The Bumblebee Form, a distinctive and highly valuable transformation, makes its appearance in both Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie. In Banjo-Kazooie the Bumblebee is a transformation of the game’s ninth world, called Click Clock Wood, and is the most expensive one in the game, costing an astonishing twenty-five Mumbo Tokens to perform. Despite its enormous cost, its value lies in its ability to fly without the need for Red Feathers or a Flight Pad. By simply pressing the A button during an air jump, players are able to take flight, and the height and speed of the Bumblebee’s flight can be controlled with the A and B buttons. However, when players come into contact with water, they will immediately fly automatically. The Bumblebee Form is not only adept at flight but also immune to the thicket area surrounding Mumbo Jumbo’s Skull and the Snarebears allowing players to traverse such treacherous environments with ease. However, the transformation can only be used in Spring, as the pink shaman, Mumbo Jumbo, has various reasons for not allowing the Bumblebee to be used in other seasons. Interestingly, cheat codes have demonstrated that this form is able to walk on the quicksand of Gobi’s Valley and the murky waters of Bubblegloop Swamp, but not inside the cold water found in the game’s fifth world, Freezeezy Peak. A possible explanation for this could be that standing in the bottom of water is different from walking on top of hot sand and piranha-infested waters. In the sequel game Banjo-Tooie, the Bumblebee Form becomes the native transformation in the eight playable world, Cloud Cuckooland. In addition to the flight abilities introduced in Banjo-Kazooie, the Bumblebee now possesses a powerful stinger attack which can be fired at enemies using the Z button. Also the rate of fire is much faster when flying in the air, making it an effective weapon against adversaries. The Bumblee’s stinger attack do similar damage to Kazooie’s Blue Eggs and are the only way to destroy the Eyeballus Jiggium Plants, used by the witch to stop the protagonists. Additionally when flying faster the Bumblebee leaves an animation trail of blue sparks. One of the most interesting features is its ability to enter and explore the new home of the Zubbas, a restricted section where only bees are permitted. In conclusion, the Bumblebee is a transformation of immense value in the games. With its ability to fly, immunity to hazardous environments, and powerful stinger attack, it offers players a special and exciting way to explore the environment of Click Clock Wood and Cloud Cuckooland.
