Banjo-Pilot received mixed reviews. IGN gave it an 8, praising it as the second-best GBA racer. It received three out of five stars from GameSpy, who said it "wasn't worth the near half-decade wait." Generally, those who praised the game did so for its addictive multiplayer mode and large replay value, while those who criticized it did so for its simplicity in design and loose physics. Gamespot awarded the game a score of 7.2 out of 10.