Latest news with #ZebraBananza
The Star
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
There's a lot to dig in Donkey Kong Bananza
A gorilla surfs on a slick disc of ice. A purple talking rock transforms into a 13-year-old girl. A giant blue eel reveals he's a music aficionado. There's a lot going on in Donkey Kong Bananza . In the 44 years since Nintendo introduced Donkey Kong to arcades as a barrel-rolling character with resting ape face, the wild beast has gone through quite the metamorphosis. In this lavishly animated extravaganza, he displays some human attributes and a penchant for mining gold. He listens. His eyes grow big and, sometimes, he appears to empathise. But mostly, he's the muscle that pounds, digs and slaps like the Incredible Hulk in fur, oversized necktie and ragged britches. Here, the battle is against three cliche corporate ape villains who want to get to the Earth's core, where a special wish will be granted. Donkey Kong wants to get there, too, if only for the bananas. Down, down, down he dives through miles-long pipes in an ominous Dante-like descent. Yet it's joyful, too, because he is accompanied by Pauline, a freckle-faced dreamer who wants to return to the world above. She's the constant optimist, urging Donkey Kong on when sharp thorns, burning lava or icy water sap his energy. Pauline, played by Kate Higgins, should be given her own abilities and agency. What she does have is the power of song, which helps Donkey Kong briefly transform into a brute with super strength. Her Broadway-style belting begins the process of vanquishing bosses like Abracajabya, a monstrous plant with thorn-tentacles that seek the simian like a homing missile. (The unusual enemy names seem like nods to T.S. Eliot.) Before they depart a level, Donkey Kong proudly pounds his chest like a drum, and Pauline sings, enthralling the area's denizens. A standout was Zebra Bananza , a conga-inspired tune by Pauline that sounded like a mix of Idina Menzel and Gloria Estefan. There are more than 100 songs to collect and play back. In the shop, clothes you can purchase for Pauline give the beast – not her – even more power. Playing co-op with another person allows Pauline to throw large stone exclamations like 'Wow!' They're quite destructive. But solo players who want more from Pauline are out of luck. It's easy (and generally a delight) to get lost in these worlds, especially in the Forest Layer, which houses a hotel in a tree, the trunk holding a garden and pool. In another area, exploration is rewarded with a dusty Donkey Kong arcade machine. Although the levels are limited in scope, Bananza has open-world-style terrain. You can dig almost wherever you want for fossils, which can be exchanged for upgrades or gold to be used as exploding bombs. All the burrowing, however, can lead to terrible disorientation. The camera becomes wonky, and it's difficult to find a way out of the mazelike hole you've dug. Because of this, I often avoided tunneling for items, sticking with those visible aboveground. In each town's centre, I met giant, wise beings on thrones who are also sometimes DJs. A pink headphone-wearing ostrich elder with a mane of bananas asks for help finding two halves of a vinyl album. Place them both on a massive turntable, and the ostrich offers you the power of flight. Yes, in this fantasy, flightless birds can fly. Aloft, Donkey Kong looked somewhat like the winged monkeys from The Wizard of Oz . He's more tentative, but the wings still get the pair over pink lava and closer to the planet's core. For me, the most exciting method of travel was a simple mine cart on a rail that puffed rainbow-colored smoke. As it cranked along, I could grab and pitch golden nuggets at a huge Tyrannosaurus rex head. I didn't want to stop because the game's inventiveness rarely did. While Bananza 's plot was awfully thin, Donkey Kong and Pauline always beckoned me back to this amusement park of earthly delights. – ©2025 The New York Times Company (Donkey Kong Bananza is available on the Nintendo Switch 2.) This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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Business Standard
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Nintendo releases Donkey Kong Bananza on Switch 2: What's the game about
Nintendo launched the Donkey Kong Bananza game for the Nintendo Switch 2 on July 17, bringing the iconic gorilla back into action in a fresh side-scrolling adventure set underground. According to Nintendo, the game introduces new gameplay mechanics, a second playable character, and transformation abilities, while staying true to Donkey Kong's action-platforming roots. Pauline joins Donkey Kong in subterranean quest In this new title, Donkey Kong is joined by a new companion Pauline, a 13-year-old character whose singing powers are central to both traversal and puzzle-solving. After a storm leaves DK stranded underground, the duo team up to recover golden bananas and help Pauline find her way back home. The gameplay revolves around exploration, with players able to break through terrain, carve tunnels, and smash obstacles using Donkey Kong's strength and Pauline's vocals. As players dig deeper into the underground world of Ingot Isle, the environments shift visually, introducing new challenges and paths. Terrain-smashing transformations and co-op support A major addition is the introduction of Bananza Transformations, special forms that give Donkey Kong new abilities. These include: Kong Bananza: Lets DK plow through hard terrain with increased destructive power. Zebra Bananza: Allows him to sprint over water and fragile surfaces. Ostrich Bananza: Gives DK a limited flight to drop explosive egg bombs from above. Players can switch between these transformations at will, though they're limited by an energy gauge called Bananergy. The game also supports two-player co-op play: one player can control Donkey Kong while the other takes on Pauline's vocal role, either by sharing a Joy-Con or through local/online GameShare. An Assist Mode is available for new players, offering aim assist, path guidance, and regenerating health. A modern take on a classic Nintendo franchise The Donkey Kong series debuted in 1981 as an arcade platformer and has since evolved across generations of Nintendo consoles. Over the decades, the franchise has introduced several spin-offs and side characters — with Pauline originally appearing as the damsel in the very first Donkey Kong game and later resurfacing in titles like Super Mario Odyssey. This latest entry combines familiar platforming with updated mechanics. The game is available now for Nintendo Switch 2.
