Jiggy

Jiggies are collectible items found in all of the Banjo-Kazooie games, and can be considered the series' symbol. These golden jigsaw pieces contain a strong magic capable of breaking open the entrances to the game's worlds and are essential in moving through the game. Jiggies are obtained through completing various missions, helping characters, playing mini-games, fighting bosses, or sometimes (especially near the beginning of the games) found lying on the ground. Depending on the game, the manner in which the Jiggies open worlds differs.

Banjo-Kazooie
Every level has a matching portrait hidden somewhere in Gruntilda's Lair. Jiggies fill in missing pieces of the level's portrait like a Jigsaw Puzzle, and an increasing number is required for each consecutive world. Jiggies here are actually "spent" to open worlds, unlike subsequent games in which only the total amount of Jiggies collected is considered.

Banjo-Tooie
Once a certain amount of Jiggies are collected, Banjo and Kazooie can enter Jiggywiggy's Temple. The duo must solve a moving picture game for Jiggywiggy to open the next world. An increasing number is needed for each consecutive world.

Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge
Jiggywiggy again opens the worlds, just like in Banjo-Tooie, but solving a puzzle is no longer required.

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
Jiggies are taken, from Jig-O-Vends, to the Jiggy Bank in the Central Plaza of Showdown Town, to open the world act doors, and, like the previous games, an increasing number is needed on every door.

Trivia

 * The maximum number of Jiggies found in each game has decreased with each released installment (With the exception of Nuts & Bolts) with 100 in Banjo-Kazooie, then 90 in Banjo-Tooie, and only 60 Jiggies in Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge and even fewer are found in Banjo-Pilot. There are, however, 131 Jiggies total in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.


 * In Banjo-Kazooie, when Banjo obtains a Jiggy, he will jump around dancing while holding it above his head stopping just long enough for Kazooie to eat it; the only exceptions are when Banjo is in the flying or underwater, or while using an animal transformation. In Banjo-Tooie, however, the Jiggy spins around Banjo before flying into the air and disappearing without disrupting gameplay. This new method could be easier to program and used for any character or situation in which the Jiggy is obtained without looking strange if used on unusual terrain (ex. while sliding down a slope). In Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts when you gain a Jiggy and bring it to the Jiggy Bank, it floats into the bank, playing the jingle from the first two games.


 * In Gobi Valley, we find out that Jiggies have been around for at least 10,000 years, since Grabba says he had his Jiggy for over 10,000 years. What they were used for in the long past is unknown.

Puzzlos