Proto:Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge/Early Build (Build No. 0.37.08)

This following article is the early build of the Game Boy Advance game, Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge.

General Differences

 * The player has to press Down to advance the text.
 * The game has a total of 700 notes and 70 Jiggies, rather than 600 notes and 60 jiggies.
 * The player can hold more than 25 of any type of egg
 * Bosses are absent in this build. Instead, there is a crystal jiggy with the word "BOSS" flashing. Attacking it drops a Jiggy.
 * Red Feathers are present in this prototype. According to former Rare programmer Paul Rahme, the feathers, and thus the ability to fly, were scrapped because of numerous complaints about two aspects of flying in the game - the camera's deceiving perspective, and some scenery collisions going right up to the sky on older maps.
 * Whenever the game crashes, a blue screen appears, describing what happened to make it crash or freeze.
 * While the debug menu text is present in the ROM, pressing Select only shows the version number and the map coordinates.
 * Going up against the wall will cause the player to get stuck, rather than slide to the left or the right.
 * When approaching Bozzeye, he doesn't tell Banjo how many notes he needs to collect.
 * When collecting any item for the first time, Bozzeye does not tell Banjo about the item's purpose.
 * When entering an area that is not a level, its name does not show up. The name is also rendered using MS Comic Sans.
 * The dialogue does not progress by itself if the player hasn't pressed any buttons for a while.
 * Dialog boxes do not appear over characters that the player can talk to.
 * Bottles doesn't warn the player when he or she is not in front of the mole hill.
 * The game does not alert the player when he or she has finished an objective.
 * Dying in a body of lava, goo, or water will cause the game to glitch up when returning to the game. This is because it is confused whether to spawn the player where he/she died or where the player last entered/exited.
 * Wonderwing switches don't seem to work
 * Regardless of how far into the game the player has gotten, the game displays all of items he or she has. "View Totals" was shortened to "Totals" Also, note the glitchy palette for the Jinjo. In addition, the Jinjos's palette on the menus does not change, regardless of the level the player is on.


 * The game over screen plays the title screen music and it does not feature Banjo crying. The "Game Over" text is in Comic Sans MS in the prototype, while the final version uses a different font.

Moves

 * Using the B button while moving does not Whack Pack. The player has to be standing still in order for it to work in this build.
 * Talon Trot is activated by holding down the L button and the D-Pad in any direction. In the final version, it is activated by holding L, then pressing R.

Enemies

 * Enemies generally take fewer hits than they do in the final version.
 * Many Gruntlings are of a lower level than the final version.

Stinglashes appear to be absent in this version. In many cases, Whiplashes usually appear in their places in both Freezing Furnace and Bad Magic Bayou.

Aesthetic Differences

 * The Nintendo logo shows up rather than the THQ logo
 * Yum-yums have a greyer palette
 * Countdown sequences used in some of the minigames use honeycombs rather than lights
 * Kazooie's portrait has a different palette, as does the dolphin

The title screen does not have the level from the introduction, as it is absent in this build. The logo also has some slight alterations.

The warning when the player is about to leave a section of a level while Banjo has been transformed has been changed. Rather than seeing Mumbo with an X next him, a somewhat off-model Mumbo sprite appears at the top of the screen.

Overworld

 * The intro sequence that plays before the game begins is absent in this prototype. Instead, a screen with the text "STORY INTRO SEQUENCE" appears.
 * Bizarrely, a note is placed right in front of Banjo.

Bozzeye is a little less excited in the prototype. He also has 'YA' changed to 'YOU,' something that will be popping up over and over again.

Banjo's dialogue was slightly tweaked to add commas and a question mark.

More changes to Bozzeye's dialogue. His tha's, ya's, and yer's were all altered to their correct spelling.

THANKS BOZZEYE, I'LL NEED TO FIND KAZOOIE BEFORE GRUNTY DOES SOMETHING AWFUL TO HER!

This piece of dialogue, said by Banjo, was omitted from the final version. Somebody though this was redundant.

Bozzeye's dialogue was changed again.

I'D BETTER HOP TO IT AND GET THOSE NOTES QUICK!

This line of dialogue from Banjo was also removed from the final game, probably because it would be redundant.

A comma was added.

It seems like, as with almost every other piece of dialogue Bozzeye says, the dialogue was changed to make him sound less like a hillbilly. Also, the camera doesn't move anywhere while Bozzeye is talking.

"Mole Hill" was combined into one word and a comma was added.

Only three haystacks are surrounding this jinjo in the prototype. Also, they are spread out further and are a bit more away from the mole hill.

The Jinjo Oracle in the overworld has been re-shaded and made more three-dimensional, matching up with the other Jinjo Oracles.

The jiggy switch is a more basic-looking switch in this prototype.


 * Collecting the jiggy inside Jiggywiggy's Temple does not cause him to talk immediately. Instead, the player has talk to him manually.

The entrances were altered to make them seem a little less demonic.

Grunty's Lair has been re-rendered to remove the stony texture and close the mouth. The player enters through the mouth, not through a jump pad.

An ice block was added in the final version.

This is a puzzle that was changed due to the omission of red feathers. In this build, the player has to fly to the jiggy and hopefully doesn't run out of feathers. In the final version, the player hits the switch and has eleven seconds to get to the jiggy.

These two honeycombs were moved to the center, instead of being on the left side.

The developer's graffiti in Honey B.'s hive is absent in the prototype.

This gap was widened in the final version to prevent the player from taking a shortcut.

The entrance isn't pitch black on the inside and the swamp is slightly bigger on the right.

The area near Fiery Furnace's entrance has Green Spookos, not Red Spookos.

The entrance to Fiery Furnace was removed from the final version. Also, the pathway was slightly changed.

Pipes were added near Freezing Furnace/Freezing Fjord's Entrance. The land was made a little bigger.

Cliff Farm

 * The player needs to collect 21 notes to learn the underwater dive rather than 25 notes
 * The player needs to collect 28 notes to learn how to climb rather than 40 notes
 * The player needs to collect 42 notes to learn the roll attack rather than 60 notes
 * The player is unable to enter Crag Farm

Bozzeye's dialogue for teaching the underwater dive was watered down.

Banjo's text was slightly altered so that more text could fit into the first dialogue box.

Lots of changes to Bozzeye's grammar and verbs.

Changed so that Bozzeye's text fits into one box. Note the missing question mark.

Changed ta fix tha grammar...again.

Banjo's text's spacing was slightly altered.

Once again with the changes to Bozzeye's grammar.

The level got its grass redrawn and the paths are darker.

The whiplashes have a corrupt palette underwater.

The chicken near the top of the mountain, as well as the sliding minigame, are absent.

The Whiplashes protecting this jiggy are more spread out in this build.


 * A Whiplash near the bridge connecting between the two areas of Cliff Farm was added in the final version.

The player can swim in this body of water in the prototype. However, they can't dive in there. Also the loose apple is below the barrels.

The sheep-catching minigame is absent in this build. There is a jiggy where the game would have been.

The second floor of this room has the first floor more visible than the final version. This was changed likely to make it less confusing for younger players.

Breegull Beach

 * The player needs to collect 63 notes to learn the blue egg attack rather than 80 notes
 * The player needs to collect 105 notes to learn how to glide rather than 110 notes
 * There is no dialogue right after the player frees all six breegulls.
 * Leaving the ship underwater causes the player to go directly to the surface. The player has to swim above water manually in the final version.
 * The skeleton head in the pirate ship minigame uses Bozzeye's voice clips for his dialogue.
 * All of the gruntlings in Quarry Heights are wearing red hoods rather than blue hoods
 * Banjo spawns inside the hole in Grunty's Quarry, not outside of it. This makes it difficult to get into the level, since there's no indication of which path the player is supposed to take.
 * The red power switch in Grunty's Quarry has no collision
 * The tower's shots do not harm the player in Grunty's Quarry
 * Breegull Peak has a completely different layout compared to the final version.

The skeleton head emblem is a sewer drain in this prototype. It was likely changed to make the minigame's place less confusing.

Whiplashes are green underwater, rather than their usual pink.

The trapped breegulls were re-rendered in an isometric perspective for the final version. They also don't fly off the screen nor make any sound when freed. Instead, they celebrate their freedom and disappear.

Much of Grunty's Quarry is graphically incomplete and has glitchy collision detection. Also, note the screwed up layering shown on the left screenshot. The player can't climb some of the ladders.



In addition, Grunty's Quarry has an additional area that isn't present in the final version.

An extra island with a jinjo was added in the final version.

Bad Magic Bayou

 * No lightning effects
 * The platforms in the manor go slower than they do in the final version.
 * Rather than fishing for Ripovski, there is a different quest where the player has to collect three seashells hidden throughout the level.
 * When trying to do get the Jiggy where the player has to do the Bill Drill, the game does not have an intermission when the germuloids and the jiggy jump down.
 * The HUD is purple in the cave parts of the game
 * The Spookos are absent in the caves
 * The grandfather clock in the cave has improper collision detection/layering

If the player is not careful, the game will end up crashing if the player moves a little bit beyond this point, making it difficult to grab the rightmost note in this screenshot.

The entrance has been altered so that there is a piece of natural land and there are some slippery slopes.

The Gruntling instructor has a completely different sprite. Note that, although barely visible in the screenshot taken, the commander-like hat in the portrait does not match up with his in-game straw hat.

The toxic gas has been re-rendered in the final version. The toxic gas also does not hurt the player.

This toxic warning sign was moved up, for whatever reason.

This skull is right out in the open, near Mumbo Jumbo's skull, in this prototype.

The slope was replaced with a flat platform. The vines in the background were also changed so that they only cover up the jiggy and the germuloids.

Some trees were removed and replaced by a cliff.

Random note re-arrangement around the entrance of the manor.

There's no indication as to how many eggs the player is supposed to shoot here. This is odd, because there is an indication everywhere else in the manor.

A room was added to the manor in the final version. Although it isn't pictured, it contains some notes and a honeycomb hive.

This hallway is narrower in the final version. The boss room that comes after this is absent in the prototype. Instead, there is a jiggy right out in the open. The final version, obviously, does have this room.

More of the staircase was made visible in the final version, probably because of how awkward it looked.

The floor seen on the left door is not visible in the prototype

The bottom of the house outside is slightly different.

The sewer water is less detailed in the final version, but it is just as deadly.

This extraneous wall was removed from the final version.

There are planks added here, likely to not confuse the player that there might be something in this section.

The two squiggly lines were replaced by a square. This change also applies to one of the portraits in this section.

This chimney is improperly layered, covering up two of the candles.

Spiller's Harbor

 * The fifth level unlocked in the prototype, but the fourth level unlocked in the final version.
 * Some of the germuloids are missing
 * A removed quest where the player has to guide the dolphin to his destination.
 * The player is unable to enter the sewer pipes

This sentence, said by the mother Squit, was clarified.

Commas were added and they added the correct form for 'jiggy's'.

Ripvoski's dialogue has been re-spaced and slightly re-worded.

Slightly different object placement. The oil spill shrank and was move up.

The red feathers are gone in the final version.

In the final version of the game, the N. Kredits arcade machine allows the player to play minigames. However, it does not in this build. The arcade machine is also different graphically speaking; The monitor shows nothing, the direction pad is different, and the wooden texture isn't nearly as shiny.

The panels on these walls were removed, likely because the player couldn't see what type of egg they are supposed to be using.

This jiggy is actually possible to get without transforming into an octopus.

The barrels that mark the level borders are missing in the prototype. Instead, there are a series of islets.

The switches inside the sand castle maze have different sprites, likely changed due to not making much sense.

A palette error causes the Chompa in this room to be bugged out.

The beam of light was changed to a platform and a hole in the wall, making it easier for player to get out of the room.

This tower was redone and the teleporter that leads to a boss battle was removed.

The Jinjo Oracle was recolored from black to turquoise.

Fiery Furnace

 * The sixth level unlocked in the prototype
 * This level is separate from Freezing Furnace. However, due to cartridge and time limitations, the two levels were merged into one. As a result, the level was cut down heavily and made part of Freezing Furnace
 * Much of this zone is graphically unfinished
 * Jinjos are red in this level, a color not seen in the final version.

Freezing Furnace

 * The fourth level unlocked in the prototype, but the fifth level unlocked in the final version.
 * Known as "Freezing Fjord" in this prototype, this level is separate from Fiery Furnace.
 * A cut quest - Banjo and Kazooie have to retrieve Baby Boggy's sled from a pillar of ice. They do this simply by flying to the top of the pillar, getting the sled from the pillar, and running back to Boggy.

The entrance has red eyes, as opposed to purple eyes. The pipe at the beginning of the level is missing, as are the floating ice blocks in the water. The spiky icicles got a palette swap.

The fire egg panel was removed from this area.

This island was re-drawn to make it seem more sane.

Because Freezing Furnace is separate from Fiery Furnace, the entrance between the two levels is absent. Instead, a Chompa takes its place in the prototype.

This area is elevated in the prototype.

The red feathers were replaced with golden feathers and an ice block was added.

The flight pad was removed and the x mark was replaced with an elevator.

The islands were made more slippery, making it more of a challenge for a quest that is in the final.

The igloo that lead to one of Ripovski's fishing mini-games is absent. Also, the trees were re-rendered.