Current Events > DK Bananza is great.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'm only a couple worlds (layers) in but man, it really fulfills that stress-relieving urge to just destroy everything you can see. Haven't gotten this kind of thing since Hulk Ultimate Destruction.

I'm also really digging all the references and bonus room stuff. Came across a bonus room that was calling back to DKC1's first level in aesthetics, music, and level design. I really want an HD remake of the classic DKC trilogy now, lmao.

I just ordered mine from Costco. Should have it sometime next week. Game looks great.

I pre-ordered from Best Buy and it was supposed to arrive today and then I get an email this morning that it's now arriving tomorrow even though it's 20 minutes from here. I went to the nearby Target and grabbed the last copy and I'll just return the other copy to Best Buy when it gets here. Haven't had a chance to play it yet.

I want to get this game once I eventually get a Switch 2.

I'm somewhat interested, but I'm in the middle of finally playing Rune Factory 5, so that'll probably take me a while. I'm kinda hoping there'll be a small discount on the game somewhere by the time I'm finished with that, because I don't know if it interests me enough to warrant the $70 price tag (and from what I understand, there might be a few spoilers I want to avoid, so I'm a little leery of looking around for further info on the game in general).

I'm hearing great stuff about this game, and even some streamers saying it's a GOTY contender (some even saying it will give Expedition 33 a run for it's money, though I doubt that).

I've only played a tiny bit so far, but it's been great. Looking forward to getting to play more later.

My copy is currently out for delivery but this showed up already

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/e/e6974d4d.jpg

Look awesome and really makes me antsy for my copy to show up...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/fa9fd6e0.jpg

Funny seeing it next to the Smash Bros. DK... I don't have the other DK to compare it with

My Best Buy order just showed up even though it still says tomorrow for the tracking info. Ran to Target for no reason I guess.

Its fairly enjoyable, not sure where the 10s are coming from though.

D. K.

Chunky's dead.

Also this game is a stimulation extravaganza.

Loving the game... Easily my GOTY so far but I do have some other games coming out this year so we'll see how it holds up...

Planning to pick it up when I get paid next week

I'm in the canyon/refinery world and absolutely loving this game. I enter a world, smash a big piece of it for awhile to get a bunch of maps, then go out exploring. So much to do and find!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xOgW_MOORQk

Got all the banans and fossils in the first layer.
Onto the next layer. Absolutely loving it so far.

Unlike my first playthrough of Mario Odyssey, something about this game is keeping my interest enough to where I absolutely want to get all the gems and fossils before I move on to a new layer.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


The gameplay is a little weird at first and too overstimulating, but yeah once they introduce fossils and stuff, it feels more rewarding and less like an ADHD simulator.

Yo the Latin American flavor on the Zebra song is FIRE.

Shouldshould I spend 600 dollars on a Switch 2 play this? Thats my only issue with this so far.

This is the game to play on the Switch 2. It's definitely working new ways with 3D platforms and is just a joy.

LearntoRead posted...

Shouldshould I spend 600 dollars on a Switch 2 play this? Thats my only issue with this so far.

I always say to find more than one reason to buy a brand new console. For me it was enhanced Switch 1 game performance, Gamecube NSO, and this game + Mario Kart World that I really wanted and that was enough for me, but it might be different for you.

I'm at the junction that splits between a forest layer and a snowy layer. I finished the forest layer (what's the recent obsession with the "poisoned forest" aesthetic from Nintendo?) and am now doing the snowy layer. Man is the place making me hungry. It's entirely themed around ice cream and all sorts of related goodies. The "dirt" is hunks of chocolate sprinkles, the pathways are marked by chocolate bars, the houses look like ice cream scoops, and at the top of a mountain it's covered in sherbet.

LearntoRead posted...

Shouldshould I spend 600 dollars on a Switch 2 play this? Thats my only issue with this so far.

I see the $450-500 as an investment towards future S2 games and availability and potential moddability given the potential of increased system price or unavailability with the uncertain economic climate.

LearntoRead posted...

Shouldshould I spend 600 dollars on a Switch 2 play this? Thats my only issue with this so far.

No. Mario kart is also fun though, and I enjoyed Tears of the Kingdom but its also available on the regular Switch but I never played it on that.

I think the Switch 2 will have a great library soon though. But I dont think any single game is worth picking up a system for. I have DK down as my GOTY so far though.

Can you destroy an entire level and leave it as an empty void?

LightningAce11 posted...

Can you destroy an entire level and leave it as an empty void?

There's some parts of the level that are completely indestructible, but with enough patience you probably can leave just the indestructible floors and walls. Would probably take an entire day to do one level that way though, and it all gets rebuilt if you leave it.

LightningAce11 posted...

Can you destroy an entire level and leave it as an empty void?

You can destroy anything that isn't metal, and most areas have indestructible base platforms at the very bottom. So you can basically strip a level down to a skeleton, but some are so massive it would take many many hours. I spent over an hour completely tearing down the beginning platform in the lagoon area, which is a small area for this game.

BakonBitz posted...

There's some parts of the level that are completely indestructible, but with enough patience you probably can leave just the indestructible floors and walls. Would probably take an entire day to do one level that way though, and it all gets rebuilt if you leave it.

You can reset it from the map by pressing + button as well.

Definitely agree, just got my second Bananza form and am having a blast. I cant believe how fun this game is.

How the soundtrack?

The DK direct gave me Sonic + Bayonetta + Xenoblade X vibes

Yeah, I'm pretty hooked. It feels like the exploration feels like Odyssey, but the destruction adds so much.

The only knock I have to give is the boss fights. There are mechanics there, and while they're extremely short, using Bananza cuts them down to mere seconds, and you barely have enough time to get how they work.

PowerOats posted...

How the soundtrack?

The DK direct gave me Sonic + Bayonetta + Xenoblade X vibes

It's a bit understated outside of Bananza transformations, bosses, and cutscenes.

PowerOats posted...

How the soundtrack?

Fantastic. Throughout every level you build these little rest spot homes and can sleep or jam to records you pickup. I have mine set to the og DKC map theme so every time I go near a home it's playing.

Welp... Beat the game... I didn't even feel like I was rushing, just having a great time with it... Ended the game with like 400 Bananas and definitely going to keep playing to get more Also it looks like theres some postgame content to get through too...

Definitely my GotY so far... Really only have BL4 and Digimon Time Stranger left as far as big games go so I'll see if either of those dethrone DK...

I'm personally waiting for Metroid Prime 4 to see what my GotY might be. I'm a huge Metroid fan and I hope the wait for Prime 4 will be worth it.

I think Expedition 33 is pretty much set in stone as my GotY, but Bananza is very likely going to be a solid second.

Hayame_Zero posted...

I think Expedition 33 is pretty much set in stone as my GotY, but Bananza is very likely going to be a solid second.

Yeah I don't think this will top E33 for me either, but it'll probably top Odyssey.

How do you get the banana affixed to the underside of the platform with the Style Shop in Lagoon Layer SL 101? Bombs or jump punch down don't seem to work

I just got to the snow area. The game is fine but Pauline needs a mute button and it is way, way, WAY too button mashy.

chris1001_the_sequel posted...

I just ordered mine from Costco. Should have it sometime next week. Game looks great.

Somewhat related question .. is Switch 2 system ordering a thing, or just games?

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


Post game

From what I played and observed at my friends house, I can understand why this game is addicting. Even my 6 year old daughter was having a blast just smashing everything in a level. My wife called it a tiktok brain game, I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing either so long as you're having fun.

Hayame_Zero posted...

I think Expedition 33 is pretty much set in stone as my GotY, but Bananza is very likely going to be a solid second.

Expedition 33 has all the ingredients for a GOTY award. People would rather see a smaller studio win it than a larger multi-billion dollar one win. Split Fiction, Death Stranding 2, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, and DK Bananza are also other games that people say has a chance of getting nominated as well. I'm hoping Metroid Prime 4 is good, but with the long wait and having to redo the game over and over again...I have fears that it won't reach its hype.

Hayame_Zero posted...

I think Expedition 33 is pretty much set in stone as my GotY, but Bananza is very likely going to be a solid second.

E33 is a game that on all accounts I should like but I just can't for some reason...

Prestoff posted...

I'm hearing great stuff about this game, and even some streamers saying it's a GOTY contender (some even saying it will give Expedition 33 a run for it's money, though I doubt that).

My experience with the game is that it's good, simple fun. Absolute blast shredding through terrain and blowing stuff up. It is nowhere close to GotY for me. Might sneak in a "Best Family Game" award or something.

Like it's really, really good. But this is an insanely stacked year and let's be real with how much Geoff has overhyped DS2 that probably wins every award regardless of if it deserves it or not.

I will add the caveat that I am not a Donkey Kong fan. Never much cared for 2D Side-scrollers as a genre to begin with and I know a lot of Donkey Kong fans are very, very diehard with the franchise. So for them, this could well be their Game of the Year. To me, it's "Yo it's the final level of Super Mario Odyssey Where you Cap Bowser and play as him but as a whole game." Which is amazing. It's so fun. But so far E33 clearly takes it. I'd probably put Blue Prince above this too, to be honest.

Also this game isn't hiding its Deep Rock Galactic influences. But like. DRG is an amazing game too. So...yeah. Oh yeah the forest level is full of growing red spike vines? Suuuuure Nintendo. I see you.