Banjo-Kazooie even today can be argued as the greatest 3D platformer of all time. One major reason is its level quality. While I’m intending to rank these based on what I think is the best, the word best of course is subject to debate. Also, I am only ranking the main levels, so no Spiral Mountain or Quiz show stuff…

9. Clanker’s Cavern

The only world I would say I don’t like here. The swimming is a bit of a pain (although swimming physics are top notch here) and the world primarily revolves around a metal fish. It looks dull. There’s still some good stuff in this though, including my favorite empty honeycomb piece spot, Wonderwing and a cool jumping mini-game in the fish.

8. Rusty Bucket Bay

I appreciate the challenge of Rusty Bucket Bay, but the contaminated water and engine rooms are more pain than pleasure. Navigating the boat itself is fun though. Despite the engine room I appreciate the challenge of getting all 100 notes as well.

7. Bubblegloop Swamp

I think the top 7 levels are significantly better than Rusty Bucket Bay and Clanker’s Cavern. Mr. Vile’s challenge is a lot of fun and being a crocodile is a lot of fun. What holds Bubblegloop Swamp back is that it’s more of a chore to get around with the wading boots…and it’s not like there’s an easy way back to Mumbo’s everytime you want to switch.

6. Mumbo’s Mountain

One of the best examples of a first level teaching you through the ropes. You learn about Jinjos, Mumbo Transformations, throwing eggs and pretty much everything else you need. It’s a bit too easy for my tastes but still quite good. I think a terminate was an odd choice to introduce the Mumbo transformation though.

5. Gobi’s Valley

We’re already in the “A” tier here, and having five of the nine worlds be at that level is quite an accomplishment. Gobi’s Valley has a lot of fun jiggies and characters (like Gobi!). There’s a lot to do here such as wading through sand, getting access to the running shoes and beating short clocks or flying through small holes with spikes. There’s a magic carpet ride too! I actually dislike Donkey Kong 64’s Aztec level mainly because Gobi’s Valley owns so much.

4. Treasure Trove Cove

There are so many areas to explore in Treasure Trove Cove. Banjo-Kazooie smartly introduces flying here and it makes Treasure Trove Cove that much bigger. Fight an evil shellfish named Nipper, find gold for a pirate, fly up to the lighthouse or put some codes into a magical sandcastle. Just watch out for Snacker…

3. Freezeezy Peak

This snow/Christmas themed level has a lot going on as well. I find this to be the rich man’s Mario 64 Snowman’s Land. There’s a HUGE Snowman to climb this time around, a Christmas tree full of presents to explore and some polar bears to race. There’s also the legend of the ice key that you may encounter…

2. Mad Monster Mansion

We are now in the S tier. Mad Monster Mansion is super fun to explore. It has a clever Mumbo Transformation (Pumpkin!) and several smart jiggies. There’s a church and a haunted house to explore, and probably my favorite “race the clock” jiggy. My personal favorite world for sure.

1. Click Clock Wood

A purely genius world. Click Clock Wood is actually four seasons, and each season presents its own challenges. What you do in each season affects the other. Something you do in Spring may effect something that happens in Summer, for example. It also has an amazing theme during the Springtime. A really fun 100 note challenge lies here too.