Donkey Kong Bananza’s Platforming Is Just As Important as Its Destruction

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Donkey Kong Brawl breaks away from the traditional series format by providing a fresh and exhilarating gameplay style, enabling players to wreak havoc on anything within sight. Players are given the liberty to demolish any object they come across, turning towering peaks into rubble. This engaging and captivating gameplay mechanic wouldn’t have been feasible on the original Nintendo Switch, making Donkey Kong Brawl a tempting acquisition for those who own the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.

Although Donkey Kong Bananza showcases innovative gameplay, it remains a platformer at its core. Instead of solely relying on the demolition feature, the game offers a traditional platforming experience as well. For those who love destruction in Donkey Kong Bananza, the game provides ample opportunities. However, for those who prefer a more conventional approach, navigating through levels is just as satisfying and meticulously designed.

DK Bananza Levels Are More Than Destructive Sandboxes

Many fans of Donkey Kong Bananza find the game’s destructible landscape to be its most captivating feature. The game allows players to wreak havoc on their surroundings, turning meticulously designed environments into caves and chasms. While certain areas within these levels are immune to destruction, this means that players can rampage through Donkey Kong Bananza‘s voxel-based terrain without fear of running out of content to interact with.

Instead of rushing to excavate the fossils and Banandium Gems buried beneath the ground straight away, it’s worthwhile to appreciate the level design above ground first. Despite the developers of Donkey Kong Bananza urging you to demolish the game’s landscape, the undamaged version of each level offers a satisfying experience that could be overlooked if everything is destroyed. These levels are meticulously designed, much like any other 3D platformer, providing an equally captivating playstyle for those seeking a more conventional adventure.

In other words, players can strategically choose what they destroy in the game without missing out on any content. The design of the levels clearly indicates where hidden sections and puzzles can be found. Some players might prefer to discover the collectibles in a planned way instead of accidentally stumbling upon them while destroying the environment. Furthermore, players have the choice to purchase maps for any missed Banadium Gems and fossils, allowing them to dig only when it’s necessary.

DK’s New Abilities Are Perfect for Platforming

The Skill Tree Opens Up More Playstyle Possibilities

In Donkey Kong Bananza, while players are encouraged to create unique paths by destroying the environment, the game also provides numerous rewards to persuade them to remain airborne and traverse the upper layers, much like a typical 3D platformer. Some of the fresh features in the game, such as the Jump Shot double jump and Spin Jump, grant players a significant amount of vertical freedom, an aspect they can’t fully utilize when trapped by the low ceilings of their custom-made caves.

As a gamer digging through the vibrant world of Donkey Kong Bananza, I can’t help but feel encouraged to pause my excavating adventures and immerse myself in the beauty around me. The Turf Surf ability is a standout example, with the enhancements Better Turf Surfing and Surf Surf making it easier for me to traverse the expansive levels. These upgrades significantly boost Donkey Kong’s platforming prowess compared to previous games in the series, offering me more flexibility in navigating each level, exploring every nook and cranny at my own pace.

Providing players multiple strategies to tackle each challenge they encounter is generally advantageous. In essence, Donkey Kong Bananza offers three distinct approaches for players when confronted with a task: they can bulldoze through the stage by destroying everything in their path, follow the primary route and solve platforming puzzles, or leap over seemingly unpassable gaps without engaging with the levels. Furthermore, Donkey Kong Bananza‘s skill tree enhances this versatility, enabling players to tailor their gameplay style according to their preferred approach by crafting a personalized build.

In the Challenge Ruins of Donkey Kong Bananza, platforming plays a significant part, pushing players to demonstrate skills they’ve acquired during gameplay. For those players who aim to cause as much destruction as possible, the platforming challenges in the Ruins provide a refreshing change. Conversely, for platforming enthusiasts, these challenges present a greater level of difficulty compared to the regular levels.

Bananza’s Platforming Is Similar to Super Mario Odyssey

It’s quite apparent that the resemblances between “Donkey Kong Bananza” and “Super Mario Odyssey” are numerous. Not only do they share the same development team, but their visual aesthetics and game designs exhibit striking similarities as well. Yet, these similarities extend beyond just the team and design, as both games equip their main characters with an agile moveset tailored for platforming adventures. In “Donkey Kong Bananza”, while it’s possible to simply punch your way through the landscape, exploring the levels in a more traditional manner offers an experience that makes the game feel like a natural progression from “Super Mario Odyssey”.

As a dedicated gamer, what truly set Super Mario Odyssey apart for me was its exceptional platforming mechanics that let me traverse realms unreachable through regular jumps by chaining together ingenious moves. These techniques are often employed by speed demons to circumvent certain levels in the game. In Donkey Kong Bananza, I’m thrilled to discover these mechanics have returned, offering players the chance to enhance their skills and seamlessly blend abilities for even greater leaps than the game initially intended!

As a longtime Donkey Kong fan, it’s been a while since we’ve seen a new 3D platformer in the series, with Donkey Kong 64 being the last on the Nintendo 64. Yet, Donkey Kong Bananza breathes fresh air into the franchise by sticking to its roots but also shaking up the conventional formula. Unlike any other game in the series or currently available on the hypothetical Nintendo Switch 2, Donkey Kong Bananza’s emphasis on breakable terrain sets it apart.

However, it doesn’t abandon the platforming mechanics of yesteryears; instead, it strikes a balance between the old and the new. The destructible terrain might be the game’s main draw, similar to the capture mechanic in Super Mario Odyssey, but the intricate level design and complex movement options are what will keep us fans hooked.

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2025-07-22 00:43