The Snowball Form is the seventh transformation in Banjo-Tooie, found within Hailfire Peaks after players provide a Glowbo to Humba Wumba at her wigwam located on the Icy Side of the dual-climate world. A Glowbo can be found by heading out towards the icy sea through a gap in the blue rock and grip-grabbing around a ledge over the icy water to reach the other side, and must be thrown into the pool before players can enter to initiate the transformation process. The wigwam on Hailfire Peaks features a hidden tunnel behind the rug on the left wall that connects directly to Mumbo’s Skull on the Fire Side, providing convenient access between the two shamans without traversing the external environment. Once transformed, Banjo takes on the appearance of a snowball that retains his characteristic blue backpack and yellow shorts while operating under a fixed health bar of five honeycombs that directly correlates with size and weight. The transformation begins as a small, vulnerable snowball but grows larger and heavier by rolling around in snow patches scattered throughout the Icy Side, with size increases simultaneously restoring health and enhancing the snowball’s effectiveness against enemies and obstacles. The primary combat capability involves a rolling attack executed by holding the B button, allowing players to trample enemies and navigate through hostile areas while maintaining momentum and dealing damage to multiple opponents simultaneously. The snowball’s weight when fully grown enables activation of rusty switches that remain inaccessible to other forms, including the oil drill switch that requires players to grow to maximum size, warp to the upper Fire Side area, quickly traverse through the lava environment to reach a cliff overlooking the oil drill on the Icy Side, and activate the switch before the heat reduces the snowball’s size significantly. The Fire Side presents a constant threat due to its composition, causing rapid melting and health loss that shrinks the transformation and eventually leads to destruction if exposure continues, though this vulnerability becomes important to specific puzzles requiring quick navigation between the two sides of Hailfire Peaks. Additionally, the maximum-sized snowball cannot fit through small doorways such as the entrance to Wumba’s wigwam, requiring players to deliberately take damage or roll near the fire located outside the wigwam to shrink down to one honeycomb before re-entering for transformation reversal. The Snowball creates complications when combined with Cheato’s HONEYBACK and HONEYKING cheat codes, which prevent the natural size reduction needed to exit the wigwam, potentially trapping players on the Icy Side with the only reliable escape being the nearby warp pad for quick transportation. The oil drill puzzle represents the transformation’s most complex application, producing a Jiggy that falls into a pipe system connecting to Grunty Industries, creating an unusual inter-world shortcut that bypasses normal travel restrictions when accessed through Banjo’s Shack Pack ability. Additional hazards include the possibility of becoming permanently stuck when the full-sized snowball falls into holes previously occupied by alien children, requiring a complete game reset as the only escape method from these specific trap locations.
