Donkey Kong has been an iconic character for decades now, but as the major mascot of theNintendo Switch 2launch window withDonkey Kong Bananza, this feels like the most pressure that has ever been placed on his broad, hairy shoulders. He mostly manages to withstand it,as you can read in our review, handling himself well as he steps intoMario’sshoes.
But let’s sayyouwant to step into Donkey Kong’s shoes. How long would it take you to step back out of them with a job well done. That all depends on what you consider to be a job well done, as there are some post-game activities and a lot of collectibles to… wait, what’s that thing you do with collectibles?
How Long Does It Take To Beat Donkey Kong Bananza?
If we considerbeating the game to be reaching the end credits, then you canstreamlinea lot of the process. Every layer has tons ofBanandium Gemsto collect, but thesearen’t vital to progression. Some are discovered along the critical path, but in this part of the game, you never need to clear a threshold.
Youwill need goldto pay for various bridges in thepenultimate layer, but this can beharvested quicklyfrom gold rich layers likeHilltop, The Junction, and Tempest.
If youfollow the main quest markeron each layer and focus on reaching the lower sublayers, defeating the bosses, and progressing, you canreach the final boss (no spoilers here) in eight to ten hours. However, in doing so, you will find yourselfwith less health and less effective Bananza power-up skills, as youwon’t have gathered enough Banandiumto level them up.
Still, if you think you’re the best Donkey Kong there is - a King Kong, if you will - then by all means race through the game in no time.
How Long Does It Take To Complete Donkey Kong Bananza?
Once you’ve rolled credits on Bananza, there is apost-game portionof the game that emerges. To do this, you need togo back to the five Elderswho gave you your Bananza powers, completingone long obstacle course for each of themthatutilises these powers. These aregated by Banandium Gems, so if you rushed the game, you’ll need to do a lot of grinding.
Exactly how long this specific portion of the game takes depends on how long you spent collecting Banandium in the main game. It took us around30-35 hours to finish the game with over 400 Banandium Gems, and thenanother 10-15 hourson this part from there, including collecting extra Banandium and finishing the Challenges. All in all, that means anywhere between40 to 50 hours or more.
We also spent this timehunting Extra Rare Fossils, which is not needed for this section of the game, but did add to our playtime.
How Long Does It Take To 100 Percent Donkey Kong Bananza?
After you’vecompleted the Elder Challenges, you’restill not done. To fully finish the game andunlock the final, secret endingyou need to get all777 Banandium in the game. This can be extremely difficult, as it means you need to find andfinish all of the Challenge Courses, findevery hidden Banandium Gemin the overworld, and doall of the Elder Challenges inside the speedrun times.
There’s a skill factor in the time this would take, but given everything else in the game, you’re probably looking at70 hours at a minimumhere.
