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For the last few years, this video series 
has been about contiguous, interconnected,

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maze-like worlds in games such as Metroid 
Prime, Hollow Knight, and Elden Ring.

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BANJO: "Guh-huh!"

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So you might be surprised to see 
me feature a pair of colourful

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collect-a-thon platformers 
with disconnected worlds.

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But there’s a method to my madness.

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You see, while Banjo-Kazooie is definitely divided 
into distinct levels with little-to-no overlap,

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the sequel, Banjo-Tooie, is far 
more interconnected and complex.

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Almost all of the levels join up 
through shortcuts and secret routes.

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Changes in one level can impact events in another.

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And you'll be routinely backtracking to old 
stages to solve puzzles and collect objects.

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It is, at times, a Metroidvania.

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But is that actually an improvement

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over the first game - or just needless 
complexity added to a winning formula?

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Well, let's find out.

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I'm Mark Brown, and this is Boss Keys.

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Now before we can talk about Banjo-Tooie,

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we have to start at the start and look at 
the first game of the series: Banjo-Kazooie.

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This Nintendo 64 gem - though, I’m playing the 
Xbox Live Arcade version for the video - started

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life as an isometric adventure game, about a boy 
and a bunch of pirates, for the Super Nintendo.

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But after switching hardware, and 
seeing how Nintendo had changed

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the platforming paradigm with Super 
Mario 64, the game radically shifted

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to become a 3D platformer about a 
bear with a bird in his backpack.

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And that Mario 64 inspo can 
be felt pretty strongly.

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The game features a sprawling 
hub world - this time,

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its the lair of series baddie Gruntilda the Witch.

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The hub lets you can transport 
to a collection of uniquely

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themed-worlds - like an Egyptian 
desert and a snowy Christmas land.

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Inside you'll collect shiny 
golden tokens - jigsaw pieces

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and musical notes, rather than stars and coins.

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And those tokens give you access to new 
parts of the hub, and, in turn, new worlds.

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Plus, while there's loads of stuff to 
find and do if you want to completely,

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100% finish the game - you 
only need a few power sta...

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I mean jiggies, to face the 
final boss and finish the game.

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But Banjo is definitely not a straight rip-off.

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Banjo and Kazooie feel quite different 
to control when compared to Mario.

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The whole game has a snarky, 
British sense of humour.

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You're not booted out of worlds 
when finding jiggies - something

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Mario wouldn't change until Odyssey.

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And I'd say the game leans slightly 
more on puzzle-focused challenges,

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and less on ones that reward 
pure platforming prowess.

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So, the game features nine levels -

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there's Mumbo's Mountain, Treasure Trove 
Cove, Clanker's Cavern, Bubblegloop Swamp,

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Freezeezy Peak, Gobi's Valley, Mad Monster 
Mansion, Rusty Bucket Bay, and Click Clock Wood -

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all culminating in a totally 
unorthodox final level:

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a high-stakes gameshow featuring trivia 
related to the game you just played.

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These levels are fairly small 
and compact - but even still,

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they feature a number of clever tricks 
to help you orient yourself in the level.

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Stages are usually split into distinct 
zones - like Gobi's oasis, sphinx,

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and pyramids - to break the 
level into organised chunks.

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You also get plenty of weenies - 
you know, those giant landmarks

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that provide a consistent visual guide, 
no matter where you are in the stage.

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Some levels use a hub and spoke 
system - like Bubblegloop Swamp

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where the five different zones fan 
off from a single central area.

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And while all of the levels feature additional 
sub-rooms - they are always accessed from clearly

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identifiable doorways - like the pyramids in 
Gobi's Valley and the boat in Rusty Bucket Bay.

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So it's easy to remember where they are.

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All of this stuff makes it easy to know 
where you have and haven't been in the level.

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And they help you return to places you've

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already visited - which you may 
need to do at certain times.

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For instance, some levels feature environments 
that are impossible for Banjo and Kazooie

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to traverse - like these super slippery 
slopes in the hill on Mumbo's Mountain.

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However, Banjo can unlock helpful 
transformations - like a walrus

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that can survive icy water or a termite 
that can, aha, crawl up slippery slopes.

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Now you can go back to that 
area and make further progress.

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Now, much like Mario 64, the 
levels are separate and standalone.

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What happens in Mad Monster Mansion 
stays in Mad Monster Mansion.

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But there are a few exceptions to this rule.

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Like, in every level you are able to collect all

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10 jiggies before moving on to 
the next stage, if you so wish.

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However, in world five - Freezeezy Peak 
- there's a jiggy that requires the Turbo

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Trainers which won't be unlocked 
until world six - Gobi's Valley.

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This makes it the one instance where you can't 
get all 10 tokens on your first visit, and so

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you'll have to go back to a previously-explored 
world if you want all the jiggies in the game.

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There's also at least one moment where your 
actions in one level will have an impact on

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another: if you annoy Gobi the camel in Gobi's 
Valley, he'll leave and show up in a later level.

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But if you ignore that 
quest line, he won't appear.

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Also, each level has a button that 
will make a jiggy appear in the hub

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world - so you'll have to remember to 
track it down when you exit the stage.

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And you can actually leave levels while

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transformed - which can be used 
to solve puzzles in the hub.

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The termite transformation can be used to scale a 
steep hill outside Mumbo's Mountain, for instance,

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and the pumpkin from Mad Monster Mansion is 
needed to squeeze through this small gap.

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And there's also one level that cleverly shifts 
and changes, depending on how you enter the world.

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I'm talking about the... sometimes 
polarising ninth level, Click Clock Wood.

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You open this level by hitting a 
flower switch - and go inside to

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find a giant tree during the rainy spring season.

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Climb to the top of the tree and you'll find a 
sun button that will open another door in the hub.

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Which - when entered - will bring you back 
to the exact same tree, but now in summer.

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There are bees about, the tree has 
new leaves, and the lake has dried up.

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Which gives you access to 
another button - and lets

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you come back to the level 
again, this time in autumn.

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And, of course, once more for winter.

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Many of the jiggies in this level require 
you to solve puzzles across separate seasons.

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For example you can plant a seed in spring, 
water it in summer, and get a jiggy in autumn.

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Or hatch a baby bird in spring, feed 
it caterpillars in summer and autumn,

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and then watch it grow into 
a mighty eagle in the winter.

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And you can break this rock while 
the lake is dried up in summer...

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only to find that the path behind it is too steep.

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So you'll have to come back in 
autumn, when the water's back,

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and swim up to finally get your reward.

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It's the sort of challenge that requires 
thoughtful consideration of the level and how

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it can change and adapt - and it rewards you for 
returning to the right place at the right time.

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It's a truly memorable level - 
reminiscent of Zelda dungeons,

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and those clever Mario 64 stages that 
change depending on how you enter the world.

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It was also one of the hardest levels 
to make - according to designer Gregg

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Mayles who said it took twice 
as long as the other stages.

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And it's slightly infamous among some Banjo 
fans who find it more frustrating than fun

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due to the verticality, having to do the same 
tricky platforming in all different seasons,

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and the pain of falling down and having 
to do the whole thing aaaall over again.

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It just goes to prove that it's easy for a 
clever idea to stumble due to implementation.

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A topic I'm sure we'll be returning to.

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So overall, Banjo-Kazooie is a really 
fun collect-a-thon platformer - with

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memorable characters, collectables, 
and worlds - and a few clever ways

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to have the levels break out from 
their distinctly different zones.

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But for the sequel, released two years later, 
Rare decided to make interconnectivity a key

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part of the game - ensuring that every world would 
have some connection to another part of the game.

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But let's press pause on that for now - and start

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by talking about the levels 
individually and separately.

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Because we need to know how they work alone 
before talking about how they intersect.

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And also because some changes in Banjo-Tooie end 
up turning each level into a mini Metroidvania...

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of sorts.

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So this time the eight levels are Mayahem 
Temple, Glitter Gulch Mine, Witchyworld,

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Jolly Roger's Lagoon, Terrydactyland, Grunty 
Industries, Hailfire Peaks, and Cloud Cuckooland -

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with another game show at 
the end to top things off.

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This first change from Banjo one is that these 
new stages are - on the whole - much, much bigger.

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A level like Terrydactyland has a 
massive central chamber with a lot

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of verticality - and it splinters 
off into many different sub areas.

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And Hailfire Peaks takes place 
on a sprawling volcano that is

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roughly the size of a Banjo-Kazooie level...

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before you realise that this is only half of the

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stage - and there's a whole 
icy expanse on the reverse.

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All of the levels now have four warp points 
throughout to help speed up traversal,

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but little else is done to help with navigation.

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While I just praised Banjo-Kazooie for 
its level layouts that aid orientation,

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I often found it extremely difficult 
to find my way around in Banjo-Tooie.

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For example, in levels like Terrydactyland, 
Glitter Gulch Mine, and Hailfire Peaks,

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I could never remember, even across 
two whole playthroughs for this video,

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which nondescript tunnels led to which sub-rooms.

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And I routinely got lost in the maze-like 
underwater chambers of Jolly Rogers Lagoon.

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One stage stands out as a proud 
exception, though: Witchyworld.

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Taking influence from real-life theme parks,

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this level has a helpful hub-and-spoke 
system that keeps things organised.

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Using the big top tent as an obvious 
central weenie, the stage fans out in

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four directions for the entrance, and the 
space, haunted house, and wild west zones,

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which have unique signs, shapes, and 
colour palettes to keep them distinct.

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It's a breeze to explore and a sharp contrast 
to the rest of the game's more muddled levels.

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And orientation is important in a game that 
puts so much emphasis on re-exploring space.

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So in Banjo-Kazooie I talked about how in a few 
levels you could transform into critters like a

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termite or a crocodile and use their unique powers 
to overcome obstacles elsewhere in the stage.

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Banjo-Tooie takes this and 
amps it up dramatically.

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Thanks to new character, uh, Humba Wumba.

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Oy.

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Every level now has a transformation, allowing you 
to become a stone statue, an explosive detonator,

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a van, a submarine, a small t-rex, a big t-rex, 
a washing machine, a snowball, and a bee.

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Not only will you have to find you way back to the

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place where these transformations 
will grant access, but you'll often

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need to figure out an alternative route 
that works for their unique movement.

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For instance, it's effortless to jump up and

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reach this pressure-sensitive 
switch as Banjo and Kazooie...

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but as a heavy snowball 
with a three inch vertical?

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Think again.

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Instead you'll have to take a 
warp panel to the fire side,

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hot foot it through here before melting, and 
then roll around to the button from above.

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But that's not all!

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This time you can also play as Mumbo Jumbo,

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who can make changes in the level 
when standing on these special spaces.

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But he's slow and dumpy when 
compared to Banjo and Kazooie,

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so you'll sometimes need to find 
another route for him to take.

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And also new for this sequel: Banjo and Kazooie 
can split up into two separate characters.

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This reveals a bunch of unique moves that 
can't be done when paired up, and leads to

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challenges where the bear and bird must work 
together, tag-teaming obstacles and puzzles.

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All of this stuff is pretty cool, 
forcing you to understand the level

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and its various paths and routes 
- and make intentional plans for

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how you'll get around with the unique 
abilities of the different characters.

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But this fun gameplay is let down in 
implementation - and not just by the confusing

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level layouts that make it tough to even find 
that place you need to use the transformation.

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No: the real culprit is the tedium of 
actually activating these transformations.

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For instance, in Witchyworld you 
find this shut-down dodgems ride.

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So you go all the way to Mumbo and switch to him.

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Go back to the dodgems to power up the ride.

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Inside is a money box, so back to 
Mumbo to become Banjo and Kazooie.

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00:12:58,020 --> 00:13:00,300
Then to Humba Wumba to become the van.

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00:13:00,300 --> 00:13:02,820
Back to the dodgems to pay the entry fee.

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00:13:02,820 --> 00:13:05,940
Then back to Humba Wumba to turn 
back into Banjo and Kazooie.

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00:13:05,940 --> 00:13:09,660
And then back to the dodgems to 
- finally! - play the mini game.

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There's similar frustration in 
finding one of these manholes

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00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:18,060
which grant new abilities - only to be 
told that you need to split up and come

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back as either Banjo or Kazooie 
alone to actually learn the move.

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And look - it's not Rare's worst game for 
this sort of character-changing nonsense.

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And the warp pads certainly do help.

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But it's still just needless bloat 
and backtracking that creates

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tedium and discourages free-form 
exploration and experimentation.

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A button to break Humba Wumba's 
magic spell and turn back into Banjo,

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or a button to call your partner back 
to you, would be a really nice addition.

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All of this comes to a head in Tooie's 
most infamous level: Grunty Industries.

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A level that can go toe-to-toe with the Water 
Temple for perplexing Nintendo 64 owners.

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So this level is humongous - a five-floor factory

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with an extra basement and 
rooftop for good measure.

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00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:13,620
It's not too bad to navigate thanks to 
clear signs above most of the doors - but

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you'll probably need a notepad 
to remember what's on each floor.

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00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:20,940
The true complication, then, comes 
from constantly changing characters.

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Many sections require you to split 
up - especially as Banjo needs to

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transport batteries around in his empty 
backpack to unlock electro-powered doors.

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00:14:29,580 --> 00:14:34,980
Mumbo needs to make his way to various pads 
to turn off machinery - but the results are

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00:14:34,980 --> 00:14:38,880
usually temporary so you'll need to rush 
around to make any use of the change.

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00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:42,960
And then there's the level's special 
transformation: the washing machine.

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00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:47,520
This allows access to service 
lifts and some special rooms but,

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00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:51,720
for some inexplicable reason, 
you can't use the warp pads.

210
00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:54,960
The machine also can't jump very 
high meaning you'll often need

211
00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:56,760
to find alternative routes to get around.

212
00:14:56,760 --> 00:15:02,220
In fact, much of the level involves making routes 
and paths for the other playable characters -

213
00:15:02,220 --> 00:15:04,740
like dropping this Mumbo pad down from the attic,

214
00:15:04,740 --> 00:15:08,700
or lowering an elevator so the washing 
machine can pass this small gap.

215
00:15:08,700 --> 00:15:12,420
This leads to endless backtracking 
and character swapping.

216
00:15:12,420 --> 00:15:17,610
Now many of the changes you make are 
permanent, one-way modifications to the level -

217
00:15:17,610 --> 00:15:20,220
so it's more like slowly unpicking a knot,

218
00:15:20,220 --> 00:15:24,480
rather than the brain-melting puzzle 
box shenanigans of a Zelda dungeon.

219
00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:27,180
But it's still a lot to keep in your head as

220
00:15:27,180 --> 00:15:31,560
you must remember the status of so 
many floors, doors, and sub rooms.

221
00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:36,120
Without good memory or notes you can 
be wandering around aimlessly forever.

222
00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:41,100
Most players will spend double the time 
on this level than any other in the game.

223
00:15:41,100 --> 00:15:46,620
Now I did actually enjoy this level quite a lot 
because I’m a sicko - but I get the backlash.

224
00:15:46,620 --> 00:15:49,200
Even Rare agrees that it was a lot to take in,

225
00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:53,340
and that a decent in-game map would 
have helped things dramatically.

226
00:15:53,340 --> 00:15:56,100
So that's the individual levels.

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00:15:56,100 --> 00:15:59,700
But now let's zoom out and 
look at the game as a whole.

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00:15:59,700 --> 00:16:05,100
Because, at first glance, the game is 
structurally similar to Banjo-Kazooie.

229
00:16:05,100 --> 00:16:10,500
There's a hub world - this time the Isle of 
Hags - where we can access the different levels.

230
00:16:10,500 --> 00:16:16,680
Each world has 10 jiggies to find, again, and they can 
be used to unlock stages further into the hub.

231
00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:21,660
But even from the very first level, 
Mayahem Temple, things are different.

232
00:16:21,660 --> 00:16:26,700
We're immediately faced with obstacles that 
we can't overcome with the abilities on hand.

233
00:16:26,700 --> 00:16:30,540
And if you head through this tunnel 
and check the menu you'll realise that

234
00:16:30,540 --> 00:16:33,120
you're actually in a completely different world -

235
00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:37,440
Terrydactyland, which you won't explore 
properly until you unlock world five.

236
00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:43,620
It soon becomes clear that Banjo-Tooie is not a 
set of disconnected stages like Banjo-Kazooie,

237
00:16:43,620 --> 00:16:48,600
but actually an interwoven web of worlds 
that must be taken as a complete package.

238
00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:53,280
And this interconnectivity comes in 
a few different flavours: there's

239
00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:56,520
backtracking to old levels with new abilities.

240
00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:59,820
Criss-crossing between worlds through shortcuts.

241
00:16:59,820 --> 00:17:04,320
And making changes in one world, to 
create a knock-on effect in another.

242
00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:08,520
So let's start by talking about 
backtracking with abilities.

243
00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:13,320
Banjo-Tooie starts will all the moves 
you learned in Banjo-Kazooie - which

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00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:17,820
is already quite a lot - and then gives 
you loads more throughout the adventure.

245
00:17:17,820 --> 00:17:20,640
There's about 20 additional abilities in all,

246
00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:26,520
including different types of egg ammo, extra 
attacks, healing moves, egg-firing abilities,

247
00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:31,800
and highly situational puzzle-solving 
tools like Kazooie's ability to hatch eggs.

248
00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:37,140
Predictably, those new moves grant access to 
jiggies in the level where you unlock them:

249
00:17:37,140 --> 00:17:42,240
in Mayahem Temple you get the Breegull 
Blaster which turns Kazooie into an

250
00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:46,260
egg-spitting shotgun, and lets you get 
two jiggies from Targitzan's temple.

251
00:17:46,260 --> 00:17:51,600
But the moves just as often let you get 
jiggies in stages... you've already been to.

252
00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:55,560
For instance, Mayahem Temple, 
has a jiggy that requires the

253
00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:58,260
Bill Drill from world two, Glitter Gulch Mine.

254
00:17:58,260 --> 00:18:00,900
Which, in turn, has a jiggy that requires

255
00:18:00,900 --> 00:18:04,020
the Springy Step Shoes from 
world five, Terrydactyland.

256
00:18:04,020 --> 00:18:08,160
World four, Jolly Rogers Lagoon, 
needs the glide from world seven.

257
00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:12,480
And world six, Grunty Industries, 
needs the sack pack from world eight.

258
00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:15,780
That's not even all of the jiggies - 
and it also doesn't include additional

259
00:18:15,780 --> 00:18:21,360
collectibles like Jinjos, Cheato pages, 
honeycomb pieces, treble clefs, and so on.

260
00:18:21,360 --> 00:18:24,540
Now, as a concept, this is fine by me.

261
00:18:24,540 --> 00:18:30,960
Revisiting old areas with new tools, keys, and 
abilities is at the heart of Metroidvanias.

262
00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:36,540
And also point and click adventures - a genre 
which Banjo-Tooie often feels reminiscent of.

263
00:18:36,540 --> 00:18:41,460
Plus, it's usually quick to return to old 
levels thanks to the hub (which is easier

264
00:18:41,460 --> 00:18:45,720
to traverse than the one in Banjo-Kazooie) and 
other interconnections that I'll talk about later.

265
00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:49,080
But the execution does leave 
something to be desired.

266
00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:53,760
For one, Banjo-Kazooie established 
that - barring one exception - every

267
00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:57,120
world can be finished with the 
abilities gained by that point.

268
00:18:57,120 --> 00:19:02,340
Banjo-Tooie throws that convention out 
completely, which is potentially confusing.

269
00:19:02,340 --> 00:19:08,160
And secondly, once the player does realise 
that jiggies may be inaccessible until later,

270
00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:13,620
it's totally possible to assume that certain 
puzzles can't be solved with your current tools.

271
00:19:13,620 --> 00:19:17,580
This happened to me a fair few times - in Mayahem

272
00:19:17,580 --> 00:19:20,640
Temple there are two jiggies being 
guarded by sleeping characters.

273
00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:26,280
I thought I'd maybe get some ability later on 
to help with this problem - but it turned out

274
00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:31,560
that I just needed to move the analogue stick 
a small amount to make Banjo tip-toe silently.

275
00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:35,760
This confusion is actually a 
common issue in Metroidvanias.

276
00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:41,100
I once spent ages wandering around the world of 
Ori and the Will of the Wisps, looking for the

277
00:19:41,100 --> 00:19:46,500
way forward - only to realise I just needed to use 
the feather I already had to wake Baur the bear.

278
00:19:46,500 --> 00:19:51,420
When you establish that your game is often 
about going elsewhere to find the path forward,

279
00:19:51,420 --> 00:19:55,200
it's not surprising that players 
will sometimes incorrectly assume

280
00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:57,780
that the solution is somewhere else in the world.

281
00:19:57,780 --> 00:20:00,360
There are a few ways to help with this.

282
00:20:00,360 --> 00:20:03,600
In Super Metroid there's a room 
where you need to use Samus's

283
00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:06,600
default run ability to bypass falling blocks.

284
00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:10,860
The game actually locks the door 
behind you to ensure you don't give

285
00:20:10,860 --> 00:20:14,100
up and try to look elsewhere for 
something to make you run faster.

286
00:20:14,100 --> 00:20:19,260
In Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet you 
can scan obstacles to see what ability

287
00:20:19,260 --> 00:20:24,540
you need to use - one you already own, 
or a mystery tool you don't have yet?

288
00:20:24,540 --> 00:20:29,760
And in Blasphemous II, each new ability 
is linked to a single specific type of

289
00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:34,020
obstacle - so there's never confusion 
about where you can and can't advance.

290
00:20:34,020 --> 00:20:39,630
For Banjo it might have been nice to 
communicate this through the jiggy tips page -

291
00:20:39,630 --> 00:20:43,020
a useful screen in the menu which keeps 
track of which jiggies you've found,

292
00:20:43,020 --> 00:20:45,480
and gives hints and clues for finding the rest.

293
00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:50,580
Some way of marking them as currently 
accessible or not might have helped.

294
00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:56,220
Next, let's look at the way levels 
in Banjo-Tooie are linked together.

295
00:20:56,220 --> 00:21:00,600
And this comes in two forms 
- connections and changes.

296
00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:06,780
The first is literally connections between 
worlds - routes that link one level to another,

297
00:21:06,780 --> 00:21:09,420
meaning you don't have to go 
through the hub world first.

298
00:21:09,420 --> 00:21:15,180
So in Mayahem Temple you can make a hole that 
goes through to Glitter Gulch Mine, and later,

299
00:21:15,180 --> 00:21:18,660
get access to Terrydactyland and Hailfire Peaks.

300
00:21:18,660 --> 00:21:22,920
Glitter Gulch Mine has an entrance 
to Witchyworld - and Witchyworld

301
00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:25,320
has a secret shortcut to Terrydactyland.

302
00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:29,580
Jolly Roger's Lagoon has a pipe 
that drops into Glitter Gulch Mine,

303
00:21:29,580 --> 00:21:32,640
and two pipes that lead to Grunty Industries.

304
00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:37,179
Terrydactyland's stomping plains hooks 
up to Hailfire Peaks -

305
00:21:37,179 --> 00:21:39,420
which also has a pipe to Grunty industries.

306
00:21:39,420 --> 00:21:43,260
Plus, a one-way route to Jolly Roger's Lagoon.

307
00:21:43,260 --> 00:21:46,800
However, not all connections are created equal.

308
00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:48,946
Some only go one way.

309
00:21:48,946 --> 00:21:53,880
And the three links to Grunty Industries go 
to completely separate and enclosed areas,

310
00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,580
and so they don't grant access to the whole level.

311
00:21:56,580 --> 00:22:01,620
Same for the route from Terrydactyland's 
stomping plains to Hailfire Peaks - it

312
00:22:01,620 --> 00:22:06,000
just puts you in a tiny icy cave 
with nothing more than a jiggy.

313
00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:08,100
So, put that all together,

314
00:22:08,100 --> 00:22:12,660
and this gives us a map of Banjo-Tooie 
that looks a little something like this.

315
00:22:12,660 --> 00:22:17,340
I've marked the connections that lead to dead-ends 
with dotted lines, to keep them separate.

316
00:22:17,340 --> 00:22:19,440
Oh, and then there's Chuffy.

317
00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:24,240
In Glitter Gulch Mine you can use Mumbo 
to right this broken-down steam engine.

318
00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:29,040
Then, as Banjo and Kazooie, you can 
fight the conductor, Old King Coal.

319
00:22:29,040 --> 00:22:33,720
Now you can open up train stations in 
six other places - the Isle of Hags hub,

320
00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:40,320
Witchyworld, Terrydactyland, Grunty Industries, 
and Hailfire Peaks' ice side, and fire side.

321
00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:44,100
Now you can ride the train from stop to stop.

322
00:22:44,100 --> 00:22:48,780
There are now complete connections in 
every world bar the last, Cloud Cuckooland,

323
00:22:48,780 --> 00:22:53,760
which is high above the Isle of Hags and 
so not physically touching any other stage.

324
00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:57,240
The other way levels are 
linked is through changes.

325
00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:00,540
Do something in one world and 
you'll make a difference in another.

326
00:23:00,540 --> 00:23:04,860
So in Mayahem, when we open that 
route to Glitter Gulch Mine,

327
00:23:04,860 --> 00:23:08,760
Dilberta the rat will run through - 
netting us a jiggy on the other side.

328
00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:13,860
Likewise, opening this door from Glitter 
Gulch to Witchyworld will let a flying

329
00:23:13,860 --> 00:23:17,640
saucer travel through to the fairground 
and unlock a mini-game in that level.

330
00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:22,920
Witchyworld has a cell block with 
Gobi the camel and a dinosaur called

331
00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:28,500
Scrut who will head to Hailfire Peaks and 
Terrydactyland, respectively, when rescued.

332
00:23:28,500 --> 00:23:33,840
In Jolly Rogers Lagoon, fixing the UFO 
sends it off to Hailfire Peak's ice side.

333
00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:38,160
Turning off the sewage in Grunty Industries 
will clean the water in Jolly Roger.

334
00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:43,320
And you can send stuff from Cloud Cuckooland 
down to the world below - you can drain this

335
00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:45,840
water into Dippy's pool in Terrydactyland.

336
00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:51,060
And you can knock George ice cube down to be with 
his wife Mildred in Hailfire Peaks' ice side....

337
00:23:52,620 --> 00:23:54,060
whoops, wrong side.

338
00:23:54,060 --> 00:23:58,740
Well at least that water is cool now, and 
can be drained into Jolly Roger's Lagoon.

339
00:23:58,740 --> 00:24:01,620
Phew! That's a lot of interconnectivity!

340
00:24:01,620 --> 00:24:06,780
In fact, every single level features some 
link to another stage in the game - whether

341
00:24:06,780 --> 00:24:11,220
that's a literal route between stages or 
a way to enact changes in another world.

342
00:24:11,220 --> 00:24:13,860
But what's the point of all this stuff?

343
00:24:13,860 --> 00:24:15,660
Banjo-Kazooie didn't have it,

344
00:24:15,660 --> 00:24:19,860
after all - the only way to get from one 
world to another was through the hub.

345
00:24:19,860 --> 00:24:23,580
And outside of those super rare 
exceptions I explored earlier,

346
00:24:23,580 --> 00:24:25,980
the levels never impact on each other.

347
00:24:25,980 --> 00:24:29,700
So what do we gain from the connections in Tooie?

348
00:24:29,700 --> 00:24:34,920
Well, for one, it simply makes the 
world feel more connected and complete.

349
00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:40,260
Less like a random hodgepodge of disconnected 
worlds and more like a believable space.

350
00:24:40,260 --> 00:24:44,340
Grunty Industries dumps its 
sewage into Jolly Roger's Lagoon,

351
00:24:44,340 --> 00:24:46,980
which delivers water to Glitter Gulch Mine.

352
00:24:46,980 --> 00:24:52,920
And characters visit Witchyworld, or leave one 
world only to get trapped in Hailfire Peaks.

353
00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:56,940
Just like seeing Pinna Park in the 
skybox for Super Mario Sunshine,

354
00:24:56,940 --> 00:25:01,680
or realising that blue lake is the cause 
of the eternal rain in the City of Tears,

355
00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:04,260
it adds to the world building and sense of place.

356
00:25:04,260 --> 00:25:07,920
Two, there's just something 
special in realising that a

357
00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,020
world is more interconnected than you thought.

358
00:25:10,020 --> 00:25:14,940
Even with those dead-end shortcuts I just 
spoke about, it's still surprising and

359
00:25:14,940 --> 00:25:18,480
charming to realise that you just showed 
up in a completely different level -

360
00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:21,120
perhaps one you won't unlock 
properly until many hours later.

361
00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:25,620
Three, is that, when it comes to those 
literal connections between stages,

362
00:25:25,620 --> 00:25:28,860
it can create expedient new routes and shortcuts.

363
00:25:28,860 --> 00:25:34,620
And in a game that often has you backtracking to 
an old area - perhaps with a new ability to use,

364
00:25:34,620 --> 00:25:37,560
or because you just made 
a change in another zone -

365
00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,620
unlocking quicker paths should 
be a very worthwhile reward.

366
00:25:40,620 --> 00:25:45,660
Then again, I personally never 
really used them for that purpose.

367
00:25:45,660 --> 00:25:51,600
It was usually just as fast, if not faster, 
to simply warp to the level entrance, leave,

368
00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:55,320
and then use the handy hub world 
warps to bounce to the other world.

369
00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:59,700
Ironically, this is an instance where 
Banjo-Tooie is actually so convenient

370
00:25:59,700 --> 00:26:03,720
by default that there's not much to 
be gained by an extra dash of speed.

371
00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:08,640
And then finally, there's using interconnectivity 
for puzzle- and problem-solving.

372
00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:13,080
For instance, you can't actually enter 
the main Grunty Industries factory,

373
00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:17,700
when you first enter from the hub world, because 
the front door is locked from the inside.

374
00:26:17,700 --> 00:26:21,840
The solution is to find this switch 
to open the level's train station,

375
00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:27,180
and then take Chuffy from another stop to 
enter Grunty Industries from the inside.

376
00:26:27,180 --> 00:26:32,100
In Hailfire Peaks you need to be a 
stony to enter the kickball tournament.

377
00:26:32,100 --> 00:26:36,480
So you need to use the connection to 
Mayahem Temple to transform in that

378
00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,180
world - and then come back through as a stony.

379
00:26:39,180 --> 00:26:44,100
And I really enjoyed this puzzle involving 
Scrotty the dinosaur in Terrydactyland.

380
00:26:44,100 --> 00:26:46,560
Her three dino kids need help.

381
00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:48,960
One can be saved by Mumbo in the level.

382
00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:52,440
Another is trapped in Witchyworld's jail cells.

383
00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:54,000
And the third is sick.

384
00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:59,460
You'll need Banjo's taxi pack to put him on 
the train, park Chuffy at the Isle of Hags,

385
00:26:59,460 --> 00:27:02,580
and then use Mumbo's magic 
point to heal the dinosaur.

386
00:27:02,580 --> 00:27:07,680
These puzzles ask you to consider not 
just your current crop of abilities.

387
00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:10,560
Or the tools available in the current level.

388
00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:15,300
But to think about the entire world 
as a possible puzzle-solving tool.

389
00:27:15,300 --> 00:27:20,040
And they feel satisfying to solve because 
they reward you for understanding how this

390
00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:23,220
world works, and how all the 
different areas fit together.

391
00:27:23,220 --> 00:27:28,380
Unfortunately, most of the the other 
connection-based puzzles are less exciting.

392
00:27:28,380 --> 00:27:33,600
For instance - I mentioned earlier that you need 
to clean up the water in Jolly Roger's Lagoon.

393
00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:38,760
It might have been cool to see a clue that 
the sewage was coming from Grunty Industries

394
00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:44,820
and then make the intentional choice to travel 
there and turn off the sewage or block the pipe.

395
00:27:44,820 --> 00:27:49,740
But instead there's just a shortcut above 
the tap in Jolly Roger's Lagoon that takes

396
00:27:49,740 --> 00:27:54,540
you to that dead-end room in Grunty Industries 
which has nothing but a sewer shut-off switch.

397
00:27:54,540 --> 00:27:57,720
And many of the changes just kind of... happen.

398
00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:01,680
You break this rock in Cloud 
Cuckooland because, why not,

399
00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:05,400
and then it drains down into 
Dippy's pool in Terrydactyland.

400
00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:10,080
You don't have to think, plan, or 
consider how to get the water to Dippy,

401
00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:12,120
you just play the game and it happens.

402
00:28:12,120 --> 00:28:17,280
You don't even have to return to the level to get 
the jiggy - though you can use the new water level

403
00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:23,460
to swim up and get a Cheato page, which is a neat 
reward for noting that Terrydactyland has changed.

404
00:28:23,460 --> 00:28:28,080
So while these connections are cool, I 
can only think of a few times where I

405
00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:33,120
felt tested and rewarded for my memory 
and understanding of the wider world.

406
00:28:33,120 --> 00:28:36,540
Though... maybe that's for the best.

407
00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:42,780
You see, in Banjo-Tooie, the individual 
levels are already a lot to juggle.

408
00:28:42,780 --> 00:28:46,500
Many jiggies require multiple 
steps - like finding Mrs.

409
00:28:46,500 --> 00:28:49,440
Boggy's three children, 
hatching Terry's four eggs,

410
00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:52,680
or pocketing 20 Doubloons in Jolly Roger's Lagoon.

411
00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:55,440
And you need to remember all the locations and

412
00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:59,340
obstacles that you can't bypass with 
your current abilities or character.

413
00:28:59,340 --> 00:29:04,140
And you simply need to try and organise 
the muddled level layout in your mind.

414
00:29:04,140 --> 00:29:05,940
It's a lot to take in.

415
00:29:05,940 --> 00:29:08,280
And so when you add in this interconnectivity.

416
00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:11,760
When you're making changes and 
opening routes in other levels.

417
00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:15,300
Or unlocking moves that might be 
useful in some previous stage.

418
00:29:15,300 --> 00:29:17,580
Well, it becomes an ever-expanding,

419
00:29:17,580 --> 00:29:21,900
multi-dimensional quest log of 
spinning plates and unclosed rings.

420
00:29:21,900 --> 00:29:25,680
It can feel like an impossibly large 
set of chores to keep track of.

421
00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:30,660
Juggling all this in your brain is a fast 
track to a headache - especially over the

422
00:29:30,660 --> 00:29:35,220
course of multiple play sessions 
for this huge 15 to 20 hour game.

423
00:29:35,220 --> 00:29:40,440
Now it does feel satisfying to 
finally unpick this game-wide knot.

424
00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:44,040
And it is worth noting that it is 
technically possible to get enough

425
00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:47,640
jiggies to complete the game without 
ever backtracking to a previous level.

426
00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:51,180
But it still feels tremendously overwhelming - and

427
00:29:51,180 --> 00:29:54,480
a long way from the simple 
pleasures of Banjo-Kazooie.

428
00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:58,920
Designer Greg Mayles has admitted as 
such, saying "even though we thought

429
00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:03,660
that Banjo-Tooie's more complex and interlocking 
worlds were better than those of the original,

430
00:30:03,660 --> 00:30:08,940
many fans still believe that Banjo-Kazooie was 
the better game due to its simpler structure.

431
00:30:08,940 --> 00:30:13,020
I would say we got the balance right the 
first time and perhaps made the all too

432
00:30:13,020 --> 00:30:17,040
common mistake of wanting bigger, 
better, and more for the sequel".

433
00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:23,100
Banjo-Tooie tried to expand in every single 
axis at once: more moves, more characters,

434
00:30:23,100 --> 00:30:28,020
more bosses, bigger worlds, more complex 
challenges, more interconnectivity.

435
00:30:28,020 --> 00:30:31,860
And in doing so, I don’t think 
it managed to top the original.

436
00:30:31,860 --> 00:30:37,440
Banjo-Kazooie is a timeless gem that's 
easy to revisit, over and over again.

437
00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:41,280
But with its more complicated 
levels and overarching structure,

438
00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:44,400
one playthrough is enough for Banjo-Tooie.

439
00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:46,620
A good lesson for making sequels, then:

440
00:30:46,620 --> 00:30:50,520
it's sometimes best to focus on 
expanding out just a few elements -

441
00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:54,900
rather than trying to outdo absolutely 
everything from the previous game.

442
00:30:54,900 --> 00:31:00,240
And also, maybe don't change the entire 
thing to now be about building vehicles.

443
00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:02,460
That's also good advice.

444
00:31:04,860 --> 00:31:10,980
Hey, thanks for listening to a 30 minute 
rant about a 20 year-old N64 game?

445
00:31:10,980 --> 00:31:12,420
What is this channel?

446
00:31:12,420 --> 00:31:16,440
Let me reward your patience 
with one more Banjo story.

447
00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:24,600
So one of Rare's first Xbox 360 games was the 
largely forgettable Kameo: Elements of Power.

448
00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:29,400
The studio held a competition to design 
costumes for the various characters.

449
00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:34,320
And so I submitted a few entries 
with Kameo characters dressed as

450
00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:37,260
Rare heroes like Vela from Jet Force Gemini.

451
00:31:37,260 --> 00:31:41,340
And wouldn't you know it! I 
was one of the 11 winners.

452
00:31:41,340 --> 00:31:48,600
And so thanks to me, you can now turn Pummelweed 
into a weird Mumbo Jumbo amalgamation.

453
00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:50,640
You're welcome, gamers.