Donkey Kong Bananza Channels The Best of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Shrines

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2017 was the year when Nintendo unleashed an incredible pair of games: “Zelda: Breath of the Wild” and “Super Mario Odyssey“. The former revolutionized open-world game design, while the latter offered one of the most richly contented, delightful platforming experiences ever created. Although it may not have been as groundbreaking, “Donkey Kong Bananza” demonstrates that Nintendo continues to excel at crafting exceptional 3D platformers.

Developed by the same team behind Super Mario Odyssey, Donkey Kong Bananza is another testament to Nintendo’s endless ingenuity, offering players a treasure trove of original mechanics and gameplay concepts. However, unlike its predecessors, Donkey Kong Bananza doesn’t hesitate to acknowledge the games that have inspired it. The influences from Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are evident, particularly in its level design.

How Donkey Kong Bananza Borrows One of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Best Features

There’s No “Right” Way to Approach Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Shrines

In the game “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” a grand total of 136 Shrines can be found. These Shrines are unique, offering puzzles that frequently challenge players to think outside the box and use the game’s fundamental features in innovative and impactful ways. These features often rely on the Sheikah Slate’s abilities, such as Cryonis and Magnesis, which enable players to construct icy surfaces or manipulate metallic objects within the game world.

In “Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” most of the Shrines could be solved in multiple ways, but there was generally a single, distinct answer. However, this consistency doesn’t apply to “Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” as solutions can vary greatly.

Due to the incorporation of Ultrahand and Fuse, the Shrines in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom have significantly expanded their experimental nature compared to their earlier versions. Instead of offering a single obvious solution, most puzzles within the Shrines of Tears of the Kingdom empower players with complete flexibility when it comes to tackling and solving the challenges at hand.

In the Shrines of Tears of the Kingdom, players encounter parallel rails spanning a chasm, leading to the Shrine’s exit. Different players can employ various strategies for traversing this gap. Some might slide along these rails using their shield, while others may construct a homemade cart using Ultrahand and push it across. Alternatively, some players could build a tall structure to jump from with their paraglider. All of these approaches are equally effective solutions.

In the vast open-ended gameplay that Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom offers, its Shrines could potentially be more fulfilling and impactful than those in Breath of the Wild, since players can craft their distinct victorious journey through self-made solutions.

Donkey Kong Bananza’s Level Design Borrows Tears of the Kingdom’s Shrine Philosophy

Despite not quite matching the degree of player freedom found in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Donkey Kong Bananza shares a similar vibe when it comes to level design. In this game, destructible environments are central to the gameplay, allowing players to demolish large parts of each level’s landscape. This empowers players to create their own route towards objectives and hunt for numerous collectibles by blazing their own trail.

In certain challenge stages of Donkey Kong Bananza, this destructive freedom becomes relevant as players can choose multiple methods to solve puzzles or eliminate a specific number of adversaries within a given time frame. This freedom for the player is amplified when the game’s main character, Donkey Kong, undergoes transformations, allowing new ways to demolish and navigate through the environment.

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2025-07-22 20:34