Stonies

An ordinary Stony has a squat grey body that initially resembles an unremarkable rock. Approaching it reveals eyes, a broad mouth, short arms and feet, together with a fan-shaped stone headdress decorated in green. This change makes a piece of the scenery into somebody the duo can address, rather than an obstacle to break. Stonies gesture during conversation but do not blink. The kickball opponents use a more aggressive design, with red eyes, a pronounced lower jaw and teeth projecting above the mouth. Their coloured headgear also makes individual competitors recognisable during a crowded match, whereas the stationary residents are identified mainly by their locations and the advice they give.

Talking to a Stony as the ordinary bear and bird produces sentences in the inhabitants’ unfamiliar language. Banjo apologetically explains that he cannot understand, while Kazooie is less patient and objects that the game is supposed to be in English. The joke is that some phrases resemble insults about the visitors closely enough for her to suspect what is being said. The Hailfire Peaks host uses the same language, prompting another weary reaction from Banjo. These exchanges do not provide a usable translation key for every invented word. Their practical purpose becomes clear after the transformation: the same residents can then convey intelligible information about nearby puzzles, and the stadium officials can explain the competitions.

To understand the residents, visit Humba Wumba in Jade Snake Grove. Mumbo’s Golden Goliath can kick open the gates leading into that part of Mayahem Temple. Collect the Glowbo behind Wumba’s Wigwam, offer it to Humba and enter her pool to receive the Stony Form. Banjo keeps his yellow shorts and blue backpack, so his version remains visibly different from the native inhabitants. He gains a shoulder barge as well as the ability to converse with them. His small body can also enter the opening behind the world entrance for an Extra Honeycomb Piece. That hidden collectible is separate from the rewards earned by the Stonies’ kickball competition or their prison information.

The outdoor residents point out several of the world’s important interactions once Banjo can understand them. One draws attention to the surprises beneath sturdy rocks, encouraging a return to boulders that ordinary attacks cannot break. Another explains that the enormous golden figure can cross the quicksand to reach a Jiggy, a reference to Mumbo’s controllable Golden Goliath rather than the much smaller Stony transformation. Advice about shooting the large stone figures between their eyes identifies the weak point of the Sput Sput dart traps. An egg temporarily disables those hazards and gives the duo time to pass. The hints therefore concern different abilities and landmarks; becoming a Stony supplies information, but does not replace the other forms or moves needed to act on it.

A Stony in the Prison Compound supplies the sequence for the sun, moon and star switches outside Dilberta’s enclosure. First use the Golden Goliath to open the large gates into the compound, then return as a Stony and listen to the clue. Its celestial description must be converted into the order in which the floor switches are pressed. The sequence differs between save files, so a combination copied from another game is not a universal solution. Opening the gate only resolves the first obstruction: a boulder still blocks Dilberta’s route home. Learn Bill Drill from Jamjars in Glitter Gulch Mine with 85 Musical Notes, return in the normal bear-and-bird form and drill that boulder. Dilberta can then use the connecting tunnel to rejoin Bullion Bill at the Prospector’s Hut. Bill supplies the Jiggy for the reunion; the Stony provides the information that makes the prison’s first barrier manageable.

The stadium entrance is guarded by Officer Unogopaz, an armoured tiger who restricts entry to Stony players. He refuses the ordinary duo, but allows them through in their transformed body despite recognising familiar features of the disguise. Inside, activate the lobby’s warp pad for later trips between the stadium and Humba. The Stony at the top of the stairs opens the quarterfinal and recommends the training area downstairs. Other Stonies there act as player-coaches. Their advice ranges from explaining the controls to suggesting, rather obviously, that winning requires finishing first and scoring plenty of points. Training is optional, but it lets the player practise collecting and kicking balls before competing against opponents who can steal possession.

Each match places Stony Banjo against three other players for 45 seconds, with the highest score winning. Touching a ball puts it under the player’s control; on Nintendo 64, use the Control Stick to move, Z to kick and B to barge. Barging an opponent is useful for stealing a valuable ball before it reaches a goal. Yellow balls add two points to the owner of the goal they enter, so aim them into Banjo’s own goal. The quarterfinal uses these yellow balls alone. The semifinal adds red balls, which subtract one point and are therefore useful against an opponent’s score. The final also introduces black bombs that briefly stun nearby players when they explode. Win each successive match to open the next door; completing the final earns Mayahem Temple’s kickball Jiggy and recognition from the host as the new champion.

The three named opponents are Hak, Wak and Krop. Hak wears yellow headgear, Wak wears red and Krop wears purple, allowing the player to distinguish them as all four Stonies chase the same balls. They compete in the Mayan tournament and return in the Colosseum tournament in Hailfire Peaks, making them recurring opponents within Banjo-Tooie. Their threatening faces and competitive remarks contrast with the residents who stand around offering hints. Krop, for example, insists that Banjo will never become champion. They are willing to barge the player and take possession, so controlling a ball is not a guarantee of scoring.

The second venue is the Colosseum on the lava side of Hailfire Peaks, a world opened through Jiggywiggy’s challenge at 36 Jiggies. From the world entrance, cross the fallen stone columns to the right to reach the building. Its Stony host cannot be understood by the ordinary duo. Break the cracked wall at the front-right of the lobby with a Grenade Egg to uncover a tunnel into Mayahem Temple’s stadium lobby, then press the switch that opens the connecting gate. Use the Mayahem warp network to return to Humba, become a Stony and travel back through this connection. This is a specific exception to the normal restrictions on taking a transformation between worlds: it provides access to the other stadium, rather than permission to explore all of Hailfire Peaks as a Stony. Speak to the Colosseum host to enter the new quarterfinal.

Colosseum matches again last 45 seconds, but now the lowest score wins, and a tie does not qualify as victory. In the yellow-only quarterfinal, protect Banjo’s own goal and kick balls into the other three goals to raise their scores. The semifinal changes the starting position: every player begins with 50 points, and only red balls appear. Race to put those into Banjo’s goal, reducing his total faster than the others can reduce theirs. An ordinary red subtracts one point and a flashing red subtracts two. The final returns the starting scores to zero and mixes yellow balls, red balls and bombs. Flashing yellow balls add four points, double the ordinary yellow value, so directing one into a rival’s goal can change the lead quickly. Keep reducing Banjo’s score with red balls while using bombs and barges to interrupt the opposition. Winning all three matches produces a separate Jiggy counted in Hailfire Peaks.

The Stonies’ sport also supplies material for Tower of Tragedy. Questions concern the Stony disguise used to enter Mayahem’s stadium, the identity of Mayahem Temple’s national sport, the game played in the Hailfire Peaks Colosseum, the fifty-point start in its semifinal and the change to lowest-score victory. Remembering how the two tournaments work therefore helps later in the adventure. Both kickball minigames are also included in Replay once unlocked through adventure play, allowing their matches to be revisited from the menu. The multiplayer menu also offers Mayan Kickball Challenge and Colosseum Kickball Challenge for two to four local players. These retain the respective highest-score and lowest-score objectives, allowing human opponents to compete under the two different rule sets.