It happened in 2003. Microsoft had just bought Rare for a staggering $375 million, effectively pulling the plug on the studio's legendary run on Nintendo home consoles. But there was a loophole. Since Microsoft didn't have a handheld of its own, they let Rare keep developing for the Game Boy Advance. That weird corporate overlap gave us Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty’s Revenge, a game that feels like a fever dream from a parallel universe where the N64 era never actually ended.
Most people completely forget this game exists. They remember the high-flying antics of the original and the sprawling, arguably too-big worlds of Tooie. Then they jump straight to the vehicular divisiveness of Nuts & Bolts. In the middle sits this tiny, isometric cartridge that tries to cram a 3D platformer into a 2D space. It’s weird. It’s cramped. Honestly, it’s a lot better than it has any right to be.
Why the Story of Grunty’s Revenge Actually Matters
Chronologically, this isn't a sequel. It's a "mid-quel." The plot kicks off two months after Banjo and Kazooie flattened Gruntilda with a rock at the end of the first game. While she’s rotting under a boulder, her loyal henchman Klungo builds a mechanical suit—Mecha-Grunty—to house her spirit. She kidnaps Kazooie, travels back in time to prevent the duo from ever meeting, and leaves Banjo to pick up the pieces.
It’s a classic Rareware setup. Snarky dialogue? Check. A slightly mean-spirited sense of humor? Absolutely. But the technical hurdle was the real story here. Rare was famous for pushing hardware to the absolute limit. On the GBA, they couldn't do true 3D, so they used a pre-rendered isometric perspective. It looks like Donkey Kong Country met Super Mario RPG. If you’ve played it, you know the depth perception is the biggest boss in the game. You'll jump for a platform, miss it by a mile, and realize you were actually three pixels too far "north" in the 2.5D plane.
The Collect-a-thon in Your Pocket
The loop is exactly what you expect, yet scaled down. You’re hunting Jiggies. You’re grabbing Jinjos. You’re stuffing Notes into your backpack. There are 60 Jiggies and 600 Notes in total. That’s a massive amount of stuff for a handheld game from twenty years ago.
Interestingly, the worlds—like Cliff Farm or Breegull Beach—feel like "lost levels" from the N64 era. They have that specific Rare aesthetic: vibrant colors, chunky textures, and music that uses the GBA’s sound chip to mimic Grant Kirkhope’s signature style. Kirkhope didn't actually score this one; Jamie Hughes took the reins, but he nailed the "oom-pah" rhythm that makes Banjo feel like Banjo.
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The Transformation Gimmick
Mumbo Jumbo is back, obviously. But because we're in a "past" version of the world, his magic works a little differently. You aren't turning into a washing machine or a bee this time—well, you can still be a bee, but you also get a mouse, a candle, and a tank.
The tank is the standout. It’s ridiculous. Seeing a pre-rendered Banjo-tank blast enemies in an isometric plane is the kind of experimental design that disappeared once gaming became a multi-billion dollar risk-aversion industry. These transformations weren't just for show; they were keys to specific puzzles that required backtracking. That’s the "Metroidvania" DNA that Rare subtly injected into their platformers. You see a small hole? You need the mouse. You see a dark room? Find the candle. It’s simple, but it works.
Is It Actually Fun to Play Today?
That’s the $40 question. Or whatever it’s going for on eBay right now.
Controls are the sticking point. The GBA only had two face buttons and two shoulders. Mapping a move-set that previously required a C-button array and a Z-trigger was a nightmare. To Rare's credit, they mostly figured it out. You use the R-button to crouch, and from there, you can perform the high jump or the Talon Trot. It’s clunky for the first twenty minutes. Then your brain re-wires itself.
- The Good: It feels like a genuine Banjo game. The writing is sharp, the worlds are dense, and it fills in lore gaps for die-hard fans.
- The Bad: The bosses are mostly just "hit the thing while it moves in a pattern." Mecha-Grunty is a recurring fight that gets a bit stale by the third encounter.
- The Ugly: The mini-games. Fishing. Aiming with a D-pad. It's enough to make you want to toss your handheld into a koi pond.
Rare managed to fit a full-sized console experience into a tiny space. It takes about five to six hours to 100% the game, which is the perfect length for a weekend nostalgia trip. It doesn't overstay its welcome like Banjo-Tooie sometimes did with its endless backtracking.
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The Legacy of a Forgotten Rare Era
When Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty’s Revenge dropped, the gaming world was looking ahead to the GameCube and the Xbox. A 2D-ish Banjo game was seen as a side note. But looking back, it represents the end of an era. It was one of the last times we saw the "old" Rare—the one that prioritized charm and tight-knit mechanics—before they got absorbed into the massive corporate machinery of the mid-2000s.
It also proved that the Banjo formula wasn't dependent on 3D technology. It was about the personality. The way Kazooie insults everyone. The way the world feels interconnected. Even on a screen the size of a business card, that spirit stayed intact.
There's a specific kind of magic in games that shouldn't exist. This game shouldn't have worked. Putting a massive 3D collect-a-thon on a system with no analog stick and limited processing power sounds like a recipe for a disaster. Instead, it’s a cult classic that deserves more than being a footnote on a Wikipedia page.
How to Experience It Now
If you want to play it, you have a few options. Finding an original cartridge is getting harder and more expensive, as GBA prices have spiked recently. It was also released on mobile phones back in the day—a truly cursed version that you should avoid at all costs.
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The best way to play it today is through the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. It was added to the GBA library recently, and honestly, the ability to use save states makes those tricky isometric jumps a lot less frustrating. It looks surprisingly crisp on a modern screen, even with the pre-rendered sprites.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive back into the Spiral Mountain mythos, here's how to handle this specific title:
- Check the Nintendo Switch Online Library: If you already pay for the service, it’s "free." Don't go hunting for a $60 cartridge until you've tried the emulation.
- Focus on the Notes First: Unlike the first game (on N64), you don't lose your notes when you die. This makes exploration way more relaxed. Collect them as you see them to unlock the later magic spells.
- Master the Talon Trot Early: The default walking speed is slow. Like, agonizingly slow. Get the Talon Trot move as soon as possible and never turn it off.
- Pay Attention to the Dialogue: Rare hid a lot of self-referential jokes about the Microsoft buyout and the state of the franchise in the NPC text. It’s some of the funniest writing in the series.
Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty’s Revenge isn't a masterpiece. It's a miracle. It's a reminder that even when a studio is in the middle of a massive corporate transition, they can still deliver something that feels like it was made with heart. It’s the "missing link" of the franchise, and if you can get past the 2.5D perspective, you’ll find a game that captures the soul of the 90s better than almost anything else on the Game Boy Advance.