In the game Banjo-Kazooie Grunty’s Revenge, players take control of Banjo and Kazooie as they embark on an all-new adventure in the franchise. Developed by Rareware and released in 2003 for Gameboy Advance, the game serves as a spin-off to the original games and takes place two months after the last battle in Banjo-Kazooie. Players are introduced to a new time-traveling plot and the game features an overhead platform design, similar to the one used in Conker’s Pocket Tales. This unique design allowed players to experience a 3D-feeling of the console games on a smaller and portable scale. Banjo-Kazooie Grunty’s Revenge was the first game in the franchise released on a portable device after the company was purchased by Microsoft from the Stamper Brothers. Banjo-Kazooie Grunty’s Revenge was met with several positive reviews and soon after its release, a mobile phone port was made available, including all the game’s mini-games, which got titled Banjo-Kazooie Grunty’s Revenge Missions. Interestingly the original storyline and game mechanics were significantly different from what was ultimately released. Early screenshots and concept art showed a more futuristic environment, leading the community to speculate that the game would have taken place in space. In an artwork of the game the wicked witch’s spirit could be seen flying inside a UFO, further fueling these assumptions. Despite the huge changes in the game’s mechanics and storyline, it remained a successful entry in the Banjo-Kazooie series.
» Game Prologue
Two months had passed since the epic battle between Banjo and Kazooie and the wicked witch Gruntilda Winkybunion, which resulted in the tragic fall from her own lair’s tower. Meanwhile, her faithful henchman, Klungo, made several futile attempts to free her from the heavy boulder that kept her pinned to the ground. But Klungo refused to give up on his beloved mistress, and so he invented a new plan to restore Gruntilda Winkybunion to her former glory. He disappeared from the screen and began building a huge Gruntilda-shaped robot, called Mecha-Grunty. The robot would serve as a vessel for Gruntilda’s spirit, allowing her to carry out her evil plans for revenge against the protagonists. She explained to Klungo that she would kidnap Kazooie, Banjo’s trusty sidekick, and use a spell to travel back in time. Her goal was to prevent Banjo and Kazooie from ever meeting, thereby erasing her prior defeat. Meanwhile, the pink shaman Mumbo Jumbo had been hiding in the bushes and witnessed everything. He made his way back to Banjo’s house to inform him of Gruntilda’s plan. However, before he could even finish his sentence, Mecha-Grunty suddenly appeared, grabbed Kazooie, and vanished into thin air using a magic spell. Banjo and Mumbo were left alone, facing a grave threat. Mumbo Jumbo then explained that he could use a powerful spell as well in order to transport Banjo back in time to stop Gruntilda’s nefarious plans and rescue Kazooie. Without hesitation, Banjo accepted the challenge, knowing that the fate of his friend, Kazooie, and the world rested on his shoulders. Thus begins the time-travel adventure of Banjo-Kazooie Grunty’s Revenge, where Banjo is tasked with navigating through worlds and overcoming various obstacles to save Kazooie and foil Gruntilda’s mean plans once more.
» Gameplay Mechanics
The handheld game Banjo-Kazooie Grunty’s Revenge, gives players the opportunity to immerse themselves in an engaging overhead perspective that distinguishes it from its predecessors. The game is spread across five different themed worlds that are accessible through Spiral Mountain which acts as the game’s hub world. In each world, players must find and collect Jiggies in order to unlock new worlds, with the aid of Master Jiggywiggy inside the Jiggywiggy Temple. This time around, there’s a brand new feature, which is the Jinjo Oracle. This statue, made of stone, offers hints regarding the location of Jiggies in exchange for saving the adorable Jinjos that are hidden in each world. When the player manages to find all five Jinjos, a Jiggy is awarded to them in front of the Jinjo Oracle. Some techniques that have appeared in the previous games are retained in Banjo-Kazooie Grunty’s Revenge, such as the Talon Trot or Bill Drill, likely because of the game’s time travel story. But there are also new techniques that the player can acquire, such as the use of Battery Eggs, allowing the player to activate certain generators in the game by shooting them inside toll machine. Beside of that, all moves are taught by one of Bottles relatives, whose name is Bozzeye in exchange for collecting enough Musical Notes, which is similar to Jamjars.
» Early Development
In 1999, the world-renowned video game company Rare embarked on a new adventure with the development of Banjo-Kazooie Grunty’s Revenge for Gameboy Color. The game, originally titled Banjo-Kazooie Grunty’s Curse featured an innovative story and game mechanics that built upon the legacy of its predecessor. In addition to discovering Jiggies, Musical Notes, Jinjos and Extra Honeycombs in various worlds, players could also find new elements which added to the game’s excitement. Leading up to the release of the game, for the handheld Gameboy Advance, fans on the Internet was abuzz with excitement, fueled by multiple images showcasing the game’s many elements. These included scenes of the protagonists utilizing a Flight Pad as well as an industrial world reminiscent of the world Grunty Industries in Banjo-Tooie. The soundtracks, composed by the popular Jamie Hughes, complemented each location perfectly, adding depth and texture to its gaming experience. Unfortunately, due to Gameboy Advance’s memory constraints, all of the character voices were limited to fewer sounds, which becomes noticeable in the game.
