References in the Banjo-Kazooie series

Many games made by Rare have references and cameos to other games and series hidden within them, and the Banjo-Kazooie series is no exception. From names of characters to pieces of music, there is another cameo around every corner if you know what to look for.

Banjo-Kazooie

 * At the file select screen, sometimes when you select File 1, Banjo will get knocked out of bed and a crashing sound will play, File 2 will sometimes spin Banjo's mini kitchen around and banjo will be gone, and for File 3, Banjo will bounce out of his armchair.
 * A headshot of Captain Blackeye, the main villain of Dream: Land of Giants, appears in a photo of Mad Monster Mansion.
 * In the Mad Monster Mansion basement, there are barrels labeled 1881, referencing the game Atic Atac.
 * In Rusty Bucket Bay there is a crate with Rare's logo on it.
 * The Rusty Bucket has "Twycross, England" on the back of it, the real world location that Rare is based from.
 * In the Shipmate's Quarters of the Rusty Bucket, there's a pinup picture of Berri, Conker's girlfriend, as she appears in Conker's Pocket Tales. This was replaced with a picture of Conker in the Xbox Live Arcade port.
 * In the Grunty's Furnace Fun game, among the wrong answers for a question regarding Nabnut's name is "Conker the Squirrel", a reference to the main character from Conker's Pocket Tales for the Gameboy Color and its M-rated reboot Conker's Bad Fur Day for the Nintendo 64. Several other wrong answers include Humba Wumba the shawomen, Jamjars the mole, Captain Blackeye the pirate, and Cranky Kong (off the Donkey Kong series).
 * Kazooie calls Bottles the following names: Jamjars, Speccy, & Goggles.
 * The fanfare which plays upon the player discovering a Mystery Egg or the Ice Key can also be heard in Donkey Kong 64 after feeding bananas to Scoff.
 * Gnawty from Click Clock Wood
 * In the Grunty's Furnace Fun game, one of the questions is about which game Gruntilda first starred in. Other than Banjo-Kazooie, the two wrong answers are "Perfect Grunty" and "Grunty Kong 64". These are references to Rare's other best-selling games: Perfect Dark and Donkey Kong 64, respectively.
 * In the Grunty's Furnace Fun game, one of the questions is about which character talks in what tone. Other than Conga the Gorilla, the wrong answer is Funky from the Donkey Kong series.

Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge

 * The statue head of King Jingaling in Spiral Mountain.
 * A seaside beach house named the Tip-Tup Suite named after the turtle Tiptup.

Banjo-Tooie

 * In Bottles' House, Bottles' daughter, Goggles, is seen playing with a Donkey Kong doll. In Goggles' room, she has a poster of Juno from Jet Force Gemini. In another area of the house, there is a poster of Vela from Jet Force Gemini. Bottles' son, Speccy, wears a hat bearing an upside-down version of the insignia on that of Pokémon's Ash Ketchum.
 * In Mayahem Temple, the face of the idol on top of Targitzan's temple resembles that of a Tribal from Rare's N64 title Jet Force Gemini.
 * Captain Blackeye makes an appearance in Jolly Roger's Lagoon in Jolly's Inn, referencing Project Dream, saying "Arrr! I had a dream once...", "I was in this fine game...", and "A bear stole me glory... Looked a bit like you, 'e did!". Also in Jolly's is a picture of Treasure Trove Cove, a picture of the Pink Mystery Egg and a picture of Sharkfood Island.
 * Inside Pawno's Emporium in Jolly Roger's Lagoon lies a a box with the initials "B-K" on it. It's a box with Banjo-Kazooie game paks, but it cannot be destroyed. There is also a picture of Brentilda slanted against a wall also a Bigbutt head on the wall and a Gruntilda doll which was the third place prize for Gruntilda Furnace Fun in the first game.
 * In Jolly Roger's Lagoon, inside the UFO, Kazooie asks the aliens if any are named "Elvis". This is referring to an alien from Perfect Dark. When they say that they need help, Kazooie asks if they need to "phone home". It is a well-known line from E.T.
 * The lockers in the area with D. Jones' Locker have the names of Banjo-Tooie team members. The Davy Jones' Locker is a reference to the popular term.
 * Boggy and his family return in Hailfire Peaks, living in an igloo on the Icy Side. The song heard in the igloo is the song from Freezeezy Peak. In the kids' bedroom, there is a picture on the wall of the snowman from Freezeezy Peak and a picture of Boggy's old igloo. In one of the beds' there is artwork of Banjo-Kazooie and there is a Perfect Dark logo.
 * Boggy's has a static-screen tv with a picture of Rare's mascot, Mr. Pants, appearing every few seconds. He also appears as a constellation in Witchyworld in the Dodgem Dome lobby.
 * In Hailfire Peaks, Sabreman of Sabrewulf makes an appearance.
 * In Grunty Industries, there is a fridge with the logos of Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, Perfect Dark, Jet Force Gemini and Donkey Kong. The "DK" was changed to "BK" in the XBLA release.
 * In Grunty Industries, there are crates labelled "Defective Goods: Ship to Twycross, England". Rare is based in Twycross, England. There are also crates labeled "TK-421" and "AA-23". TK-421 is the designation of one of the Stormtroopers from Star Wars, and AA-23 is Leia's detention block in the same movie.
 * Kazooie mentions Mario, Nintendo's mascot, when discussing with Loggo the toilet about who could unclog him. This line was changed in the XBLA release, instead referring to him as "That well-known Italian gentleman". Loggo responds that he probably doesn't do that kind of work anymore.
 * In Cloud Cuckooland, there is a milk carton inside the Trash Can with an image of Tooty on the side, who has not been seen since Banjo-Kazooie.
 * There are two ice cubes, George Ice Cube and Mildred Ice Cube, who appear in Cloud Cuckooland and Hailfire Peaks, respectively. Both names are a reference to the 1970s British sitcom, Man About the House.
 * In Cloud Cuckooland's central cave, there is a safe named Superstash, who guards a Jiggy. His combination is 1984, which he describes as "a Rare date". Rare was founded in 1984.
 * In the Tower of Tragedy quiz, one wrong answer to a question is "Joanna Dark". She's the main character in Rare's game Perfect Dark.
 * In the Tower of Tragedy quiz, a question asking 'Which of these is an area in Hailfire Peaks?' has an answer of Crystal Caverns, a reference to Donkey Kong 64.
 * In the Tower of Tragedy quiz, a right answer of Banjo's debut appearance is Diddy Kong Racing.
 * In the Tower of Tragedy quiz, the wrong answer to the name of the floater creature is "Floatsum Jetsum". This is possibly a reference to the eels from The Little Mermaid, Flotsam and Jetsam.

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

 * In the intro to the game, Kazooie is wearing an Xbox 360 Headset and is using an Xbox 360 controller to play a level of Hero Klungo Sssavesss Teh World. A radio in the background is playing the song "Windy" from Conker's Bad Fur Day. Jamjars is the radio's DJ. In addition, there is a N64 beside the Xbox 360, though it is not labeled, it's clearly N64 shaped with 4 ports(it is shown for a scene, then later it disappears)
 * Later in the intro, when L.O.G. appears, L.O.G. says he is the creator of all video games, to which Kazooie replies with "Even ones that don't sell very well, like Ghoulies?", a reference to the poor sales that Grabbed by the Ghoulies had. When Kazooie says they've been in lots of games, L.O.G. replies with, "But not nearly as many as that Italian gentleman.", referring to Mario.
 * In Showdown Town, there is a sign for an ice cream shop that reads "Tooty Fruity". Tooty is Banjo's sister who hasn't appeared since the original game.
 * Each world (except Showdown Town and Spiral Mountain) has an intro that references the intro of an old TV show. Nutty Acres references the show Dallas, LOGBOX 720 references Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Banjoland references The Love Boat, Jiggoseum references Dynasty, Terrarium of Terror references Lost in Space and L.O.G.'s Lost Challenges references The A Team.
 * A part you can buy is called a "Papery Pal", which looks like a Lickitoad from Viva Piñata. In the description of it, Mumbo tells you that "Trouble in Paradise is good game. Mumbo recommend player buy it tomorrow." Trouble in Paradise is the 2nd Viva Piñata game, and was released only two months before Nuts & Bolts.
 * When you head to Klungo's Arcade for the first time, Klungo says that his video game makes him a big star, "bigger star than Massster Chef..." This is a reference to Master Chief from Halo.
 * In LOGBOX 720, there are several video game discs in different areas of the world. These discs include Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, It's Mr. Pants, Grabbed By The Ghoulies, and Viva Piñata.
 * At one point, Banjo mentions that he once was in a race with "a genie and a giant pig", a reference to his first ever appearance in Diddy Kong Racing (the genie is Taj and the giant pig is Wizpig).
 * In Banjoland, there is a Grabbed By The Ghoulies box floating in the water behind the Cactus of Strength, and inside of the trash can. There is also a tall rubbish bin filled to the brim with unsold and/or returned copies of the game.
 * A blueprint you can buy from Humba is the "Humba Union Jack", which is a vehicle made to look like a British flag (Rare's headquarters is in Twycross, England). In the description of it when you're buying it, she wonders if the Rare team is too patriotic.
 * In Spiral Mountain's dumpster there are keys, a skeleton from Grabbed from the Ghoulies, a Banjo, a Character from Viva Pinata, and the Watknot book from Kameo.
 * By the trash can in Banjoland, Guffo can be seen as well as a box for Big Al burgers.
 * In Showdown Town, when L.O.G. is spoken to, he says that he invented first-person shooters but he wished he had not even bothered. He says there may even be a space marine in the game. This is a reference to Halo or Doom.
 * In L.O.G's game storage room (where Grunty is in the end cutscene) there are various boxes with pictures the game they have inside. These include: Grabbed by the Ghoulies II, Cake Filler Instinct (a reference to Killer Instinct), Battletoads 2010, Viva Piñata Kart and Banjo Bash Buddies (a reference to Super Smash Bros) These are more easily seen by going under Spiral Mountain with a glitch (the room is stored under Spiral Mountain)
 * In the intro sequence when Gruntilda threatens to refuse L.O.G.'s challenge, L.O.G. turns Banjo into a Lickitoad and Gruntilda into a Jack O' Lantern both from Viva Piñata.
 * There is a sign in Showdown Town that says Green Fingers Fiddlesworth Garden Emporium. Fiddlesworth is a character from Grabbed by the Ghoulies.
 * There is a sign in Showdown Town that says Ma Soupswill's Ice Cream Parlor. Ma Soupswill is a character from Grabbed by the Ghoulies.
 * In Showdown Town, there is a diner around town; "Mr Ribs BBQ Ribs" This is referring to Ma Soupswill's undead assistant, Mr. Ribs. Mr Ribs' decapitated head can also be located in the skip bin, next to Banjo's house in Spiral Mountain, (along with a Fudgehog from Viva Pinata.)
 * When constructing a vehicle, using a tray will show it to be filled with miscellanous items, such as a Lickatoad from Viva Pinata, the arm of a skeleton from Grabbed By The Ghoulies, and even copies of the game itself.
 * Conker the Squirrel and Kameo can be seen in newspaper article from Showdown Town.
 * Blackeyes boat hire appears along the canal in Showdown Town.
 * A remixed version of the NES Battletoads game's pause theme can be heard during the loading screen of the game.

Donkey Kong 64

 * Inside Candy's Music Store, you can see several of the instruments used in the intro of Banjo-Kazooie.
 * In Creepy Castle, a book resembling Cheato appears in the library.

Conker's Bad Fur Day

 * In the Cock and Plucker tavern, Banjo's head can be seen as a trophy mounted over the fireplace. There's also an umbrella handle which looks like Kazooie's head.

Grabbed by the Ghoulies
A handful of Banjo-Kazooie-related cameos appear in the game.


 * A page containing a photo of Banjo and Kazooie appears for a fraction of a second during the title screen intro.
 * A blackboard within the mansion reads: "Collect Ice Key, Collect 6 eggs, Open secret level." This is a reference to the procedure of Stop 'n' Swop.
 * Roysten makes a cameo in a classroom.
 * Klungo appears in a portrait.
 * A can titled: Captain Blackeye's Barnacle Remover can be found in the boathouse along with a locker reading "D. Jones", referencing the same one from Jolly Roger's Lagoon.
 * The "Hallway" segments show a bear that strongly resembles Banjo.
 * In the garden area, two dog food bowls can be found. One reads "Mingella" while the other reads "Blobbelda", referencing Gruntilda's sisters.
 * In the cellar, a barrel reads: "1881". This number is the same as those found in the basement of Mad Monster Mansion.
 * In the pantry, there are cans that read "Guffo's Beans" and "Mrs. Bottles Tea".
 * The garden has a fertilizer sack titled: "Grunty's Grow Fast Compost".
 * A beehive resembling those from Banjo-Kazooie series are found near Fiddlesworth's cottage.
 * A bottle of shampoo in a shower reads: Tiptup's Turtle Head Toilet Cleaner
 * Baron Von Ghoul's pajamas have pictures of Banjo, Kazooie and Mumbo on them.

Kameo: Elements of Power

 * In Kameo: Elements of Power, there is an unlockable skin for Pummel Weed that resembles Mumbo. Also, there is an unlockable area that has a radio that will play a "rock" version of the Banjo-Kazooie theme song recorded by Grant Kirkhope.

Viva Piñata

 * Banjo, Mumbo and Captain Blackeye appear as statues. In the garden's background, a mountain has Banjo and Kazooie's faces engraved into it. Items make references to the Banjo series, such as Bottles' Glasses, a backpack called a Breegull Carrier (a reference to Banjo's backpack), Conga's Top Hat, Jiggy Earrings, Grunty's Hat, and Jamjars' Hat.

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

 * Banjo and Kazooie appear as a selectable racer in the Xbox 360 version. The two drive a kart called the Bolt Bucket, designed in the style of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, said to have been built by Mumbo.

Minecraft

 * The Skin Pack 1 downloadable content for the Xbox 360 version contains Banjo, Mumbo, Tooty, Gruntilda, Bottles and Klungo skins.

Killer Instinct

 * Rash's "Rarewear" accessories include Banjo's shorts, a Jiggy tattoo, and blue backpack straps attached to a backpack resembling the Lord of Games' face.