Topic: Donkey Kong Bananza

@OmnitronVariant Not much on level 100/101 tbh. You haven't hit most of the npcs, transformations, dangers, bosses, power ups, categories of mini games, etc.

@FishyS I don’t think you read my post. My problem isn’t with what there is to do, it’s the way the game is designed, everything being a pinata of effects and collectibles literally everywhere. I’m not saying it’s boring, I’m saying it’s designed like a pachinko machine. I really don’t like it.

Mario Odyssey took a step in this direction, but this ups it to new heights I personally find unplayable. I want to retain my attention span and normal dopamine receptors and not play stuff like this.

@OmnitronVariant My point is that some of the mini games and power ups and gameplay in general aren't like that. Maybe you will enjoy them more. The first level is all about smash. That certainly stays in the game but you can't smash poison and there is flying and puzzles and other things.

Maybe you still won't like it, but you're on level 1 out of quite a few and each adds new features that don't only involve smashing rocks. Granted, there is still a lot of smashing rocks. And there are still lots of collectibles but that is standard fair for Donkey Kong games.

From my personal playthrough, I feel like the game got both better and less chaotic starting at level 300. Granted, the game can still be a bit overwhelming. I play in relatively short bursts; I know some people played it for 50 hours in one week but my brain would have exploded.

@OmnitronVariant
You didn’t sell your Switch 2?

And now you’re here to give us your expert, 1-hour opinion on a 20-hour game. And shockingly, you don’t like it. Sweet.

@OmnitronVariant
I ask, why did you purchase it knowing ahead of time it's all collectathon with stuff everywhere and tons of effects? 20 seconds of gameplay footage shows that much.

It's perfectly fine to not like the game, that's a subjective thing, and not everyone likes every game. But you're complaining about things that were blatantly obvious and yet you bought it anyways, and now are complaining about it? It shouldn't matter how many people were praising it because even the most highly praised games have it's subset of people that just don't like it on a structural or mechanical basis.

If you didn't watch gameplay before purchasing, I would strongly advise doing so in the future moving forward.

All that said, the effects of dirt flying when you break through something is just a split second. And you don't have to go digging and breaking through everything. How i'm playing is more along the lines of a platformer. The only time I dig is if there's a secret, which there are always signs indicating you should check there.

Other than that I keep it moving. There are a lot of bananas and fossils, but finding them is the fun. It's not mind numbing to me to find secrets. But if it is for you, the good news is, you're not really gated behind a banana count. Youll find enough naturally for upgrades. And you'll get enough fossils naturally that you just kind of come across or notice that you should at least be able to get some basic pants and tie and Pauline outfit with a good trait on them.

Clearly you knew the game was designed around finding hidden secrets to collect. But you criticize it saying that's mind numbing.

Here's what I think the problem is- you are judging it based off that beginning area and the first sub level. In those areas it's designed for you to just mindlessly smash, I guess because the developers figured the player would want to do that right away, Idk.

But it changes after that. You're just getting to the point in the game where the entire structure and design evolves. So it's yeah not a good idea to judge the game based on what you played right now.

Get to level 201 or 301 after fighting at least a boss. And then you will be able to determine more clearly a better informed assessment as to whether you like or do not like the game.

Cause yeah, if the entire game was like that, beginning area up through 101, I'd say it was a disappointment myself. But it's not like that, and you have to keep in mind not to ever dig mindlessly. Never. Only dig if there's a purpose. Such as your radar, detecting a banana beneath you. Or a fossile. Or a hidden cave you need to break through. If you're digging for any other reason than that, you're gonna burn out doing a mindless activity.

Try what I suggested, and if you still don't like it after you get to 301, then fair enough. Cause, I don't think anything will change your mind after that point. But I have an inkling that you're gonna come back and say, wow, okay, the game did become fun after I got through that beginning area and started progressing through the levels, and playing differently where I wasn't just digging for no reason killing my brain cells.

I usually search for bananas and fossils for each level and get the ones that I can find. After that, I'll move on. I'm not going to waste my time blindly digging or wandering around, hoping I stumble upon something. And since progress isn't gated behind bananas, there's really no reason to stress about finding more of them. I think they are fun to discover and earn through challenges, and because you can use them to buy useful upgrades, there's incentive to discover them and overcome challenges. But once I've got all the low hanging fruit I move on, because I know it'll just become a slog if I try to get the remaining ones I couldn't find the first time through. And I still find enough to get plenty of upgrades.

If you're willing to take my advice, get back to me.Once you are a couple more levels down. I'd be interested to hear if you feel any differently, then.

I'm 8-9 hours in and I feel you. I do ignore the endless collecting of inconsequential shinies, but even then...

• The look is somehow not pretty. Lot of garish color contrasts and unelegant borders.
• Dare I say, not just the look but also the level design is a bit reminiscent of Gamecube era. "Urgh our swamp is full of goo, quick Mario Sunshine Ratchet Gex Psychonaut clear it up!"
• The copy paste nature of villages and NPC's doesn't help, it all feels very same-ish
• And it's a bit rough around the edges too, camera troubles like it's 64, map is jerky and not fun to use

So all in all, I haven't decided yet if it's too archaic or too modern for my taste 😵‍💫 It's not bad of course, but it's a far cry from Mario Galaxy or a major Zelda game.

@NintendoWife I agree with your observations as well. I’ve played a little bit more here and there. Last I played I got to 302 after the second NPC town just being slapped onto a plain plain, made it look like something out of a procedurally generated game, yet it’s curated and hand made, so there’s only the downside.

The game feels overly polished in ways that look good in trailers and make it “feel” smooth to play, but it doesn’t make it more enjoyable.

The levels all have so far felt run of the mill generic. Sure you can destroy a lot but that’s only fun for five minutes then the levels are just basic designs other older games have done far better, I find. It’s also extremely easy, which isn’t inherently negative, but it adds to the numbness of spectacle with no substance.

Hearing that this game is overall pretty easy actually makes me want to give this game a try if I get a Switch 2, since I'm not the best at video games. For being such a massive Nintendo fan, I've actually never played a Donkey Kong game in my life 🤣.

Edit: just curious, is there an easy mode in this game? When I played through Mario Odyssey two years ago I couldn't beat the second half of the game without the assist mode.

@Hapless, thanks, I will keep that in mind! 😄

If you're playing the game by just destroying everything, you're:

A) Doing it wrong, but also
B) doing it entirely right... because that's the beauty of it.

On face value, that probably makes no sense, but for people who have put a lot of time into the game, they'll know what I mean.

I haven't tried assist, but it sounds like the main difference is less damage and more health regeneration. That wouldn't necessarily help some of the harder mini games (which are optional anyways), but apparently they also give you extra time in mini games which is a clever change. Details here:

https://www.nintendolife.com/guides/donkey-kong-bananza-norma...

@rallydefault Yeah, the game is extremely flexible in letting you progress how you want. And that's always good, that gives the game a broad appeal. Wanna just blast through the game completing the mandatory story missions? Wanna wander around and just smash everything in sight? That's your choice.

For what’s it worth I found my first few hours with the game really underwhelming. The opening mine/tutorial level felt a bit dull and then the beachside level was really confusing when I first started playing.

I’m playing with assist mode on. I’ve got to tempest level and it’s telling me I have to chase the sinister blustering. However I haven’t got the elephant banaza yet so when I beat it the first time and it falls though down to the next layer I can’t chase it.

Any advice? It’s the first time in the game I’ve been stuck

@JaxonH I got to 301 and played around it for a bit and nope, I don't enjoy it any more than before. This entire area is extremely dull visually as well which doesn't help.

The game also seems designed to destroy children's attention span. Pauline literally tells you there's a banana before you even have half a second's chance to spot it. Can't have the kids being bored, I guess. There's a banana literally everywhere I go anyway so it's not like they're rare and hard to find. This is an extremely disappointing Nintendo game that feels like a pachinko machine lightly dressed up as a videogame, except I already gave them my money up front, so why are they so desperate to keep my dopamine going every single second I interact with it..?

I really dislike this type of game design. Mario Odyssey dipped its toes in it, as I mentioned before, but this dives in head first and I really hope it's an odd one out, because I don't want more franchises to end up like this...

because that's how most video games work??? they're designed to be constantly engaging, especially in the context of an action game like this? this feels like a very weird nitpick.

Thanks I’d already done that. I hadn’t realised you needed to beat the boss once then punch through the whirlwind to get to the lower level. I have the banaza now.

Really enjoying this game.

Love having a simple mindless fun game in the rotation you can just pick up and blast 15/20 mins and don’t have to worry if it’s been a week or two and forgetting where you’re at.

Great on a personal level as a new Dad gaming time is extremely limited so it’s perfect to fit in those tight time slots!

Anyone played the dlc yet? How is it so far?

@SplatRay001 played about 20 mins. It’s a beautiful new island but is on the small side. Has timed rounds collecting green emeralds.