#bynine

[bynine]

hmm... what age did this dumpling man turn today? can you find any clues???

[goldelohim]

Squisherz Artwork [High Quality]

By bynine

[doctorpazuzu]

Been watching AGDQ 2026 and watched the Cavern of Dreams playthrough and wanted to reupload my older fanart of the game (or upload for the first time? I don't know if I ever uploaded this here).

Game is super good and cute and I recommend anyone who can to check it out.

[weirdmarioenemies]

Banjo-Kazooie Spotlight

Hello, all! Guest writer Bynine here with an article on my favorite game of all time! Despite the immense popularity of this beloved N64 classic, the enemies of Banjo-Kazooie are not something that often comes up in discussion. Well, I'm here to change that!! Or at least, write well too much about some choice picks from the bestiary. Let's go!

Topper

Topper is the first in a small collection of sentient, googly-eyed vegetables that live in Spiral Mountain, where heroes Banjo and Kazooie also reside. Get used to those googly eyes, by the way, because you'll be seeing them a lot. Anywho, I really like the name Topper. You know, like "carrot top"! Great names are another feature of this series.

Bawl

Speaking of which, here's Bawl. Bawl is a fun name! It's hard to say without a southern drawl - bawwwl. Besides that, I don't have much to say about this hopping onion, but I still appreciate you, Bawl.

Colliwobble

The finale of our vegetable trio, and I'll be honest, I've saved the best for last. Sorry, Topper and Bawl, but it's a flying cauliflower called Colliwobble! How can you not love that? It flaps around gently with its big leaves, sustaining flight in a physically improbable yet adorable manner. How come the real thing can't do that, huh? No amount of bourbon roasted, brown butter baked cauliflower can convince me that we didn't get the short end of the stick here.

Gruntlings

The henchmen of the villainous witch Gruntilda, these oafish ogres patrol the halls of her lair, running after Banjo in a stance I'm sure they think is very intimidating.

Or maybe they want a hug? C'mere, big fella.

The most striking thing about Gruntlings to me is their impeccable fashion sense. They come in a variety of colors, and each one has a rakishly charming cloak to match, emblazoned with a fetching skull emblem. Would you mind stretching your arms out, Mr. Black Gruntling?

Thank you. Did Gruntilda coordinate these outfits? I'd believe it - she has a great ensemble herself, replete with a gorgeous purple striped scarf. And this is the same lady who's decorated her entire lair with images of her own face, after all...

Shrapnel

These ornery armaments are in the tragic category of enemies whose only goal in life is to detonate directly next to you. It's fitting then that they're based on a naval mine, but they also (perhaps unintentionally?) resemble sea urchins! How fun!

Normally they look fairly docile, even cute with their little underbite, but when Banjo draws near they growl and do... this. You okay there, buddy?

They're also the only enemies that appear in every Banjo-Kazooie platformer game! Clearly Rare knew they had a winner on their hands. Look at their pretty colors in Banjo Tooie! Look, but don't touch, please. It won't end well for anybody.

Sir Slush

Anyone who's played Banjo-Kazooie will be familiar with these goons. Living snowmen are usually quite jolly, and Sir Slush is no exception, with his consistent and hearty laughter. However, instead of frolicking in the snow, all Sir Slush does is pelt our heroes with snowballs. Rude!

Similar to the platonic ideal of living snowman himself, Frosty the Snowman, the life force of Sir Slush seems to be concentrated in its hat. It's invulnerable to most forms of damage, but if Kazooie strikes its hat at high velocity, it will be blown into icy chunks. Is this a similar principle to the "aim-for-the-head" zombie-killing technique? Are snowmen not merely zombies, extra ice, hold the flesh? Human bodies are 70% water anyway! 

Slappa

Another classic bestiary staple, the living hand! Slappa are gargantuan mummified arm-hand combos that pop up without warning from the dusty sands of Gobi's Valley, the requisite desert level of Banjo-Kazooie. True to their name, their main method of attack is a slap, where they simply fall over, crushing anything in their path. The most confusing thing about Slappas is that they have the ability to speak - they laugh if they manage to land a hit, and groan in pain when defeated. How are you talking, Slappa? Do you have a mouth hidden under those bandages? Maybe a whole face?

Artist's interpretation

There also exists a single non-violent Slappa called Grabba, who clutches onto a Jiggy and hides underground with it if you get too close. Should you manage to grab it, they mention having had it for a thousand years, but then congratulate you on your technique. Of all the traits to be assigned to a mummified hand, "sportsmanlike" was not one I was expecting, but I'll gladly take it.

Tee-Hee

Another winner of a name! Tee-Hee! That's great! This design is great too, in my humble opinion. You wouldn't expect a ghost to have such a goblinoid appearance, but Tee-Hee delivers both flavors of common RPG monster at once in an elegant package. Naturally Tee-Hees can phase through walls and are invincible to most attacks, staples of any Game Ghost (TM), and their pursuit is marked with constant laughter. Admittedly their laugh is more of a "mua-ha-ha" than a "tee-hee", but I'm willing to forgive it.

There's also a purple version! This one ignores Banjo and Kazooie entirely, preferring to move around in square patterns. Don't worry, though, it still laughs a lot. What's so funny about squares? Only the purple Tee-Hee knows.

Grimlet

Appearing on a ship known as the Rusty Bucket, Grimlet will disguise themselves as ordinary pipes, only showing their eyes and fangs when Banjo and Kazooie draw near. Despite their metallic appearance, they can stretch their bodies way out to take a bite out of bears and birds alike. You know, I like this design, but I feel like it could be improved somehow. Hmm...

Ooh! The beta version of Grimlet has a really interesting twist- eyes in its own mouth! Of course, any monster is improved when it puts its peepers in its gullet, and Grimlet is no exception. Well, let's keep going! 

An even earlier screenshot shows them with white, human eyes... and with a fleshy inner maw... Nope, I don't like this one bit. Abort!

Ahhh... Much better. Now that's a sentient cowl ventilator that I'd let take a chunk out of me. No, I don't have a problem! Quiet, you!

Of course, there are many more denizens of the BK universe worthy of scrutiny - in a universe where even common collectibles will strike up a conversation with you, that's not surprising. In particular, a Banjo-Tooie showcase would be a lot of fun... But I have to stop myself somewhere. Until next time!

[dagazzart]

Fanart of Jiangshi! Original here: https://bynineb.tumblr.com/tagged/jiangshi

With this one, the colors, the pose, level of detail and the form itself were pretty hard to get right... But I'm mostly satisfied with where I landed!

There is one other from Bynine Bestiary incoming, and then some from Penko Park...

[ateez-8-makes-1-team]

Make this happen

[auraticflow]

Forest’s Secret

Would you like to play a short, quaint adventure game with a positive story that will start off your 2019 with good vibes? Then this is the game for you!

‘Forest's Secret’ is a Java game that was created by Tyler "Bynine" McMaster  and a small team. According to the itch.io website, it's described as a "cozy, non-violent adventure game". It's available for free, and donations are optional. It's playable on Windows, Mac and Linux. The game can be completed in around 2 hours, and is great to play in one sitting during a lazy afternoon.

Link to the itch.io website: HERE

The review below is relatively spoiler free.

‘Forest's Secret’ is a quaint little game where you play as a young traveller who has arrived at Wabika, a small forest settlement who is seeking something. The game is essentially a bunch of fetch quests, similar to Little Cat Feet's OneShot, that all feed into an ultimate goal at the end. Although the fetch quests may be a little tiresome, especially when you realise how slow the player character walks, there are plenty of things along the way to catch your attention. You can do multiple quests at once, and there are a variety of "short cuts" that help make the experience a bit easier. Also, all characters have more than one piece of dialogue and some of them change location, so this makes backtracking fairly interesting and worth the walk.

The graphics are very quaint -  it combines a pixel art style for the characters and small objects with some watercolour for the trees and bodies of water. There is also some quiet ambience in the areas of the game that help to complement the peaceful atmosphere the game brings. These elements all combine to create a stunningly beautiful experience. The lack of an options menu also helps to emphasise the simplicity of it as well, and reinforces the idea that "Forest's Secret" is not a game, but rather a piece of art.

In any case, it is a game that everyone should play. It leaves you with a lovely message and a happy memory of your little adventure, which makes it a fitting game to begin 2019 with. If you are reading this Bynine, thank you very much for the little adventure. It warmed my heart and from the comments I have seen, it has also warmed the hearts of many others. Thanks again!

[alpha00zero]

Strong girl for @bynineb.

He draws them good.