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Donkey Kong Bananza Previews – The Game is…?

A bunch of media in the United States and Canada were given extended hands on time with Donkey Kong Bananza, and as someone who wasn’t, and then was, excited for the game, I watched and read as much as I could. With only a few weeks to go until the game launches, I’ve never been more excited. Let’s talk through some of the comments!

First and foremost, Nintendo has confirmed that it is the Super Mario Odyssey team working on Donkey Kong Bananza. This doesn’t really come as shocked as it was all but confirmed when Nintendo provided a deeper look at the game during a Donkey Kong specific direct earlier in June. The game looked and felt like Mario Odyssey, but with Donkey Kong as the protagonist. Still, it’s good to confirm this information, and it makes me, and likely others, even more excited for what is to come in the latest 3D Donkey Kong adventure!

Most media praised the game for the depth it had. Between various power-ups, a basic skill tree, and a nice variety in areas and move sets, everyone seemed to walk away with one common thought: we want to play this more! Many media simply praised the game from every possible aspect, but Nintendo Life did highlight a concern they saw when playing the game.

They had concerns with the climbing of Donkey Kong, arguing that the game got a bit messed up with camera angles and climbing directions. It seemed to Alex that this was a pretty big problem, and while it didn’t impact his enjoyment overall of what he experienced, he said it was a glaring issue that he hoped was because this might still be a pre-launch build.

Many media praised the game as not just being a smash-a-thon, which was my original concern. Destroying environments is fun and all, but if that was the hook Nintendo was pushing for Donkey Kong Bananza, then it wasn’t going to be enough for me. And that is what influenced my initial impressions of the game when it was shown off. Too much emphasis on world destruction, and not enough emphasis on what the game actually was. I’m glad to hear that doesn’t seem to be the case here – smashing things is a big part of the game, and yes, it will be a lot of fun, but there is so much more in this experience waiting to be explored.

With the game launching soon, we can tell you that the staff here at GamesReviews.com cannot wait to experience this game for the first time. Many of us were pretty lukewarm on the entire experience after it was shown off at the Nintendo Treehouse Live event, but it has quickly become our most anticipated game of the year. With colourful worlds and characters, and a host of great gameplay opportunities, this might have Game of the Year potential in 2025.

 

Article By

blank Adam Roffel has only been writing about video games for a short time, but has honed his skills completing a Master's Degree. He loves Nintendo, and almost anything they have released...even Tomodachi Life.

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Twitter: @AdamRoffel