Banjo's ugly nemesis Gruntilda, the witch who once captured his little sister Tooty, vows revenge on the bumbling bear and his friends in this sequel to developer Rare's first 3D platform game. The adventure takes place across nine themed areas, with boss characters to battle, hundreds of collectibles to find, and 14 mini-games to unlock. Banjo-Tooie also marks the debut of Kazooie as a separate playable character. No longer tucked away inside Banjo's backpack, Kazooie is free to roam the land using her distinct moves. Players will even have the opportunity to control Mumbo Jumbo and transform into different objects to complete specific tasks.

Some of the improvements to the graphics engine over the original Banjo-Kazooie are as follows: real-time lighting, widescreen support, higher quality textures, and a refined camera system. Audiophiles will note the surround sound option in addition to the interactive soundtrack that dynamically changes depending on where you are in a level. As an added bonus, once a mini-game is unlocked in the main adventure, it becomes available for multiplayer competition from the menu screen. For its Xbox Live Arcade debut, Banjo-Tooie offers some additional changes. The frame rate is faster, there are some interface tweaks, and both leaderboards and achievements are included. Also available is the "Stop 'n' Swop," a bonus feature that rewards those who discover Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie's secrets. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide