After my most recent playthrough of one of my favorite games of all time, Banjo-Kazooie, I thought it would be fun to do a handful of ranking posts.  I’ve already ranked all of the game’s 9 delightful worlds, and now I’d like to rank all of the transformations.  Although Mumbo’s magic in Banjo-Kazooie isn’t quite as advanced as Humba’s from the sequel, we can still appreciate our dear shaman’s humble beginnings.  And hope that his threats to make us into boots or soup were just jokes.  He was joking, right!

5: Termite – Mumbo’s first transformation in Mumbo’s Mountain is pretty basic, as one might expect.  The termite can’t attack, but it doesn’t really need to, as its fellow termites won’t actively try to harm you unless you bump into them.  The termite’s main benefit comes in its ability to walk up even steeper inclines than Kazooie can.  Plus, if you’re still getting used to swimming, you can easily gather the notes in the little pond near the entrance, as the termite can walk underwater just as easily as on land.  But surely Mumbo can do a lot better than turning our heroes into an insect, right?

4: Walrus – The walrus of Freezeezy Peak isn’t so different from the termite in that its main purpose is to traverse an environment that would otherwise be difficult for the bear and bird duo.  Rather than entering a termite mound and scaling nearly vertical walls, the walrus can enter Wozza’s cave and is able to pass through icy cold water without so much as a shiver.  The walrus is at least much cuter than the termite, so it ranks higher on the list, despite not having much in the way of unique abilities.

3: Pumpkin – The pumpkin of Mad Monster Mansion is yet another transformation that has no actual abilities of its own, but it can traverse the nasty waters of the mansion grounds and can fit into all manner of tiny spots, including…getting flushed down a toilet, something even the filthy Grunty herself is repulsed by.  The reason I’m ranking this one as high as I am is because the pumpkin is the only transformation required to complete the game, as without it, you can’t raise the water level in one of the later portions of Grunty’s Lair.  And if you can’t do that, not only can you not access the last two worlds, but you’d have no way of reaching the nasty, old witch herself.  Remember that any time you think turning into a gourd seems a bit disappointing.

2: Crocodile – The crocodile of Bubblegloop Swamp is probably the cutest out of all of Mumbo’s transformations, and it’s the only one who can actually attack by snapping its jaws, making it the least defenseless.  (Though I do wish you had the option to get revenge on Mr. Vile every time he chomps you for losing his minigame.)  The crocodile can also cross through the murky waters of the swamp without getting nibbled by piranhas.  There is only one transformation that might be just a tad more useful, however.

1: Bee – How strange that Mumbo’s best and worst transformations are humble insects.  But the bee of Click Clock Wood is easily my favorite.  Although it’s unable to fight back like the crocodile (or its identical counterpart in Banjo-Tooie…), the bee more than makes up for it in its ability to fly freely amongst the massive tree.  Plus, it’s immune to the clamping mouths of the Venus flytrap-like Snarebears and can enter the beehive without getting ambushed, which is a nice bonus.