Banjo-Threeie: Grunty's Return

Banjo-Threeie: Grunty's Return is the "third" (actually fourth, including Nuts & Bolts) entry in the Banjo-Kazooie franchise. It returns the games to their roots as collect-a-thon platformers, and is advertised as a true successor to Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie.
== Story ==
Many years after the events of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Banjo and Kazooie have grown skeptical of their chances of a new game. While still invited to the occasional racing or fighting tournament, they've fallen out of the spotlight as video game stars, and their adventuring days are but a distant memory. All that changes, however, when a strange floating factory lands in Spiral Mountain. Banjo and Kazooie, curious about this strange event, get up to investigate what's going on.
As they leave their house, a hologram of Gruntilda appears in the sky, laughing maliciously–to the surprising joy of Banjo and Kazooie, who are ecstatic to finally have another game. A somewhat disgruntled Grunty explains that during her time at L.O.G.'s game factory, she made a game that, when uploaded to L.O.G.'s servers, caused him to go haywire. Grunty took the chance to dismantle L.O.G. and reassemble him into her personal supercomputer, which she used to create ten dangerous worlds that Banjo and Kazooie's friends are now trapped in. If they wish to free their friends from Grunty's game worlds, Banjo and Kazooie will need to brave the factory, explore the worlds, and collect Jiggies once again. Naturally, the bear-and-bird duo rush in to rescue their friends . . . and have a chance of reclaiming their former stardom.
Once Banjo and Kazooie reach Grunty's HQ on the top floor of the factory, Gruntilda is dumbstruck at their persistence and challenges them to a quiz show to save their friends. The duo pass the quiz and free their friends from the game worlds, but Bottles points out that Gruntilda has escaped to the factory's roof, so Banjo and Kazooie pursue her. On the roof, they're shocked to find Gruntilda's skull transferred into a giant robot. She cackles, revealing that kidnapping Banjo and Kazooie's friends was just a distraction–her true goal was to buy time to construct her ultimate weapon, the Mighty Gruntinator, and destroy Spiral Mountain. With the fate of their beloved home on the line, Banjo and Kazooie beat Grunty and send her plummeting down from the roof, her skull ending up crushed beneath the head of her own robot. With Grunty defeated, Banjo, Kazooie, and all their friends celebrate their victory in another adventure.
== Characters ==
=== Main Characters ===
Name 	Description
Banjo 	A lazy but lovable bear, and one of the game's stars. Excited (for once) at a chance to get back in the spotlight, Banjo jumped at the chance to go on a new adventure . . . and, well, rescue his friends and all. He's a kindhearted, laidback fellow who reins in some of Kazooie's more aggressive impulses, but remains her closest friend.
Kazooie 	A fast-talking, sarcastic Breegull who stars in the game alongside Banjo. Kazooie is always ready to rush into a new adventure, and retains her sharp tongue from the duo's previous outings. While sometimes exasperated with Banjo's easygoing attitude, she still cares deeply for him, and the two remain inseparable.
Mumbo Jumbo	A rather eccentric shaman with magical powers. Grunty trapped Mumbo in her game worlds alongside Banjo's other allies, but was at least kind enough to give him his skull back. When brought a Glowbo by the heroic duo, he'll put his spellcasting skills to use for their aid.
Bottles 	A short-sighted mole with a seemingly endless knowledge of, well, everything. Bottles was taking care of some of Banjo and Kazooie's old moves, but after being kidnapped by Gruntilda, he's unable to access them without Notes. Banjo and Kazooie will need to bring him Notes to learn moves both old and new.
Humba Wumba	A rival shaman to Mumbo Jumbo. Trapped in the game worlds with Banjo and Kazooie's other friends, Humba uses her magic to transform Banjo and Kazooie into all kinds of creatures and objects. Once the bear and bird bring her a Glowbo, they'll find her transformations invaluable for navigating the worlds.
Gruntilda 	The main antagonist of the game. She took over L.O.G.'s Factory and used the Lord of Games to create her own game worlds, where she imprisoned Banjo and Kazooie's old friends. However, she seems to have a grander plan to avenge her previous defeats at the hands of the bear and bird; just what could she be scheming?
=== Supporting Characters ===
Name 	Description
Klungo 	A former minion of Gruntilda who turned to the side of good. Being an experienced game developer himself, Klungo helps Banjo and Kazooie by hacking into the firewalls protecting each of the worlds. By bringing Jiggies to Klungo in L.O.G.'s Factory, the bear and bird can attempt to gain access to the next world by solving a jigsaw puzzle.
King Jingaling	The casual, easygoing king of all Jinjos. While King Jingaling was lucky enough to escape being captured by Gruntilda, his Jinjo subjects weren't so lucky. He promises to reward Banjo and Kazooie with a Jiggy every time they get one of the colored Jinjo families back together, as he's afraid for his own approval ratings.
Cheato 	Grunty's old spell book, having been abandoned in her now long-forgotten lair. In the years since Banjo and Kazooie's last adventure, he's lost his pages once again and needs help finding them. For every five Cheato Pages that are brought to him, he'll teach Banjo and Kazooie one of his magical cheat codes.
Honey B. 	The self-proclaimed Mistress of the Honey . . . though she may still be more of an apprentice. She's set up one of her hives on a balcony in L.O.G.'s Factory, and she knows the secrets of increasing Banjo and Kazooie's life energy. However, these secrets require Hollow Honeycombs, which the bear and bird must find for her.
== Items and Objects ==
Name 	Description
Honeycombs 	Basic items that restore Banjo and Kazooie's energy. Honeycombs are primarily dropped by enemies and Beehives, though sometimes (typically in boss battles) they can simply be found lying around the area. There are also a few variants of Honeycombs; Double and Triple Honeycombs restore two and three units of energy respectively, while Skill Stop and Random Stop Honeycombs restore energy based on the player's timing.
Eggs 	A variety of projectiles that can be used by Kazooie. All varieties of Eggs from Banjo-Tooie return, including basic, Fire, Ice, Grenade, and Clockwork Kazooie Eggs. There are also a couple news types of eggs; electrifying Battery Eggs return from Grunty's Revenge and are used to power up machinery, while mysterious Magic Eggs can break through purple magical enchantments.
Feathers 	Items that are consumed to perform some of Kazooie's moves. Red Feathers are used to gain altitude while flying and perform the Beak Bomb or Wing Whirlwind, while Gold Feathers are used to perform the Wonder Wing.
Jiggies 	Golden jigsaw pieces that allow Banjo and Kazooie to progress in the game by opening up new worlds. There are a grand total of 120 Jiggies in the game; ten are found in each of the game's main worlds, ten are hidden in L.O.G.'s Factory, and ten are obtained by rescuing Jinjo families.
Musical Notes 	Musical collectibles that are scattered around the game's worlds. Standard bronze Notes are worth one, silver Notes are worth five, and golden Notes are worth twenty. Each main world plus L.O.G.'s Factory has 100 Notes for a total of 1100 in the game, and collecting them is necessary for Banjo, Kazooie, and Mumbo to learn moves from Bottles.
Jinjos 	Colorful creatures which have, once again, been captured and imprisoned by Gruntilda. There are 55 Jinjos in the game, five in each of the main worlds plus L.O.G.'s Factory. The color of each individual Jinjo is randomized, and completing a colored Jinjo family awards Banjo and Kazooie with a Jiggy. In total, there are ten Jinjo families in the game, each with a different number of members: white has one, orange has two, yellow has three, brown has four, green has five, red has six, blue has seven, purple has eight, black has nine, and grey has ten.
Glowbos 	Magical critters which are often found around Mumbo's Skull and Wumba's Wigwam. Two are found in each world, and they are required to grant Mumbo Jumbo and Humba Wumba access to their magical powers. Unlike in Banjo-Tooie, the Glowbos are a different color in each world.
Hollow Honeycombs	Special Honeycombs that can be used to boost Banjo and Kazooie's maximum energy. Banjo and Kazooie start out with five Honeycombs of energy, and collecting enough Honeycombs allows them to be brought to Honey B. to increase their maximum energy by one; the first upgrade requires two Hollow Honeycombs, then four, then six, then eight, and finally ten. There are three Hollow Honeycombs in each world, for a total of thirty in the game.
Cheato Pages 	Pages torn out of Cheato the spell book. Bringing five pages to Cheato in Gruntilda's old lair on Spiral Mountain earns Banjo and Kazooie a cheat code, which can be input at the Code Chamber in Merrytale Woods. There are three Cheato Pages in each main world, for a total of thirty in the game. The cheats that are unlocked, in order, are:
* EGGCELLENT: Doubles Banjo and Kazooie's egg capacity.
* FEATHERFRENZY: Doubles Banjo and Kazooie's feather capacity.
* SUPERSWIM: Doubles Banjo and Kazooie's oxygen capacity and boosts their swimming speed.
* SOFTLANDING: Prevents damage and stunning from long falls.
* JIGGYWIGGY: Unlocks hints on how to find every Jiggy in the game.
* TIPTUPSHOW: Starts Tiptup Jr.'s concert in Jolly Roger Resort, which functions as a sound test.
== Worlds ==
=== Spiral Mountain ===
The opening area of the game and the home of our heroes, Banjo and Kazooie. Spiral Mountain has the same layout as previous games and serves as the tutorial area, where Banjo and Kazooie can brush up on their old skills by tuning into Jamjars's radio show. Otherwise, the bear and bird will typically only return here to speak with Cheato, who is still hanging around in Gruntilda's old lair and will teach the duo cheat codes in exchange for Cheato Pages.
=== L.O.G.'s Factory ===
The game's main hub world. Formerly owned by the all-powerful Lord of Games, the factory was taken over by Gruntilda after she proved L.O.G. to be . . . not so all-powerful after all. L.O.G.'s Factory contains entrances to the ten game worlds Grunty has created, but access to each world is blocked off by firewalls. Fortunately, Banjo and Kazooie can use the power of the Jiggies–and some jigsaw-solving skills–to help Klungo breach the firewalls and open the worlds. Inside Grunty's HQ on the top floor of the factory are the remains of L.O.G., whom Grunty has reprogrammed into a supercomputer that follows her every whim. Reaching the top floor and hijacking L.O.G. from Grunty will be necessary to free the bear and bird's old allies from her twisted game worlds.
At the factory's entrance, Banjo and Kazooie are confronted by Piddles, Neglected Feline Familiar, piloting one of Grunty's old vehicles. Once she is beaten, her vehicle explodes, blowing her sky-high (to everyone's relief, as no one really liked her anyway) and dropping the game's first Jiggy. Shortly after defeating Piddles and grabbing the Jiggy, Klungo and King Jingaling beckon Banjo and Kazooie into the Secret Lab, where they've infiltrated the factory to aid the duo on their journey, and explain how to open the first world.
=== Merrytale Woods ===
The first world in the game, requiring 1 Jiggy to enter. Merrytale Woods is an mystical forest home to fairies, elves, and other magical creatures. At first glance, the forest seems serene and enchanting, with beautiful flower gardens and patches of strange glowing mushrooms. However, the twisted paths eventually lead to the darker, more dangerous depths of the woods. While relatively simple to explore, this world still offers a taste of the adventure ahead.
Mumbo Jumbo's spell in this world is Rain Dance, which is used to put out a fire and grow a beanstalk from magic beans. Humba Wumba transforms Banjo and Kazooie into a Billy Goat, which can charge to attack enemies and break down reinforced barriers.
=== Wildwind Savannah ===
The second world in the game, requiring 4 Jiggies to enter. Wildwind Savannah is a sprawling grassland full of wildlife and flora where an endless sunrise casts the land in a pinkish glow. Most of the world is dominated by open plains, while other areas include a rough, rocky mountainside, a watering hole, and a massive baobab tree. The general atmosphere of the world is wild, festive, and free, but not all of the local animals are so friendly.
Mumbo Jumbo's spell in this world is Earthquake, which is used to destroy the rocks blocking a cave entrance and startle a herd of wildebeests. Humba Wumba transforms Banjo and Kazooie into an Elephant, which can smack enemies with its trunk and carry water to put out fires.
=== Sweet Treat Kingdom ===
The third world in the game, requiring 9 Jiggies to enter. Sweet Treat Kingdom is a land made entirely out of desserts, where the benevolent King Cookie rules over the gingerbread peasantry. With a layer-cake mountain to climb, a lake of soda to dive into, and all sorts of other candy landscapes, there's plenty of sweet locales for the bear and bird to explore. Just watch out for some of the dark and bitter baddies that lurk in the chocolatey swamp.
Mumbo Jumbo's spell in this world is Hypnosis, which is used to brainwash a pair of chocolate guards and a hungry dragon. Humba Wumba transforms Banjo and Kazooie into a Gumball Machine, which can rapid-fire gumballs to attack enemies or feed them to hungry gingerbread folk.
=== High Noon Ranch ===
The fourth world in the game, requiring 16 Jiggies to enter. High Noon Ranch is an old west town in the middle of a dusty desert, with a vast canyon, a network of gold mines, and a river that runs through the mountains from the local reservoir. Gunslinging cowboys and shady outlaws lurk around every corner, but braving these rugged and lawless lands will prove quite rewarding to explorers and pioneers. There's Jiggies in them thar hills!
=== Jolly Roger Resort ===
The fifth world in the game, requiring 24 Jiggies to enter. Jolly Roger Resort is a pirate-themed tropical resort owned by Jolly Roger, built using the ill-gotten gains from his abandoned life as Jolly Dodger. Guests can enjoy the pirate's life at the hotel (for rather exorbitant prices), visit the surrounding ports and beaches for some R&R . . . or dive down beneath the waves, where many of the world's real treasures hide in coral reefs and sunken ships.
== Trivia ==
* The level High Noon Ranch is directly adapted from Weird West, a scrapped world from Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.
* Several characters from previous games in the Banjo-Kazooie series do not make prominent appearances, but have minor cameos.
** A picture of Tooty can be seen inside Banjo's house on Spiral Mountain.
** Jamjars gives tutorials over the radio at the start of the game.
** Roysten is one of the fish swimming around in the fish tank at Jolly Roger Resort.
Category:Banjo-Kazooie (series)
Category:Banjo-Kazooie Games