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Banjo-Kazooie (series)

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The Banjo-Kazooie series is one of Rare's most successful franchises. It is named after the titular protagonists, Banjo and Kazooie, a bear and bird duo who live on Spiral Mountain. The first game of the series is Banjo-Kazooie, which released in June 1998. The main collectible in every game are golden jigsaw pieces known as Jiggies.

The Banjo-Kazooie series originated as a second-party franchise to Nintendo during the Nintendo 64 era, with Banjo-Kazooie and its sequel, Banjo-Tooie. In September 2002, Microsoft acquired Rare, and the Banjo-Kazooie franchise became an intellectual property of Microsoft.

In August 2003, Microsoft and THQ signed an agreement to publish Rare's catalog for the Game Boy Advance.[1] This included two games, Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge and Banjo-Pilot, and the latter game originated as Diddy Kong Pilot.

In November 2008, the Banjo-Kazooie series received a third main installment, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, an Xbox 360 game that takes place after the Nintendo 64 games. Around the same time, Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie were each re-released the Xbox Live Arcade.

Main characters

  • Banjo: A honey bear wearing trademark shorts and blue backpack
  • Kazooie: A red-crested breegull and the sidekick of Banjo
  • Mumbo Jumbo: A friend of Banjo and Kazooie and a shaman with the ability to perform magic.
  • Gruntilda: An evil witch who is the series' main antagonist.
  • Klungo: A former aide to Gruntilda who has since joined Banjo and Kazooie's side.
  • Jinjo: A unique species of varying colors, Jinjos are usually found around a level and need to be rescued.
  • Bottles: A mole who gives advice to Banjo and Kazooie throughout their adventures. In the first game, his main role is teaching moves to them.
  • Humba Wumba: Debuting in Banjo-Tooie, Humba Wumba is a shaman and the rival of Mumbo Jumbo.
  • Jamjars: A drill sergeant and the brother of Bottles. His only appearance is in Banjo-Tooie.
  • Bozzeye: An ancestor of Bottles who teaches moves to Banjo and Kazooie throughout Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge.
  • Cheato: A spellbook owned an abused by Gruntilda. In the first two games, Cheato helps Banjo and Kazooie by providing them with in-game cheat codes.

Games

References

  1. THQ to publish four Rare GBA titles. Eurogamer. Published August 12, 2003.
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