Look into the lagoon in Donkey Kong Bananza. Of course, you'll need to chase Void Kong to the center of the Earth to save the day, but maybe you just want to dive into some water-adjacent locations while exploring this new world below the surface. There are many secrets hidden in the secret crevices of each level. When you first jump, there's only one thing to do: pick a direction and start smashing.
Donkey Kong Bananza takes Nintendo's signature sandbox exploration and puts it where the studio rarely goes – pure chaos. Bananza isn't interested in the type of precise platforming that defines Mario's visits to Peach's Castle. Delfino Plazaor outer space. It captures the same fun atmosphere but lets players get into it.
Nintendo has long had a design philosophy that movement should feel good in and of itself. Shigeru Miyamoto once said that he wanted players to enjoy moving Mario around an empty room. The reason Mario is so fun to control in Super Mario 64 is because Miyamoto and the small team behind the N64 classic spent months making sure he was fun to play, even if the only action possible was running around in empty space.
Combine this philosophy of movement with carefully designed playing areas, and you get moments that players will never forget. There's nothing like triple jumping across the central Delfino Plaza, bouncing off an umbrella, and sliding down a chimney to grab a blue coin. It was fun to just jump around, which naturally stimulated exploration, which caused a quick dopamine hit when the secret Shiny Sprite appeared and the day literally brightened.
Donkey Kong Bananza captures the same feeling, but in a completely different way. I don't guide Donkey Kong across rooftops with three perfect jumps. I pick my way through the rubble, making my way around and discovering caves filled with collectibles. It becomes easy to get distracted from the main goal and start exploring every crack and crevice of the planet's inner layers.
Platforming has always been at the core of Nintendo's design. Mario, Kirby, and Donkey Kong, as well as other Nintendo icons, focus on exploration through running, jumping, and a little flair. Donkey Kong Bananza retains the flavor but adds a hefty dose of pizzazz. It feels authentic because chaos is exactly what you'd expect from a rampaging gorilla.
Nintendo has previously stated that playing Donkey Kong should feel like an adventure in the wild. Bananza producer Kenta Motokura supported this idea in an interview. interviewstating that with the goal of defining what a 3D Donkey Kong should be and emphasizing its strengths and new actions, the team felt that the concept of destruction was a perfect fit.
In the end, Bananza succeeds because it embraces exactly what makes Donkey Kong special. It's loud, dirty and endlessly fun. The thrill isn't just about getting to the point. It is in everything you break, discover and overcome along the way.
