Cheato is a notable character in the Banjo-Kazooie franchise, serving as Gruntilda’s enchanted spell book. Adorned in a rich crimson hue with delicate gold accents, Cheato appears in several games, including Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie and Banjo-Pilot. In Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie Cheato plays a pivotal role in helping the protagonists battle against the nefarious Gruntilda. By providing them with valuable cheat codes, Cheato enables Banjo and Kazooie to gain the upper hand in their quests. In Banjo-Kazooie, he awards the players with three codes, including BLUE EGGS, RED FEATHERS and GOLD FEATHERS. However these codes can only be activated once the players have successfully located Cheato hidden in Gruntilda’s Lair. In Banjo-Tooie, Cheato’s assistance becomes even more essential. Gruntilda, having discovered Cheato’s betrayal in the previous game, has torn out many of Cheato’s pages to stop him from providing valuable codes to the protagonists. To aid Banjo and Kazooie once more, Cheato requests them with retrieving his missing pages. For every five pages the players find, Cheato rewards them with a new cheat code, which they can activate in Mayahem Temple. Interestingly, the method by which Gruntilda removed his pages remains a mystery. Some speculate that the wicked witch may have carried out this nefarious act during her escape from Spiral Mountain after her imprisonment under the boulder. Alternatively, it’s plausible that Gruntilda Winkybunion’s minions attacked the lair during Spiral Mountain’s destruction. Furthermore, the events of Banjo-Kazooie Grunty’s Revenge may also provide clues to Cheato’s fate, as this game is set between Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie and features Kazooie’s kidnapping. In Banjo-Pilot, Cheato assumes a more minor role, serving to unlock additional content for players, and functions as a loyal friend to players rather than a tool of Gruntilda’s evil machinations. In Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts, he makes a cameo appearance as an exhibit in Banjoland, further demonstrating his importance in the Banjo-Kazooie series.
» Cheato in Banjo-Pilot
In previous games, Cheato played a pivotal role by offering players codes to unlock obstacles or modify the gameplay. However, Cheato takes in this game on a new role as a shopkeeper, where players can access a wealth of new content, including characters, battle tracks, and other items all by using the in-game currency Cheato Pages. To earn these pages, players must participate in races, to receive pages based on their performance and final race placement. The game also features five Musical Notes on each track, increasing the total amount of Cheato Pages earned at the end of a race. One particularly unique item available in Cheato’s Shop is the Stop ‘n’ Swop function, which is priced at a steep 999 pages. Upon purchase, players are met with a humorous response from Cheato, who tells them to stop bothering him and instead read a good book while taking all of the Cheato Pages the player has paid for. While Banjo-Pilot does not feature a story like its predecessors, players can assume that Cheato lost all of his pages, and it’s up to them to retrieve all pages by participating in races and purchasing items from the shop. The introduction of Cheato’s Shop adds an extra layer of depth to Banjo-Pilot’s engaging mechanics. The game’s use of Cheato Pages as a form of currency creates for all players a fun and rewarding gameplay experience as they are incentivized to perfect their racing skills in order to earn more pages and unlock more content. Also, the inclusion of a high-priced item such as the Stop ‘n’ Swop function adds a fun and challenging element to the game, and showcases Rare’s signature humor.
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QUOTES
✤ Witch lost book, finders bear and bird are, spell they get!
✤ Bear and bird getting good at finding Cheato, so another spell they shall have!
✤ Hello again, Banjo. Remember me? I’m Cheato, the magical spell book.
✤ Sorry, but you’ll have to find more pages before I’ll tell you a new cheat.
✤ Well, for every five pages you return, I’ll let you in on a little secret …
