Banjo-Kazooie Beta Guide
Beta Mumbo’s Mountain | Beta Treasure Trove Cove|Beta Clankers’ Cavern |
Beta Mad Monster Mansion |Beta Rusty Bucket Bay |Beta removed levels |
Beta Options |Conclusion |Special Thanks|
“Beta” is the stage during the development process of a video game anytime before it’s released and shipped to stores. In this case, any screen shot, video or promotional media released while the game is still being developed is known as beta information. More often that not this information gives players an inside look on a game yet to be completed and therefore a taste of the action before officially released. However, in some cases the media or information released is changed or modified before the game is completed, sometimes in the form of large chunks of the game being removed. Obviously seeing these changes when you have the finished copy can be quite a shocker! Often it’s quite interesting to compare these significant changes between the “Beta” game and the finished title via pre-released content.
In the case of Banjo-Kazooie Beta, the game was often heralded as the next Super Mario 64 which in turn offered up a lot of interest to those documenting the development of the would-be Mario beater. This caused an abundant supply of images and video released to get players hyped, some offered an intriguing taste of things to come which we would find again in our future games. Other images and video however document a large array of concepts and gameplay that didn’t make it off the cutting room floor or were canceled prematurely before even making it to a later stage. This features characters, gameplay modes and even in the extreme cases; entire levels which are not found within our current game.
Just as the press would document the ever evolving Banjo-Kazooie up to its release we have an advantage to reviewing this content and comparing it to our own finished product to get a little insight on what exactly we’re missing out on when Banjo was in it’s beta.
Welcome to Banjo Kazooie: An Extensive Guide for Beginners!
This guide will take you through the lineage and development of Banjo-Kazooie, from its early roots to the masterpiece that stands before us today.
However, in order to get a better understanding of the development process, we’ll have to go back to a time where Banjo-Kazooie wasn’t even called Banjo-Kazooie…
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM… (top)
Before a bear ran around with a backpack, before a vile witch had hatched her evil scheme, and before the game was even called Banjo-Kazooie, Rare began work on a top secret game called “Dream”, which would soon take the form of the aforementioned Banjo-Kazooie adventure. “Dream”, or “Project: Dream”, as it was so aptly code named in its beta stages, began life on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). Its name derived from Rares experimentation with a new graphical engine titled “Dream Visual Technology”; an advanced system that would replace the ACM engine that Rare had previously used for the creation of the Donkey Kong Country trilogy. Although Dream was destined to be awakened as Banjo-Kazooie at the end of development, it was still very much unlike the familiar Banjo-Kazooie we know and love today; for starters, neither Banjo or Kazooie were even involved in the game at all.
Instead, the game followed a boyish adventurer by the name of Edison (pictured left), who along with his girlfriend Madeleine, gets tangled up with a bunch of no-good -but inept- Pirates, namely; Flintlock Jock, Grim Jim and their leader, the infamous Captain Blackeye respectively. The game was an epic seafaring adventure, featuring a large traversable ocean dotted with locales such as Prickly Pear Isle, boss fights with large Trolls and Squids and an RPG stat element akin to The Legend of Zelda series. As development continued on the pirate themed quest the game proved to be a little too epic, as it was eventually decided that the adventure was too big to fit on the SNES and production was shifted to the Nintendo 64. Initially development picked up where it had left off and Rare continued to create the epic quest utilizing a bizarre and elaborate flooring system which would stretch polygons to create interesting three dimensional environments, however even the Nintendo 64 lacked the processing power to display the game at a steady rate. Once Mario 64 had launched and began turning heads it was clear that Dream was going to need a serious reworking to follow the path of the portly plumber. Meanwhile things were looking fantastic for the Killer Instinct team who used the trusted route provided by Mario 64 to create “Conker’s Quest”, and once the Dream team had gotten a taste of the antics of the Red Squirrel it became clear that Dream was getting stale, and what it needed now was an animal lead to take the protagonist position that Conker had inspired. Once Edison had been removed Rare began to experiment with several woodland characters that had previously been secondary characters, including a ‘dopey dog named Dinger, a rabbit that looked like a man, and a bear’ that would introduce the all-too-familiar anthropomorphic proportions to the Banjo universe.
The Rabbit was the first to be given a chance at the glory, but this appearance was short to say the least and after only three days as the star the bizarre looking bunny was taken out to make room for the next main character; Banjo the honey-bear. (pictured right)
For the time being Rare were still hard at work to make traces of Edison back to Banjo. Early concept art suggests strapping the honey-bear up with Edisons large sword, a bulky belt acting as a holster for what appears to be a bottled water (Protagonists get thirsty too, you know!) and deep set thick boots which would have send the Wading Boots packing. Along with these features however are Banjo’s trademark yellow shorts which have stuck through the conceptual stage and have made it as an essential must have for any Honey-bear of Spiral Mountain. While Banjo may have gone through many odd looking concepts -including one which suited the anthropomorphic bear up in an ill-fitting jersey, large gloves which have since been punctured by Banjo’s claws defeating their purpose, grotty looking trucker boots and to the displeasure of everyone around him, no pants – it was the case that the least will do, and Banjo was given his trademark yellow shorts. Need accessories? Here’s a tooth on a necklace. Ready for action it came time to examine the rest of the game.
Now that Banjo was running around in the RPG, Tim Stamper, co-founder of Rare found that the bear would be better suited in a platformer rather than a Role Playing Game. In order to make gameplay more believable, a few new entries would have to be made for the collect-a-thon title. Namely this involved giving the bear a great blue backpack to keep his enormous supply of necessary items inside. With Banjo suited up for adventure with his modern attire it came time to review the once fitting antagonist Captain Blackeye who now appeared awkward in the new setting, which ended in the old salt getting the boot to star a heartless giant instead. The Captains’ mug still appears around portraits in Mad Monster Mansion confusing gamers for months until an answer was procured.
The newly created Captain Blackeye (pictured left) found a spot in the successful sequel; Banjo-Tooie, where his ‘sea-sick’ mumblings are often said to be referencing his removal in the original Dreams title, eventually indicating that a bear like Banjo stole his ‘glory’ which was to appear in said title.
Rare would need some incentive to have Banjo take on such a daunting foe, and thus was the inclusion of Banjos’ love interest; a female honey-bear named Piccolo. (pictured right)
With the plot firmly set, Piccolo would leave herself to be snatched up by the Giant during a ‘musical jam in the park’ who would than take her to his Lair, and it would be up to Banjo to save the damsel in distress and create a happy ending.
However no such cheerful conclusion was to be had as comparisons were already being made to the previously released Super Mario 64 to the tune that the plot didn’t stray too far from the portly plumbers quest for protecting princesses and so the plot was shaken up once more to give Banjo an original adventure in a fresh new world.
First and foremost the daunting Piccolo thieving Giant was ripped out and replaced with a vile witch with evil intentions.
Gruntilda would than star here-on-out as the envious evil entity that Banjo would be forced to face off against in his adventure. Piccolo’s involvement in the adventure would also be modified, though still an ursine in distress, her relation would be changed to little sister instead of love interest where her model would get a complete makeover.
Last but certainly not least, the handle Piccolo was abandoned for Tooty instead and at last the story had come to a familiar lineage.
During the opening cinematic of Banjo-Kazooie, Tooty makes her debut and is seen playing a piccolo in the Hoedown,(pictured below) a hidden homage to what once was.
But unbeknowst to gamers, and possibly at the appeasement of countless characters within the game, Kazooie was never initially included as a character.
Instead her existence was something of an afterthought – though a brilliant one at that.
The story goes that originally Banjos’ pack served as something of a aesthetic to convince gamers that the many items collected could be stored safely. However the pack would soon be used to solve a problem dealing with the many abilities Banjo would need to execute over the course of his adventure. “Making the moves look “Believable” was a problem that needed to be fixed,” explains Gregg Mayles, Lead Director. To complete the double jump, Banjo would have a pair of wings sprout from his pack, and a pair of long legs would spring out to deal with steep angles that would be peppered throughout the game. Having the wings and the long legs together, Rare came to the obvious conclusion that these elements could connect to form a second character inside Banjo’s backpack, and thus the uncouth pile of feathers which many characters would come to dread in conversation was created. This single decision and would be a large stepping stone that allowed Rare to develop the gameplay of a duo helping each other out which would affect the gaming industry.
The bird was named “Kazoo” in order to bring about the theme that each character played and had the characteristics of an instrument they were named after. In Tootys case the pippy upbeat refrains of the piccolo would capture her essence, just as the loud and obnoxious blurts from a Kazoo would define the red breegul.
Wanting to distance their game away from Sega’s popular “NiGHTS into Dreams” title, Rare would rename their game to feature the titular characters’ names: “Banjo-Kazoo.” This act within itself was not without its setbacks however, as the name “Banjo-Kazoo” had already been copyrighted and using it could have Rare in hot water. This was remedied by adding a characteristic “ie” at the end, further creating another staple that Rare would use in their future Banjo titles.
Debuting as “Banjo-Kazooie” after a long time entry of “Dreams” there was a considerable amount of negative reception from fans, however Rare promised that the title would do for the Nintendo 64 what Donkey Kong Country had done for the SNES.
For gamers thinking Dreams had turned into a nightmare, they would be shocked when Banjo-Kazooie made its first appearance to the world at The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) June 19th 1997.
As E3 came to an end, Rare fans everywhere were expecting a game of epic proportions that surpassed even the quality of Super Mario 64. Scheduled for a holiday release, promotions for the game even went as far as a Taco Bell toy lineup for Christmas 1997.
But, as Rare continued to develop Banjo-Kazooie, it became more and more apparent that the breakthrough game was not going to meet the initial deadline, and would have to be delayed until March 16th, 1998.
Disappointed fans everywhere would sorely miss having Banjo-Kazooie under the tree come Christmas day.
What they didn’t know however, was that although Banjo wasn’t going to star in his own game come the holiday season, he would ride along side 9 other racers to defeat an intergalactic pig, named Wizpig on November 24th 1997. Rare’s master plan was to introduce some of their future franchise characters in a single game so that gamers would recognize them when they appeared in their own respective titles later on.
Although Banjo was without Kazooie, and his design looked remarkably different from what we would end up with in Banjo-Kazooie, he still dawned bright yellow shorts and blue backpack which would become another staple of the franchise.
Banjo would also cry out some select catchphrases when you bumped into obstacles or took damage from fellow racers, these catchphrases would re-appear in Banjo-Kazooie as you executed certain moves or bumped into an array of enemies or obstacles.
Lastly, even though Banjo did not speak in Banjo-Kazooie, you could still hear him cry out “I’m Banjo!” when you selected him as your racer in Diddy Kong Racing.
As fans of Banjo-Kazooie got their first taste of adventure of the bear without the bird in Diddy Kong Racing, they would have to wait yet again to get their hands on the would-be-holiday-game, Banjo-Kazooie had been delayed until July 27th 1998. During the months of March, fans would soon discover that Banjo-Kazooie was nearing completion faster than anticipated, Banjo-Kazooie would hit stores in Europe on June 17th 1998, and North America on June 30th 1998. Clearly Banjo and Kazooie had experienced a long line of evolution from conception to release including console jumping, character swapping, delays and even dodging trademark lawsuits. However, many of these elements find their way into the development of many games and being that Banjo is no exception to this rule a long line of history also means a long line of content. In that sense the inclusion of screen shots and video from pre-release that differ from our versions can be fascinating, especially when comparisons are drawn between the two. Behold the Banjo of yesteryear when ideas and concepts were still in development and an array of canceled gameplay elements had not been scrapped. This is Banjo-Kazooie Beta!
Introducing…
Let’s start from the very beginning; the walking Nintendo 64 logo, Rareware Logo and the Buzzbomb are the first things you’ll see whenever you turn on Banjo-Kazooie. While the action is cued up the same as in our version the entire set instead takes place atop a cloud whereas our own is just in mid-air.
Bashing a Buzzbomb!
The Buzzbomb swoops in, but is blocked by the almighty Rare logo. The eyes of the Buzzbomb briefly pass through the logo as he Buzzbomb falls into the waterfall that would start up the Hoedown!
Hoedown Showdown!
…Except that the waterfall doesn’t appear on the set at all, and instead the entire hoedown seems to take place in a more open area like a field. In our version of the game the camera follows the path of the falling Buzzbomb until it plops into the pool of water underneath the waterfall; the camera than pulls back to reveal Banjo knocking on the screen. Without this transition available, the scene simply opens with a Jiggy wipe and Banjo than begins his knocking.
While the background has changed drastically, the position and timing of the actors remains exact. Even the obscure frog that hops across the ground is still present in the beta version. We can also take note that the ground is a little more detailed in the beta version, providing Banjo with a thick layer of cracked earth. It’s likely that the trees in the beta version were simply swapped out with the later model in our versions. Once the BigButt has charged across the screen it’s time for Tootys’ debut!
As the point of view snaps to the left of the scene we’re able to get a better idea of what this old environment looked like from a new perspective. From this angle we can see that the bush behind Tooty remains the same from the beta version to our own. Given the similarity of this bush to the surrounding trees we can establish how these trees would appear in our own versions by looking at the bush as it appears in the finished model of Banjo-Kazooie.
The presence of the trees in the beta version compared to our own is further evidence that the sprites had simply been swapped out for the later images of the trees which have made it into our versions. Interestingly enough, the bush directly behind Tooty is the same model that appeared in the Project: Dream screen shot that Rare released
here.
A shower of stars!
Once Tooty has finished her solo it’s Mumbo’s cue to drop in and become the star of the show!
In the beta version this was taken to a more literal meaning, as Mumbo’s impact is followed by a shower of yellow transparent stars.
A second wave of stars erupts when Mumbos’ xylophone falls from the sky! Speculation suggests that the presence of this star effect would predate the the effects that similar effects now have, such as the ‘puffs of dust’ that Banjo kicks up when turning in direction suddenly. Though we are uncertain if these star showers could be found elsewhere in the game or whether their presence was restricted to this scene only.
Slumber through the Blunder!
As you can see from the photo comparison above, Beta Banjo Kazooie differs greatly from our current version of the game.
Banjos’ interior has been completely remodeled from the wooded design into a yellow wallpaper scheme.
Simple color patterns have been changed such as the Bed sheets and other wood objects.
Our Fungus Forest Picture is absent in the Beta version, this could be due to the fact that the level could have been still in production, at its testing state, or still being created.
This would mean that Fungus Forest would not be cameoed as it wouldn’t have existed.
Though not very important, but noticeable, is Banjo’s rug in front of his bed.
In the beta picture we can see that his rug is not green like the final version, but purple. As well it stretches underneath the bed prior to the front of the fireplace.
Perhaps Bottles Bonus was not included yet?
Certain details have also been added to our version that were absent in the beta, such as various textures given to the furniture and an extra window behind Banjo.
Simian Snapshot?
Here’s a shot that doesn’t look too different at first glance. No longer draped in green bedsheets, Beta Banjo slumbers as does our own in his Spiral Mountain home at the file selection screen. But what’s that over his shoulder? Could it be…Donkey Kong!
In our version we only have a Tooty picture in the same area which means that D.K. got the can to ensure Tooty a safe place on the wall. But wait a second…as with every other portrait in Banjo’s house, Donkey Kong is surrounded by a soft blue glow, whereas our Tooty has a white backdrop. As well, the exact same picture of Tooty can be found on Banjo’s nightstand which means they’ve put Tootys’ picture up in Banjo’s house twice.
This could be evidence that the change up was a last minute switch before the game hit shelves.
Beta Bottles Bonus Begone?
We can be sure that this picture was taken after the events of green bedsheets Banjo, as we can see the edge of green carpet underneath the chair. In the green bedsheets Banjo picture the rug was purple.
This image looks identical to ours, right down to the placement of the books on the shelf.
But could that be a picture of Tooty over the fireplace?! It could be argued that the portrait of Tooty would result in an awkward exchange as she’s been captured by Gruntilda and therefore unable to communicate via portrait. This could be evidence that the Tooty picture was changed after it was considered that a game should take place there.
Beta Banjo-Kazooie must not have had a Bottles Bonus, or at least not a picture of Bottles giving the mini game…
Beta Bottles Barrel Boy!
The above image isn’t from the beta version, in fact it can be recreated in your version of Banjo-Kazooie by simply starting a new game on any of the three files. After you’ve watched the opening cinematic you’ll be automatically tossed outside to make your way into Gruntilda’s Lair, however if you are to re-enter Banjo’s house and activate the Secret Bottles Bonus Game the following exchange will occur:
Bottles: Oh…I’m afraid I can’t tell you anymore about this hidden feature until you collect the Jigsaw from the Sandcastle Game in Treasure Trove Cove.
Kazooie: Tell us now, Barrel Boy!
Bottles: No! Only when you’ve got the Sandcastle Jigsaw.
Banjo: C’mon Kazooie, let’s come back later…
Out of all the names that Kazooie has called Bottles over the course of the game from and not limited to Goggles, Soil Brain, Speccy, Mud Muncher etc. the term “Barrel Boy” is entirely irrelevant. It has no place as a nickname for Bottles. However with the evidence above of the pictures in Banjo’s house constantly swapping, it would be no stretch to believe that the D.K. portrait hosted the Bonus game. This is further evidenced by Kazooie’s use of the term “Barrel Boy”, which makes sense when referring to Donkey Kong and his Barrel throwing exploits back in the arcade days.
So there you have it, a bit of outdated text still left on your cart that provides insight to a chat with Donkey Kong about Bonus games.
Spiral Mountain: Winding Rocky Path
Let’s move outside for a minute, shall we?
Our version of Spiral Mountain is an earthy spiral that rises up through a moat to join the worlds of good and evil, while the beta version is anything but. While it’s hard to see in the beta screen shot to the left, Spiral Mountain is made entirely of stone laid in brick fashion. The reason that our current game on the right was changed to make Spiral Mountain an earthy mound is unknown, but the natural look suits it.
The following videos contain evidence of the drastic developments and changes of Mumbo’s Mountain, including enemies, textures and even Mumbo himself:
Mumbo’s Beta Hut
Mumbo’s Hut in the above video was very interesting during its development as there numerous changes from our own version that can be noted. Firstly, the perimeter of the hut is held up by bamboo shots instead of a thick layer of skulls ala the current game. Secondly, the middle of the room has been elevated forming a moat around the outer edges of the hut. The makeshift moat is filled with a green substance, which is most likely just to enhance the “witch doctor” element of Mumbo’s Hut.
One final note of interest is the single note precariously placed on a perch beside Mumbo, which does not move but in fact remains stationary until collected.
Spells of the Shaman!
Something as simple as Mumbo preforming a spell has undergone its own transformation process!
As we can see in the first picture, Mumbo’s pad is absent entirely, providing nothing for Banjo to stand on. By executing a Claw Swipe attack, Mumbo will begin to work his magic, Banjo is free to move during this period. As the spell is cast,
Banjo does not levitate, nor do sparkles emit from where he stands, but instead a plume of large green smoke covers his entire body to complete the process.
In the second picture Mumbo doesn’t provide Banjo with a pad to stand on, instead there is a single sticker-like object with Mumbo’s face on it to indicate where to stand. Mumbo’s Magic is still a plume of green smoke to undergo the transformation process.
The last picture is of our current Mumbo-Jumbo, he has Banjo stand on a three dimensional pad in the shape of a skull with emerald eyes. Upon execution Banjo levitates into the air, sparkles surround him as he contorts and stretches until an explosion of light completes the process.
The next video shows an odd enemy in Mumbo’s Mountain that is not in our current version…
The Evolution of Enemies:
Blue Mumbo’s, Green Grublins, and Loincloths, Oh My!
Possibly the earliest form of the “Grublin” from Mumbo’s Mountain was an odd looking Mumbo-esque enemy.
These enemies had bright blue – or in some cases http://www.spiralmountain.co.uk/forums/picture.php?albumid=165&pictureid=beta/2675.png
While their look is remarkably different from our modern day equivalent, these “Mumbo-Grublins” still shared their traits including attack and defeated animations.
Interestingly enough the only thing seemingly out-of-place for these Mismatched Mumbo’s is the voice sampling when defeated which was replaced with a sound byte from Mr. Vile instead of our current Grublin voice. One other such rarity which seems to be passed over is the flower located just to left of the Blue Mumbo; its white bulb decorated with brown spots has since been removed entirely from the Mountain, you could say it went extinct with the Blue Mumbo enemy.
Nyea Ha Ha! This looks a lot closer to our current Grublin but with one daunting exception: These Grublins are green instead of purple. Aside from the interesting choice of color, this Grublin is accurate to our own model right down to the loincloth.Take note of the beta textures around Mumbo’s mountain as well; this too had an interesting development which will be discussed in greater detail later in the guide.
This should be a familiar sight! This is the current version of the Grublin found within our games, ending the lineage of the Grublin evolution. However, it was not only the Grublin that did some changing; even something as simple as the trees coupled with the Grublin in the screen shots shifted through the course of time. The Blue Mumbo’s were joined with palm trees, the Green Grublins were paired up with the a bumpy looking tree ripped straight from the intro of the game in our current versions.
Lastly, our own Grublin shares the space with the tree we’re familiar with. Since the previous Grublins’ trees were mostly sprites they probably couldn’t be climbed until the more modern equivalent came along. One thing has truly remained the same throughout the Grublin development: loincloths.
Tackling the Terrible Ticker Tower!
The first oddity within this screen shot is Banjo’s placement. Never within the game is Banjo capable of climbing the Ticker Tower througpictureid=beta/2648.jpg”width=’369′ height=’300’align=’right’//fonth normal play, the intended solution is to transform into a Ticker to tackle the steep slopes. We can assume that either Banjo was capable of climbing this mound without Mumbo’s assistance, or the game had been manipulated as to capture an interesting angle from the peak of the tower.
The view is rather significant as it allows us to land our sights on Mumbo’s Hut, which looked frighteningly realistic in the beta version. it’s pale tone and absence of feathers certainly make it an interesting sight. The mountain textures have since been modified in our version but it’s interesting to see that the horizon of the mountain jutted off into peaks, but at the same time looks unrealistic using the jagged sprites instead of polygons. Compared to our own version, its lacking in several areas which might have warranted the change.
The base of the beta Ticker Tower was quite different from our modern version. While we’re accustomed to seeing a rocky plinth like object coated in vines, the original design for the Tower was much more basic featuring a single color scheme and including markings around the outside which suggests the interior of an anthill.
For those interested, Mumbo’s Mountain didn’t always have the same soundtrack. In fact, according to Grant Kirkhope, Sound Designer and Composer for Banjo-Kazooie, ” The original tune for ‘Mumbo’s Mountain’, can still be heard inside the termite hill, I thought it suited the place so I left it”.
The Grass is always Greener on the other mountain!
Here’s an impressive looking shot taken from the starting point of Mumbo’s Mountain. The colors used on the mountain in the beta were much brighter and bolder than our own. The palm tree located in the background tells us that this screen shot was taken around the time when the Blue Mumbo’s populated Mumbo’s Mountain. At this time the path leading to the pool of water was tiled instead of our stone littered version, as well the mountain was a different tone of gray with the appearance of moss on the side which is one detail that never made the cut into our version.
Banjo collects a few notes along the bridge suspended over a pool of water. This image allows us to get a much better view of the moss that coated the mountain as well as the scraggly looking grass that came much closer to the edge of the water, which is also colored a much brighter blue than our game. The last thing to note within this image is the appearance of the bridge. In the first image the bridge is comprised of a few planks of wood akin to the bridge from Spiral Mountain to Gruntilda’s Lair.
As development continued the bridge did as well as we can see in the second image. This time the bridge is comprised with linked logs similar in appearance to the bridge that connects the land to Spiral Mountain. The final image is the final outcome of the bridge, which featured a criss-crossing rope bridge.
In both version you’ll be sure to find a Big-Butt guarding his territory on the other side of the pool. What does change however is the difference in environment. As stated previously the grass featured on the mountain was a much brighter hue and the mountain texture was still moss covered, but the texture of the mountain continues on through to Conga’s area which has since been changed to resemble tree trucks around the perimeter. Additionally an odd rock formation is spotted underneath the Bee-hive instead of our risen path of earth.
Congo, Conga, Confused!
To the displeasure of poor Chimpy, the burly ape Conga was in the beta version as well, though not without an identity crisis. Initially Conga’s name had been Congo within the beta version of Banjo-Kazooie, this was changed to the former due to unknown reasons, though it could be to distance a relation that could be drawn to the Kong family of the D.K. Universe. Whatever the reason, you can manage to get Conga to call himself Congo in your game if you enter his area while under the guise of a Termite. This string of text was probably overlooked by the developers in similar case of the “Barrel Boy” text from the Bottles Bonus game. Though considering that Conga and Congo are only one letter off from each other it’s understandable why is was looked over.
JuJu’s Journey!
Juju has certainly had an interesting view of the changes that would take place around Mumbo’s Mountain, and it seems like he’s always been waiting in front of Mumbo’s Hut since the beginning of time; eagerly awaiting a tribal offering of ‘Blue Stones’. In the beta Juju has been built on top of more rocky looking texture as is Mumbo’s Hut. Also of interest to note is that the hexagon platform is sloped around the edges unlike our own which is simply an escalated platform. The abundance of florescent green shouldn’t be a surprise in Mumbo’s Mountain beta as well.
In the third image we can see an interesting view of Mumbo’s Hut and the textures of the peaks around Mumbo’s Mountain. Taking a glance at Mumbo’s Hut you might spot a sparkle in Mumbo’s eye, this Jiggy spot would find its way into our own versions when Mumbo got his makeover.
Moving our vision upwards toward the mountain peaks gives us an idea of how the old textures were once established, in our versions the mountain the highest peak has since been dominated by the Bamboo Fence surrounding various area around the Mountain.
Taking a look at the base of the platform Juju revolves around allows a better look at the slope that was present in the first image.
Our final image allows us an expansive look at Mumbo’s area in crisp detail, though without the presence of Juju. What was the cause of this absence? It’s likely that this shot was taken atop the Ticker Tower and the draw distance was unable include Juju from so far away.
Though even without the towering totem we’re able to get a brilliant look at the exterior of the beta hut as well as a glimpse of the mossy mountain tops which look almost like cardboard cutouts compared to our superior version.
Timeless Textures!
As discussed prior, the textures around Mumbo’s Mountain went through some interesting transformations! Let’s take a closer look at some of the beta textures and details!
For the most part the beta structures in Mumbo’s Mountain were created by a formation of rocks to create shape and form. In turn, our version has supplemented these rocky beginnings with a more organic material, mostly risen patches of earth.
We can see this change quite clearly in comparing the first and second image above where the starting entrance has changed dramatically. The mountain texture behind has also altered from a mossy backdrop to the mountain texture we’re more familiar with. Lastly, notice the tree just above Banjo and Kazooie in the beta image, this is the very same palm tree found within the Blue Mumbo picture located http://www.spiralmountain.co.uk/forums/picture.php?albumid=165&pictureid=beta/2672.png
Interesting changes have also been occurring in the Stonehenge area as well. Contrary to our modern version, the beta Stonehenge was absent of any mossy texture, giving it a pristine and untouched appearance. The placement of the Jinjo and Notes on the structure is exact in both versions, though the stone face underneath the Jinjo has changed its features. Also of interest to note is the absence of eggs underneath the tilted tile in the beta version, this could mean that either the eggs hadn’t been placed under the structure at this point in development, or the beta Banjo had already collected them.
An Egg out the back is a mighty attack, as it would be in both the beta and our modern versions. From this vantage point however, we’re able to see some interesting changes on the mountain side. Firstly, the gray tiled path in the beta version has been replaced by our yellow cobblestone design. This design can also be found on the platforms continuing up the mountain, which are of rock formation origin instead of our organic replacement. Also of interest to note is the mossy mountain textures and the palm tree in the beta design, which would mean that it was taken during the Blue Mumbo period.
Continuing upward to the Ticker Tower nothing appears to be that different on the over sized Anthill. Focusing on the ground instead however reveals two unique features to the beta version. Firstly, the pathway is the same tiled design found elsewhere in the beta version of the mountain, though in this screen shot we’re able to get a nice clear vantage point. The florescent green grass is also as apparent on the hill as it was in the valley below. Also of interest is the flowers located at the bottom of the beta image, these flowers have since been replaced with our red design. The blue flowers can only be found within the valley portion of the Mountain, most notably near Conga’s area and in the Big-Butt portion of Mumbo’s Mountain. While these flowers are blue and have similar form to the beta designs, the inside of the bulb has been colored yellow and green in our versions, whereas the beta versions were clearly white.
As Banjo continues his trek up the Mountain trail we’re lead to perhaps the largest plethora of beta information!
Focusing our attention on the barely visible purple figure in the background we can establish that it’s one of the Grublins as evidenced by its strange hairstyle. This would lead us to believe that it’s the Blue Mumbo looking Grublin, except for the fact that this enemy appears quite purple within the image. Either this can be linked to a simple printing error or the Blue Mumbo’s were the first to flaunt the now iconic Grublin purple.
Continuing to the background of Mumbo’s Mountain we’re able to see that the mossy cliff face has extended outward to Mumbo’s Hut which in our version would have been placed behind the Bamboo Fence surrounding the village area. Either the Bamboo Fence wasn’t included at this point in development or it was seriously restricted to the area around Mumbo’s Hut. Jujus’ podium was also subject to change as discussed before, though in this image we can truly see the degree in which his podium was once sloped.
One final note of interest is the tree in the background, just left of the Purple Mumbo Enemy which appears to be the same palm tree located in the valley portion of the level which has since been removed.
While Mumbo’s Mountain did receive a lot of modifications and altercations as it evolved over the course of time, it’s abundance of beta content is just the tip of the iceberg! A large array of screen shots and video released for later levels were just as copious in supply as the mountain had been.
Moving on in linear fashion, let’s Mumbo’s Mountain and continue onto the sandy shores of Treasure Trove Cove!
Beta Treasure Trove Cove (top)
Referring back to the E3 video once again, a great deal of footage deals with the exploration of Treasure Trove Cove, which at this time was called “Hammer Head Beach”.
A few oddities from the above video that we’ll investigate more thoroughly include the ability to fly without using a flight pad and the differences in several points of geography including the appearance of giant honey hives and an additional length of dock.
Treasure Trove Tunes
From the video above you might have noticed that the level theme around Treasure Trove Cove sounds drastically different than it does today.
It might surprise you to know that the inclusion of our modern day sounding Treasure Trove Cove was added in toward the end of the development process. Grant Kirkhope, Audio Director and Composer for Banjo-Kazooie states that “This
Mr. Kirkhope has also kindly uploaded the beta track in all its entirety online which you can listen to on the player below, needless to say, it’s quite a trip!
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Treasure Trove Clueless
While it isn’t known if this screen shot is taken from when the cove was referred to Hammer Head Beach, what we know for sure is that the level wasn’t going to reveal it to us. In our current version the entrance to a level will remain unnamed until such time that you complete the puzzle to the world. Once you’ve opened a world than the entrance to the world will be unlocked and a sign with the level name will magically appear near.
This wasn’t the case for the beta version however, as the sign refuses to appear even if the level has been unlocked.
Daunting Docks
As we can see from the comparison pictures, the dock seems to continue off to the right, prior to ours which is a simple square. The beta dock also featured an interesting bit of netting underneath the pier, which could be evidence that the Jinjo located just underneath wasn’t added yet, or it could be accessible by avoiding the netting. Another interesting thing to note is the absence of a start/exit pad that would normally appear on the dock.
Honey on the Harbor!
It’s rather uncommon to have giant Honey hives border the shores around Hammer Head Beach – the would-be Treasure Trove – but in 1997 this was the case.
Banjo steps off from the pier and begins his journey onto the golden sands of Hammer Head Beach.
In the third image we’re able to get an excellent perspective on just how large the Honey hives that dot the shores are. We can also see a lot of detail has been put on the hive itself.
Rare would later take these giant hives and scale them down to proper height. While they didn’t bounce up and down like the hives we’re familiar with, they did provide 3 units of honeycomb energy when Banjo was feeling low.
Colored Cove Crabs
Originally the shores of Hammer Head Beach harbored a rare form of Snippet colored red instead of green. While it’s unknown why this change occurred we can be certain that like the evolution of the Grublin before it, the Snippets had a unique and interesting evolution.
Big-Butt at the Beach
While the Big-Butt enemy is used sparingly throughout your adventure (thankfully), in the beta version Big-Butt made an appearance in Treasure Trove Cove. You were able to find this daunting foe at the Cove’s peak just under the lighthouse. In our version it has since been replaced with the more suitable Yum-Yum which stays more true to the tropical theme.
Beta Shock Spring Pads
Akin to the flight pads that would later be included during the development of Banjo-Kazooie, the execution of the Shock Spring ability was one that could be used on the fly without need for a pad. In the above example Banjo is able to access a higher portion of Treasure Trove Cove via the Shock Spring ability used casually to bound over the Honey hive. Later Rare would include the pads to restrict the move being abused, however its appearance was a little different from our final version…
As you can see, the beta version does not differ much from our own. We can see that the placement of the rocks are exactly perfect, including the tiny details like carvings and shadows. The main thing to notice between these two images is the inclusion of the Shock Spring Pad to replace the move as an stand-alone ability. The beta Shock Spring pad featured an image of Kazooie’s footprint, which in the current version is instead replaced with an image of Kazooie’s talons. It is also a soft shade of blue, whilst ours is a luminous shade of green. Another interesting feature to note is the absence of effects when using the pad such as the shower of sparkles when the ability has been executed.
The tree out on the island in the first image is also an interesting bit of beta information that will be discussed further in the evolution of the Shock Spring Pad.
Another Beta Shock Spring Pad can be found within the alcove where a Lock-Up appears in our versions. While the presence of this Shock Spring Pad in the current game may seem baffling at first as a pad wouldn’t be needed at such a high platform. Though it is possible that the absence of Lock-Up meant that Rare simply left the Jiggy suspended in the air to snatch up using the Shock Spring Pad.
This pad should look a little more familiar! At this point in development the Shock Spring Pad appeared identical to our own albeit colored blue instead of green. While the pad is absent in our versions there is a theory to explain why the pad has been moved. In both versions of our game the top of the palm tree features a Jinjo that has to be rescued. However, with the beta version Banjo has to find another way to climb up the tree as its trunk is too curved to scale as in our straight versions. Therefore the players would have to make use of a Spring Pad to reach the top of the tree and rescue the Jinjo, talk about a leap of faith! Speaking of Jinjos…
Jumpin’ Jinjos
Even the Jinjo’s within the game changed dramatically, from their purpose to their appearance. Originally, Rares intention for the Jinjo’s was to be an incredibly hard-to-find collectible which would test players seeking skills. The Jinjos included in our version however are the polar opposite; they’ll whistle and shout for help until you’ve located the source of their helpless cries. The Jinjo’s of Banjo past were also smartly dressed with a pair of boots and a shirt with a star reminiscent of what Tooty wears throughout the adventure. Our Jinjos would be stripped of these commodities and forced to stand in one place until found. Freeing a Jinjo was another experience all together as well, instead of shooting upward and spiraling around Banjo’s head the Jinjos would do a fancy little jump punching the air, spinning while doing so. It’s quite difficult to describe this movement without starting an analogy with “you know, how Mario jumps”, so perhaps this is why the Jinjos jump was modified…
Selfish Shellfish
While crustacean brain can be found looking exactly the same within the beta version, the same can’t be said for his speech icon. Instead of featuring Nippers’ head in its entirety Rare instead chose to focus on his face, which feature over sized eyes and a sliver of his shell.
Also modified is the appearance of the text from the dialogue exchange. Note how spacious the text looks in comparison with our own version, as well as the ellipses instead of exclamation mark in the final version. As both versions feature Kazooies’ head in the top right hand corner we can assume that quick banter was soon to follow with the end result being Nipper on the receiving end of a breegul Beat-down!
A Rainbow Glow to Protect Banjo!
Nothing too out of the norm in this shot, just Banjo activating his Golden Feathers on the Golden Sands of Hammer Head Beach, but something is indeed amiss!
While the image of the feather in the top right hand corner may be Golden, we can see that the Wonder Wing ability once featured multi-colored sparkles and shimmer to bounce off the bear and bird duo apposed to the golden glow to protect Banjo that we’re familiar with. Perhaps this “rainbow” invulnerability was found to be too similar to Marios’ Starman ability which would warrant the change.
That about wraps it up for the Beta Beach, we’ll continue onward just as in Gruntilda’s Lair where our next destination of interest is Clanker’s Cavern! Though you may have found this dank and dismal level a bit drab, the beta version was anything but! Take a trip down to the Cavern and prepare yourself for quite the shocker!
Clanker: From Dolphin to Dumpster!
Perhaps the most reviewed segment of the E3 Video is a few seconds that show Banjo swimming through Clankers Cavern, except Clanker is not a rusty garbage disposal, but instead a giant organic whale!
To further the mystery, many fans swear that they can hear a tidbit of Fungi Fungus’ melody from Donkey Kong 64 within this segment during the E3 Video…
Could this perhaps mean that Clanker’s Cavern was once the location of Fungus Forest instead?
Only Rare knows the answer for sure, but the speculation remains open, as anything is possible!
Thanks to the advent of the Internet, you can hear the melody of Clanker’s Cavern in the following E3 video by listening carefully from 1:09 – 1:15.
After you’ve listened to that specific segment, listen to the following melody in this video, which features the level music from Donkey Kong 64, you’ll find the specific section from 1:00 – 1:07.
Do we have a match in the melodies? That’s completely up for you to decide!
Grilles are Gone!
There’s only one other point of speculation from the few precious seconds of footage from the E3 conference. Observing the area in front of the Beta Clanker will reveal a grille covering the entrance to a passage leading out into the main area; at no time does this happen in our game as it’s the only possible means of entrance to Clanker. Stranger still is the fact that the grille is locking Banjo from the inside, since he would have had to swim through the tunnel to access the chamber he’s swimming in now we can only assume that there would have had to be an alternative entrance into the main chamber where Clanker floats.
Now that we’ve cleaned up Clanker’s you might assume that we’ll be able to continue through our lineage with Bubble Gloop Swamp. Unfortunately as these levels appear later on in development Rare would have more time to work on them, and thus is the absence of beta information as the images and video released would stay true to our current versions. This is why levels like Mumbo’s Mountain have seen such a vast array of change while Bubble Gloop Swamp is hardly heard from.
Don’t get your hopes down though, there were plenty of changes and beta elements to be found in more creepy atmosphere! The foundation for Mad Monster Mansion may seem like its ancient but in truth this monstrous level had an interesting history all its own…
Beta Mad Monster Mansion (top)
Conkers’ Creepy Cameo!
If you’ve followed the development of successful Rare titles on the Nintendo 64 than the windmill that’s found its way behind a frame in the first and third beta shot should look quite familiar. That’s because its true placement was to be in a future Rare release starring Conker the Squirrel; the rambunctious racer who had already made an appearance in Diddy Kong Racing. While “Conker’s Twelve Tails” never surfaced, the windmill still found its way into Conker’s Bad Fur Day, albeit a little less colorful. For whatever reason, the windmill picture found within the beta is absent in our versions to offer up its spot to Gruntilda’s nicer sister Brentilda.
While we may have missed a cameo appearance in our versions of Banjo-Kazooie, a final secret nod to beta Conker would remain in our cartridges elsewhere. You’ll find all about that in the next section: Beta Rusty Bucket Bay!
Don’t you go on beta, because Tee-Hees in your data!
While it might be a little difficult to peer through the darkness, a little analyzing will prove that the first and second screen shot match up to set the scene of the cellar in Mad Monster Mansion. We can see that the beta version dealt with a greater amount of luminous properties with the torches on the wall, as each seems to be surrounded with an aura of white light, this cou/tdld be pinned to the poor quality of the image however. What we can make out is the absence of any Tee-Hees floating around in the cellar to swoop down on Banjo. As well, one can barely see the barred barrel that the Cyan Stop ‘N’ Swop is hidden inside. While it’s unknown in Stop ‘N’ Swop was even considered at this point in development, the presence of the “X barrel” offers up an interesting point that something must have been hidden beyond the barred barrel…
The third screen shot in the series above includes the ghastly Tee-Hee, who will now call the cellar his home for the rest of Banjo-Kazooies development. While you may think that the screen shot would disprove of the X Barrel theory as the barrel to the far left is left uncovered; this is not the case. Looking just a little farther to the left will reveal the wine rack harboring a musical note, meaning this shot is facing the back of the cellar, away from the X Barrel. This in turn however raises a new question; how was this screen shot taken if the camera is permanently fixated on the rack in our versions? Well, either the camera could be moved independently like most locations in Banjo-Kazooie, or Rare simply moved the camera to this new location to get a better view of Banjo and the Tee-Hee, take your pick.
Are you afraid of the dark?
For those who have taken a keen look at the stained glass windows surrounding Mad Monster Mansions’ church, these images should look common. For those unaware, both versions of Banjo-Kazooie featured a single large stain glass window depicting the mugs of both Banjo and Kazooie. Since this window was so suspicious it would entice players to inspect it; jumping toward the window would reveal that it wasn’t solid, which led players to a secret area inside the church filled with desirable collectibles.
It appears as if Rare didn’t trust the players intuition too much though, as the beta window was more concave, making it seem more obvious that the window could be infiltrated. On top of this, the window itself was highly lighted from the inside which made it drastically different from the other windows around the church.
Gruntilda’s gone!
You might need to borrow Bottles’ goggles for this one; it’s a little hard to see.
From what we can make out from the beta screen shot above, Banjo appears to be standing on the dining room table in Mad Monster Mansion where Napper has claimed his own. Though there isn’t too much to analyze in the image, comparing it to our own reveals that Gruntilda’s portrait seemed to be replaced with another image altogether. Given the example of Conkers windmill above, the idea that the portraits did a little swapping around doesn’t seem that obscure. While Wartbags bears her mug in our modern versions, the identity of the previous occupant above the fireplace is an absolute mystery.
Midnight Maze Flight!
The textures for the maze are not only brighter than our version, but Banjo is flying just above it!
Any Banjo-Kazooie fan can tell you that there is no Flight Pad located around the exterior of the mansion, and the limitations for the level would have the player easily escaping the boundaries.
As previously theorized, it could be quite possible that flying was a standard move to be executed at the press of a button.
As Banjo-Kazooies’ development continued it became apparent that Rare would have to somehow limit the places in which the player was available to fly to, as the platforming element was removed if players could simply fly over any obstacle. This heralded the use of Flight Pads which would continue to our modern version.
First mate, double chin!
Ahoy! It seems that even from the Rusty Buckets’ maiden voyage the Seaman Grublins have remained on board.
However, there doesn’t appear to be much change about these shipshape Grublins.
A comparison of these two images however will reveal that the beta version of the game had the Seaman Grublins sporting much larger chins.
Perilous Piping!
It wasn’t only the Seaman Grublins that were getting shipshape; the Grimlets firmly welded to the Rusty Bucket got a fresh new coat of paint and lease on life with the evolution of the baddy-filled bay.
We can see clearly from the first image that the Grimlets were always ready to lash out and snare the bear with their casted corners and set of sharp teeth!
But it appeared that the Grimlet would have to go through some daunting dentistry and a face lift to resemble the current enemy depicted to the right.
First we’ll take a look at the Grimlets’ glaring eyes; aside from being placed within the pipe during the beta they’ve also been recolored. The Sclera has been whited out in favor of the later yellow tint, and the iris at this point in development was colored blue instead of green. Also of interest to note is the inside of the Grimlets throat which had been a light shade of pink; possibly suggesting a more organic theme. With its’ mighty lunge attack the Grimlets’ 4 fangs were also located lining the bottom of the Grimlets’ mouth instead of sharing the bulk between the top and bottom at which point the floating eyes would have gotten in the way.
Beta Enemies in action!
Here’s the suggested “missing link” of the Grimlets’ design which comes in at satisfying both models of the beta as well as finalized enemy. We can see that a number of changes have occurred since its first appearance in the beta. Firstly, the inside of the pipe has been recolored blue from the early choice of a dull pink; we can assume this was to camouflage the Grimlet just a little more with the other accessible pipes around the level. The eyes have also been changed, albeit only the iris’ to a vibrant green that match our current version. The placement of the eyes, as well as the teeth for that matter, have indeed stayed the same from the first model of the Grimlet. What would stay the same through development was Grimlets’ fruitless attempts to take a bite out of Banjo.
The Grimlets’ beta design stuck around long enough in the game to warrant its appearance in a promotional image from Rare. As Banjo and Kazooie Talon-Trot briskly by the Grimlet we’re able to make out a few distinct characteristics shared with the above models.
For instance, while the placement of sharp teeth and glaring eyes have remained the same from the chomping Grimlet model above, the eyes have been changed to a bright yellow which is more relative to our own Grimlet. The inside of the pipe itself remains blue as presented in the chomping model above.
Beta Berri in the Bucket!
Here’s a beta element that’s found its way into our current versions; a signed picture of a squirrel named Berri has been found on top of a gray bunk inside the Rusty Bucket. But the identity of this mysterious squirrel was just a mystery back than as it is now if it weren’t for another game being made from Rare at the time called “Conkers Twelve Tales”.
Before the Bad Fur Day’s, Conkers next title was to feature over-the-top cutesy platforming as prevalent as Rare’s earlier titles. In the second screen shot we can see a beta model of Berri; Conkers’ love interest. Comparing the second screen to the first reveals that Rare really likes to tease us. It’s Berri alright, and Rare has outdone themselves with an allusion to a game yet to be made. Clever…
As development continued however, so did Berri’s look, and in the third image we can see that Berris’ model has been changed to gray and her hair to blond. While this would contribute to the evolution of Conker’s Bad Fur Day, it would completely destroy any link that pertained to the previous cameo in Banjo-Kazooie as we can see from comparing the third image to the first.
Strap in, because things are going to get a little nuts…
Eventually Rare would begin to fear for Conker’s Twelve Tales would get lost among the other countless cutesy-platformers featuring cute woodland creatures Rare was beginning to be renounced for.
Thus began the development of Conker’s Bad Fur Day; a raunchy and vulgar break-away from traditional platforming. At this point Berri’s model would take on a much different form, in the forth image we can see the complete cycle would come to finish. No longer beta, we have our buxom bimbo Berri, ready for our debut in Conker’s Bad Fur Day.
What makes this beta content so interesting is the ability to compare past features, images and video that we have been able to preserve and compare it to the version we have today.
It’s quite neat to see how Banjo-Kazooie has evolved over the course of time, and how tiny insignificant things can make a world of difference.
Speaking of worlds of difference, the most interesting aspect of Banjo-Kazooie Beta is the worlds we never had the chance to play.
Due to time restraints and complications, Rare had to be sure that only the most mandatory worlds were included, this even meant taking an almost complete world and removing it completely.
Even though we have never had the chance to play through these worlds, we do have exclusive images, video and the like.
Not to mention what died in Banjo-Kazooie managed to be re-incarnated in Banjo-Tooie and Donkey Kong 64…
MOUNT FIRE EYES
For those of us who own the finished Banjo-Kazooie, our adventure ends squarely in Click Clock Wood where we would than tackle Gruntilda’s quiz and enter the final battle. However, it was a different story in the beta version where Click Clock Wood was far from the last world…
One such level was notoriously dubbed “Mount Fire Eyes” or MFE; a lava based level that would involve several fire themed puzzles throughout in similar fashion ala Hailfire Peaks in Banjo-Tooie. However as development continued onward the level was nixed entirely and completely removed from our current game, which makes it that much more interesting to see Banjo exploring a strange level completely new to us. Of the two removed levels, Mount Fire Eyes was the only one to receive attention in the form of documentation and appear in the media surrounding Banjo-Kazooie.
While screen shots and video of Mount Fire Eyes are something rare to come across, the attention garnered is enough to warrant a search from any hardcore Banjo-Kazooie fan. Some see the inclusion of Mount Fire Eyes the main focal point of any beta guide and as such we’re sure not to leave out any details!
While incredibly brief, the above video contains a generous look at a little bit of platforming in MFE as Banjo bounds ’round a few old structures and Flip Flaps up to a heightened ledge. From these few precious seconds however, we’re able to gain a world of insight.
Just beyond the castle walls…
Mount Fire Eyes seemed to be based around a large castle, in similar effect that Mad Monster Mansion would surround the estate.
The structure itself is constructed from bricks and stone, giving forth several statues that line the outside edges of the castle. In the above image we can see that Banjo stands at the front of the castle, though the inside of the castle may or may not be accessible we’ll never know for sure as no interior screen shot has ever been released as of yet.
The old run around
In this second shot Banjo decides to explore the castle further along a fenced area. From the clipped off castle wall from the image we can confirm that this area takes place on the right side of the first image. We’re also able to see a large red rocky wall that connects to the fence, could this perhaps be a section of a volcano that Mount Fire Eyes was named after?
Also of interest to note is Banjos’ shadow which is oddly rectangular, compared to our own version which is always circular in nature.
Knock off knockers
The following picture sparked a lot of interest and controversy among Banjo Kazooie fans as Mount Fire Eyes’ knocker door had an uncanny resemblance to the infamous Transformation Doors located inside Gruntilda’s Lair. This led many players to believe that Mount Fire Eyes could be accessible if one were to somehow unlock either of the doors in the transformation room. However after much hacking the areas behind the doors didn’t lead to a secret level that Rare had tucked away. The original Mount Fire Eyes image to the left takes place on the second floor as evidenced by the original picture where Banjo was standing in front of the castle. The odd looking arcs on either side of Banjo are therefore these knocker doors.
Shouting Statues
Here’s an interesting shot of the action! Banjo and Kazooie attempt to feathery flap around a large statue and onto the other side of the castle wall. Platforming at it’s finest! From this image we can see that the stone statue is based on a roaring monster with twin fangs on the lower jaw, very interesting indeed…
Ancient Architecture
The jump is made as Kazooie begins to flap her wings to gain momentum around the statue. This image gives us possibly the clearest view of the front of the castle.
The archway based in the middle of the structure can be seen clearly in the first image of the castle. Underneath of the arch seems to be a pathway for flowing sand, perhaps this too contributed to a Mount Fire Eyes puzzle. Upon touchdown Banjo is greeted with the appearance of another knocker door, fairly useless is there isn’t a way to explore inside. Above the archway we can see a few pieces of the wall pop out creating the turrets of the castle.
Discovering Doors
The above picture is presumed to have been taken on either side of Mount Fire Eyes where Banjo flip-flaps onto a higher ledge and is presented with another Knocker door. On either side of Banjo is one of the roaring statues.
Leaving for Lava Land
Mount Fire Eyes is referred to in our current versions as the “Lava World” by Gobi the camel in Banjo-Kazooie.
After you’ve exhausted Gobi’s water a final time with another back breaker, he’ll tell you that he’s off to a final world to skip out on another beating. Mount Fire Eyes would be the level Gobi was to travel to, but with the area gone by our versions Rare was left to have nowhere to send Gobi packing. Instead they opted to send the camel on a two year trip to the new Mount Fire Eyes; the lava side of Hail Fire Peaks in Banjo-Tooie to botch up any confusion caused by the camel.
After freeing Gobi from his imprisonment in Witchy World, the now-bearded camel would continue his quest to his delayed destination.
Mount Fire Eyes may not have made the cut in Banjo-Kazooie, but with the concept it was able to spawn the same idea in Banjo-Tooie as Hail Fire Peaks.
Known as one of the most infamous beta levels, Banjo Kazooies’ Fungus Forest is the only level to only receive mention rather than footage or images. In the beta Fungus Forest was similar to Click Clock Wood; a large area of forest with many trees and we’re sure a great amount of fungus. So what ever happened to the forgotten forest? Well it was cut for whatever reason and than eventually found a spot as a level within sister-platformer Donkey Kong 64 where it would be known as Fungi Forest. However, just because imagery and video never surfaced in the tabloids doesn’t mean we haven’t had a glimpse of the forest all along…
If you go out in the woods today,
You’re sure of a big surprise…
Wander into Banjo’s house at any point during your adventure and you’ll find a picture beside the bed of Banjo exploring the terrain of Fungus Forest. A joke among the programmers perhaps who decided to slip in a picture of the deleted level into the current version.
Some gamers however believed that the hidden track accessible by game shark or action replay only titled “Advent” was the initial theme song for the hidden level, left in the final games memory for unknown reasons. However, this theme was later explained by composer Grant Kirkhope as the menu theme called “Adventure” for Dreams.
As with all of the other removed levels though, whatever is removed seems to reincarnate in a future Rare release.
In this case Donkey Kong 64 took the concept and allowed gamers to relive an experience they would have missed out on. Some gamers believe that Donkey Kong 64 and Banjo Kazooie share more than just a level concept, but a link inside their memories…
D.K. and BK, a connection of epic proportions!
While we’ve already discussed the inclusion of the Donkey Kong Portrait that used to be inside Banjos house, its’ startling to know that the ape returned the favor in his own abode. During the development of Donkey Kong 64 the above screen shot was released to the public which garnered the attention of Rare fans everywhere. While generally debated on whether the object in question is a Shower or Refrigerator, what is firmly established is that the faces of Banjo and Kazooie adorn the side.
The Shower/Fridge has since been removed from the final game, the same goes for our portrait of Donkey Kong.
While the inclusion of these pieces of memorabilia seem to be nothing more than cameos that were unable to surface come ship, many gamers believe that Donkey Kong and Banjo-Kazooie shared a deeper connection, even suggesting that the two shared a http://www.spiralmountain.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=121
In turn this leads to further analysis of the connection these two similar games share, in Donkey Kongs’ memory lies the text “ICEKEY” which suggests that the fabled Stop ‘N’ Swop item could be exchanged between the two.
The Clanker Connection Conspiracy!
Possibly the most intriguing information about Fungus Forest is the possibility that it was once fully fleshed out within the game and its last minute removal left some suggestive clues to its absence that theorists immediately jumped on.
One palatable theory suggests that Fungus Forest had once located where Clanker’s Cavern is now situated, and once you’re able to grasp the reasoning this idea doesn’t seem too far fetched.
Firstly, consider the method of unlocking worlds through putting together their respective puzzle around Gruntilda’s Lair; for the most part these puzzles are located near their level counterparts. This being the case, why is the Click Clock Wood puzzle located so far away from the level itself, and why is the puzzle itself situated so close to the beginning of the game if the level is the very last you’ll enter? This questioning comes a little clearer if you consider that the area pictured above once belonged to Fungus Forest. The placement of the puzzle is closer to Clanker’s Cavern, and it would make sense that a player would find it so early on in the game if it were to unlock Clanker’s Cavern. Also of interest to note is the sheer amount of fungus located around the puzzle area; does this remind you of a season swapping woods, or a forest infested with a fungus problem?
Previously discussed was the inclusion of the Fungi Forest music heard within Clanker’s Cavern in the E3 Debut video, this music would fit the forest atmosphere if Clanker’s Cavern was once the spot where the forest was once found. This would than lead us to two possible scenarios; either the Clanker section (Who was once very much organic) was simply a section of Fungus Forest, or Rare had simply kept the music of Fungus Forest included when they removed the Fungus Forest map and swapped it out with that of Clankers Cavern.
Glitter Gulch Mine & Witchy World
Inside issue 36, page 25 of the UK based “Retrogamer” magazine , Chris Sutherland tells of two levels that were originally planned for Banjo-Kazooie, but due to time restraints, were put off until Banjo-Tooie.
“There were also other ideas for levels that were transfered to the sequel – Glitter Gulch Mine (mine) and WitchyWorld (fairground)”
– Chris Sutherland
Although we have no videos or images of Beta Glitter Gulch Mine or Witchy World, we know that the concepts were taken over to Banjo-Tooie and turned into expansive worlds that could not have been done on Banjo-Kazooie.
Beta Jiggy Dance
While the hunt for the Jiggies had been the goal since the very beginning, the reaction that Banjo executes hasn’t always remained the same. Instead of simply jumping on spot to the tune of the Jiggy Collection theme a few times, Banjo will jump straight up into the air holding the Jiggy, he will than run in a small circle while waving the collected item around in cheering fashion until he comes back to the start and throws it into the air.
Also notable is the slight change in Jiggy Collection Theme and the absence of Kazooie during the dance.
Why this dance was canned is unknown, but a possible answer could be found in the running space available in different situations. From the image above we can see that Banjo nearly takes up the whole stone base for his run, while the Jiggies in Banjo-Kazooie often provide enough running space there are a few moments where this dance would be counter-productive. A good example lies in the Jinjo Jiggies found within the game; once you’ve rescued all 5 Jinjos within a level they’ll provide you with a Jiggy. Some Jinjos are precariously placed in order to test your skill in collecting them. The Orange Jinjo in Treasure Trove Cove is placed at the far edge of a platform which thins drastically as you approach it.
If it was your final Jinjo than a Jiggy would fall from the sky and Banjo would execute his dance which would cause him to fall from the platform, into the water and right into Snacker’s maw in an extreme case. Wouldn’t that be a nice reward for finding them all?
Exit to Witch’s Lair
Originally, Banjo-Kazooie didn’t feature the use of start pads within the various levels of the game. Instead of walking through the entrance of a level and appearing magically on a pad, you would just find yourself within the level via Jiggy wipe transition with no exit available.
In order to exit back to Gruntilda’s Lair you would have to select an option within the Pause Menu called “Exit to Witch’s Lair”. Once you had selected this option you’d find Banjo whisked away to the entrance as if he had just left normally by the pad.
While the intention was to initially offer players an easy way to exit a level without relocating a pad where they had begun, we can assume that it offered trouble being so close to the other options that it could interfere with your progress should you accidentally select “Exit to Witch’s Lair” instead of “View Totals”.
While the Exit to Witch’s Lair text has since been removed from the final game, the mechanics of the option are still enabled but can only be accessed by the use of a Game Shark or other hacking device.
While the option carries out its intended purpose, it’s incredibly sensitive. For example, selecting the Exit to Witch’s Lair option while you were in the Witches Lair would cause the game to freeze completely, which could be another reason why the option was disabled.
If you’re keen on viewing the option, but you don’t take a fancy on hacking into your game; just take a look at page 9 of your Banjo-Kazooie manual. Since the manual was completed long before the game was you’re free to read up on this hidden option. Speaking of…
Colorized Pads
Without the Exit To Witches Lair option available, Rare would have to ensure a way for gamers to leave a level once they had gone through the entrance, being a one-way trip without the warp option. Thus was the inclusion of the Start Pad which allows Banjo to readily exit a level at any time provided he’s able to successfully relocate the pad. Not much can be said about the pad itself except that the Banjo and Kazooie head go was once in color instead of our more metallic looking affair.
While it isn’t known why this change occurred, we are able to tell the change was one saved for the last minute. As Banjo-Kazooie was nearing the end of it’s development Rare began to take images of items and collectibles in the game to include in the game manual (page 22) in order to thoroughly explain their uses. It was through this that a picture of the beta pad – which was the modern design for it at the time – was slipped in with the other promotional images where gamers were treated to its outdated design.
Notorious Note Doors
Even something as simplistic as the Note Doors within Banjo-Kazooie had their own unique transition from the beta to our current. Within the beta version we can see the colors used on the door to be very vibrant, with a gilded exterior, whereas our version is a gloomy looking pallet similar to the rest of Gruntilda’s Lair.
More significant however, is the placement of the display on the Note Door. In our familiar current version the image of a musical note and the number of notes needed to pass would alternate on the door itself. Prior to this the beta version featured the number of notes needed over top of the door, while the musical note would be a permanent fixture on the door.
Tooty’s Minigame
Here we are, at the very end of the game! But even as we near a closure there are still beta elements to be found. In this case we’ll have to take a look at the final battle against Gruntilda at the top of her tower.
Once you’ve managed to summon the Jinjonator than Gruntilda is a sitting duck; after being pummeled relentlessly by the razor sharp Jinjonator nose Gruntilda is nudged a little too close to the edge. As the hag begins to lose her balance she makes quick on her promise of revenge, conjuring a spell and firing just as she goes over herself.
The florescent green ball hurls itself into the air, arching down right into Banjo’s direction, Grunty sure has a wicked pitching arm! Completely vulnerable, Banjo waits for the inevitable as the spell begins its downward descent. Gruntilda will have the last laugh if it manages to hit Banjo!
The spell misses Banjo by a hair as it ends its journey just behind the podium. As it smacks the ground of the tower it explodes in a shower of green sparks and an echoing thud follows. The spell soon dissipates in a fizzle of green smoke and all that remains are a few obscure sparkles. Banjo sure is lucky, there’s no telling what sort of disastrous properties the spell was capable of if it had hit him.
What did it do?
According to Chris Sutherland in issue 36 of Retrogamer, page 25; a secret mode was planned after you had beaten Banjo-Kazooie that would give players even more to play with!
“We had actually planned a surprise ending and additional game mode. After the mighty Jinjonator had pummeled Grunty into submission atop her tower, the witch’s final spell projectile intended to hit Banjo and turn him into a frog. The player would than have gained control of the rescued Tooty, who would then had to search through the levels to find enough ‘Mumbo Tokens’ to transform Banjo back into his normal ursine self. This mode was dropped due to time constraints Grunty’s spell was changed so it missed and the idea for the Mumbo Tokens was eventually used in Banjo-Tooie.”
It’s too bad that Tooty’s Mini-Game was dropped, it would have been a quirky add-on to an already expansive adventure as well as catching gamers off guard with a twist ending. Though the inclusion of this mode would have meant even more delays no less and for that Rare wanted to get Banjo-Kazooie to gamers as quick as possible to begin their own respective adventures. Even without Tootys own quest to restore Banjo to his ursine self the single adventure players had been tasked with completing was already big enough to capture their attention and imagination.
Even though the Beta version does not exist today, it was the collaboration of ideas, and countless hours of creative minds coming together to create a masterpiece.
It would be neat to play through the beta version, but as things improve over time we can see that we have the best already by playing the complete version of Banjo-Kazooie.
Through time and all time, our modern Banjo-Kazooie will always be the best you can get.
I would like to give the following sites my continued gratitude. This guide would not be possible without you!
http://www.geocities.com/banjordan/bk/I’d also like to extend a thanks to Banjo-Paste Controlerfreaksin, Dragon-Kazooie, The Kazoo, Kowbrainz, Pyro, RareLover, Runehero124, ThumbsUpMaster, Skill and Zkoopa for keeping me up to date with several beta videos and of course Luke and Paul for hosting this guide on the epitome of Banjo-Kazooie fan-sites.
Once again, thank-you for all of your help, may your sites continue to offer informative bouts of the BK Universe!
Copyright Rare Gamer
All rights reserved
LerakoLanche 2014
Categories: Player's Guides
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