The Banjo-Kazooie series allows players to learn numerous techniques essential for progression throughout the games. These abilities are taught by Bottles or his relatives such as Jamjars, enabling players to access new sections and collectibles. When beginning Banjo-Kazooie, players start with only basic abilities like walking, jumping, swimming, and crouching. As they advance, Bottles teaches additional abilities such as the Flap Flip, which allows for higher jumps to reach elevated platforms. Nearly every world contains one or multiple molehills where players can interact with Bottles or his relatives to acquire new techniques. In Banjo-Tooie and Banjo-Kazooie Grunty’s Revenge, learning new abilities requires more effort. Players must collect Musical Notes in each world and possess at least the required amount. All abilities learned in the original Banjo-Kazooie remain available in Banjo-Tooie, with players gaining additional abilities like first-person aiming, new egg types, or the ability to control Banjo and Kazooie separately, each with unique techniques. Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts provides players with a set of basic techniques including climbing, swimming, jumping, and attacking with Kazooie’s Magic Wrench provided by the Lord of Games. However, many previously learned techniques have been removed entirely, while others such as Kazooie’s Egg Firing have been incorporated into vehicle parts. Following the final confrontation with Gruntilda, Kazooie requests that the Lord of Games restore her previous abilities, prompting him to manifest a box housing classic moves such as the Flight Pad ability.
» Yooka-Laylee Series
The Yooka-Laylee games similarly offer players opportunities to acquire essential abilities for exploration. Trowzer, a snake businessman who operates Trowzers Worldwide Incredible Traders Co. Ltd, teaches these moves. Similar to his counterparts in Banjo-Kazooie, Trowzer sells techniques to players in exchange for Quills. In each world, this entrepreneurial snake offers different techniques, explaining each upon purchase. Within Hivory Towers, Trowzer can be found in specific locations where he teaches free abilities that help open the next Grand Tome while expanding his business. Using these techniques requires players to monitor Yooka and Laylee’s power meter, as most techniques consume energy. Players can replenish this meter by collecting butterflies and expand it by finding Power Extenders hidden throughout the worlds. As players progress, they unlock new abilities requiring varying amounts of energy. These abilities allow access to new places, completion of challenges, and collection of collectibles, adding depth to gameplay. In Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, Trowzer introduces a new business venture placing paywalls throughout the Royal Stingdom hub world. Players rely primarily on basic abilities like walking, jumping, swimming, and attacking. While these abilities suffice to play through the game, skilled players can find ways around Trowzer’s paywalls without paying T.W.I.T. Coins.