Musical Notes are iconic items that have been present in every installment of the Banjo-Kazooie series. Despite their consistent design, the purpose of these Notes varies in each game. The first appearance of Musical Notes was in Banjo-Kazooie, where they served as a vital item to unlock Musical Note Doors scattered throughout Gruntilda’s Lair. In each world, hundred Musical Notes could be found, and the accumulation of these Notes contributed to the total Note Score for that specific world. If the protagonists failed to collect all hundred Musical Notes or left the world, the Note Score would reset, and players would have to collect them again. However, in the Xbox Live Arcade version of Banjo-Kazooie, players are able to take a breather as the entire Musical Note system is tweaked. Unlike the original version of the game, Musical Notes taken from each world remain collected, and players can now return to the game at a later time without having to worry about losing their made progress. Additionally, Musical Note Doors open once the total amount of Musical Notes from all worlds exceeds the required number on the door. The game has a total of nine-hundred Musical Notes scattered throughout the worlds, and those who are determined to find and collect all of them are rewarded with an achievement in the Xbox Live Arcade version called Music Maestro, which is worth twenty-five gamerscore points. As Musical Notes remain an important collectible in the franchise, their purpose changes from game to game. Nevertheless Musical Notes still offer a sense of satisfaction when collected, and a sense of progression when contributing to the total Note Score. At the same time, collecting all nine-hundred Musical Notes is no small feat, but those who can achieve it are rewarded with a sense of accomplishment.
» Musical Notes in Banjo-Tooie and Banjo-Kazooie Grunty's Revenge
In the Banjo-Kazooie series, Musical Notes serve an important function that changes from game to game. In the game Banjo-Tooie, Musical Notes have a new purpose, as they are now required to acquire moves taught by the mole Jamjars, a relative of Bottles. These moves help Banjo and Kazooie to navigate through the vast levels and defeat enemies more effectively. To acquire the required number of Musical Notes, players must search for Musical Note Nests in Isle O’ Hags or in worlds that contain groups of five Musical Notes, as well as Treble Clefs that are worth twenty Musical Notes, while only one nest can be found in each world. This revised collection system is a departure from the first Banjo-Kazooie game, where Musical Notes were collected individually to unlock Musical Note Doors throughout Gruntilda’s Lair. With this system, only seventeen groups of nests have to be collected per world, including sixteen Musical Note nests and one Treble Clef nest, allowing the game to save their collection state, so players do not need to recollect Musical Notes if they leave the world or become defeated. In the handheld game Banjo-Kazooie Grunty’s Revenge, the collection of Musical Notes works in a similar way to Banjo-Tooie. They are used to learn new techniques from Bozzeye, another relative of Bottles, who can be found in each of the game’s five worlds. In this game Musical Notes can be found either individually or in Nests of five and once they are collected, they are added permanently to the player’s collection. With a total of six-hundred Musical Notes, the player must collect hundred per world to own all of them.
» Musical Notes in Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts
In the Banjo-Kazooie franchise’s third installment, Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts, the role of Musical Notes has once again been revised. This time, they serve as Showdown Town’s primary currency which the protagonists can use to purchase blueprints, vehicle parts, useful tips from Bottles, or bribe the police. However, bribing the police shouldn’t be used too much as it could leave players with an insufficient number of Musical Notes to purchase vehicle parts or other useful content in the game, such as the Jiggies from Jolly Dodger. Also, Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts features three different types of Musical Notes, including Bronze Notes that are worth one, Silver Notes that are worth five and Gold Notes that are worth ten. Musical Notes can be found throughout the worlds with two-hundred available in each playable world, along with nine-hundred in the game’s hub Showdown Town. Players can also earn Musical Notes by completing Jiggy-Challenges, playing Jinjo Bingo in King Jingaling’s Bingo Palace, or performing various other minor tasks. With a total of 5.230 Musical Notes in the game, players will need to be vigilant in finding as many as possible to purchase everything in Showdown Town. Additionally, L.O.G.’s Lost Challenges offers another one-hundred-twenty pieces bringing the total to 5.350 Musical Notes. Overall, the game offers a new twist on the collection of Musical Notes, since they now play an important role in the game’s economy. As players embark on their adventure to build the ultimate vehicle for challenges, they must also be savvy to manage their Musical Notes, ensuring that they can buy everything.
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QUOTES
✤ I’m a Note, one of a hundred on each world. Collect us to open the Note Doors!
