Banjo-Kazooie: Gruntopolis

Banjo-Kazooie: Gruntopolis
Developer	UniversalGaming Inc.
Publisher
Release Date	Early 2015
Series	Banjo-Kazooie
Modes	Single-Player Story Multiplayer Mission Multiplayer Battle
Genre	Platformer Action/Adventure
Platform	Nintendo Wii U
Input

Banjo-Kazooie: Gruntopolis, known in Japan as バンジョーとカズーイの大冒険シティ大作戦, is a sequel to Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and more directly Banjo-Tooie for the Nintendo Wii U. Three years after the events of Banjo-Tooie and five years before those of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Grunty seeks revenge on the titular bear and bird duo, forcing them on a journey through a metropolis named for none other than herself.

Gameplay

Plot

After three years, Gruntilda "Grunty" Winkybunion has made her way back to Spiral Mountain after her humiliating defeat atop Cauldron Keep. As just a head, her mobility is limited, but she manages to make her way into the wigwam of a familiar Humba Wumba. There, she uses the last of her power to cast a body-switching spell on the unsuspecting shaman. Humba Wumba, now just a head, quickly thinks to herself before fleeing the terrifying scene, leaving for Banjo's and Kazooie's house as a cloud of magic begins to brew behind her and Grunty - now in the body of a young woman - laughs maniacally.

Arriving at the duo's house, Humba Wumba is unable to completely convince Kazooie - though Banjo seems to have some belief - she is not there to trick them. However, as the cloud of magic spreads and grows, it darkens the sky in a storm of future magic. Taking only a moment's hesitation, Banjo and Kazooie lift up Humba Wumba and run off to see Mumbo Jumbo, another profound shaman.

They enter his skull with haste and find him sitting in his usual chair, but are unable to convey anything to him before something crashes through his window. Turning to see, the four of them see a robotic duplicate of Banjo and Kazooie has appeared. It scans the duo, identifying all of their abilities, then sends them flying with a huge back-handed slap. The clone turns its attention to Mumbo and grabs him, proceeding to fly out the window and take him away. In its haste, the robot does not realize Mumbo's wand slip and fall to the ground below.

Humba Womba hops over to the window, and leaps out in such a way as to land on Banjo and Kazooie in order to wake them up. Banjo stands and looks to the sky, noticing the trail left by the robot, while Kazooie reaches down and swipes Mumbo's Wand, which she proceeds to wield in a manner quite similarly to the Magic Wrench. Following the robot back to Spiral Mountain, they find that the entire location has been moved to and jammed into the side of a massive metropolis, constructed in the image of Grunty herself. They shake their heads in disapproval and carry Humba Wumba on into their next big journey.

A little ways into the game, Banjo, Kazooie, and Humba Wumba come across an up-and-coming shaman named Nimbo Limbo. He agrees to take care of Humba Wumba in her peculiar state, in return for having her teach him the art of transformation magic. He has a different transformation for Banjo and Kazooie to take on in each world, in exchange for powerful Glowbos. With his assistance, they are able to obtain more and more jigsaw pieces, dubbed Jiggies, on their journey through the city.

Modes

Single Player leads the player through the primary story of the game, where they take Banjo and Kazooie on a journey through the new HUB world of Gruntopolis and try to rescue Mumbo Jumbo and Humba Wumba. Multiplayer offers two different modes of play: Battles and Missions. In Multiplayer Battles, players can battle either one-on-one, two-on-two, or free-for-all (three, four, and five players) as variously-colored versions of Banjo and Kazooie in an attempt to take out the other players or achieve a certain goal more times than the other team. Multiplayer Missions offers a unique experience in which up to two players can be tasked with completing a certain goal on a selected map in a set amount of time; there are a number of missions which can be selected.

Controls

Type	Control	Move	Usage
General		Pause
		Change Egg Type
Standing		Move
		Jump
		Claw Swipe
		Pack Whack
		Wing Whack
		Breegull Bash
		First-Person View
		Egg Aiming
	or	Crouch
Crouching		Change Direction
		Flap Flip
		Failed Flip
		Super Flip
		Beak Barge
		Hatch
		Egg Shot
		Sack Pack
		Bounce Egg
		Shack Pack
	or	Talon Trot
		Taxi Pack
		Wonderwing
		Snooze Pack
		Talon Dig
		Wing Cyclone
Moving		Roll Attack
Mid-Air	(Hold)	Feathery Flap
		Rata-a-tat Rap
		Pack Swing
		Beak Buster
	(Hold)	Bill Drill
		Glide
Climbing		Climb Up/Down
		Jump Off
Hanging		Move Left/Right
		Let Go
		Peck
Swimming		Swim
		Dive
		Dive Fail
Underwater		Rotate
		Kick
		Wing Stroke
		Dual Swimming
		First-Person View
		Underwater Aim
		Wing Surge
		Talon Torpedo
Talon Torpedo		Charge
		Return
Flying		Rotate
		Rise
		Beak Bome
		Descend
		First-Person View
		Aerial Egg Aiming
Breegull Blaster		Move
		Angle
		Egg Shot
		Interact
		Beak Bayonet
		Change Egg Type

Items and Objects

Honeycombs

Honeycombs are used as both the health bar and air meter in the Banjo-Kazooie series; Banjo and Kazooie start off with only 5 Honeycombs, but collecting Empty Honeycombes will unlock more for the duo. Gathering 3, 6, 9, 12, then 15 Empty Honeycombs will form a new Honeycomb for Banjo's and Kazooie's health and air. Picking up Honeycombs will restore health to the duo, while swimming through a bubble will restore some air instead.

Eggs

As in Banjo-Tooie, there are a number of Egg types presented to the player through the course of the game. There are Blue Eggs, which have existed since the first game, and serve as the most basic of all projectiles as well as being quite abundant. Fire, Ice, and Volt Eggs are each based on different elements, respectively burning (steady damage), freezing (immobility), and paralyzing (cannot act) the enemy. Mech Eggs are the name given to the golden eggs which appeared in the second game as a temporary power up, but now fulfill a role as a constantly available type of egg; they are much weaker than Blue Eggs, but fire three times as fast. Grenade Eggs explode on contact with an enemy or obstacle, creating a powerful blast in a sphere around the contact point. Clockwork Kazooie Eggs are much large and slower to fire, but will hatch a small, mechanical version of Kazooie which can run around for a few seconds before detonating and dealing large damage.

Feathers

There are four different types of Feathers, two of which come out of Banjo-Tooie; Red Feathers are consumed while flying higher in the air or performing the Beak Bomb. Green Feathers are consumed while underwater and performing the Wing Surge or Talon Torpedo. Gold Feathers are used to become invincible for a limited time, and Blue Feathers are used to perform the powerful Wing Cyclone attack.

Glowbos and Mumbo Tokens

Mumbo Tokens are silvery skulls which resemble the head of Mumbo Jumbo, and are spent the first time Kazooie casts a spell from any given Mumbo Pad; once spent, that same pad may be used any number of times - if applicable. Glowbos are small creatures who glow pink and have immense magical abilities. Bringing them to Nimbo Limbo will provide the power necessary to transform.

Jinjos

Jinjos are colorful creatures who hold vast amounts of magical energy that goes mostly unused unless absolutely necessary. Because of this, Grunty has taken them and scattered them throughout the various levels of the game to prevent Banjo and Kazooie from harnessing their power. Each family has a varying number of members: White has 1, Orange has 2, Yellow has 3, Brown has 4, Green has 5, Red has 6, Blue has 7, Purple has 8, Black has 9, Gray has 10, and Gold have only 5. There are 4 Jinjos located in each level of the game, which are mostly randomized, with only one exception; Gold Jinjos are special in that they cannot be found in Fulgore's Fountain or Tree-Tall Trunk, and one must appear in <redacted>.

Notes

Notes have been a staple collectible in every Banjo-Kazooie game, serving as a currency for obtaining new abilities or other essential gameplay aspects. In this game, Banjo and Kazooie will actually spend notes in order to have Bottles teach them moves both old and new.

Jiggies

Jiggies are the main collectible of the entire series, and this game is no different. Totaling in at 175 Jiggies, this game has more than any other preceding it. Jiggies are golden jigsaw pieces which are used to open up new worlds; a certain number must be in Banjo's and Kazooie's possession in order to activate each puzzle, while another amount must be spent in order fill in the missing slots of each world's puzzle. There are 10 Jiggies in each world, as well as 1 to each family of Jinjo and 14 simply lying around Gruntopolis in locations which require a Grunty Switch to be triggered to be reached.

Locations

Puzzles used to open new areas are generally found in the vicinity of the level, though some later levels have their Puzzles located quite a distance away. Each one is missing just a few pieces, and they take on the same style of the puzzles found in Banjo-Tooie as a moving puzzle where the missing pieces must be inserted in a set time.

Spiral Mountain

Spiral Mountain is home to Banjo and Kazooie, and serves as the location of the beginning of their journey, where they stumble out into a new world crafted by none other than Grunty herself. Now lodged into the side of the giant city known as Gruntopolis, the location has quite obviously been shifted from its original location.

Gruntopolis

Gruntopolis serves as the HUB world for the game; it was conjured by Grunty while Banjo and Kazooie were trying to find Mumbo and consists of massive skyscrapers and other buildings common in a city. There are a total of 15 different worlds which may be entered from a number of themed buildings, while the puzzles to open said worlds lie elsewhere. Grunty Towers, a massive tower built at the center, stands tall above the rest of the city, taunting the duo throughout their journey.

Fulgore's Fountain

Fulgore's Fountain is the first level of the game, requiring no Jiggies to be entered. Just outside of Spiral Mountain is a square around which some rather plain and short buildings stand; off to the left side, however, is a small park with a few trees and benches along its path. There is a larger tree at the center of the park, in the shape of an arch, with a portal-like doorway between its split trunk into which Banjo and Kazooie must go to reach the level.

Tree-Tall Trunk

Tree-Tall Trunk is the second level of the game, requiring a mere 4 Jiggies to activate and missing only 2. The entrance is found at the doorway into the Conservation Lab, which is found down the street from the central square. The level takes place atop a colossal tree, so high up that Banjo and Kazooie must remain on top of the branches and leaves to avoid falling to their doom below.

Ectoplasmic Estate

Ectoplasmic Estate is the third level of the game, missing 3 Jiggies on its Puzzle and requiring 11 to be activated. The entrance is a large mansion atop a rather spooky hill which requires Fire Eggs to be reached. A third path from the Main Square leads up a hill just opposite of Spiral Mountain; the winding path which climbs the hill leads to an eventual locked gate which would normally be impassible, if not for the fact that a can of oil sits next to it and can be detonated with Fire eggs.

Surf-Foam Fracas

Surf-Foam Fracas is the fourth level of the game, missing 4 Jiggies on its Puzzle and requiring 17 to be activated. Following the hill at the end of Main Street down to the docks leads to a series of Warehouses and Piers, where a lone Boathouse seems to stand out. Said Boathouse is found on one of the Piers on the opposite side of the crane, and serves as the entrance to this level.

Tidalsand Resort

Tidalsand Resort is the fifth level of the game, requiring 25 Jiggies to activate the Puzzle with 6 blank spaces on it. In the opposite direction of The Docks, by climbing up the hill at the end of Main Street, Banjo and Kazooie will come across a much more developed area of Gruntopolis, dubbed Uptown, containing not only a Cul-De-Sac, but a Photographer's Shop as well, within which this level stands.