Stop 'n' Swop

Sns — Artwork depicting Banjo and Kazooie holding the pink mystery egg and the Ice Key.

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.

To use Stop 'n' Swop items, one would have needed to own both Banjo-Kazooie AND Banjo-Tooie. One had to collect the eggs in Banjo-Kazooie, then switch the game off and insert Banjo-Tooie. Originally, the player would have had ten seconds to swap game cartridges, but due to revisions in the Nintendo 64 hardware, this time was reduced to only one second, and therefore, became impractical.

It had also been revealed by the Rare team at E3 2008 that the version of Banjo-Kazooie released on the Xbox live arcade would implement the Stop 'n' Swop feature as it was originally intended; however, it would 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 vehicle parts in Nuts & Bolts, for example: the Ice Key grants 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 unlocks Roysten and his fishbowl as a part (needed for the LOG Banjo).

On January 2009, it was announced on the official Banjo-Kazooie website that the "original plan" of including Stop 'N' Swop would also be implemented in the Xbox Live Arcade release of Banjo-Tooie, which was released in April 2009.^[1]

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

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 inaccessible. Members of The Rare Witch Project hacked the game, and discovered codes 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, at the very end past Click Clock Wood. It has never since been discovered what this menu is for, and indeed what it does.

Be Aware: If using these codes on the Xbox Live Arcade version of Banjo-Kazooie, Bottles will confirm if you want to use the Cheat. If you Press A, all saving will be stopped and your score will not be posted on the Leaderboards anymore.

Cyan Mystery Egg

The Cyan Mystery Egg is found in the cellar of Mad Monster Mansion, in a barrel marked "1881"; it is a reference to Atic Atac, one of Rare's first games. Before entering the code one should note that the barrel is sealed with an "X".

The code is "CHEAT 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 cave. Mumbo reveals it after the game is finished with all 100 Jiggies.

The code is "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. Mumbo reveals it after the game is finished with all 100 Jiggies.

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, on top of Loggo.

The code is "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 by breaking one of the windows.

The code is "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. To reach it, one must enter through the window.

The code is "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. Mumbo reveals it after the game is finished with all 100 Jiggies.

The code is "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 unlocks a large Ice Vault that holds the Mega-Glowbo. The Mega-Glowbo can be used in Humba Wumba's wigwam at the entrance of Witchyworld to transform Kazooie into a Dragon.