Going into yesterday Nintendo Switch 2 Direct everyone had their own wish list of what they wanted to see. While I am sure many people wouldn't have picked Splatoon 4, a GTA 5 port or Kingdom Hearts to my liking, one game everyone wanted to see was the new 3D Mario.
Whenever a new Nintendo console launches, a big mainline Mario game is bound to come, or at least be teased for in the lead-up to it. Or so you'd think. When the Direct featured a big reveal and showed off a colourful world for platforming that looked to be ripped straight out of Odyssey, I was sure the mustachioed plumber was gearing up for his big Switch 2 debut.
But instead of the obvious Odyssey sequel, Nintendo's first big platformer for the Switch 2 is bringing Donkey Kong out of retirement after Tropical Freeze with Donkey Kong Bananza and giving another of their mascots a chance to shine. Bananza is not only the first exclusive platformer on the Switch 2, but all signs, such as the engine and even the font used during dialogue, point to it being developed by the Odyssey team.
I've wanted Donkey Kong to make his long-awaited return for years, but even as an admitted DK fanboy, I was surprised to see Nintendo make such a big move for the launch of their most anticipated console. Mario would have been a safe and crowd-pleasing bet, but after playing Bananza at the recent Switch 2 preview event, I'm confident they made the right choice by betting entirely on Kong.
Donkey Kong Has Never Looked More Stunning
Before I explain what makes Bananza my most anticipated Switch 2 game, we have to address the Rambi in the room - Donkey Kong’s new design. DK’s squishier look was controversial when it first came out, but Bananza quickly proved that it was the right decision. Never has a tie-wearing monkey had so much personality and charm as it does here, and I say this as someone who knows all the words to a DK rap. Whether you’re a fan of DK’s new look or not, Bananza is fantastic. It’s a true showcase of the Switch 2’s increased power, with bright colors, fluid animations, and most importantly, a smooth framerate. Good looks and sound are standard for a first-party Nintendo game, but I was surprised by how impressive the technology behind Bananza is, especially how it handles destructible terrain.
Fittingly for a character known for slamming his hands on the ground and throwing barrels, destruction is the name of the game in Donkey Kong Bananza. From what I've played, nearly all parts of the world can be smashed, punched, ripped apart to use as projectiles, and even tunneled through. DK leaves a trail of devastation wherever he goes, and Bananza handles Red Faction: Guerilla-style terrain deformation without a hitch.
The Ground-breaking... literally
My first experience of the mayhem that Donkey Kong can wreak came at the beginning of my preview, where DK found himself in a tightly packed mine that could be smashed into pieces to create a path forward, upward, and downward as you seek out the game's star counterpart, Banana Gems. Aside from an unbreakable layer of floor and a few specific limitations, DK could punch to his heart's desire, which never got old, no matter how much time I wasted on it.
In many ways, the freeform destruction and the chance it offers for player expression reminds me of Tears of the Kingdom's object building and how impressive it was that the Switch could handle such a large and detailed world. Bananza's destruction is similar, but while Zelda definitely pushed the Switch to its limits, DK's new adventure feels like it's just scratching (or punching) the surface of the Switch 2's potential.
While destruction is obviously a big part of Bananza, it's not just a glorified tech demo. Once I got out of the mines and into more open levels, I had a chance to experience DK's movement capabilities and get a sense of Bananza, which is where the Odyssey vibes really started to shine.
Relax It’s More Than Just Destruction
The first element that reminded me of Mario and Cappy was the world itself, a large island filled with different tasks that reward Banana gems, like Moons. Despite the focus on controlling a large beast that causes chaos in an instant, DK is surprisingly nimble and has a number of different abilities, from simple rolls and jumps to more skill-based techniques like pulling chunks of clay out of the ground and riding on it like a big Beyblade. As you can imagine, I did this constantly.
While the mission I played on the island wasn't too difficult and I learned how to use the Bananza as the equivalent of a bomb, this one still stood out as something special, as all of the game's mechanics and features came together. Impressive technology and gorgeous, destructible worlds are one thing, but combining it with how good it feels to control DK and how many ways the world can be interacted with reminds me of the middle ground between Super Mario Odyssey and Tears of the Kingdom.
My time with Donkey Kong Bananza unfortunately ended shortly after discovering a vast area underground that I was desperate to explore more of, but from everything I played I felt Nintendo was on to a winner here. It might not be the Mario we were all betting on, but Bananza is exactly the wild card the Switch 2 needs.
0 Comments