Topic: Donkey Kong Bananza

@Bolt_Strike
That’s what I’m saying: it’s in his dialogue. He calls them darn “monkeys” or something like that, just like a scooby doo villain lol and for me at least it created that cohesion with him acknowledging that this family always foils his plans.

I think it fits the overall cartoony vibe.

@rallydefault I think he calls them "filthy monkeys" because they're well, monkeys(or monkey adjacent in Pauline's case).

@N00BiSH
Yea, and that was the part where I took it as him referring to the whole Kong family, showing that he knew DK and this was yet another foiled plan.

@Hapless
I ended up liking that layer a lot, too - I just wish it came earlier in the game. By that point I was kind of burned out.

I also agree with the timing of the game, but I wonder if they wanted to stagger it by a month because they didn't have anything else to fill the gap. If they had launched with both MK and DK in June, we would have had nothing totally new until... potentially October with Pokemon. That would be a looooong gap.

(Unless you count Drag X Drive.)

It could also be that they wanted an extra couple of million units in the market to maximise sales.

In some ways you get higher sales by being there at the launch but in other ways the time and attention people (and the media) pay to "oh BoTW loads 60% faster now - let's try it and play for 50 hours to see how good the Lost Woods looks in a higher resolution" would detract from immediate sales of a game like DKB.

It is, of course, a really, really good game that will sell both copies and consoles for years to come. I'm not very far in it but I'd also assess that it's maybe an easier and even more natural entry point for young gamers than Mario Odyssey was. It also feels in some ways like a bridge into games like BoTW and ToTK.

I guess what I'm saying is that, yes, having it there at launch would have changed the discourse of the launch into slightly more positive territory (though I think it's been positive overall - echo chambers notwithstanding) but in the short-medium term it will fade into the background of what makes Switch 2 the console it is throughout its life in the same way that Mario Odyssey did.

I don't think it makes sense to launch w/ two big first-party titles anymore. Staggering your releases keeps the conversation, and people who would've bought the console at launch in a world where both games were available at release would probably also buy the console with DK coming in July anyway. Probably encouraged more sales for MK from the get-go as well.

I also totally think people put too much emphasis on "launch day" when "launch window" is more of a thing. A lot of titles that people associate with previous console launches weren't actually there day 1, but in the first year of the console launch.

just got past the radiance and groove layers. despite thinking the snake bananza was really cool, i didnt really like the radiance layer much. maybe its cause im trying to 100% the game and theres so many collectibles there? but the twist and the groove layer was perfect. i loved the change of things in the groove layer, i had so much fun there. and now im in the feast layer, which gives me EXTREEEMEEE odyssey vibes. i think im nearing the end though. cant wait!
also why are discs SO HARD TO GET
and god forbid i cant read an nl article cause it has dk spoilers 😿😿 another thing im looking forward to after finishing this amazing game

Finished it.

Loved it.

As for post-credits content? I'll tap out here and I might revisit it next year as I have other games I want to play.

Plus, as it is, it wouldn't surprise me if Nintendo's Year In Review reveals that this is the game I have spent the most hours on in 2025.

Loved it.

Finally finished this game a couple days ago and... One of the greatest games I have ever played it had no reason being that good

i just beat donkey bananza at long last! man those final moments in the forbidden layer and planet core were something else. the reveal was perfect, and so was the return to new donk city. i wish NDC was playable as a a layer tho (is it?). incredible ending. this game is already probably in my top ten. the friendahip between pauline and dk feels real and its so heartwarming. fun fun FUN! now onto the post game content-i have all fossils and most bananas collected, so im prob gonna try to go for 100%! even if u dislike donkey kong, its hard to imagine anyone NOT liking this game. D….K!
only thing i want is online integration with leaderboards for battles/challenges/races kinda like odyssey .

I do not like this three digit level number system in DK Banaza. It shouldn't be distracting, but it is for me.

I finished this game. It's good! I wouldn't put it quite on the same level as Mario Odyssey or Galaxy — moving DK isn't quite as fun as dashing around as the nimble and acrobatic Mario. But it's quite fun and the final act really elevates it. RIP to millions of innocent people instantly turned to ashes in New Donk City.

Some spiffy new concept art for Bananza, courtesy of the Nintendo Today app.

I hope this game gets a proper artbook.

This is the best game I've played in years, and tops Mario Odyssey as my new favorite 3D platformer. Fitting given DKC Tropical Freeze is my favorite 2D platformer. Seems DK has actually taken over Mario. Still, Mario Odyssey and Super Mario Bros Wonder are one heck of a duo. I wouldn't fault anyone who ranks those 2 games as best.

@JaxonH I'm starting to wonder if it beats Odyssey if I'm honest.

I've just finished collecting all Banandium Gems and I'm actually somewhat tempted to start a new file.

It's not often I want to replay a game immediately after basically 100%ing it...

@Buizel
Once a game reaches a certain threshold of awesomeness it becomes very difficult to discern which ones are better. DK Bonanza and Mario Odyssey are both so good, it could go either way depending on who you ask.

I like the minute to minute gameplay in DK though. It never gets old using Sonar for bananas and fossils then figuring out how to dig your way to them. And the technical skill ceiling using Surf Turfs and double jumps is impressive.

Regardless which is better, they're both must-play gems.

This is really it, isn't it.

I game a few criticisms earlier in the thread, but that was ultimately down to game structure / level design. But when I game just feels this damn good to play...yeah, it's really something special.

Really hope we get a sequel to this in a few years.

@Buizel
What's great is, it's been almost a decade since we played Mario Odyssey. And with the recent update to 1800p 60fps docked, 1080p 60fps handheld, it's very appealing as a follow up to DK Bonanza if you want more 3D platforming. And even if it's not regarded as highly, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury got a nice update to resolution and framerate as well. And I love that game too. It's different, but thats good. Different games should provide different experiences.

@Hapless
Some of these bananas are too hard for me. Like this challenge destroying a building. The 3rd banana requires you destroying all the concrete with 20 seconds left. I can barely do it with 5 seconds left. There was another one too Surf Turfing across spikes- I couldn't complete it with 20 seconds remaining. So I've had to leave bananas on the table here and there. I don't remember ever finding a moon I lacked the skill to get in Odyssey.

Maybe my skills are getting dull with time. Or maybe the game is just a bit harder.

@JaxonH The surf turf one becomes easier with the correct upgrades.