2017 saw Nintendo deliver the absurdly powerful one-two punch ofZelda: Breath of the WildandSuper Mario Odyssey. While the formerbroke new ground for open-world level design, the latter presented one of the most content-rich, joyful platforming experiences ever made. While it may not be quite as industry-defining,Donkey Kong Bananzahas proven that Nintendo still knows how to make a phenomenal 3D platformer.
Made by theSuper Mario Odysseydev team,Donkey Kong Bananzais yet another impressive showcase of Nintendo’s seemingly boundless creativity, with it presenting players with a wealth of novel mechanics and gameplay ideas. That said,Donkey Kong Bananzadoesn’t shy away from the games that have influenced it, and itsZelda: Tears of the Kingdominspirations seem clear, especially when it comes to 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
Including DLC, there are a total of 136 Shrines inThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. These Shrines contain unique puzzles that usually see the player utilizing the game’s core mechanics in a creative and memorable way. These mechanics often involveBreath of the Wild’s Sheikah Slate powers, with players needing to use abilities like Cryonis and Magnesis to create icy platforms or move metallic objects around the environment.
Given the player-controlled nature of these Sheikah Slate abilities, the majority ofZelda: Breath of the Wild’s Shrinescould be completed in a variety of ways, though each Shrine did tend to have one clearly defined solution. The same isn’t true forZelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Thanks to the addition ofUltrahand and Fuse,Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Shrines became exponentially more experimental than their predecessors. Rather than feature one obvious solution, most ofTears of the Kingdom’s Shrine puzzles give the player total freedom in how they approach and complete the challenge.
For example, one ofTears of the Kingdom’s Shrines presents players with a set of parallel rails that cross a chasm and take players to the Shrine’s exit. One player might use their shield to grind on these rails. One player might use Ultrahand to create a makeshift trolley that takes them from one side to the other. And one player might create a tall structure that they can paraglide from. All of these solutions are equally viable.
Given the extreme amount of freedom players have in creating their own solutions,Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Shrinesare arguably even more rewarding and memorable thanBreath of the Wild’s, as players truly forge their own unique path to victory.
Donkey Kong Bananza’s Level Design Borrows Tears of the Kingdom’s Shrine Philosophy
Though its player-freedom isn’t quite onZelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s level,Donkey Kong Bananzadoes channel a similar feeling when it comes to level design.Donkey Kong Bananzaputs destructible environments at the forefront of its gameplay loop, with players being able to actively destroy much of a level’s terrain. This gives players the opportunity to carve their own path to an objective, and forge their own trail to the game’s countless collectibles.
This destruction-based freedom also comes into play during some ofDonkey Kong Bananza’s challenge levels, where players have a variety of ways to creatively solve a puzzle or defeat a set number of enemies in a short time limit. This level of player-freedom is expanded further whenDonkey Kong Bananza’s titular animal transformations are introduced, some of which grant the player new ways to destroy and traverse the environment.
