Stop 'n' Swop

Guide by: LerakoLanche - Stop N Swop started simply as a way to link the two games (Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie) together so that they could collect items in Banjo-Kazooie and put them to use in Banjo-Tooie.

The developers of the both games, Rareware, decided that as a bonus for owning both games, players could have the ability to switch their games back and forth to unlock collectables that would enhance their gaming experience. To do this, Rareware would need collectables in order to persuade gamers to buy both games and unlock them. The first item that was put inside the game was The Ice Key, this item was placed atop a platform behind a wall that players could not access, this was known as a "Taunt" As this key could be viewed in normal gameplay, it rose some questions of what it was, or what it did.

When a player achieved beating the game by overthrowing the vile and nasty witch Gruntilda with a complete game of a whopping 100 Jigsaw pieces, they were allowed to view a special cutscene of pictures being shown to both Banjo and Kazooie. We were told by the game shaman, Mumbo Jumbo, that we would be able to use these secrets in the next game. These pictures contained: Banjo collecting the: Ice Key, Pink Egg and Blue egg

These pictures revealed items that players passed through regular gameplay, although only the Ice Key was properly seen item, the Pink Egg lie just beneath the sandy surface and the Blue Egg locked away in a sacred tomb.

After the pictures were viewed, players were told they will find out how to retrieve these three unique items in the official Banjo-Kazooie sequel: Banjo-Tooie.

How and Where would be completly up to Rareware, but it was obvious that these secret items only helped to build up hype of unexpected things to come...

Antisipation for the sequel was climaxing, Banjo fans all over the world wondered how they could get through the alcove In Freezeezy Peak, raise Sharkfood Island in Treasure Trove Cove, and get past the unbreakable door in Gobi's valley.

Though at the time the secret Cheat Codes were not available, any player who owned a hacking device known as the "Gameshark" could alter the games coding allowing Banjo to glide successfully over the Ice wall to obtain the Ice Key. It was then that the hackers found the Ice Key stored away in a secret menu. Ontop of the menu lie the projects official name:

Stop 'N' Swop

Upon the creation of Banjo-Tooie, Rareware came into a problem with their method of "Stop 'N' Swopping". The original method of transfer was to have the players collect the items in Banjo-Kazooie, remove their Banjo-Kazooie cartridge and insert Banjo-Tooie, at that point they would turn the power off and on, loading up Banjo-Tooie with the data from Banjo-Kazooie. Sound complicated? You bet! But how was this method to work? Let's take a look at the technical aspects:

Firstly, the player must collect the secret items shown to them in the 100% cutscene. It has been proven that when an item is collected, it is recorded into memory for later use. The item memory will be recorded regardless of order of items collected.

Using this strategy, Rare decided that if Banjo-Kazooie Stop 'N' Swop data was stored in the memory, than it could be put to use in Banjo-Tooie if the memory could be transfered over from the prequel to tell the sequel the data had been successfully obtained and ready for use!

The problem with the afromentioned "Stop 'N' Swop" method of data transfer, was the technology limitations at the time. Today, data transfer is a simple and straight foreward process. With game memory residing in portable units known as "Memory Cards", players need only swap the cards in mid play and not the games themselves. Since the Nintendo 64 home consoles' memory was stored inside the cartriges, than the cartridges would need to be switched instead. Since this method of switching data can be a little risky (as well as a little dangerous), Rare would need to find another method of data transfer that would be guarenteed to work.

However, with time slipping away, and Banjo-Tooies release data ever nearing, Rareware saw no escape to their promises of swapping game data between the titles. If only they had planned Stop 'N' Swop earlier in its own design they could have scraped the whole plan in it's beta stage. But Rare had already promised fans they would be able to raise Sharkfood Island, open Gobi's Door and break the Ice Wall. Hard pressed to find a solution that would promise the data transfer without the data transfer, Rareware decided that they would add "Banjo-Kazooie" Cartidges that would bounce around hidden in Banjo-Tooie. In theory, these happy-go-lucky bouncing oddities would contain a Stop 'N' Swop item that was promissed by Rareware only a few years previous. Though no connection was available to Banjo-Kazooie from Banjo-Tooie, Jamjars would boast them to be from the previous installment.

After successfully finding a hopping cartridge, players could crack them open using any form of melee or ranged attack, no matter if it varied from a simple roll or a fired egg. After the cartridges were bust open, the promised items popped out from inside. The three cartidges contains: The ice key, the pink egg and the dark blue egg (one cartdrige for each egg, of course)

All players were assured by Jamjars (Banjo-Tooie's move teacher) that the items were from Banjo-Kazooie. After progressing through the game, players could finally put their items to use after two years of patience by bringing them to a Hen named "Heggy" located in the mysterious lands of Wooded Hollow...

After meeting Heggy the Hen, Banjo could throw each egg he had found in each of the nests provided. Heggy would than proceed to hatch the eggs, which would expel colored sparkles based upon the eggs initial color.

After the incubation, the player would be rewarded with "Homing Eggs" which would increase players aiming accuracy by seeking out an enemy if the players aim was inaccurate. The second reward was a special move called "Bregull Bash" which by pressing the "B" button twice would make Banjo take Kazooie out of his backpack and slam her into the floor in front of him. This was useful for killing an enemy that was too close for comfort. After hatching both eggs only had to put the Ice Key that had taunted them from the start to use. What better place for the Ice Key than an Ice world? Inside the vast world of Hail Fire Peaks, a player could find an Ice Safe, just behind reach by an ice wall... Perhaps a throwback to being blocked off by something they desired in the previous title? In order to get the to the ice safe, a player would have to trek back to Glitter Gulch Mine and use the "Talon Torpedo" in the Water Stroage Area to gain access to the area with the ice chest.

After a brief cutscene of the Ice Key going into the lock provided, a player could fetch the prize inside: The Mega Glowbo. Using the Mega Glowbo, a player could take it to Humba Wumba outside of Witchy World and use it which turned everyones favorite red crested bregull into a green scaly lizard who could expel fire with the press of the "B" button.

One mystery Banjo-Tooie has though, was an extra Mystery Yellow Egg that was already inside Heggys... The egg was not promised, or even known about which caught everybody off guard and filled them with questions. If theres an extra egg in Banjo-Tooie, does that mean there exsists an extra egg inside Banjo-Kazooie as well?

Soon, players questions would be answered...

Cyan Egg
Enter the code "CHEAT DONT YOU GO AND TELL HER ABOUT THE SECRET IN HER CELLAR" in the Sandcastle to unblock the closed wine barrel in the wine cellar of Mad Monster Mansion.

Pink Egg
Enter "CHEAT OUT OF THE SEA IT RISES TO REVEAL MORE SECRET PRIZES" to raise Sharkfood Island and reveal the doorway to the inside. Enter it and climb to the top of the tower using the Feathery Flap.

Blue Egg
"CHEAT A DESERT DOOR OPENS WIDE ANCIENT SECRETS WAIT INSIDE" opens the tomb door in Gobi's Valley which Gobi sits by before leaving the desert. Ride a carpet over to the ledge and enter the tomb, then hit the switch in front of the sarcophagus to obtain the egg.

Green Egg
Enter the code "CHEAT AMIDST THE HAUNTED GLOOM A SECRET IN THE BATHROOM" to uncover the egg in Mad Monster Mansion's bathroom.

Red Egg
Enter "CHEAT THIS SECRET YOULL BE GRABBIN IN THE CAPTAINS CABIN" to make the Red Mystery Egg appear in the captain's quarters in Rusty Bucket Bay. Break the window in one of the portholes to get into the room.

Yellow Egg
Use "CHEAT NOW BANJO WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IT ON NABNUTS TABLE" and the Yellow Mystery Egg will appear in Nabnut's house in Click Clock Wood.

Ice Key
"CHEAT NOW YOU CAN SEE A NICE ICE KEY WHICH YOU CAN HAVE FOR FREE" will remove the unbreakable ice wall in Wozza's cave, allowing you to get the Ice Key.