After over 25 years since his last 3D adventure,Donkey Kong Bananzais a fresh new take for Donkey Kong. While staying true to what made past games in the series beloved by so many fans,Donkey Kong Bananzaisn’t afraid to shake up the formula and embrace change.
ThoughDonkey Kong Bananzaexperiments with refreshing new ideas, it’s easy to draw parallels between is andSuper Mario Odyssey. The two games are intrinsically connected, and instead of trying to distance itself fromMario,Donkey Kong Bananzaleans into itsOdysseytiesand offers something new as a result.Donkey Kong Bananzais learning a lot fromSuper Mario Odyssey, and it could learn even more to secure a bright future.
Donkey Kong Bananza and Super Mario Odyssey Are Intrinsically Linked
Super Mario Odyssey Is Full of Content
When it originally launched,Super Mario Odysseywas already a game filled to the brim with content. Power Moons were scattered across every stage for players to find, and interacting with enemies usingSuper Mario Odyssey’s Cappyopened up more opportunities than any game in the series before. It was a true evolution of theSuper Marioformula, and gave players enough reasons to keep coming back to it.
Following its launch, it was announced thatSuper Mario Odysseywould be kept alive with a content update. This added Luigi’s Balloon World to the game, an asynchronous multiplayer mode encouraging players to hide balloons around each of the game’s Kingdoms and race against the clock to find balloons hidden by others. Not only was it a great way to get theSuper Mario Odysseyplayerbase to connect with one another, but it also provided some much-needed variety to the game experience.
The mode was unlike the rest ofSuper Mario Odyssey, and the player-driven challenges were incentives to play in different ways.
DK Follows Odyssey’s Formula
It’s no secret thatDonkey Kong Bananzashares DNA withSuper Mario Odyssey. From the initial reveal trailer, it was clear to fans that Donkey Kong’s latest outing was developed by the same team asSuper Mario Odyssey. WhereDonkey Konggames of the past have deviated from theSuper Marioformula,Donkey Kong Bananzais unafraid to show itsOdysseyinspirations, resulting in an experience that feels completely new for the character.
The visual flair and toy-like game design philosophies ofSuper Mario Odysseycarry over well toDonkey Kong Bananza, altered to better suit the strong and destructive nature of the titular ape. New abilities found inDonkey Kong Bananza,like Turf Surf and the Bananza Transformations, feel at home in theDonkey Kongseries, but are also reminiscent of the experimental gameplay ofSuper Mario Odyssey.
Donkey Kong Bananzaalso includes Pauline, who also featured inOdyssey, strengthening the connection between the two platformers. WithDonkey Kong Bananzaborrowing so many concepts from one of Mario’s past adventures, it wouldn’t be surprising if it took one more idea.
Donkey Kong Bananza Needs Its Own Luigi’s Balloon World Mode
Donkey Kong Bananzais ripe for a content update of its own, similar to Luigi’s Balloon World. This wouldn’t necessarily need to be the same mode, either, instead creating something new to fit in with theDonkey Kongseries. A lot ofDonkey Kong Bananza’s gameplay revolves around causing as much chaos as possible, ripping chunks out of the level to use against enemies. An alternate mode should break up the pace of gameplay, giving players a rest fromtearing throughDonkey Kong Bananza’s intricately designed levels.
One idea could be to expand on Donkey Kong’s new Turf Surfing capabilities alongside Funky Kong. The new mechanic seems perfect for this character and could be used to encourage players to get creative with how they approach Turf Surfing. This could be a strictly offline mode where the player must race against Funky Kong across the many sublayers beneath Ingot Isle, but to invite more of a challenge, players could race against each other’s ghosts. Like withSuper Mario Odyssey, an asynchronous multiplayer mode like this could putDonkey Kong Bananzaplayers’ Turf Surfing skillsto the test.
Another character that could be the star of aDonkey Kong Bananzacontent update is Wario. Though Donkey Kong and Mario’s inverted doppelganger rarely interact with one another, the premise ofDonkey Kong Bananzapresents a perfect opportunity for this to change. Throughout the game, players are actively searching for Banandium Gems, a golden banana treasure. As a character, Wario’s only concern is getting rich quickly through any means necessary, putting himself in dangerous situations for treasure. Having him compete with the player to collect treasure may feel out of place in any otherDonkey Konggame, but here,Wario could be the ideal choice forDonkey Kong Bananza.
While it would be great for aDonkey Kong Bananzacontent update to take the opportunity of a new mode to add more fan-favorite Kongs of the past to the game, it could also use this to tie back toSuper Mario Odyssey. In particular, Luigi’s Balloon World could return exactly as it was inOdyssey, altered to fit the new mechanics ofDonkey Kong Bananza. Players could hide balloons underneath the terrain, or see how far out they can place their balloon before the timer runs out. It would be a great nod toBananza’s predecessor and rewarding for fans of theLuigi’s Balloon Worldmode.
Donkey Kong Bananzais a nice change of pace from pastDonkey Kongtitles, offering new ideas without losing its sense of identity. There’s plenty in the game already for players to enjoy, butDonkey Kong Bananzafollowing the path ofSuper Mario Odysseywith post-launch updates could give the game more replay value. Whether this would be an asynchronous multiplayer mode like Luigi’s Balloon World or something completely new, it would help to keep the game alive for a while after its initial release.
