Jinjo
From RWP Wiki
| Jinjo | |
 An orange Jinjo in Nuts & Bolts. | |
| Game(s) | Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge, Banjo-Pilot, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts |
| Home | Jinjo Village |
| Talking head icon(s) | |
| Additional Info | |
Jinjos are major collectibles and characters in the Banjo-Kazooie series.
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Description
Jinjos are small multicolored creatures with long pointy ears and noses. Unlike most other collectibles, they are collectible characters. In the platforming games, collecting a certain amount of Jinjos yields a Jiggy. Though small and hard to see, Jinjos can be identified by their loud whistling, cries for help, and flailing of their arms. The Jinjos live in Jinjo Village, part of the Isle o' Hags, and are ruled by King Jingaling. They were the original inhabitants of Spiral Mountain. Their ultra-powerful guardian is the Jinjonator, and they have an arch-enemy race known as the Minjos.
History and development
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According to an interview in RetroGamer magazine, Jinjos began as an idea for a "hard-to-collect" collectible (the idea dating back as far as Donkey Kong Country's development), a collectible that would run away or camouflage itself to hide from the player. Ironically, this idea eventually became the Jinjos of Banjo-Kazooie, who do just the opposite -- stand around in one place and call for the player's attention.
In the Games
Banjo-Kazooie
In Banjo-Kazooie, the Jinjos are being held captive by Gruntilda in the worlds scattered throughout her lair. The player has to collect all 5 Jinjos in each world to be rewarded with a Jiggy. Each Jinjo has a different colour (Purple, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Orange). If the player dies or leaves the level, the Jinjos return to their original locations.
In the final battle against Gruntilda, Banjo and Kazooie must free Jinjos who have been sealed into statues by shooting eggs into the statues' bases. Each of these Jinjos will break through Grunty's magical barrier and harm her. After they have all been freed, a gigantic Jinjo statue will emerge. Shooting enough eggs into this statue's base will release the mighty Jinjonator, who will finish off Grunty once and for all.
Banjo-Tooie
Banjo-Tooie takes a different approach on Jinjos in that each Jinjo now belongs to a family of Jinjos, and each family has been scattered throughout the levels of the game. There are a different amount of members in each Jinjo family, from 1 to 9, and collecting all of one family will reward the player with a Jiggy. In this game, the colors of Jinjos in each location is randomized at the start of a new file. Unlike in Banjo-Kazooie, once a Jinjo has been collected in Banjo-Tooie, it stays gone and will not return to its original location.
Banjo-Tooie introduces Jinjo Village, the home of the Jinjos, as well as their ruler, King Jingaling. It is revealed that when the HAG 1 drove through Jinjo Village the Grey Jinjo Family House was destroyed, resulting in the death of the family.
Banjo-Tooie also introduces the Minjos, creatures who look just like Jinjos, but are violent and evil rather than gentle and peaceful. Minjos stand in various locations and act just like Jinjos until the player gets close, at which point they begin attacking.
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
Jinjos make a return for Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. The Jinjos, like other characters, have undergone slight redesign. Their ears and noses are more elongated and now feature freckle-like markings (which are darker shades of their respective colors). The Jinjos in this game have two roles, each different than in the previous games.
In Showdown Town there are six small jail cells, one for each Jinjo color. Banjo must use his wrench to open up the cell and then drive the Jinjo to its house somewhere in Showdown Town. Doing this once will net the player an achievement the game's Achievements with the requirements of freeing and rehousing a Jinjo in Showdown Town. After the Jinjo is back in his home, Pikelet demands Banjo find another prisoner. This is entirely optional but if the player chooses to do so they must find a Minjo somewhere in Showdown Town and simply bring him to the empty cell. There is also an achievement requiring the player to lock up one Minjo.
The second role for the Jinjos in Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts are to hide in each game world unseeable on radar unless player is using the Spec-O-Spy vehicle part. Once a player finds a Jinjo they can choose to talk to it and accept a small bonus challenge. Completing these challenges does not reward a Jiggy but instead rewards a Jinjo Token. Once back in Showdown Town Banjo can talk to King Jingaling at his Palace to play a special Bingo game. There the Jinjo Tokens can be placed in any spot on the board that matches the color of the Token. Completeing a row rewards the player with notes and a column with a special vehicle part. The game has an achievement for completing one line of the Bingo card.
Banjo Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge
Jinjos in Grunty's Revenge also have Jinjo families, and are found throughout the game. It is revealed in this game that the Jinjos were the original Inhabitants of Spiral Mountain.
Banjo-Pilot
A Purple Jinjo is available as a playable racer in Banjo-Pilot. Its stats are as follows:
- Top Speed: 1/5
- Acceleration: 4/5
- Handling: 5/5
