The Banjo-Kazooie series has been a beloved franchise for many years. The first game, Banjo-Kazooie, was a groundbreaking success that tasked players with saving Banjo’s younger sister Tooty from the clutches of the evil witch Gruntilda Winkybunion. The witch was intent on stealing Tooty’s beauty, and it was up to Banjo and Kazooie to save her. Two years later, a sequel titled Banjo-Tooie was released. This time, Gruntilda had been rescued by her witch sisters Mingella and Blobbelda and sought revenge on Banjo and Kazooie for her previous defeat. With the help of a machine called B.O.B. that could steal the life force of Banjo’s friends, Gruntilda aimed to restore her former appearance to defeat the duo once and for all. Banjo and Kazooie needed to travel to the top of Cauldron Keep to stop her and revive their friends. The Banjo-Kazooie franchise also includes two handheld games, Banjo-Pilot and Banjo-Kazooie Grunty’s Revenge. In Grunty’s Revenge, Klungo, Gruntilda’s henchman, creates a robotic version of the evil witch. This allows Gruntilda to possess the robot using her spirit and seek revenge. She kidnaps Kazooie, forcing Banjo to travel back in time to save his friend and stop the witch’s plans once more. Eight years after Banjo-Tooie, a third main game titled Banjo-Kazooie Nuts and Bolts was released. It departed from its predecessors by tasking players with building unique vehicles and participating in Jiggy-Challenges. The game begins with the Lord of Games settling the conflict between Banjo, Kazooie, and Gruntilda Winkybunion to determine the rightful owner of Spiral Mountain.
» Yooka-Laylee Series
A few years after Banjo-Kazooie Nuts and Bolts, a company named Playtonic Games was established by a small group of former Rare employees who aimed to revive the spirit of the Banjo-Kazooie franchise. Their goal was to recreate the nostalgic feelings players experienced while playing the original Banjo-Kazooie games. Five years later, they released their first game, Yooka-Laylee, which received positive reviews from both fans and critics. In this game, players control two characters, Yooka and Laylee, simultaneously as they try to stop their antagonist, Capital B, from harvesting all the world’s books for profit. Capital B aims to create a special book that will give him the power to change the future. Building on Yooka-Laylee’s success, Playtonic Games released a second game titled Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, featuring gameplay mechanics similar to those in the Donkey Kong Country series. In this game, the heroes are trapped in the Royal Stingdom hub world while Capital B creates an Impossible Lair and takes over the Hive Mind and Royal Beetalion. To stop him, Yooka and Laylee must enter books called Grand Tomes scattered throughout the hub world and rescue the Royal Beetalion. Each bee takes a hit for Yooka and Laylee, either from enemies or obstacles inside Capital B’s lair. A few years after the release of the original Yooka-Laylee, Playtonic Games revisited their 3D platforming collectathon with Yooka-Replaylee, a remastered version featuring enhanced visuals, improved camera controls, and numerous quality-of-life improvements. This enhanced edition introduces a much-requested map system, new collectible currency, and revised control scheme while maintaining the charming adventure of the lovable buddy-duo as they attempt to thwart Capital B’s plans.