True Left

from r/BanjoKazooie

Okay, maybe not exactly "hidden", but perhaps overlooked. It's easy to look at platformer collectathons like the Banjo games and just see a collection of random, fun, wacky, colorful characters, worlds, and assets without a consistent aesthetic between them.

But I propose to you now that these games do, in fact, have at least a few themes that help create a singular creative narrative.

Magic - This one is probably the most obvious. Magic is found and used consistently throughout the world of Banjo-Kazooie. We have creatures like Jinjos and Glowbos which are said to possess magical properties, characters like Mumbo, Humba, and Gruntilda who all practice their own magic-based disciplines, and ancient artifacts like Jiggies which possess a magic powerful enough to open doorways to other worlds. Even the musical notes we collect are used for magical means. They might seem like a random asset, but we all know that music is very much its own kind of magic.

Light vs Dark - Not just in the conventional "good vs evil" sense. But framed more as "light magic vs dark magic". As a continuation of the previous theme, the main conflict of the series seems to be rooted in a battle of magical practices. You have a very good, nature-based magic wielded by shamen like Mumbo and Humba aiding Banjo and Kazooie in their fight against the Winkybunion witches who have conquered the Isle O' Hags using black magic/witchcraft.

Nature vs Industry - Certain imagery and motifs are very prevalent in the Banjo games. Bears and birds, of course, but also things like honey, bees, trees, flowers, hills, water, greenery, etc. The world of Banjo is very pure and nature-themed. Even Banjo's home of Spiral Mountain has elements of Cottagecore and gives off Hobbit/Shire vibes (in my opinion). Contrast that with the corrupting influence of Gruntilda and her sisters. Worlds like Clanker's Cavern, Rusty Bucket Bay, Spiller's Harbor, and Grunty Industries are rampant with pollution and poison, destroying the environment. Even the final battle of Banjo-Tooie has you facing down Grunty in a giant drill.

The Ancients - Worlds like Gobi's Valley, Mayahem Temple, Jolly Roger's Lagoon, and Hailfire Peaks show us the remnants of ancient civilizations that once inhabited these lands. Sure, they have residents like the Stonies who currently live there, but are they the original architects, or merely inheritors to these ruins? Either way, it makes the world of Banjo feel ancient and lived in. Even the presence of the Jiggywiggy Temple invites you to contemplate just how old this place truly is.

I apologize for the long post, but these were the most immediate themes I could think of present throughout this amazing series. I'm sure there are more. But I believe that Rare has unknowingly created one of the most unique, creative, and unconventional Fantasy settings of our time. There is so much potential here.

follow characters, not be immersed as "themselves" in a game.

compare the non-Western treatment of the Alien vs Predator concept:



with the Western treatment:

It goes without saying that I infinitely prefer the non-Western approach to simulation games:

from r/aznidentity