GameTimeline

Release & story order

Banjo-Kazooie timeline

Rare's bear-and-bird saga from Banjo-Kazooie (1998) through Nuts & Bolts (2008)—US release dates, Spiral Mountain-to-Showdown Town continuity, and FAQ for Grunty's Revenge GBA placement between the N64 games and Rare Replay bundles.

Updated July 2026

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Release order Story order

Release order

When Rare shipped each chapter—Banjo-Kazooie (1998), Banjo-Tooie (2000), Grunty's Revenge on GBA (2003), then Nuts & Bolts on Xbox 360 (2008). Rare Replay and Xbox Game Pass bundles are FAQ-only.

  • Full saga → Story tab: 1 → Grunty's Revenge → Tooie → Nuts & Bolts
  • Release order → N64 duo first, then GBA, then Xbox 360
  • Grunty's Revenge is short—optional skip for platformer-only runs—FAQ
  • Nuts & Bolts changes genre to vehicle building—FAQ trade-off
Story order tips

Chronological Spiral Mountain saga: Banjo-Kazooie → Grunty's Revenge → Banjo-Tooie → Nuts & Bolts. Release order places Grunty's Revenge after Tooie—it takes place between the two N64 games.

  • Core canon: Banjo-Kazooie → Grunty's Revenge → Banjo-Tooie → Nuts & Bolts
  • Grunty's Revenge bridges the two N64 games—two months after Banjo-Kazooie
  • Banjo-Tooie directly continues after Grunty's Revenge setup
  • On Story order, Nuts & Bolts may be hidden—reveal when ready

Timeline

When each game was released. Click a game for platforms, dates, and where it fits in your playthrough.

Release order

  1. Banjo-Kazooie

    Banjo-Kazooie

    N64PlatformerMainline

    Banjo-Kazooie (1998). Collect Jiggies and notes—stop Grunty from taking Tooty's beauty. It marks the N64 ship window for this chapter.

    Overview
    Rare's N64 hub platformer—transformation moves and dense collectathon worlds.
    In-game setting
    Story chapter one—Spiral Mountain and Gruntilda's Lair. Use neighboring rows with Banjo-Kazooie to align cast continuity across Release and Story.
    Should you play it?
    Essential start—tone is classic Rare collectathon. Play Banjo-Kazooie where this Release tab places it; remasters can replace older versions when listed.
    Release date
    US N64 launch June 29, 1998. Shipped around 1998 on N64; prefer current digital editions when originals are awkward.
  2. Banjo-Tooie

    Banjo-Tooie

    N64PlatformerMainline

    Banjo-Tooie (2000). Grunty's sisters revive her—larger worlds and split-up Banjo/Kazooie. It marks the N64 ship window for this chapter.

    Overview
    Expanded hubs, mini-games, and backtracking—N64 duo finale. Banjo-Tooie refined series combat, exploration, or presentation in ways sequels still reference.
    In-game setting
    Direct N64 sequel—Story order after Grunty's Revenge. Use neighboring rows with Banjo-Tooie to align cast continuity across Release and Story.
    Should you play it?
    Play after Banjo-Kazooie on Release order. Play Banjo-Tooie where this Release tab places it; remasters can replace older versions when listed.
    Release date
    US launch November 20, 2000. Shipped around 2000 on N64; prefer current digital editions when originals are awkward.
  3. Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge

    Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge

    GBAPlatformerSide story

    Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge (2003). Time-traveling Grunty plot—GBA adventure between N64 games. It marks the GBA ship window for this chapter.

    Overview
    Rare handheld chapter—top-down and side-scrolling hybrid levels. Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge refined series combat, exploration, or presentation in ways sequels still reference.
    In-game setting
    Chronologically between Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie—Release row after Tooie.
    Should you play it?
    Story order before Banjo-Tooie—FAQ essential. Play Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge where this Release tab places it; remasters can replace older versions when listed.
    Release date
    US GBA launch September 12, 2003. Shipped around 2003 on GBA; prefer current digital editions when originals are awkward.
  4. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

    Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

    Xbox 360Vehicle-builderMainline

    Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (2008). Lord of Games forces a vehicle showdown—genre pivot from platforming. It marks the Xbox 360 ship window for this chapter.

    Overview
    Rare's Xbox 360 return—user-built vehicles and hub challenges.
    In-game setting
    Latest mainline chapter as of June 2026—continues Grunty rivalry. Use neighboring rows with Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts to align cast continuity across Release and Story.
    Should you play it?
    Optional skip if you only want N64 platformers—FAQ. Play Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts where this Release tab places it; remasters can replace older versions when listed.
    Release date
    US Xbox 360 launch November 11, 2008. Shipped around 2008 on Xbox 360; prefer current digital editions when originals are awkward.

FAQ

Release vs story order, Grunty's Revenge placement, Nuts & Bolts, and collections.

Release order

Release order follows US launch dates: Banjo-Kazooie (1998) → Banjo-Tooie (2000) → Grunty's Revenge (2003) → Nuts & Bolts (2008). Story order is chronological: Banjo-Kazooie → Grunty's Revenge → Banjo-Tooie → Nuts & Bolts—the GBA game takes place between the two N64 titles.

Platformer focus: Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie via Rare Replay (Xbox) or Nintendo Switch Online N64 catalog → optional Grunty's Revenge on GBA hardware/emulation → Nuts & Bolts on Xbox. Full canon: follow Story tab order including GBA and Nuts & Bolts.

Story & canon

Grunty's Revenge is set roughly two months after Banjo-Kazooie and before Banjo-Tooie—Gruntilda's time-travel plot bridges the N64 duo. On Story order play it after Banjo-Kazooie and before Banjo-Tooie. On Release order it shipped after Tooie because the GBA launched later.

Nuts & Bolts (2008) is a mainline sequel in story but swaps collectathon platforming for vehicle building. It appears on both Release and Story order as the latest chapter. You can skip it if you only want N64-style platformers—Grunty rivalry still resolves in Banjo-Tooie for most players.

Collections & ports

Rare Replay (2015, Xbox) includes Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie with achievement support—not separate Release rows. Nuts & Bolts is on Xbox Game Pass as of June 2026. Grunty's Revenge has no console remaster in Rare Replay—GBA original or emulation.

Optional & related

More timelines

Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.