Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge

 Game Boy Advance
  • Publisher: THQ
  • Release Date: Sep 10, 2003
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 36 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 36
  3. Negative: 3 out of 36
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  1. MooseOntheloose
    Nov 3, 2003
    10
    BRILLIANT! Has the feel of the N64 games, some of the best graphics on the GBA, and heaps of gameplay.
  2. JhonnyV.
    Dec 13, 2003
    8
    It's a pretty good game..It has some flaws that i spotted but most of all it good.
  3. TheQuietGamer
    Sep 5, 2017
    9
    Rare does an incredible job at bringing the Banjo-Kazooie experience to the GBA. The gameplay style has been changed from a 3D platformer into that of an isometric one, but all of the series' staples are in place. You'll hunt down "jiggies" and notes in order to get further in the game and purchase new moves. There are quite a few areas to explore and the amount of variety in theRare does an incredible job at bringing the Banjo-Kazooie experience to the GBA. The gameplay style has been changed from a 3D platformer into that of an isometric one, but all of the series' staples are in place. You'll hunt down "jiggies" and notes in order to get further in the game and purchase new moves. There are quite a few areas to explore and the amount of variety in the side-activities is quite impressive for a GBA game. Every now and then you'll encounter character's who will let you play little mini-games for your jiggy. It's a nice way to shake things up from the standard platforming challenges and puzzle solving.

    What's most remarkable though is just how well the feeling of the console games has been captured here. Alongside seeing familiar faces, you'll be doing a lot of similar things. The collect-a-thon elements are perfectly recreated. The moves new and old feel great to use and it's always nice to gain access to a new one and have more areas open up to you in previously discovered locations. The boss battles are excellent, even if there are really only three, and the level and challenge design is top-notch all around. There's also an excellent soundtrack and some of the GBA's best graphics.

    There are one or two issues that just barely manage to keep the game from achieving masterpiece status though. The first is that the top-down view of the action can occasionally make it hard to tell just what you can and cannot reach. This also leads to some rare occasions where judging the distance between your jumps can be a problem as well. I also did not enjoy the timed challenges in the game. Having to beat the clock is something I never find enjoyable. Luckily these complaints are made very small due to the fact that their occurrences are so very rare over the course of the game. In fact the biggest complaint I think people are going to have with the game is just how short it is. However, even that is lessened by just how perfect it's length is for a GBA game.

    This simply is Banjo-Kazooie on the GBA. The change in perspective doesn't rob the game of any of the series charm. Rare pulled out all the stops to create an excellent game and a wonderful continuation of one their most beloved series on a handheld system with a different gameplay style. If you love Banjo-Kazooie or just fantastic platformers in general, Grunty's Revenge is the game for you.

    9.8/10    … Expand
  4. RossM.
    Sep 20, 2003
    10
    This is a real good game and its worth buying or miss out.
  5. TomG.
    Oct 7, 2003
    10
    Plays almost exactly like the N64 versions except in an isometric view(like Spyro). The graphics and gameplay are phenomenol....definitely a platformer you're going to want to add to your collection.
  6. SomeOne
    Nov 27, 2003
    10
    I've been a lover of he Banjo_kazooie series ever since the N64. IM so happy that came out with such a unique and fun game. You will be drawn to complete 100%of the game and get everything.
  7. AlexB.
    Nov 28, 2003
    10
    Banjo Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge has lived up to high expectations. It provides endless challenges and the graphics are superb. After reading the review Edge Magazine's review of the game I think they are completely wrong and are f***** bums. Anyway the new game provides a great load of fun for hours. WARNING BANJO KAZOOIE:GRUNTY'S REVENGE IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE!
  8. Ollybolly
    Oct 22, 2003
    10
    This game rocks! It has exactly the same graphics as the ones on Ninteno 64! ROCK ON!
  9. BryanS.
    Oct 11, 2006
    8
    This game has great controls, great graphics, and fun gameplay. The only problem is it's too short, completable in only a couple of hours.
  10. BlogDog123
    Jul 5, 2011
    9
    Banjo-Kazooie keeps its charms after a long absence with Grunty's Revenge. The soundtrack, the graphics (among the best found on GBA), and the challenge is as ripe as an apple.
  11. Shady313
    Mar 22, 2015
    9
    9/10 .................................................................................................................................................
  12. GamecubeLover
    Jul 2, 2016
    9
    Well not that good as the 2 games before but this game has good controls as well as graphics. The plot is not to important. I like the bosses and the camera angle. Anyways if you loved the Nintendo 64's 2 great games this one will not disappoint.
  13. thealexmott
    Mar 26, 2017
    5
    BK and BT are two of my favorite games ever. This game was pretty disappointing. It's quite difficult to control or tell where you're going, which is kind of important for a platformer, and the tasks/objectives are pretty simple and boring.
  14. MrTacoBob
    Oct 16, 2017
    9
    I was a bit skeptical of this game. A 3D platformer turned into a GBA game which isn't 3D? Sounds odd. But, I played it and it was amazing! Sure the story is bad and the gameplay has some tiny flaws. But, the overall game, music, controls, and graphics are ranging from good to amazing! I don't recommend it but it's still a great game.
  15. Amora
    Aug 28, 2018
    9
    Not as good as the two N64 installments, but a pretty solid game that keeps the player entertained. And, if you're the person who is confused if you should get this game, I would but just a reminder it's a good game but not as great as the previous games, like I said
  16. XV_
    Feb 19, 2021
    7
    For starters, Grunty’s Revenge is the third installment of the Banjo-Kazooie games from the Nintendo era, however, chronologically speaking it serves as some sort of bridge between the two Nintendo 64 games. The story takes place right after the events of Banjo-Kazooie, Gruntilda (the main antagonist) takes Kazooie and then goes to the past to prevent the events that transpire in the firstFor starters, Grunty’s Revenge is the third installment of the Banjo-Kazooie games from the Nintendo era, however, chronologically speaking it serves as some sort of bridge between the two Nintendo 64 games. The story takes place right after the events of Banjo-Kazooie, Gruntilda (the main antagonist) takes Kazooie and then goes to the past to prevent the events that transpire in the first game, Banjo on the other hand goes to her rescue and that’s the basic premise.

    In theory, the story sounds great, with the potential of having some sort of Back To The Future moments, though, that was ultimately far from the truth. Aside from some cameos from the other two games, the story unfolds mostly in an uninteresting way, rendering the time travel mostly inexistent, I didn't remember that I was in the past till the end and given that the duration of the game was around 4 hours, that says a lot.

    That aside, one doesn’t exactly play a Banjo game for its storytelling, so how its game-play fares? For the most part, it’s decent. Banjo moves in 6 directions which feel good mostly, and it kind of replicate a similar feeling while moving on the 3D games, that I think it's pretty commendable, however moving diagonally doesn’t feel as comfortable, given that you’re using a D-Pad to move around, this is more pronounced on the platforming segments, which aren’t that many but if you want to go the 100% route you will have trouble with a few gaps that require precise movement and exact jumps that are more troublesome than challenging as they kind of have severe punishments as falling from a cliff just to climb it over and over. This is hardly new to the series because platforming and climbing vertical levels are one of the strong points of the franchise, yet navigating on Grunty’s Revenge can be an annoyance.

    This navigation leads us to one of the level's main problems: its overhead view. Grunty's Revenge is a 2D game with 3D pre-rendered graphics that simulate a 3D environment, the problem with this is that some stylistic choices of the level design don't work that well. Some gaps would appear nearer or farther than they are, this translates to invisible walls that often lead you to fall from places and poor exploration, it is not the greatest problem but it will persist till the very end of the game. The level design starts good, but by each level is unlocked it feels more similar to the last one, I can't pinpoint exactly what it is but they felt repetitive and uninspired, the pre-rendered look doesn't help at all as its looks didn't age that well, the two Nintendo 64 games stand out of how creative and colorful their worlds were, and I get that they were designed on a superior hardware but it is more a problem of art direction rather than power.

    The first two worlds were somewhat fun, they represent also the easiest challenges and puzzles of the game but you'll be entertained nonetheless, however, as you advance to the next levels the difficulty starts to increase, not with fun challenges but with annoying inflated mechanics as hazardous environments, invincible enemies and repetitive minigames. Most of the Jiggies you'll unlock fall in a similar pattern, so you'll have a sensation of Deja Vu for most of the time, in one level you'll be doing a fishing minigame while in the next you'll be doing the same but with different background and tweaked speed, that kind of repetition.

    A great thing about Rare games was their backtracking, they often put things at the beginning of each level to tease you with an unreachable area or item just to get back after some time when you have more power-ups. This doesn't happen that much here, as you'll get most of the collectibles the first time you enter a new level, just to get back an hour later for the 1 Jiggie that you couldn't reach and that's it. This is more pronounced when transforming into other animals, aside from the rat form, you won't be doing that much with the other 3 forms. This kind of repetition is also visible in boss fights since they're mostly the same, although the final fight can be more than a challenge.

    There are only 60 Jiggies in total and only 50 are required to enter the final boss fight, so it's easy to get a 100% completion if you're into that sort of thing. It seems that it has several endings depending on your completion time, deaths, and the number of collected items, given that is a short game I imagine that someone could play it a lot of times to watch those endings, it isn't that fun to play but it isn't also that terrible so I think that some people may do that just fine.

    Grunty's Revenge is not nearly as fun as its big brothers so it is hard to recommend, as it is mostly mediocre in every aspect, but for casual thoughtless playing, I think it works just fine.    … Expand
  17. Pakon
    Dec 25, 2018
    8
    A great top-down platformer with solid gameplay and visuals. An amazing hidden gem for the Game Boy Advance.
  18. GameFace98
    Feb 25, 2021
    8
    This game is considersed to be Banjo-Threeie and I agree. This game is like the N64 games, it's fun, more open, more collectables, and full of funny moments like in the previous 2 games. This game is underrated and should be on Xbox Series X and it's amazing Game Pass! Come on Xbox get to it!!
  19. SonicEnthusiast
    May 1, 2022
    8
    The last truly banjo-esque banjo game we got, it feels like tooie but it is in an isometric view point. For anyone who played the first two banjo games and wants more, this is the perfect choice.
  20. MarkusZ
    Aug 5, 2023
    10
    Wow I was really impressed! The grafics are nice and you got the feel of the N64 Banjos. It's really fun but sadly little bit short.

Awards & Rankings

55
#55 Best Game Boy Advance Game of 2003
16
#16 Most Discussed Game Boy Advance Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 21
  3. Negative: 1 out of 21
  1. NTSC-uk
    70
    Like "Wario World" before it, Banjo Kazooie on the GBA burns ever so brightly during the entire game because it has the class and quality about it in design, gameplay and aesthetics. It is just a pity that it burns ever so shortly as a result.
    Read full review
  2. Eurogamer
    60
    For those few short hours the title doesn't really involve much more than collecting, leaping and basic problem solving. The plot doesn't interfere much, and as such the time travel element that could have been used to good effect is cast aside as just another excuse for all Banjo's hard work.
    Read full review
  3. Gamestyle
    60
    Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge answers the very question that it poses: N64 into GBA doesn't fit.
    Read full review
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