he was this time joined by Jamie Hughes, who composed the music for many of the main worlds.
