Donkey Kong Bananzais the follow-up toSuper Mario Odysseyby the same team, andit delivers a lot of the same highs as Nintendo’s mascot. WhileMario Odysseyis a fantastic platformer on its own merits,Bananzahas thebenefit of hindsight, having hadmany additional years of development time, which ultimately helpedthe team craft an even better experience, in some cases.
They’re not directly comparable, butDonkey Kong Bananzaworks its way up to a stunning conclusion with a more personal narrative, putting you in the shoes of both Donkey Kong and Pauline as a duo. It’s an underrated aspect of whyBananzais such a unique adventure, asPauline’s music is the heart and soul of the game. Naturally, that leads to a lot of cool emotional beats: pun intended.
10DK and Pauline Are A Killer Duo
They Rock, Sometimes Literally
Adding Pauline into the mix is not only interesting from a lore perspective: it also allows Donkey Kong to be more of a characterthis time around, rather than a goofy smashing machine. The fact that he saves Pauline at the beginning of the game and they spend essentially the entire adventure together is significant, and I connected with their friendship in a way that I rarely do with other big Nintendo platformers.
The musical element of the game is also directly tied to their friendship, as DK encourages an unsure Pauline to use her gifts and sing to help heal the world. As a result, many of the game’s songs have them as key players, with DK providing the crucial drum beat.It’s a great homage to DK’s rhythmic past, where he starred in several music games.
9Loving Homages To Several Donkey Kong Games
Without Relying Too Much On Nostalgia
Without spoiling anything, there are numerous homages to Donkey Kong’s past,both from a retro and modern perspective. The character of Pauline has added a wrinkle in the timeline and lore for many Nintendo fans, but I love the idea of them hanging out and getting to know each other, especially given the context of everything that came before them.
WhatDonkey Kong Bananzamanages to do very well is thread the needle between nostalgia and identity. Every so often, you’ll run across a reference and think “oh, I remember that!” but it’s never cloying, and isn’t dominating the entire foundation of the game. WhileMario Odysseyalsoexcels in this regard,Donkey Kong as a whole doesn’t getnearly as much love as Mario does.
8More Quality Of Life Options
Warp Around Easily
Warping is generally easier to do inDonkey Kong Bananza, because all worldsare set up through the descending “layer” system. If you want to get to a certain point on the map you can just warp there instantly, and take the Warp Gong to slide between layers. This allows for a generally connected world that’s fun to explore in the story; while letting collectible fans clear out each layer one at a time.
Mario Odyssey’s sometimes kingdom-hopping story seems more grand on the surface, butBananzamanages to make everything more cohesiveby digging through interconnected depths. It all gels really well, ensuring that the game doesn’t become too bloated.
7Exploration Is Even More Fun With Digging
Dig Dig Dig Dig Dig
3D Mario games can be a ton of fun when it comes to exploration, butDonkey Kong Bananzatakes things to the next level.Since you’re able to dig virtually anywhere in the game, you’ll be finding secret challenge rooms and collectibles for hours on end. Thankfully, you can still go through the critical path without digging excessively, but if you want to stop and smell the underground roses, you can.
If there was a level I particularly liked, I hung out for a while and discovered as much as I could. If something wasn’t grabbing me as much, I left and came back later when I had access to more stat-changing costumes or Bananza power-up forms.It’s a blast to acquire new game-changing formsand come back later.
6Bananza Is More Challenging Out Of The Gate
But There’s Also An Assist Mode If You Need It
WhileMario Odysseycan dial up the complexity at times (especially near the end), it also felt a little too simplistic, especially at the start.Donkey Kong Bananzadoesn’t fall into the same trap, as many of its levels force players to think critically more often, to figure out how to get across big gaps, up tall mountains, or dig deep underground in treacherous paths.
The challenge rooms inDK Bananzaalso contribute to the game’s complex nature, as they house their own secrets hidden within them. Even some of the earlier challenge rooms can be head-scratchers if you want to fully complete them and get out with every single collectible.
5The Open World Is Even More Gorgeous On Switch 2
The Upgraded Hardware Did Right By DK
Now,first-party Nintendo games pretty much always nail it when it comes to visuals. Even older games likeSuper Mario Galaxy 2 still look fantastic, andMario Odysseyis gorgeous, especially on Switch 2. But given thatDonkey Kong Bananzatook advantage of the Switch 2 hardware from the ground up, it’s hard to compete with it.
The sweeping draw distance and colorful worlds really pop on the Switch 2, even in portable mode.While I was originally against Donkey Kong’s new redesign, it grew on me, especially after I saw all the interesting character animations that played out throughout the entire story.
4More Customization Options and Costumes
Dress Everyone Up
Super Mario Odysseyhas a good deal of costumes, butDonkey Kong Bananzahas more, and most of them impact gameplay in some way.It helps that you can kit out Pauline with new outfits, essentially doubling the number of digs you can use throughout the game. Later in the adventure, a few items can significantly alter your playstyle.
It’s all part ofDonkey Kong Bananza’sextensive outfit system, which I found to be perfectly implemented. If you want to go for new outfits with bonuses, you may, and wear them to your heart’s content. Or, you could just go with the standard Donkey Kong skin and play without any advantages.
3Player Expression Plays A Bigger Part In DK Bananza
You Can Solve Puzzles Multiple Ways
As players experimented withMario Odyssey’s platforming system, a wealth of cool and sophisticated tech ended up coming out of it. People can do some extraordinary things with Mario, but now I’m looking forward to seeing the same sort of tech-heavy videos forDonkey Kong Bananza. The sheer number of different abilities that all the Bananza forms provide is fantastic, especially since all of them can mix up how you approach platforming in some way, not just combat.
Some players might prefer no forms at all, even trying to do things the old-fashioned way and break the game with the inherent physics system. It’s part of how much player freedom is a key focus ofDK Bananza, and reminds me directly of some of the same systems inThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
2The Spookier Settings Create More Urgency
The Level Design Feels Like A Mix Of Old and New School
ManyMariogames are akin to hangout experiences, offering a story upfront and allowing players to progress at their own pace. Most of the time, that works out well, includingMario Odyssey. But Donkey Kong Bananza’s world is a little more urgent, as danger awaits at nearly every turn,including massive enemiesthat take advantage of the physics system.
Some of the level designs of each layer really surprised me, especially later in the game. While I wouldn’t say thatDonkey Kong Bananzagets thematically “dark” at any point in the narrative,it does lead you through some creepy zonesthat feel dangerous to navigate.
1The Player Progression System Is Deep
Customize The Bananza Power-Up Forms You Like
Player Progression might sound like a red flag for many players (and I was worried at first when I played throughBananzafor review), but the development team handled it with care here, and mostly used it to bolster existing abilities you already have, rather than provide critical new ones. Things start off streamlined enough, with upgrades available, such as “more health” or a larger inventory to carry more items.
Over time, as you pick up more powered-up forms inDonkey Kong Country Bananza, you’ll be able to put ability points into the powers you like, giving you more options that you feel comfortable with. In the end, I felt like I had a ton of control without sacrificing time to acquiring stat points, which is always a good feeling.
