Banjo: Difference between revisions

|image=[[File:Banjo DKR art.jpg|200px]]

|species=[[wikipedia:Honey bear|Honey bear]]

|first_appearance=''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]'' ([[List of games by date#1997|1997]], overall)<br>[[jiggywikki:Banjo-Kazooie|''Banjo-Kazooie'']] (1998, home series)

|latest_portrayal=[[Chris Sutherland]] ([[List of games by date#1997|1997]]–present)<ref>[https://youtu.be/Q83W5_srddA?t=6m37s Interview with Chris Sutherland]</ref><ref>Credited in the sound test menu in the Japanese version of ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''.</ref>

'''Banjo''' is one of the two protagonists of the [[wikipedia:Banjo-Kazooie (series)|''Banjo-Kazooie'' franchise]], along with his best friend, [[Kazooie]]. However, his first appearance is in ''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]'', in which he is a playable character. His inclusion was to promote his then-upcoming title, ''[[wikipedia:Banjo-Kazooie|Banjo-Kazooie]]''. Banjo has light-brown fur, and he wears a shark-tooth necklace, yellow shorts, and a blue backpack that houses Kazooie.

 

Banjo is owned by [[Rare Ltd.]], a former second-party developer for [[Nintendo]]. In 2002, Rare was sold to {{wp|Microsoft}}, and the rights of both Banjo and [[Conker]] were transferred to the company.

In ''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]'', when [[Wizpig]] invaded [[Timber's Island]], [[Timber]] calls for [[Diddy Kong]]'s assistance. In turn, he sends [[Squawks the Parrot|Squawks]] to contact his friends, one of whom is Banjo. All the characters compete in a variety of racing challenges to liberate the island and decide who would race Wizpig. Eventually, the eight racers, with the help of [[Taj the Genie|Taj]] and [[T.T.]], drove Wizpig back to his home planet, [[Future Fun Land]]. However, Wizpig returns, and the racers go to his homeworld. At the end of the world, the winning character races Wizpig again, who rides on a rocket missile for the rematch.

 

On the character selection screen, Banjo's theme instrument is the banjo. The menu's theme is re-composed in a banjo when the player highlights him. Like the other characters, Banjo says his name when he is selected.

 

As a heavyweight racer, Banjo has slow acceleration, which is compensated for a high top speed (57 MPH without [[Banana]]s). His handling is below average, but is nevertheless better than [[Krunch]]'s.

[[File:Club Nintendo N-Gang.jpg|thumb|right|Banjo and Kazooie's appearance in "N-Gang vs. Nintendo"]]

Banjo appeared in the 2000 ''[[N-Gang]]'' comic, "[[N-Gang#N-Gang vs. Nintendo|N-Gang vs. Nintendo]]", where he played on the same soccer camp team with Kazooie, [[Wario]], [[Yoshi]], [[Princess Peach]], [[Donkey Kong]], and [[Lanky Kong]]. [[Mario]] refereed the match.

Banjo appears in some ''Banjo-Kazooie'' and ''Diddy Kong Racing''-based artwork in ''[[Mario Artist: Paint Studio]]'' along with other characters from those games.

 

===''Minecraft''===

Originally exclusive to the {{wp|Xbox 360}} and {{wp|Xbox One}} versions of the game, Banjo and a few other Microsoft-exclusive characters (including Conker) appear as playable skins in the [[Wii U]] and [[Nintendo Switch]] versions of ''[[Minecraft]]'' through an update on January 30, 2018. This technically marks Banjo's first appearance on a Nintendo console since ''[[wikipedia:Banjo-Pilot|Banjo-Pilot]]'' on the Game Boy Advance, and additionally, technically his first appearance alongside [[Diddy Kong]] since his debut.

Banjo, alongside Kazooie, were announced as playable fighters in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' during the E3 2019 Nintendo Direct on June 11 (PST). ''Ultimate'' marks their first non-cameo appearance in a new game since ''[[sonicretro:Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing|Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing with Banjo-Kazooie]]'', which was released for the {{wp|Xbox 360}} in 2010, as well as the duo's first appearance on a Nintendo console since ''Banjo-Pilot'' for the [[Game Boy Advance]] in 2005. Banjo & Kazooie were released on September 4, 2019 (PST) as part of Challenger Pack 3.

 

The reveal trailer for the duo heavily references [[King K. Rool]]'s original reveal trailer, with [[Donkey Kong]], [[Diddy Kong]], and King K. Rool looking outside the window of DK's tree house and seeing a silhouette of Banjo & Kazooie. It is then revealed to be [[Duck Hunt (character)|Duck Hunt]] playing a prank, much like how the K. Rool reveal trailer had [[King Dedede]] pretending to be King K. Rool. Banjo & Kazooie then appear from the sky and knock Duck Hunt out of frame, with Banjo holding his namesake instrument.  

The trailer references the connection between the ''Banjo-Kazooie'' and ''Donkey Kong'' franchises, as both were managed by [[Rare Ltd.|Rareware]] in the 1990s. The trailer could also be referencing the fact that Banjo's first in-game appearance was in a ''Donkey Kong'' series game, ''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]''. The English tagline "Banjo-Kazooie are Raring to Go!" is a reference to Rareware as well. Banjo and Kazooie appear in [[Sephiroth]]'s reveal trailer, and are shocked to see him descend from the sky.

Banjo & Kazooie's moveset and appearances are directly pulled from their two Nintendo 64 titles, ''Banjo-Kazooie'' and ''{{wp|Banjo-Tooie}}'', though they also sport a few original attacks. [[Spiral Mountain]], the location of their home, serves as the representation for their stage. Regarding weight, Banjo & Kazooie are collectively a heavyweight, being heavier than [[Link]], [[Yoshi]], [[Captain Falcon]], [[Mii Gunner]], and [[Min Min]], but lighter than Wario, [[Ike]], [[Ridley]], [[Simon Belmont|Simon]], and [[Richter Belmont|Richter]], while having the same weight as [[Solid Snake|Snake]] and [[R.O.B.]].

 

 

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"

|[[Fox McCloud|Fox]] (dark costume), [[Falco Lombardi|Falco]] (dark costume)

{{main-external|SmashWiki|Egg Firing}}

'''[https://banjokazooiewiki.com/wiki/Egg_Firing Egg Firing]''' is Banjo & Kazooie's standard special move, which involves Banjo crouching, and Kazooie shooting a Blue Egg forward. This egg is affected by gravity, and is a weak projectile that will cause mild flinching. If Banjo and Kazooie use this move in midair, their falling speed is slower.

 

When the standard special move button is held down, the move transitions to '''[https://banjokazooiewiki.com/wiki/Breegull_Blaster Breegull Blaster]'''. Banjo will take Kazooie out the backpack and hold her like a gun; holding or mashing attack or special buttons during Breegull Blaster, will make the eggs fire at twice the speed of the Egg Firing move, with Banjo now able to walk around while shooting. These eggs deal less damage than from Egg Firing, especially with repeated hits on the same player. Breegull Blaster can be canceled by shielding, crouching, grabbing, or performing a side, up or down special input. These two moves originate from ''Banjo-Kazooie'' and ''Banjo-Tooie'', respectively.  

|Fra=Jet d'œufs / Blaster Breegull

'''[https://banjokazooiewiki.com/wiki/Wonderwing Wonderwing]''' is Banjo & Kazooie's side special move. The move involves Banjo doing a side charge forward with Kazooie placing a wing over the duo, acting as a shield. The attack is very powerful, but they can only use the move five times per stock, as represented with five Gold Feathers displaying each time they perform the move. Once they run out of feathers for the stock, the duo will trip when attempting to perform it. In Sudden Death and Super Sudden Death, the duo only gets one feather, and in stamina battles, the numbers of feathers is determined by their starting HP. The move originates from ''Banjo-Kazooie''.  

|FraA=Bouclier miracle

'''[https://banjokazooiewiki.com/wiki/Shock_Spring_Jump Shock Spring Jump]''' is Banjo & Kazooie's up special move. The move involves the duo using a Shock Spring Pad that spontaneously appears under them, to launch themselves upwards into the air. The pad then acts like [[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'s [[Sonic the Hedgehog#Spring Jump|Spring Jump]] move, in the sense the pad falls downwards (if the duo uses the move in midair), which can hurt any opponent that comes in contact with it. The move can be slightly charged for a slight increase in jump height. The move originates from ''Banjo-Kazooie''.  

 

|FraA=Super saut

'''Rear Egg''' is Banjo & Kazooie's down special move. The move involves Banjo crouching, while Kazooie shoots a [https://banjokazooiewiki.com/wiki/Grenade_Egg Grenade Egg] backwards (opposite direction of which they are facing). The egg bounces in an unpredictable pattern, before detonating either on contact or after several seconds. This egg can be picked up by any players to be tossed again, but it can also explode in the player's hands if it is not thrown fast enough. If the egg detonates from contact of an opponent, said explosion will not harm Banjo and Kazooie, but if exploding on timer, or in Banjo's hands, it will harm the duo. Banjo and Kazooie can only fire one Grenade Egg at a time. The Rear Egg move originates from ''Banjo-Kazooie'', while Grenade Eggs originate from ''Banjo-Tooie''.  

 

|Fra=Jet arrière

|FraM=Rear Jet

[[File:Banjo Final Smash.png|thumb|right|upright=1.4|The Mighty Jinjonator in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'']]

'''[https://banjokazooiewiki.com/wiki/The_Mighty_Jinjonator The Mighty Jinjonator]''' is Banjo & Kazooie's [[Final Smash]]. The move must be performed in close proximity of an opponent (or opponents), to which Banjo and Kazooie will summon the statue of the Jinjonator from under the opponent(s). A quick cutscene begins which shows the Jinjonator statue breaking apart, revealing the Jinjonator. The Jinjonator will then begin to fly and ram into a trapped opponent multiple times, before charging forward for a final hit with four other [https://banjokazooiewiki.com/wiki/Jinjo Jinjos]. Only one opponent can be caught in the cutscene, but multiple opponents can take damage from the attack. The Mighty Jinjonator originates from the final battle and ending of ''Banjo-Kazooie''.

 

|FraA=Le Grand Jinjonator

|FraM=

===Canceled appearances===

**'''Turning:''' 2/5

Banjo & Kazooie share this stock conversation with all other Fighters Pass characters. It was originally used for [[Mewtwo]], [[Lucas]], [[Roy (Fire Emblem)|Roy]], [[Ryu]], [[Cloud Strife|Cloud]], [[Corrin]], and [[Bayonetta]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'', who are downloadable fighters in that game.  

*'''[[Palutena]]:''' I have no data on this fighter. I can't believe it!

====Spirit====

|''[[jiggywikki:Banjo-Kazooie (series)|Banjo-Kazooie]]'' Series

 

*''The missing piece of the puzzle is found as Banjo & Kazooie join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a playable fighter! With Banjo’s bare hands to bruise rivals up close and Kazooie’s egg-cellent shooting skills, your rivals will be singing the blues in no time. For their Final Smash, these perfect partners call upon a flock of Jinjos and the Mighty Jinjonator to deal the final blow to any “feeble jerk” that may stand in their way!''

 

==Game appearances==

{| class=sortable cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 border=1 align=center width=100% style="border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial"

|-

!width=40%| Title

|''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]

|Playable character

|1997

|[[Nintendo 64]]

|-

|''[[Mario Artist: Paint Studio]]

|Cameo in artworks from ''Banjo-Kazooie'' and ''Diddy Kong Racing''

|1999

|[[Nintendo 64DD]]

|-

|''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''

|Playable character via DLC

|2019

|Nintendo Switch

|}

Banjo-CSS-DKR.png|Driver mugshot

 

</gallery>

 

DKRJPNC.png|Cast of ''Diddy Kong Racing'', Japanese commercial

|JapM=According to [[Gregg Mayles]], Banjo's name is based on the name of Banjō Yamauchi (山内万丈), [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]]'s grandson; both names have the exact same pronunciation.

|Chi=班卓<br>''Bānzhuō''<br>阿邦 (''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'')<br>''Ābāng''

|ChiM=Banjo<br><br>In Chinese, adding an 「阿」 in front of a given name makes it a diminutive form.

*Prior to Banjo's inclusion in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', he and Kazooie were among the most requested ''Super Smash Bros.'' characters of all time. A Rare employee wrote on their website back in 2009, that although they hadn't been considered for ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'', many Rare franchise trophies were originally in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''.<ref>[http://www.raregamer.co.uk/scribes-september-18th-2009/ Rare Scribes]. Posted September 18th, 2009. Accessed October 30, 2020.</ref> Vice President of Microsoft's gaming division, {{wp|Phil Spencer}}, made a Tweet in 2015, stating "it would be cool" to see Banjo and Kazooie appear as DLC fighters in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]'' / ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U|Wii U]]''.<ref>[https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/04/03/xbox-head-phil-spencer-says-it-would-be-cool-to-see-banjo-in-super-smash-bros-for-nintendo-3ds-and-wii-u Xbox Head Phil Spencer Says 'It Would Be Cool' to See Banjo in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U] IGN. Posted April 3, 2015. Accessed August 30, 2020.</ref> He doubled down on the comments in 2018, a year before Banjo and Kazooie's reveal in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''.<ref>[https://www.cinemablend.com/games/2391161/microsoft-is-willing-to-put-banjo-in-smash-bros Microsoft Is Willing To Put Banjo In Smash Bros.] Posted March 21, 2018. Accessed August 30, 2020.</ref>