DK Bananza’s Chaotic Design Sets It Apart From Mario

Drop into the lagoon in Donkey Kong Bananza. Sure, you need to chase Void Kong to the Earth’s center to save the day, but maybe you just want to soak in some water-adjacent locales as you explore this new world beneath the surface. There are plenty of secrets tucked away in each level’s hidden crevices. When you first hop in there is really only one thing to do: pick a direction and start smashing.Donkey Kong Bananza takes Nintendo’s hallmark sandbox exploration and pushes it somewhere the studio rarely goes–pure chaos. Bananza is not interested in the kind of precision platforming that defines Mario’s visits to Peach’s Castle, Delfino Plaza, or outer space. It captures that same cheerful vibe, but lets players rip through it.There is a long-running design idea at Nintendo that movement should feel good on its own. Shigeru Miyamoto once said he wanted players to enjoy moving Mario around an empty room. The reason Mario is so fun to control in Super Mario 64 is that Miyamoto and the sm