I feel like DKBananza to SMOdyssey is comparable to comparing Yoshi’s Island to SMWorld. In many ways, the former is a successor to the latter, but each take such radically different approaches to the gameplay loop that many consider them entirely separate game.

Whereas Mario Odyssey is one of my top three favorite games of all time, Bananza just doesn’t strike a same chord. And this is unlike Mario World & Yoshi’s Island, where I found each game to be a masterpiece.

That said, please! Somebody convince me why Bananza is this incredible masterpiece that rivals some of Nintendo’s finest, and that I am wrong for the game not having clicked with me yet. I genuinely want to love this game, but every time I pick it up, I either get motion sickness or walk away feeling like my platforming itch was never scratched.

Yeah, that's not gonna be me lol. I liked Bananza, but didn't love it. I found the gameplay overly repetitive, and there were so many times when the art direction looked more like Mario Odyssey than Donkey Kong. It wasn't distinct enough.

Tbf, I grew up with the Rare DKC trilogy, DK64, and Retro's duology of DKC games, and I loved the distinct art direction and music in those games. So in my mind, that's what Donkey Kong games are all about. They looked and felt Western, whereas Bananza looks and feels like a Japanese-made game. Not a knock on the game, but you can just tell how huge the difference in game design is.

I will say I did like that ending though! It was worth playing though as I did still like it, but don't know if you'll come away loving it.

I didn't expect it to grab me, I was worried it would be repetitive with all the digging. The demo really worried me. After I started playing it a few weeks ago, think it's almost perfect. A few of the layers are hit or miss like the landfill stage. I'm playing through it now, I still have a few layers left, but I currently have it really close to Odyssey and I may rate it higher before I'm done with it. Exploration is fantastic, rpg elements upgrading is solid, the story is actually not bad for this type of game. I'm just have so much fun with it, and fun is the only thing that is important in video games.

i havent played it in months, im going to re-start !!

I don't like the game as much as Odyssey but using that for comparison makes for a very high bar to reach.

When I first started Bananza, I wasn't all that impressed either. I found myself digging way too much, running into camera problems when I dug too far... the whole thing seemed too tedious to me, other than I did like the transformations. But once I got to the Freezer Layer I started having a blast and pretty much every Layer after that was great, especially Resort, Feast, Tempest and Groove. Maybe I became more accustomed to the game's nuances by then but I had fun all the way through the end.

Also, Donkey Kong is iconic and everything but has never really been one of my favorite characters. I would say due to not having an actual voice, but neither does Link and he's one of my very favorites. In any case, that's where Pauline comes in and gives the game that extra bit of flava. I think she's adorable and the different outfits you can get for her just add to that. I'm not a big fan of kids in general but I think young Pauline has way more character than adult Pauline and I loved her as DK's companion in the game. I fully expect her as a DLC character in Mario Kart World along with Diddy and Dixie.

Because...

-It's a 3D platformer that improves tremendously on DK64.

-Fun new character designs.

-Call backs to Donkey Kong's history as a character.

-Energetic gameplay that's mostly unrestricted.

-Heartwarming bond between the main characters.

-Showcases the graphical power of the Nintendo Switch 2.

-There's no wrong way to accomplish most goals in the game.

-Amazing soundtrack and ambience.

-Creative ways to explore the world around you.

-The long awaited return of DK's greatest antagonist as the true villain.

Personally, I liked how tactile and satisfying it felt to smash the destructible environments, and I loved the variety and creativity in its worlds and the challenges/scenarios they throw at the player.

Much like Odyssey, I felt like the game was constantly coming up with a plethora of new ideas and concepts that kept it feeling fresh and exciting throughout. Pretty much every world introduced some new mechanic that changed the way I played.

The way the gameplay synergizes with the world.

Grabbing a chunk to surf on, jumping over a cliff then throwing that chunk down for a double jump into an aerial roll all while navigating area geometry and enemies never stopped being fun. Having the type of chunk matter, being able to throw it quickly and accurately with the gyro, etc. All of this supercharged by being able to cycle through transformations like they are Devil May Cry styles. All this ends up making me appreciate and learn stages much more, which the DLC leans into.

Wierdly enough, the "being able to destroy anything" comment that usually accompanies discussions is more of a detriment because that in itself gets old quickly.

I really like Odyssey but it scratches a different itch. In the end, I'd say Bananza ended up being an even more enjoyable experience.

Not counting MKW, which came bundled, this was first game I got for SW2. I played it for couple of days, while my older son (whose Switch it is) played maybe one afternoon, and since then game's been collecting dust.

I don't know, I feel I should give it a second chance, since I fairly enjoyed SMO.

Let it be known that I am incredibly biased since Donkey Kong is the first game that got me into playing video games and has such a special place in my heart.

That said, here are some arguments that Bananza is a masterpiece :

- Incredibly fun character design and heartfelt relationship between DK and Pauline
- Franctic gameplay, synergy with the world, interactions with terrain
- Great showcase of the raw power of Switch 2
- Great music, fantastic level design
- Gameplay short loop is addictive, and each layer adds a new twist to it
- Great callbacks to previous Nintendo games without it being too on the nose
- Best epilogue in Nintendo history
- Better replayability than Odyssey

Overall, fantastic game and one of my favorites of the last 10 years.