9_10DOH64

I would have not bothered with any DKC Easter eggs, and let this be its own game. Just feels insulting to get a whiff of how great DKC 6 in Switch could/should be.
I only hope this game is a temporary deviation for DK, and we get a new DKC in the near future. If this turns out to be what DK games are from now on? That’ll be a sad state of affairs.

7/10 it is a solid 7 and a very good game.
It is by no stretch a 10/10. Only a handful of games every gen are worthy of the 10.
There’s more than enough shortcomings in Bananza to keep it from a 9 too.

I would honestly have scored this higher if this was the reboot of Wrecking Crew. It’d have been a genius way to reinvigorate that IP. Whereas what it does is rode the credibility of a legendary IP and switches roles of being on the monkeys back for a change.
DK is essentially smashing things to bits and endlessly mining now? Why?
Mine carts, barrels, swinging, complex genius and fluid level design, speed running, established strong cast of characters? Where are they? Just seems random to have DK, digging for 20 hours.

@Johnny44 I said except for little bits here and there.
Donkey Kong had a soundtrack all the way through that is distinctly DK and has a sound to it, that is completely part of the aesthetics to the whole game.
This soundtrack is just nothing, but has small uses of DKC sound that doesn’t do it any justice at all.

The first appearance of a mine cart, I thought YES finally!!
Then it literally rolled me for 3 seconds down to another island, and that was it 😂
😔

@Mesozoic_Masquerade I’ve picked a hill to die on? 😂
My avatar is Donkey Kong, as it’s my favourite Nintendo franchise and the icon is built from what’s available on the Online builder. I’ve also used it here, as it’s the game I’m playing right now.
I’ve said it’s a great game, I’ve said I like it.
What I’m saying is, is that it feels so far removed from Donkey Kong Country, the best play forming series ever, that it just feels short changed after I’ve waiting over a decade for a DKC sequel.

This game literally didn’t even need to use DK, it would have worked with anything IP. If anything it would have worked better as a reboot of Wrecking Crew.

DK turning into different beats like the WereHog Sonic is just wrong, as it totally bypasses the supporting cast from DKC that’s been around for 30 years.

Rambi appears in Bananza, but disappointing that he’s just stood there. Like Yoshi being in Mario, but you can’t ride him.

I’m not slagging the game off, I’m still playing it now. 😂
I’m saying it’s an underwhelming outing for DK, and would have been better utilised with a different IP.
For a DK game there’s just too much missing, and too much new.

@Jack_Goetz exactly, the small little puzzle rooms have nods to it. But the main soundtrack and sound to the game, just isn’t Donkey Kong

@Johnny44 there isn’t.
The majority of the soundtrack is just not Donkey Kong.

@Markiemania95 exactly. There’s references to, the majority of the soundtrack, just isn’t Donkey Kong

As great as the game is, it isn’t a system seller, it isn’t a Nintendo flagship title and it really isn’t a Donkey Kong game.
This game is to Switch 2 as what Luigi’s Mansion was to GameCube
An off-track venture with an established IP.
Given that fact, the sales it has achieved are impressive, racially given that DK hasn’t had a title out for over 10 years, except for recycles 3DS and Wii U games that didn’t sell too well either compared to Mario Odyssey.
I didn’t like Odyssey, just because is started so far from the established Mario formula, it just didn’t feel as magical. I far much preferred Wonder.
I’m sure as unit numbers grow, so will sales of Bananza, but I I don’t think you can freely pitch Bananza against Odyssey either.
No platformer was ever as huge as when Donkey Kong Country launched in SNES, until Mario64 launched on the 64. Nothing has been as big since either, so straying too far from those hit formulas just seems to be a possible miss step sometimes, sometimes worth the risk and some gems are born, like Luigi’s Mansion. Only time will tell with Bananza.

Either way.

Bring me Donkey Kong Country 6 with a David Wise composed soundtrack, as quickly as possible please.

I didn’t say anything that was nonsense. You took an opinion you read personally and felt the need to address me directly, I didn’t bring this to you.
Your experience, your opinion, is relevant to you and wholly irrelevant to me.

My experience is the Nintendo controllers have always been far better quality in terms of build and materials used, every generation, except 16-bit as Sega’s was as good.
Only niggle was the GameCube controller was perfect ergonomically, but the D-pad and right stick were dreadful.

ALL controllers wear out, and in my experience from N64 onward, Nintendo controllers are better quality and have a far greater life span.

The Dreamcast controller was shocking. The d lad was dreadful, the plastics were cheap, it had 2 too few buttons, it only had one analogue stick. The analogue triggers and stick were great though, loved the VMU too.

The original Saturn controller was one of my favourites too, still use it now.

@axelhander another ban? Mess? I Didn’t say anything offensive, so I apologise if you took offence. I just called your response for exactly how it sounded and the tact you took. Maybe calm down and proof read your responses before you post publicly. You decided to get personally offended and address me directly as you didn’t like my opinion.

But that’s off topic.

Back on topic.

Controller preference is 100% subjective and based on your personal experience with every one you’ve used. I have a multitude of reasons why I’ve preferred Nintendo controllers ever since NES. Typically comes down to build quality, ergonomics and lifespan.
I’ve never needed to fix a Nintendo controller ever.
Xbox on the other hand, I’ve never had a controller that didn’t have drift within 3 months, L3/R3 that disintegrates, low quality plastics and awful ergonomic.
PlayStation is somewhere in between, better quality, but awful drift issues, shocking battery life and the thumb sticks wear so fast that you need to be able the change the sticks or buy replacement covers for them, that never really fit.
But, that’s my experience generalised for those 3 platform.

@Dr_Lugae totally agree with you.
I’m not saying it’s a bad game. I’m just saying it isn’t anywhere near as good as the DKC franchise.
I’ve waited over 10 years for the next Donkey Kong game, and this just isn’t it. It’s more like an attempt at an alternate genre for the IP, this literally could have been any IP and didn’t need to use DK at all.
Just makes me want the next DKC even more.
Again, it’s not a bad game either, it’s just average. Controls are awesome, but it just feel middle of the road meandering with no real difficultly.
There’s nothing wrong with this using the DK IP, I just hope it isn’t instead of Donkey Kong Country, and we get DKC 6 soon.

It would have made FAR more sense for this game to have used the Wrecking Crew IP

It is a cool mechanic. But to base the WHOLE game on that mechanic, it gets boring and just isn’t a Donkey Kong game.
It’s like an Earthworm Jim sequel taking the Lorenzos Soil level from EWJ2 and making every level of the entire game like that. It would be appalling, repetitive and just not fun. The draw is finding out just how much is destructive, and it’s a lot and impressive, but it’s at the cost of any recognisable level design and is a total disservice to fans of DKC.
I can only hope this is a separate venture and a new Donkey Kong Country game is in the works.

@axelhander not in the slightest. I brought up years and numbers to answer your ignorant assumption that I’ve not used many controllers, not as a trump card on controller opinion authority.
My opinion is that the switch pro controller was the best quality controller ever made, the switch 2 controller is slightly better.
Your opinion is that my opinion is wrong. That’s just childish and borderline autistic in itself.
What’s your favourite controller?

@axelhander you’re right I’ve not used many. I’ve used ALL, since 1987.

Got on day one.
It’s a great game, visit feel it just isn’t a Donkey Kong game and it makes me want a new Donkey Kong Country even more.
I actually think the game is a huge missed opportunity and would have been better suited to rejuvenating other IP like Ice Climbers or even a new one all together, something that would be better suited to the relentless digging.
The game is say is underwhelming as I was really looking forward to a Donkey Kong game, which this just isn’t. Still a good game though, but more like 7/10.
Bring on Donkey Kong Country 6 and bring back David Wise scoring the game again.

Edit:
Being honest, this game gets worse the further you get into it. It’s just a mess and random. Too much noise and disjointed nonsense, like a TikTok video over a piece of art. Donkey Kong Games have been renowned for benchmark setting level design, graphic design, sound design, character design, soundtrack, and just generally being a piece of art. THIS is like a James Gunn version of Donkey Kong.
I’m actually liking the new design of Donkey Kong less and less and really want the RareWare version back, and back as soon as possible.

I’m not bothered what a modder thinks, at all.
Take away the abiiity for somebody to carry out their own repairs versus the actual quality of this controller versus any other controller ever made. Ever!
?
THIS is the best controller ever made

The worst thing about the new Mario kart, is that it isn’t Mario kart.
There is no GP, it’s too wide, too open, to aimless, to warping centred, it loses all the appeal of the racing element and is just chaos, with skill rarely winning out.
The simplicity and how much more you would perform dependent on your practice and skill at the racing itself, turned GPs into one the greatest multiplayers on SNES and N64. The later games were always better when they introduced tracks from Super and 64, because they were perfect.
The multiplayer should draw in you in, hook you and make you want to keep coming back. That needs structure and balance, as offered by the better older tracks and GP structure. What is on offer with World, is just a mess.

I’d honestly prefer that they listed them as purchasable and unowned then and downloaded them, rather than they form part of an online subscription. There’s some real classics that stand up today. If they released Luigi’s Mansion as six it’s a £19.99 game straight away

@Knightrider1 No Mercy was not an arcade wrestler, it was way more of a sim. Smackdown was arcade

GameCube was the first console I bought on day one.
Fitbit with Sonic Adventure 2, Star Wars Rogue Squadron, Crazy Taxi and Luigi’s Mansion (massive surprise hit for me and one of my long lasting favourites of all time).
It was awesome beyond my expectations and so happy they’ve brought it back on Switch 2.
I’ve bought every Nintendo on launch ever since

Because they all insisted on digital only key carts.
I can think of 4 third party launch titles, that had they been actual physical carts, I’d have bought them

Pointless statistic for PS5 and XBox as I’d say a third if not half of those sales were all purchased by scalpers and they sat on resale sites like eBay for MONTHS after launch

Wry much enjoying the return to the cover image wrapping around the spine, or at least a non bland approach to the spine like on GameCube. Looks far better on a shelf.. those who buy and collect physical will know exactly what I mean.
Won’t be buying game key cards though. Third parties need to step up and use actual karts, unless the game files bigger than 64GB.
Nintendo then needs to manufacture 128gb game carts, I’d happily pay for it. Better than having to get a 4TB EX SD later down the line, it’ll be u affordable without you constantly deleting and redownloading game files. Like on the garbage PS5

Rubbish feature.
I’d rather Nintendo cancelled the idea of key cards and all games were released physically instead of allowing third party developers to cheap out and pass the cost of storage into the gamer by keep having to buy bigger and bigger SD EX cards like Sony does

This is literally a list of every game that had £69.99 of my guaranteed money, dropped to £0.
I’m not buying a cart unless the game is on the cart.
It’s a garbage idea and completely defeats the point of a cartridge based gaming system

@LoneWolfSones I know they’re not. I am saying, the infringement is THAT bad, they have plagiarised in literally every level. The fact that Nintendo are only suing them on a mechanical level, they should be thanking Jesus.
It is the biggest rip off of an existing IP I’ve ever seen. The fact they try and defend it, is a joke.
Everybody who plays literally says “haha it’s Pokémon with guns, Pokémon should have done this years ago” thing is, you can’t just steal an IP and do what you think with it, unless you want suing.
Nintendo are right 100% and PalWorld is the biggest joke I’ve ever seen

The difference is. PalWorld is a 100% rip off and plagiarism gone rife.
ALL the characters are rip off of Pokémon design and all have the exact same design aesthetic as Pokémon. The game concept is the same, the mechanics are the same. The whole game should be shut down and Nintendo paid £millions in damages.
It’s no different to Ed Sheeran or Pharell Williams plagiarising songs when writing theirs and having to pay millions to the originals they ripped off.
They may as well have called Pocket Monster World

It absolutely does compete with GTA. I can guarantee I’ll be buying Mario kart before GTA VI and would never pay full price for a GTA anyway, more than half of them are garbage. With a few stand out appearances. Every MarioKart has been AAA

They need to chuck this idea in the bin immediately. It’s a waste of time. Either release digital only, or release an actual game cartridge. Nintendo gamers don’t want empty cartridges. Release the FULL game on a cart, or don’t bother

100% no.
I’ll buy digital and I’ll buy physical. But a physical copy of a digital game that eats up HDD space and needs a cart every time?
I guarantee EA suggested this to Nintendo

Pathetic.
I’ll be getting madden 26 on release on Switch 2, digital form eshop, it’s awesome to see it back on Nintendo. But no physical release is pure cheap EA through and through. I’d happily pay an extra £15 for a full game card to cover the cost of the cart. Not paying full price for a game key though. Rubbish.

This is why cartridges will remain the best form of video game media.
Buy physical and you don’t need to worry about HDD space as they don’t install onto the machine, they play right off the cart.
This is why key carts are disgusting.

Offer digital and/or offer physical. Not releasing physical full games is just cheating and putting off collectors and gamers. And also forcing you to buy additional memory, if all games were on carts, you wouldn’t even need an additional EX SD card