In the lead up to the launch of the Switch 2, it felt like aMario 3D platformerwas inevitable. It had been over seven years sinceMario Odyssey, and a direct sequel seemed like the most obvious direction to take. But of course, never expect Nintendo to be predictable, and instead we have the first new 3D Donkey Kong title in decades withBananza.
While Odyssey wasn’t bad by any means, going a completely different direction with Bananza has allowed for significant improvements and changes to Nintendo’s platforming formula. Sure, Odyssey was one of the best games from the previous generation, but there are a handful of specific areas where Donkey Kong Bananza proved it definitely wasn’t perfect.
9Evolving Moveset
Never A Skill Issue
While there are some more obvious differences between how DK controls in Bananza compared to Mario in Odyssey, there’s a more subtle change that ends up having a big impact on your experience as you continue through the game.
Instead of being a relatively but not wholly useless arbitrary collectible like Odyssey’s moons, the bananas in Bananza collect into groups of five to form skill points. With just a simple skill tree, DK becomes a protagonist you’re able to customize throughout your adventure, feeling slightly different layer by layer.
8More Than Cosmetics
Fossilized Fashion
The different outfits available in Mario Odyssey and Donkey Kong Bananza feel hauntingly familiar in how they are unlocked with a world-specific currency, and are split into just a couple of simple categories, but there is one major difference that separates them.
Even though they aren’t game-changing by any means, the different outfits in Bananza have buffs built-in, often specialized to the layer you’re able to purchase them in. These buffs are just helpful enough to make the fossils feel more worth collecting, but just passive enough that you can still feel free to have DK wearing whatever outfit you think looks the best if that’s more your style.
7Pauline > Cappy
Competing Companions
Gameplay-wise, Cappy is undeniably the best part of Mario Odyssey. The way the transforming hat opens up Mario’s platforming capabilities is a big part of the reason why people still return to Odyssey, and speed-runners especially have so much fun with the game.
However, personality-wise, Cappy is incredibly lacking, not really adding anything substantial to the plot or vibe of Odyssey. Pauline, while nowhere near asdirectly involved in the gameplay, is a much more active character in the story, and her dialogue makes her a charming companion to have along for the journey.
6Cohesive Combat
Throwing Down
When Nintendo is crafting 3D platformers, the focus is rarely on the combat, and that can be seen in the unfortunately quite lacking encounters found in Mario Odyssey. It’s passable, but the game is much better remembered for the platforming and world design compared to the fights.
While platforming is still the primary focus for Bananza, the combat has seen significant upgrades as well. DK’s interactions with the environment blend seamlessly into combat, and with all the different Bananza forms, there are plenty of options for how you want to best tackle each unique foe found in the game.
5Giving Us More Personality
Don’t Make That Face
Mario is hardly a stoic protagonist, but when compared to his more recent appearances in titles like Super Mario Wonder, his personality in Odyssey seems a little muted outside a handful of cutscenes. On top of this, Cappy isn’t the most emotive character in the Mario universe by far.
Compare this pair to DK and Pauline, and it becomes quite a favorable comparison for the newer pair. While Donkey Kong doesn’t tend to communicate with words, it’s always easy to tell what he’s thinking, thanks to his facial expressions and animations. And even though Pauline has the power of dialogue on her side, she’s still got some more subtle details to her physical characterization that make her easy to root for.
4Tactile Pacing
Dig A Little Deeper
Arguably a big part of Odyssey’s appeal is the eclectic selection of worlds to work through on your journey to save Peach from her upcoming nuptials. It makes for an enjoyable and varied journey, but working through the random selection of worlds can make the pacing of the game feel equally random.
While DK still manages to have variety between its different themed layers, there is still a cohesive feeling of consistently moving down. Whenever you need to fast travel between layers, you’ll get a quick look at just how far down you’ve made it through the planet’s surface, and it makes the progression through the game feel more tactile and satisfying.
3Mapping It Out
Watch Where You’re Going
Part of the appeal of open-world sandbox-style worlds like the one found in Donkey Kong Bananza is getting lost and naturally finding collectibles as you play. However, once you’re making your return visits and want to find everything, sometimes the best tool for finding out where you need to go is a good map.
While it might take a little while to get to grips with, the 3D maps found in Bananza are a perfect tool for working out exactly where you are, and fit the more tactile feeling of the whole game perfectly. By comparison, the leaflets used in Odyssey are far too simple, and highlight just how static some of the worlds are.
2New Start For DK
Sturdy Reboot
In spite of being one of Nintendo’s oldest mascots, DK hasn’t exactly been the most respected. Donkey Kong Bananza ended a decade-long hiatus for DK, who hasn’t had a game outsince Tropical Freeze in 2014. Returning with a notably refreshed design, it feels like this often-overlooked character is finally getting the attention and fresh perspective needed.
It all contributes to Bananza feeling like an overwhelmingly refreshing experience, and also a great starting point for DK to take his place back in the spotlight.
While Odyssey took a new hybrid approach to the design of 3D Mario platformers, it’s actually one of the last titles preceding Mario’s soft reboot with his updated design in games like Mario Wonder and Mario Kart World, showing that there’s room for both these characters to grow together.
1Flexible Levels
Carve Your Own Path
The varied levels in Mario Odyssey are fantastic, and the unique themes make them especially impressive upon first visit. However, the experience of the first visit is definitely the priority, and any later additions (for example, the post-game bonuses) feel a bit tacked on, just built around the structure that was shown off on the first trip.
While there is definitely an expected first route to take with most of the layers in Bananza, it’s immediately palpable that there’s a multitude of possible routes, and that there’s meaningful content that is worth revisiting later. This flexibility in level design makes exploration a much more enticing prospect compared to the more restrictive design in Odyssey.
