3D Platformer Analysis – All Banjo and Donkey Kong Levels, Ranked

As the game took place almost entirely at Gruntilda’s Lair, each section has access to different levels, which are small areas that are easy to navigate. Compared to Banjo-Tooie’s and Donkey Kong 64’s levels, these levels are more interesting, given some of the basic themed levels. In every part of all levels, there’s at least one part that has something to collect, whether it be jiggies, notes, or jinjos. However, only one level stands above all, while the others trail the rest. I will say this much: the worst level isn’t that bad.

Without further ado, here’s the list of best to worst levels:

• #1 – Freezeezy Peak: At the peak of this list is the game’s winter-themed level. It’s a cozy valley with a few houses, stacks of presents, a huge Christmas tree, and a giant snowman. Plus, a wonderful soundtrack. However, there are two weaknesses. One is getting the twinklies on the Christmas tree and lighting them up. The other is that you can’t get everything in one go.
  • Best Mission – Bomb the Buttons
  • Worst Mission – Light Up the Tree
  • Best Part: The Giant Snowman.
  • Worst Part: Mandatory backtracting between levels.
• #2 – Mumbo’s Mountain: As yesterday’s entry shown, first levels in each game don’t rank very high. This is an exception. This level is a really good way to begin a game. It’s got three moves, a Mumbo transformation, a simple level design, easy notes everywhere, and no need to use cheats or moves from later levels. If you don’t forget to get the honeycomb piece before destroying the entire totem pole and leave the level as a white ant, you can finish the whole level in one go, and there’s no need to go back once you’re done.
  • Best Mission – Crash the Party
  • Worst Mission – Termite Transformation
  • Best Part: The simplicity and low difficulty.
  • Worst Part: The Bigbutt.
• #3 – Click Clock Wood: This one is the most popular level in Banjo-Kazooie, and I can see why. It’s because the whole level was centered around the four seasons. Now the missions could’ve been better, but the whole gimmick of going to the same area in four different seasons is pretty solid. Sure it’s pretty hard, but if you mastered the game well, this level shouldn’t be too bad. I do want to say though that one of versions of the tree, judging by the design, what Mumbo is doing, the seasonal events, and the water reminds me of why that season is the worst season of the year.
  • Best Mission – Leave It to Beaver
  • Worst Mission – In Bloom
  • Best Part: The Autumn version.
  • Worst Part: The Summer version.
• #4 – Bubblegloop Swamp: Despite being set in a swamp, this level isn’t all too bad. It’s more like a bayou rather than a witch’s swamp (which amusingly is a level inside a witch’s lair). One thing this level did better is the jiggies. Other than the Mr. Vile game, collecting the jiggies is more fun this level than in any other level in Banjo-Kazooie. Especially smashing the egg and feeding the Croctus. But when we’re talking about the Mr. Vile mini-game, the excitement in collecting the jiggies goes down to zero. It’s one of the very few mini-games in the game, and it’s extremely frustrating. Beaver Bother is better than this.
  • Best Mission – Break the Big Egg
  • Worst Mission – Mean Mr. Vile
  • Best Part: The jiggies.
  • Worst Part: Mr. Vile’s mini-game.
• #5 – Mad Monster Mansion: A haunted house level indeed, but it’s the best haunted house level I’ve seen in a video game outside the Luigi’s Mansion series. It’s a scary level, but also silly. Unless if you don’t have much gold feathers, this level is quite easy (especially for a late level). Now if there’s anything I don’t like about this level, it’s not because it’s frustrating (in fact, it isn’t). It’s because it’s gross.
  • Best Mission – Barrel Buster
  • Worst Mission – Potty Mouth
  • Best Part: Exploring the haunted house.
  • Worst Part: Going inside the toilet.
• #6 – Gobi’s Valley: This level is a prime example of how harsh desert levels are. Burning sand? Check! Mummies and curses? Check! Heat and drought? Check! The burning sand is the reason why this level was initially my least favorite level, but I started liking it more. The soundtrack sounds better when you’re closer to Jinxy than when you’re away from Jinxy. And the level isn’t as bad once the water fills the sand pit near King Sandybutt’s Tomb. As for the worst mission, other than having to climb the squared pyramid filled with water (which has a time limit absorbed by an unskippable cutscene), I think anything that involves torturing that poor camel would be it.
  • Best Mission – Breegull Brainstorming
  • Worst Mission – Fresh Water
  • Best Part: The soundtrack (near Jinxy).
  • Worst Part: Climbing the water pyramid.
• #7 – Treasure Trove Cove: While Mumbo’s Mountain is ranked much higher on this list for being an easy first level, I couldn’t say the same for the next level, Treasure Trove Cove. If you’re going for 100% completion, this difficulty of this level is pretty steep, given that the Yum-Yums can’t be defeated without the Wonderwing (which you don’t unlock until next level) and that every time you go into the water, you’ll be chased after a shark (to make matters worse, there’s a jinjo underwater). Surprise difficulty aside, this level seems pretty empty for a sea-themed level. Though I can say that it’s more of a beach-themed level than a pirate-themed level. One thing this level does better than the others is that it’s the same level where you’ll unlock the ability to fly and spring up high.
  • Best Mission – To the Lighthouse
  • Worst Mission – The Jinjos Five
  • Best Part: The moves.
  • Worst Part: Swimming with Snacker.
• #8 – Rusty Bucket Bay: According to many, this is the worst level in the game. Even if you skip the engine room (which you can do to beat the game and get final health upgrade), you still can’t ignore that the toxic water drains twice as much air while you’re swimming (and drains air while you’re even on the surface), the tough enemies that try to bite you, and the deadly propellors that kill you with an instant. To be fair, much of the frustration coming from the engine room comes from the fact that dying resets your note count and jinjo count for the level and that the game is more demanding that you should complete as much as you can before fighting Grunty. And that’s the fault with the game, not the level. I’m not a fan of this level either.
  • Best Mission – Behind Bars
  • Worst Mission – Stop the Props
  • Best Part: Exploring the ship for notes.
  • Worst Part: The Engine Room.
• #9 – Clanker’s Cavern: At the very bottom of this list is the sewer-themed level that you explore early in the game. The problem with this level is that it’s not even that interesting at all. Even the worst mission and the worst part of the level haven’t influenced its position in last place this much. The jiggies aren’t that fun to collect in this level either. This level is just boring.
  • Best Mission – The Blowhole
  • Worst Mission – Crab Cakes
  • Best Part: The moves.
  • Worst Part: Deep depths of the level.

If I could put Gruntilda’s Lair anywhere on the list, it’ll probably go between Gobi’s Valley and Treasure Trove Cove.

As for what levels are the best regarding moves, Mumbo transformations, jiggies, and witch switches, I would put Bubblegloop Swamp and Treasure Trove Cove higher on the list for collecting the jiggies in both the levels and Gruntilda’s Lair, Click Clock Wood has the best Mumbo transformation, Treasure Trove Cove has the best moves taught, and Freezeezy Peak and Click Clock Wood have the best themes.

Above all, the best level in the game is Freezeezy Peak, worst is Clanker’s Cavern. The best mission and worst mission are both in the same level, which is Bubblegloop Swamp.

Two years after Banjo-Kazooie was released, it got a sequel with much more appeal to adventure. Levels interconnected with each other, you had a whole new set of moves (including Banjo-exclusive moves and Kazooie-exclusive moves), and many more features. Amazingly, the game not only got released two years after Banjo-Kazooie got released, but it was also released on Nintendo Switch Online two years after Banjo-Kazooie was released on Nintendo Switch Online, and took place two years after the events of Banjo-Kazooie.

At the time of its release, it has shown to be the better of the two Banjo-Kazooie games. But as time went on, Banjo-Kazooie was the better of the two, not just for nostalgia, but also because Banjo-Tooie had more backtracking. You can limit the amount of backtracking you can do on the game. For example, you’ll need to defeat Terry and learn the Claw Clamber Boots before you start rounding up Boggy’s kids in Witchyworld. It’ll also be better to wait until you unlock Hailfire Peaks before you start the kickball games and freeing Dilberta.

Just like always, here is the ranked list of the levels in-game (including Cauldron Keep). Be prepared for surprises.

• #1 – Grunty Industries: The theme and the soundtrack, as well as collecting the jiggies, may not be among the best (I do like the factory theme though, but Frantic Factory did it better). What made this level the best in the game is both the color-coding of each floor and the many ways of unlocking the factory. You can use Bill Drill to unscrew the bolts to drop platforms in lower floors, Beak Barge to unlock the doors when going up the elevator shaft, and collect the batteries to open new sections. It also has the best mini-game, which is the Twinkly Packing Plant. Most mini-games have the same repeat mechanic, where red items score one point each, green items score two points each, and blue items score three points each. But this game, aside to collecting lights, did it better. And one more thing: this level has the best moves to unlock (besides Isle O’ Hags).
  • Best Mission – Pack the Twinklies
  • Worst Mission – Defeat the Tintops
  • Best Part: Unlocking sections in the factory.
  • Worst Part: Train requirement.
• #2 – Glitter Gulch Mine: The soundtrack, the level design, and the jiggies are all the factors that make Glitter Gulch Mine one of the best levels. Especially the jiggies. My favorite one is the one where you have to navigate the generator cavern, but this is also the same level with the crushing shed, the Ordinance Storage mini-game, the best level boss in the game, and the waterfall cavern jiggy. Even the Canary Mary race was pretty good in the level. But the fun ends once you go inside the flooded caves.
  • Best Mission – Navigating Generator Room
  • Worst Mission – Underground Pipe Maze
  • Best Part: The jiggies.
  • Worst Part: The flooded caves.
• #3 – Hailfire Peaks: This one is a hot choice to rank higher among my list, but I’m also kinda cold for not ranking it even higher. Instead of one lava level or one ice level, both are mixed into one level, where both sides involve a dragon spitting fireballs (or ice balls) every once in a while, until you fight the dragons. Once again, my bias towards winter-themed levels makes the Icy Side the better of the two, but even the Fire Side is pretty solid. Now I liked playing as Mumbo over a Wumba-transformed Banjo, but this level has the best Wumba transformation and the worst Mumbo spell at the same time.
  • Best Mission – Icy Side Train Station
  • Worst Mission – Colosseum Kickball Tournament
  • Best Part: The Icy Side.
  • Worst Part: Inside the volcano.
• #4 – Jolly Roger’s Lagoon: This level scores points for having the best soundtrack in the game, which is associated with the Town Center above the water. But the soundtrack for the sea caves and the underwater sections isn’t that good. Now the jiggies are quite average. There are some good ones like buying one with doubloons and getting the pool ready for the pigs, but there are also bad ones. The boss of this level, I usually don’t battle him until very late (like among my last three jiggies). It’s rather unsettling that you’re fighting an animal rather than a monster or a machine, and you have to shoot him in the eyes, which doesn’t sit well with me. It’s not even the difficulty of fighting a boss underwater that’s the problem.
  • Best Mission – Cough up 20 Doubloons for a Jiggy at Pawnos
  • Worst Mission – Defeat Lord Woo Fak Fak in Davy Jones’ Locker
  • Best Part: The soundtrack in the Town Center.
  • Worst Part: Fighting Lord Woo Fak Fak.
• #5 – Witchyworld: While amusement park levels can be fun, this one really isn’t that fun. But one thing I did want to talk about are the individual worlds. Of the three, the Space Zone is the best, given the two mini-games and the theme. The worst is the Haunted Zone, which looks like a Hell landscape. And the Wild West Zone sits in between. The main point of this zone is the inflatable castle with two mini-games. Story-wise, this level shows how evil Gruntilda can get. The park was closed for poor safety issues, and she was willing to bribe authorities to open it again. The food is also gross (rodent meat burgers and greasy, taste-free fries, served by poorly-hygenated staff).
  • Best Mission – Riding the Saucer of Peril
  • Worst Mission – On Top of the Spiral Slide in the Inferno
  • Best Part: The Space Zone
  • Worst Part: The Haunted Cavern.
• #6 – Mayahem Temple: The first level of the game, which might be Banjo-Tooie‘s equivalent of Mumbo’s Mountain with a twist from Gobi’s Valley. Like I said before, first levels usually don’t rank very high. And not like Mumbo’s Mountain or Jungle Japes, this one is more complicated for a first level. I certainly didn’t like this level any more than Mumbo’s Mountain or the Donkey Kong 64 equivalent Angry Aztec. But it does have two moves that made Banjo-Tooie more playable than Banjo-Kazooie.
  • Best Mission – Recovering Targitzan’s Sacred Relic
  • Worst Mission – Mayan Kickball Tournament
  • Best Part: Code Chamber.
  • Worst Part: The kickball games.
• #7 – Cauldron Keep: I’m going to make this one quick. There really isn’t much in the level besides storming the castle, defeating Klungo one last time, and doing a quiz that is harder than Grunty’s Furnace Fun. From what I heard, it was initially planned to have 10 jiggies that you have to collect, but it was rushed, and it was a short level, hence no jiggies in this level and 90 jiggies in total. Thankfully, you only need 70 jiggies to face the final boss, not 94 or 98 in Banjo-Kazooie. Donkey Kong 64 is worse, but at least that’s half the golden bananas rather than 70%.
• #8 – Terrydactyland: The fact that this is a prehistoric-themed level with less-interesting jiggies is why this level can’t rank any higher. However, I did like helping the dinosaurs and the Oogle Boogle Tribe. The moves are also interesting. I can also tell that the Unga Bunga Tribe is the most evil tribe in the land, followed by the Rocknut Tribe.
  • Best Mission – Hatch & Return Terry’s Eggs
  • Worst Mission – Roar at the Gate on the Mountain with Baby T-Rex
  • Best Part: Mumbo’s spell on the T-Rex transformations.
  • Worst Part: Stomping Plains.
• #9 – Cloud Cuckooland: Not only is this level the worst level in the game, but it’s also one of the two levels in today’s entry that I actually hate. For the jiggies, two of them are among my bottom three jiggies in the game. The soundtrack is the worst in the game as well. There’s not even that many moves in the level.
  • Best Mission – Inside the Cheese Wedge
  • Worst Mission – Canary Mary’s Rematch
  • Best Part: Two Mumbo Skulls.
  • Worst Part: Racing Canary Mary for a page.

If I could put Isle O’ Hags anywhere on the list, it goes between Mayahem Temple and Cauldron Keep. It’s a nice hub world with multiple sections, but the only jiggies you can earn are by collecting jinjos.

At the end, Grunty Industries is the best for moves, Glitter Gulch mine is the best for jiggies and the boss, Jolly Roger’s Lagoon is the best for soundtrack and pages, Witchyworld is the best for Mumbo spells and mini-games, and Hailfire Peaks is the best for Wumba transformations. The winning level is Grunty Industries, worst is Cloud Cuckooland, best mission is Navigating Generator Room, and the worst mission is Canary Mary’s Rematch.

The biggest, and most controversial, of the 3D platformers in today’s review is the 1999 game Donkey Kong 64. Released between Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie is the final entry to the original Donkey Kong Country series. While it was popular at the time of its release (and one of the most demanded games for Nintendo Switch Online while it was yet to be added), the game was hurt by two things: excessive collecting and backtracking. It is easily the most tedious of the 3D platformers to 100% (well, an even worse one came 18 years later). But if there’s anything this game is most famous for, it’s the DK Rap.

I would be tempted to list the best missions by Kong of each level, but to save room, I’m only going to name the best and worst of the golden bananas. Not like for the other games (where I borrowed the mission names from either Banjo-Kazooie’s fandom wiki or names from the games), I’m going to name the missions myself.

So here is the list of best to worst levels in Donkey Kong 64. Take it to the fridge!

• #1 – Gloomy Galleon: In regards to the level theme, Donkey Kong’s golden bananas, and Chunky Kong’s golden bananas, Gloomy Galleon is the best level in the game. Unlocked after collecting 30 golden bananas, this level comes with a gimmick where you can raise and lower the water level. The higher water level is needed to reach some out-of-reach areas, while the lower water level is needed to use the instruments on submerged pads. Some of the missions I liked best were lighting the lighthouse, racing the seal, smashing the chests (as Chunky Kong), and breaking chests underwater (as Lanky Kong transformed into Enguarde).
  • Best Mission – Light the Lighthouse
  • Worst Mission – Into the Robot Fish
  • Best Part: Donkey’s and Chunky’s golden bananas.
  • Worst Part: No new move from Cranky Kong.
• #2 – Hideout Helm: Even though there’s no golden banana this level, this is the best last level of the three games in today’s review. What happens is that once you enter K.Rool’s Lair, he activates the machine, ready to blow DK Isles. You have a limited time to shut down the machine, and the way you can do this is by playing some mini-games at each generator. Once you shut down the machine, you can proceed to fight K.Rool, but not before collecting the last boss key.
  • Best Part: The soundtrack.
  • Worst Part: Not much to do after shutting down machine.
• #3 – Fungi Forest: My second favorite level with golden bananas is Fungi Forest, which is a large forest centered on the day/night mechanic, similar to Gloomy Galleon’s water levels. The missions themselves aren’t the best ones out there. In fact, they’re the worst missions in the game. Diddy has his worst with the owl, Lanky has his worst with the rabbit, and Tiny has her worst with the spider. But I did like the mushroom tower past the purple tunnel and the music in the daytime. Plus, the day/night mechanic is cool.
  • Best Mission – Turn on the conveyer belt
  • Worst Mission – Rabbit Race
  • Best Part: The daytime soundtrack.
  • Worst Part: The hidden time limit on the level boss.
• #4 – Angry Aztec: One of the two desert levels in a 3D platformer based on Mexico rather than Egypt (the other is the Sand Kingdom), this one used to be my favorite level, only to sink lower. Once you start this level, the game starts to get a little darker, and a bit harder. The quicksand doesn’t seem to sink you in, but rather attack you like how you get bit. Some of the best parts involve freeing Lanky and Tiny, unlocking new moves, and getting a new melon.
  • Best Mission – Free Tiny Kong
  • Worst Mission – Follow the dodo
  • Best Part: The small temple in the first area.
  • Worst Part: Thin walkway to Cranky’s.
• #5 – Jungle Japes: The first level in Donkey Kong 64, and it’s by no surprise it’s set in a jungle given where monkeys come from. The missions where you play as Donkey or Diddy are quaint and a good way to start the game. But once you return as Lanky, Tiny, or Chunky, the level is not too great.
  • Best Mission – Diddy’s Minecart Challenge
  • Worst Mission – Talk to Diddy
  • Best Part: The stormy jungle.
  • Worst Part: Two golden bananas to save Diddy Kong.
• #6 – Frantic Factory: The third level in the game, first level on K.Rool’s ship, and the last level where you’ll be freeing Kongs, this is the game’s factory level, known for making dangerous toys. It looks dull compared to Grunty Industries, but it has better missions and more platforming. But this level also has the second worst mission in the entire game and a very frustrating task required to get the last boss key.
  • Best Mission – Free Chunky Kong
  • Worst Mission – DK Arcade
  • Best Part: The production room.
  • Worst Part: The arcade game.
• #7 – Crystal Caves: Despite ranking lower among my list, this level is not a bad level. Some good news is that this is the level where you unlock the moves Monkeyport and Gorilla Gone, as all five Kongs have at least one golden banana that was great. I also liked the third melon, Army Dillo’s rematch, and the ice theme. But, it also has some of the worst golden bananas in the game. Sorry Lanky!
  • Best Mission – Under the Igloo
  • Worst Mission – Rematch with the Beetle
  • Best Part: The moves.
  • Worst Part: The ice castle.
• #8 – Creepy Castle: The worst level in the game, and one of the two levels that I hate. The reason, it’s because the whole level is a floating castle with a huge bottomless abyss below. This may contradict my higher preference towards the Super Mario 64 level Whomp’s Fortress, but at least that level doesn’t use the bottomless pits in scary situations like this level. The tunnel with Candy’s music store is even worse. There is a bonus barrel across the bottomless pit. The horror theme also didn’t help (though the “ghosts” are really Kremlings dressed up like betsheet ghosts). The game is also less exciting after you went through the best of it. Also, this level has the worst level lobby (the area in DK Isles with the level entry).
  • Best Mission – Swing to the Throne
  • Worst Mission – Twirl across the Pit
  • Best Part: Using Diddy to let Tiny into the ballroom.
  • Worst Part: Any bottomless pit in the level.

Put DK Isles on the list, I would wedge it between Crystal Caves and Creepy Castle. While I liked the hub, it’s not really that good of a level.

As for best levels of each, Fungi Forest wins for the soundtrack, Gloomy Galleon for Donkey’s, Lanky’s, and Chunky’s golden bananas, Crystal Caves for the moves and Diddy’s and Tiny’s golden bananas, and Frantic Factory for the boss and theme.

Overall, the best level is Gloomy Galleon, worst is Creepy Castle, the best mission is Under the Igloo (where you use Tiny Kong to get under the igloo), and the worst mission is Rabbit Race (which is the worst racing mission in any video game).