Stop 'n' Swop

Of all the secrets and mysteries in the Banjo-Kazooie series, none are more tantalizing or more talked about than Stop 'n' Swop. More rumors have circulated about it than about the large doors at the top of Gruntilda's Lair, and although most of them - both the silly and the sensible - are false, there are some truths in the clutter. The mystery involves six brightly colored "Mystery Eggs" and a large key made of ice found in Banjo-Kazooie, and their alleged use in its sequel, Banjo-Tooie. It has also been revealed by the Rare team at E3 08 that the version of Banjo-Kazooie being released on the Xbox live arcade will implement the Stop 'n' Swop feature as it was originally intended; however, it will be used in correspondence to Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. As a player collects the Stop 'n' Swop items in the arcade version, they unlock rare vehical parts in Nuts and Bolts, for example: the Ice Key gives you flags that have the Union Jack on them. The crates are hidden around Showdown Town but will appear by a drawing of that certain item on a wall or roof. Another item lets you put Roysten and his fishbowl on your vehicle.

Banjo-Kazooie
At the end of Banjo-Kazooie, if all 100 Jiggies have been collected, Mumbo Jumbo will show the player three animated photographs which reveal the locations of two Mystery Eggs and the Ice Key, in locations that players may have noticed previously to be inaccessable. However, after waiting until Banjo Tooie's release, fans felt like the solution offered in Tooie was a copout. Members of The Rare Witch Project set to work hacking the game, and made a shocking discovery. There are in fact codes within the game that can be entered on the Sandcastle floor in Treasure Trove Cove that will allow anyone to reach these treasures, as well as another four eggs not mentioned by Mumbo. Once the items are collected, a menu appears on the pause menu if you move to the very end past Click Clock Wood. It has never since been discovered what this menu is for, and indeed what it does.

Cyan Mystery Egg
The Cyan Mystery Egg is found in the cellar of Mad Monster Mansion, in a barrel marked "1881"; it has never since been discovered what this symbolises.

The code "CHEAT WHY DONT YOU GO AND TELL HER ABOUT THE SECRET IN HER CELLAR"

Pink Mystery Egg
The Pink Mystery Egg is found in Sharkfood Island, a small mark of land in Treasure Trove Cove that, upon entering the code, rises to turn out to be a large island.

The code: "CHEAT OUT OF THE SEA IT RISES TO REVEAL MORE SECRET PRIZES"

Blue Mystery Egg
The Blue Mystery Egg is found in Gobi's valley, behind an unopenable door which Gobi sits by before leaving the desert. The egg can be found inside a sarcophagus in the proceeding room.

The code: "CHEAT A DESERT DOOR OPENS WIDE ANCIENT SECRETS WAIT INSIDE" opens the tomb door

Green Mystery Egg
The Green Mystery Egg is the second egg to be found in Mad Monster Mansion; there seems to be no discernable reason for this, though. The egg is found in the bathroom, inside Loggo

The code: "CHEAT AMIDST THE HAUNTED GLOOM A SECRET IN THE BATHROOM"

Red Mystery Egg
The Red Mystery Egg is found in the captain's quarters in Rusty Bucket Bay, accessed via breaking one of the windows.

The code: "CHEAT THIS SECRET YOULL BE GRABBIN IN THE CAPTAINS CABIN"

Yellow Mystery Egg
The Yellow Mystery Egg is found in Click Clock Wood in Nabnut's house in the winter season, where you must get in through the window.

The code: "CHEAT NOW BANJO WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IT ON NABNUTS TABLE"

Ice Key
The Ice Key is perhaps the most mysterious Stop 'n' Swop item, predominantly because it is the only item that can be seen during normal play. It is found in Wozza's cave, in a small alcove; if the player uses first person mode, they can see through the ice to see the key twirling, but there is no way to get in. However, typing in the following code removes the unbreakable ice wall.

The code: "CHEAT NOW YOU CAN SEE A NICE ICE KEY WHICH YOU CAN HAVE FOR FREE"

Banjo-Tooie
Even though Rare dropped the Stop 'n' Swop idea, they decided to add three of the Mystery Eggs and the Ice Key to Banjo-Tooie. Each of these items unlocked a secret in the game.

Ice Key
In Banjo-Tooie, the Ice Key could be found in a cave around the sandy area of Jinjo Village. It would unlock a large Ice Vault that held the Mega Glowbo.

Trivia

 * In Grabbed by the Ghoulies, there is a chalkboard that reads "Collect Ice Key. Collect 4 eggs. Open Secret Level." This was a way of Rare poking fun at it's players in regards to Stop 'n' Swop, and is therefore obviously fake.


 * It should be noted that, although only 3 mystery eggs and the ice key were used in Tooie, the Stop 'n' Swop fanfare is played when collecting all 6 eggs along with the key. This could suggest that all 6 eggs were originally planned for use as part of the process.