Summary
Donkey Kong Bananzacan easily be compared toSuper Mario OdysseyandThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, as the game feels like it was built on Nintendo’s previous open-world powerhouses. The two thingsDonkey Kong has over Marioand Link from those games are power, as he can destroy the land itself, and a skill tree, which allows him to unlock upgrades.
Donkey Kong Bananzafeatures RPG elements; once players collect five Banandium Gems, Donkey Kong will earn a Skill Point. By the end of the game, there is a particular list of powers that will prove most useful for continuing exploration before and after the final boss. Let’s go through a quick rundown ofthe best Skills forDonkey Koong Bananza’sendgame.
Bananza Powers will be discussed, so players averse to hearing about those may want a Spoiler warning.
7Bananergy
Make DK’s Bananza Powers Last Longer
DK can transform inDonkey Kong Bananzaonce players meet one of the five Elders. For example, Kong Bananza can turn DK into a bigger ape who can smash through things, while Zebra Bananza turns him into a zebra and increases his speed. Transforming takes Bananergy, which can be restored by collecting Gold, of which there is plenty inDonkey Kong Bananza.
UnlockingBananergyin the Skill Tree will make transformations last longer, which is key to exploration and boss fights later in the game. Players may also want to invest in the Melon Juice node on the Skill Tree, as the item, Melon Juice, can restore Bananergy as well.
6Better Flutter
Glide With Ease
Better Flutteris a skill for the Ostrich Bananza form, which can be DK’s second or third transformation, depending on thepath players choose inDonkey Kong Bananza. The big hook of Ostrich Bananza is that it allows DK to fly, and Better Flutter will make sure players won’t plummet to the ground once DK gets tired. There is only one level to this skill, so it’s a good one to buy quickly.
Another good Ostrich Bananza skill that pairs well with Better Flutter is Glide, which does have several levels to unlock. Once players max out Glide, they can fly further after a big jump or by leaping off a tall point on the map.
5Better Inhaling
Better Inhalingis a skill that belongs to the fourth transformation player will unlock, called Elephant Bananza. This elephant-themed form will let players suck up materials around them using DK’s massive trunk, from dirt to lava. Better Inhaling has a few upgrade levels, and when maxed out, the trunk’s sucking range will be increased.
Along with Better Inhaling, players should purchase and complete the Stronger Lungs Skill to make sure DK doesn’t get tired when inhaling all of those materials. Punching through rocks inDonkey Kong Bananzais very fun, just like it is inmost destructible open-world games, but players may never want to punch again once they master these two skills for Elephant Bananza.
4Better Sonar
Make It Easier To Find Treasure
DK’s move set will be quite large even before players unlock theSkill Tree inDonkey Kong Bananza. For example, players can slap the ground, which will do three things. It will make a tiny impression in the earth, it will detect treasure within a small vicinity near DK, and it can gather materials like Gold and Banandium Chips around DK.
Better Sonaris an upgradable skill that can increase the range of DK’s treasure detection, while Better Collecting will gather more materials from further away. Both skills will help players find and retrieve treasure more quickly, which is important if they want to maximize their time inDonkey Kong Bananza.
3Fast Charge
A Must-Have Ability For The Final Boss
DK’s Kong Bananza form is one of the best Bananza forms in the game, but it doesn’t have a lot of good skills that are worthy of upgrading early on. However, the final round of bosses almost forces players to unlock three skills: Charge Punch,Fast Charge, and Kong Armor.
Fast Charge will decrease the amount of time needed to use this form’s special punch ability, Charge Punch will increase that same attack’s aftershock, and Kong Armor will make sure enemies or attacks can’t interrupt the charge. These skills are useful for exploring, too, but they will definitely be needed in the endgame.
2Health
Increase DK’s Heart Capacity
Health upgrades are part of every major skill tree in almost any game, andDonkey Kong Bananzais no exception. Literally calledHealth, players can upgrade this node several times to max out DK’s hearts. Players can also gain temporary hearts by resting at Getaways, one of the best uses forGold inDonkey Kong Bananza.
Two-thirds of the game’s bosses and enemies are not going to give players much trouble, but it’s the latter third that are the problem, as difficulty will increase significantly. Players may also want to pump some Skill Points into the Apple Juice node, so that they can store more of the item they use to heal mid-battle.
1Punch Power
Dig Deeper, Dig Faster
EachSublayer ofDonkey Kong Bananza’sopen world has a star rating. The higher the rating, the harder it will be for players (and DK) to punch through the terrain.Punch Poweris a skill that players should upgrade as they go through with the game to match the star rating of each Sublayer.
It’s a good early skill to upgrade and a necessary one to maximize by the game’s later stages, unless players like watching DK punch the same rock wall a hundred times before it moves an inch.
