Donkey Kong Bananza Review Fun Hits Hard
Nintendo's fresh gear has landed, and it brings a huge, bold new take on a loved old face. Made by the same brains who gave us Super Mario Odyssey, Donkey Kong Bananza isn't just the next step; it's a brave, smart, and high-reaching game that feels like a blend of top Nintendo makers. It mixes Mario Odyssey's smart setup with the wild, new rules of Tears of the Kingdom, and starts a new page for Kong too. But does this big try hit big or fall flat. Let's dive in.
The Main Idea A World Made to Break
The key pull of Donkey Kong Bananza the top fun and cool thing is its world you can tear apart. This is no small trick; it’s the heart of the game. About 80% of what you see can be hit, smashed, and broken down. It feels great to rip and crush your way through here. It’s like un-painting a picture, getting points for each thing you wreck. Be it a gold bit, a hidden prize, or a chest that pops up, the game keeps pushing you to break more, making it hard to stop.
In tech terms, they use a smart voxel system. As you dig, you see layers of dirt and rock, making a thick "material sandwich." While it lacks full real-world rules (knocking out a pillar won’t make a roof fall), it frees you up for wild, new moves. You can punch right through a hill to hit a goal, skipping a brain teaser. The map changes as you play, showing every hit you made. It’s a dream of power that takes us back to the days of Red Faction.
Gameplay More Than Smashing
Though the start is slow and a bit mixed, focusing a lot on the breaking and hitting, it soon turns into one of the most fresh fun runs in a long time. After the first bit, the levels get much cooler, putting the breaking into fights, jumps, and fun brain teasers.
Finding Stuff and Getting Better
No more Power Moons; now you grab Golden Bananas, which give you points for a deep skills chart new for Nintendo. You can boost DK's hit power, health, or get new moves like a sound clap to spot hidden things. This makes a great loop: look for bananas, use bananas to grow skills, and use skills to find more bananas. Gold bits are the main cash for paths and things, while rare Fossils open lots of outfits for DK and Pauline, most with real boosts.
The game has loads of finds and secrets. The world has so many layers with things tucked away in odd, fun spots. You can play the whole game and still miss lots, so folks who want to find it all can play many times.
Game Powered by Music and Challenges
A strong mix of music runs through the game. After helping huge animal "DJs," Pauline sings main parts, while DK hit his chest to the beat, kicking off his Bananza changes. These are strong forms like a big Silverback Gorilla or a quick Zebra that work like tools in a Zelda game, letting you break hard stuff or move past tough spots. It's a fun, cute system that keeps giving new ways to look around.
All over the world, there are rooms to test you, just like Breath of the Wild's shrines. These quick tests check how you jump, fight, or break things, giving a fun break from the big open world and handing you more Golden Bananas.
The World, Story, and Performance
A Sweet, Wild Story
The story feels like an old Saturday morning show. DK works at a banana place when bad guys from Voidco wreck the mine and aim for the heart of the planet. Along the way, DK meets a singing rock, who is Pauline. DK now looks great, with a face full of life and joy that ties him close to the chatty Pauline.
Performance Issues
Here, the game has trouble. Even on the new Switch 2, the game has clear slow-downs. Nintendo chose fun over smooth frames, but drops can be odd. The game aims for 60 FPS, but with lots of action like big blasts and changing ground it slows down. With its special V-sync, any drop from 60 makes the frame rate fall to a very clear 30 FPS for a bit. This shows a lot during big fights and huge crashes. The camera also acts up now and then, trying to keep up as you make your way through the ground.
Looks and Sounds
The game looks okay but mixed. The characters look great and move well. Yet, it falls back a bit by some old parts, like very bad shadows and clear pop-in. The sounds, though, are great. The music hits just right, mixing old Donkey Kong tunes and new spooky ones. The sounds feel crisp and fun the noise of getting nuts and bolts in Ratchet & Clank comes up and the game plays in full 5.1 surround sound.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Very fun and hooking break stuff action.
- Lots of cool hidden things to find.
- Great growth in skills and good upgrades.
- New and smart ways to build levels.
- Cute folks and a very cool new look for DK.
- Top notch music and great sound work.
- Loads of content and you can play many times.
Cons
- Big and sudden drops in picture speed in busy parts.
- The camera gets lost and hard to use in small spots.
- A slow, easy start to the game.
- Some parts of the look, like shadows, seem old on new gear.
- The old-bone money setup for suits is hard to get.
Rating and Final Words
Rating
8.5 / 10
Final Words
Donkey Kong Bananza is a blast of new and fun ideas. It takes a big, brave leap and mostly nails it. The main play of breaking and finding stuff is super good, and the charm and amount of stuff you get is huge. But, you can't look past the big tech flaws. The often drops in speed and camera troubles keep it from being perfect. Yet, it’s a game you should have if you own a Switch 2, showing Nintendo is still top at making fun, new games. It's messy, wild, a bit hard, but all in all, a great ride.