Donkey Kong Bananza: DK’s Very Own Odyssey – Feature
Nintendo’s going back to its roots to try and replicate the Switch’s story of success.
At today’s Switch 2 Direct presentation, the next big Nintendo 3D platformer was unveiled, and Mario was nowhere to be seen. Instead, we were shown the first member of the DK Crew, starring in Donkey Kong Bananza, a name that deliciously alludes to the titular character’s favorite fruit. At first glance, it looked like a potential sequel to 2017’s Super Mario Odyssey, but once the smoke cleared and a familiar simian emerged, it was all the way on like Donkey Kong.
With sprawling, open environments reminiscent of Odyssey, Donkey Kong will be smashing and bashing his way through some new enemy types. While we didn’t see any Kremlins or King K. Rool himself, I won’t be surprised if Nintendo is saving them for the next trailer. Instead, the focus here was on exploration and some intriguing new mechanics. Donkey can now drill into the ground and then pop out into a different part of the environment. More than this, he can also grab pieces of the ground and cliffs and throw them at other geological structures to uncover the treasure hidden within. Destruction seems to be the name of the game here, and just like how Cappy enabled Mario to transform and soar to new heights, DK’s newfound abilities feel like a genuine game changer. No longer will we need to book time at our local Anger Room to smash random objects into tiny pieces; we’ll channel our rage into Donkey Kong’s fists instead.
Looking a little bit closer at the trailer, we can see other elements that capitalize on what worked in Super Mario Odyssey. For one, we see a glimpse of a throwback Donkey Kong Country segment that shifts to a more 2D-style perspective, in the same way that Odyssey featured a number of original Super Mario Bros. challenges and the unforgettable Jump Up, Super Star section in New Donk City (appropriately so). Some of the new enemies are eerily reminiscent of the Broodles, like the one riding the floating rock, and DK even has a purple rock-like companion astride his hearty shoulders. The crescent moon shape created by the clouds above Ingot Isle calls to mind the moons collected by Mario. Even some of the environments, like the opening underground jungle space and the flower and grass-filled plains made me question whether I was watching a trailer for Super Mario Odyssey 2. Instead, we ended up with something I want to get my hands on even more.
Donkey Kong Bananza is the freshest DK title we’ve had since Donkey Kong 64, and there was a banana boatload of ways that a new 3D game in this franchise could grow and evolve. What looks to be the next release from the Super Mario Odyssey team has me pounding my chest in excitement. I wasn’t overwhelmed by the Switch 2’s new features, but Bananza leaning into what made Odyssey so great is exactly what I needed to see from the Direct. His prominence in the Super Mario Bros. Movie, a theme park ride at Universal Studios., and now a brand new adventure front and center for the Switch 2 launch window all point towards one indisputable fact. Donkey Kong is here. And he’s here to stay.
