Alright, let’s dive right into this wild jungle gym of thoughts about Donkey Kong Bananza. If you’ve plowed through this game, you’ll kind of get where I’m coming from — or maybe not — because honestly, I’m still trying to piece it all together. So bear with me, or not. Who knows?
First off, I can’t help but spill the beans: getting 100% completion in Donkey Kong Bananza is like finding out your surprise party is just three friends and a deflated balloon. Yeah, that kind of meh. This latest 3D platformer from Nintendo is like a treasure chest, only your booty is 777 bananas, 696 fossils, and 110 music discs. No idea who counted these, but they did, and it ain’t a walk in the park hunting them down.
SPOILER ALERT: Donkey Kong Bananza secrets ahead. Okay, imagine this: you just wrapped up the main story. There’s Donkey Kong, there’s Pauline, and they’re separated. But ta-da! — not really — they reunite for this post-game fun fest. But oh boy, getting through these challenges? It’s like trying to run through peanut butter. You’ll need at least 600 bananas just to unlock half of them, and by then you’re probably bananas yourself, but is the reward worth it? Nope, nada. Sorry for being a buzzkill.
And you’re hoping for a spectacular bonus for hitting that 100% mark? Ha! Get ready for a slightly different ending. Oh, and your balloons look a tad retro, as if that’s a thing now. Maybe Nintendo is saving the cool stuff for another game, or perhaps it’s hiding in some secret corner. I spent about 50 hours — yeah, I know, that’s insane — and what for? Left with a hollow echo of what could have been a grand finale.
Remember when Breath of the Wild pulled a similar stunt? You spend ages collecting Korok Seeds, and then bam, the reward’s a joke. Nintendo must have a thing for making us run in circles for nothing. I was hoping they’d break this trend.
Despite this moan-fest, Donkey Kong Bananza isn’t bad — it’s actually among this year’s best. A cacophony of fun, if that makes sense. The best Switch 2 exclusive, hands down. But if you’re on the fence about 100%ing it, save yourself the heartbreak unless you’re into chasing every last banana just for the thrill. Otherwise, finish the game, enjoy your victory, and maybe treat yourself to an ice cream instead — you’ve earned it more than that pixelated balloon makeover.
Alright, I’m out, but honestly, if you love the chase more than the prize, then this game’s calling your name. If not, well, there’s always another adventure waiting. Or maybe just a good nap.
