Stone Age Game Review: Donkey Kong Bananza
Donkey Kong Bananza is the kind of game I’ve been hoping for since I was a kid. I’ve always been, and always will be, more of a fan of 2D gaming than 3D gaming, but I still love seeing how games evolve into 3D. Sometimes it works out great, like Super Mario 64 or Metroid Prime. Sometimes it doesn’t, like Sonic the Hedgehog, and yes, Donkey Kong 64.
Look, I know there are some hardcore Donkey Kong 64 fans out there, and believe me when I say I really wanted to be one of them. I bought a whole second N64 just for the game. (That Jungle Green system bundle was just too much for me to pass up). But after an admittedly impressive first hour or so, I found myself getting extremely tired of the whole affair. I suppose as a 3D collectathon, the game isn’t intrinsically bad, but it just didn’t work for me. No, I don’t particularly care for the new Kong character designs, nor did I ever feel like DK and his friends needed guns (or their own rap, for that matter). But what really killed it for me was the fact that nothing about the game felt at all like the 2D Donkey Kong games. There were similarities, for sure, but it really was kind of its own thing. And that thing was not for me.
I had some similar concerns when Donkey Kong Bananza was introduced. All the new digging mechanics looked super cool, and I loved the new DK design, but none of that specifically reminded me of Donkey Kong Country. Fortunately, once I got into the game itself, I realized that in the ways that truly counted, Bananza really was an evolution of what came before it.
The basics of Donkey Kong Country’s gameplay, at least to me, boil down to this. You run around, collect stuff, bounce on bad guys, and find secret bonus levels. Some of that kind of stuff is hard to translate directly to 3D, but with the right analogs, the feeling can be retained. Jumping on enemies is far more difficult in 3D, so that turned into hand to hand combat. Collecting bananas was changed into collecting gold, while the special tokens like the KONG letters and coins are now fossils and gigantic bananas. As for the all-important bonus stages, they’re scattered throughout the world much in the same way as the old games. Some are obvious, some require a bit more searching, and they all provide a fun distraction full of clever puzzles or groups of enemies to defeat in a time limit.
So in that respect, the core tenants of the Donkey Kong platforming series have been translated to 3D quite brilliantly. Even stuff like riding animal buddies exists in the form of the Kong Bananza transformations. Throughout the game, DK gains the ability to transform into an ostrich, a zebra, and more which are extremely fun and woven brilliantly into the overall game. And just like in DK64, the rolling to jump in midair technique is here in full force.
All that stuff is really where this game won my heart. It’s a proper 3D Donkey Kong game. It may not look like it on the surface, but much like Metroid Prime, once you’re in there, the DNA of its predecessors couldn’t be more obvious.
But naturally, none of this would matter if the game itself wasn’t well-executed, and I’m so very happy to say that it nails that, too. Nearly everything you do as Donkey Kong is extremely fun to execute. And if you’re worried that you’ll be forced to dig through and destroy every inch of the environment to find all the secrets, don’t be. It’s far more manageable than it seems.
DK has this ability to create a sort of sonar when he smacks the ground. This way, you can tell where hidden stuff is. Fossils are fun to find and can be traded for ridiculous looking new outfits, but it’s the bananas that really kept me going. Because while this game (in my opinion) does everything Donkey Kong 64 did infinitely better, it also pays a ton of respect to that very game. For example, every time you collect one of those bananas, DK says “Oh BANANA!” Just like in DK 64. The DK Rap is even in the game, for those who enjoy that sort of thing.
One major difference from the classic formula is the way the game handles your partner. The DKC games always had some sort of partner character. DK had Diddy, Diddy had Dixie, and Dixie had *shudder* Kiddie. Diddy and Dixie do make an appearance in Bananza, as do Cranky and Rambi, but DK’s partner this time around is a young Pauline. No, this doesn’t actually make a lick of sense if you’re trying to piece a cohesive timeline together, but honestly, it’s Donkey Kong. Who cares?
Pauline is central to the game’s story, which while pretty basic, is weirdly touching at times. She’s super shy about singing, but her voice is also capable of special powers, which is why the bad guys want her.
Which means it’s time to talk about this game’s enemies. CONSIDER THIS YOUR SPOILER ALERT! I’m going to be talking about the end of the game from this point on, so if you don’t want to be spoiled, stop reading here. Which, if you haven’t played the game, and you’re a long time DK fan, I highly recommend not reading ahead. The end of this game is WILD.
N64 Console Shell - New Funtastic Series - Trogg Tech
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Remember the Funtastic Series of colorful shells for the N64? Now it's time for a New Funtastic Series, by Trogg Tech! Launching with 8 awesome...… read more
Okay, we all clear? Good. I’ve always liked it when long running series have a rogues gallery. Mario games were at their coolest when you never knew if Bowser was going to be the bad guy, or if a dream frog named Wart, or an alien named Tatanga, or some weirdo in purple overalls named Wario was going to show up. But the ever-present threat of Bowser as THE big bad was still cool. He’s like the Joker to Batman that way.
I loved King K. Rool. I love how he kept reinventing himself in every game. But when Donkey Kong Country Returns introduced the Tiki Tak Tribe, I thought it was great. Then the Snowmads were there for Tropical Freeze, and I was still happy as a clam. But I was starting to think K. Rool was kind of done. He’s such a Rare character, you know? But then Smash Bros. happened, and wow did that character get the royal treatment he deserves. Still, Smash can kinda be a bit of a weird outlier. Just look at the Ice Climbers! So, I wasn’t holding my breath for his grand return to the DK series proper anytime soon.
When Void Co. was announced for Bananza, I didn’t hate them, and I thought Poppy and Grumpy Kong were neat, but I wasn’t too crazy about Void Kong at all. I guess him being hateable was kind of the point, but he didn’t strike me as a fun foil for DK. The Tikis and Snowmads pulled that off well enough, but Void was just this little creep with some wacky technology on his side.
So when we finally got to the game’s big macguffin and it turned out to be King K. Rool’s belly, I can’t tell you how happy I was. Here’s a character that’s been out of the game for ages, finally back as a surprise villain in one of the most fun games I’ve ever played. And he wasn’t just there for a quick appearance and final battle like Ganon has a handful of times in Zelda games. The whole last few hours are all about facing him and his Kremlings, complete with classic sound effects. It was so incredibly cool, and really tied a wonderful bow on an already spectacular game. The boss battles that lead up to the finale were already pretty fun and cool, but this was on a whole other level, and I couldn’t have been more happy.
Same goes for Donkey Kong’s redesign. I know it’s been a topic of debate among fans, but I honestly believe that this is a superior design. I loved the Rare design when it first came out, and he still looks great in those games, but as time has gone on, he kinda sticks out. DK’s new look is way more universally good, and it matches the Mario universe far better. I love it, and how very expressive he is.
So, are there any drawbacks here? Yes. Two, in fact, and they’re both technical problems. First, is the camera. For the most part, it’s just fine. But when you’re digging or in tight quarters, the camera all too often has no idea what to do with itself, causing unnecessary frustrations. The other problem is with the framerate. For the record, it was never an actual problem for me, there were some noticeable issues, especially late in the game. Given how early we are in the Switch 2’s life, it’s disheartening to see even Nintendo themselves already pushing right up against the system’s limits. Sure doesn’t bode well for the future, if you ask me.
But those gripes aside, Donkey Kong Bananza really was an absolute masterpiece. I haven’t tackled the post-game stuff yet, but I plan to because it’s just so much fun. It has that “let me see what’s around this corner” factor that the best games always have. I adored my time with it, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for the King of Kong.
