I never played the old Donkey Kong games in the past (other than the original arcade Donkey Kong), so this is a new monkey experience for me. I tend to get bored with platform-type games like Mario and so on. They’re fun for a while, but I rarely finish them.
Donkey Kong Bananza feels more open-world and less platform-heavy to me, so I’m enjoying it so far. That’s not to say I won’t eventually get bored, but I’m still early on—this will be an ongoing game review post.
Graphics & Presentation
Since the Switch 2 is still pretty new, there aren’t many games that fully take advantage of its power. Donkey Kong Bananza feels like Nintendo’s first true Switch 2 feature title. I don’t count Mario Kart because, in my opinion, it’s not too different from previous entries.
The graphics are… well, Nintendo graphics. But what I really enjoy is the destructible world. A lot of the environment can be smashed or broken, and that’s just fun to do.
I also enjoy collecting coins, bananas, and other items. There’s something satisfying about smashing things and finding hidden goodies. I keep getting sidetracked looking for hidden items instead of just finishing the level—but that’s okay since you can always come back later.
The Game
I’m not typically a fan of Nintendo’s cartoon characters. They make for fun games, sure, but I have a hard time getting emotionally invested in them. Maybe Link from Zelda is the closest exception for me.
As for difficulty, I haven’t found the game very hard so far—I haven’t even died once. Maybe I’m just an epic gamer!
Some of the mini-games feel like a blast from the past, with a 2D camera angle despite the full 3D engine. The game keeps mixing things up—I haven’t felt like I’m repeating the same setting with each map.
Sound & Audio
The sound is good, but also… it’s a Nintendo-sounding game. Sound effects match the action well—it’s pretty satisfying to hear things smash, crack, and break.
Here’s one complaint: no option to turn off the music. Why does Nintendo think they know what’s best for us? I hate being forced to listen to music, especially in a game that’s trying to be immersive. Nintendo, give us the option to turn off the game music!
Story
I don’t really know… DK is there, something crashes, and there’s a talking rock. I’ll report back later on this.
After playing for a while, I’m still not entirely sure what’s going on, other than some “void corruption” in the world that you’re trying to fix. That’s enough for now.
Final Thoughts
Cons: High Nintendo price tag, no option to disable music
Pros: Runs smoothly, great for collectors, fun destruction mechanics
