Gruntilda’s Lair
Banjo-Kazooie is a unique game for so many reasons, one of them being that the main antagonist’s lair is the main hub world. Guntilda’s Lair connects to all the other worlds in Banjo-Kazooie.
There are also plenty of things to grab in this hub world, like jiggies and extra lives. A fun aspect of this hub world is that if you activate things called witch switches in the separate game worlds, you gain access to secret jiggies.
It’s unique that things you do within the game can affect the hub world and lead to more secrets.
Banjo-Tooie also features Guntilda’s Lair but it has changed quite a bit from the first game. Everything is a mess and you can’t get to a lot of the same areas from the first game.
The only real reason to go to the lair is to visit Cheato, Gruntilda’s magic spell book that actually gives you cheat codes to help fight Gruntilda. Good luck finding him though!
One small aspect about this hub world that makes it unique is the fact that it actually has enemies in it, whereas most hub worlds are considered “safe zones” for players.
Banjo-Kazooie is a game that is filled to the brim with charm. From its characters, music, and art-style, the world gives off a cohesive atmosphere with game design that was well thought out.
Gruntilda’s Lair exemplifies all of these qualities perfectly.