Donkey Kong Bananza is the Best of Both Worlds From the…

Donkey Kong Bananza is taking the DK series in an entirely new direction, but the changes to the formula might be familiar to Nintendo fans. While the upcoming game has an entirely new identity from Donkey Kong’s previous titles, Donkey Kong Bananza seems to take inspiration from two recent Nintendo Switch heavy hitters.

As the reign of the Nintendo Switch 2 begins, Donkey Kong Bananza will be one of the console’s first big exclusive titles. While many were surprised at the announcement of a DK game rather than a more battle-tested franchise, like the Mario series, the recent Donkey Kong Bananza Direct showed that the Kong can still rival the plumber. Among the reveals from the direct were details about Donkey Kong’s new abilities, the game’s story, as well as confirmation that the young girl spotted previously in leaks is in fact a younger version of Mario’s Pauline. This gives the game a clear link to Mario Odyssey, but it might not be the only thing DK Bananza will share with the most influential Switch games. As an early title for the Switch 2, Donkey Kong Bananza seems to have learned from a few of the Switch’s best titles.

Donkey Kong Bananza characters and Bananza Powers

Donkey Kong Bananza Reveals Villains, Allies, and the Ability to Turn Into a Zebra

Donkey Kong Bananza's new and returning characters are shown off in more detail ahead of the game's release, along with the reveal of Bananza Powers.

Posts 1

By Matthew Schomer

Donkey Kong Bananza Takes Cues from the Switch’s Best Successes

An Obvious Bridge to Mario Odyssey

Donkey Kong and Mario have always had a common history, being linked ever since some of their earliest appearances. While the DK franchise has evolved separately from the Mario games, the two have always remained under the same umbrella, as evidenced by DK and friends’ appearances in the Mario Kart and Mario Sports games. But now it seems like DK Bananza is taking the link a step further. While the new mechanics and setting in Bananza may take Donkey Kong out of his famous jungle setting, the game’s new art style and designs seem to create a link to the world of Super Mario Odyssey. This game even introduces a young version of Pauline as a co-op partner and companion for Donkey Kong, highlighting her singing in a similar way to her spotlight performance in Mario’s latest adventure.

Even from its first trailers, fans were quick to link DK Bananza to Mario Odyssey based on the design philosophy of the two games. Both are titles that took familiar characters and reinvented something about the way they interact with their world. DK’s new destructive exploration and powerful transformations change his character in a similar way to Mario’s new capture abilities. Both of these new mechanics take something about the familiar characters and change it just enough to create brand-new gameplay experiences.

The games even feel so similar that some are considering DK Bananza as a spiritual successor to Mario Odyssey. There is also a popular theory that the two games might hold a narrative link, with Bananza acting as Odyssey’s prequel, ushering in a new age of Mario and Donkey Kong stories for the next generation.

A Surprising Influence From the Legend of Zelda

A franchise that many people probably wouldn’t associate with Donkey Kong is the Legend of Zelda games. The kingdom of Hyrule and DK’s jungle are so vastly different that it’s difficult to find any common ground between the two series beyond their publisher, but some Zelda influences may have been slipped into DK Bananza. The new game has almost completely reinvented Donkey Kong’s abilities, giving him new attacks and new ways to interact with his environment.

The ingenious thing about this change is that both the exploration and combat stem from the newfound destructive power that Donkey Kong has been given in DK Bananza. With even more being borrowed from Mario Odyssey, Bananza takes place in a variety of medium-sized open areas that players can explore, but the way they explore it may be more influenced by Link than by Mario.

The standout change from both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, two of the Switch’s highest-grossing titles, was the emphasis on player creativity fueling exploration. In much the same way that Link’s Ultrahand ability gave players new ways to explore Hyrule, DK’s new moves will allow players to climb, surf, or smash their way through the environment to reach new areas however they see fit. Nintendo’s new design philosophy of giving players new powers to experiment with and then unleashing them on the world has become a trademark of the Nintendo Switch era of games, and now, it seems that Donkey Kong Bananza is continuing that philosophy into the era of the Nintendo Switch 2.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image