Ways Donkey Kong Bananza Is Even Better Than Super Mario Odyssey

In the lead up to the launch of the Switch 2, it felt like a 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Mario 3D platformer was inevitable. It had been over seven years since 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Mario 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 with Bananza.

Pixels, Super Smash Bros Ultimate and Futurama Donkey Kong.

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While Odyssey wasn't bad by any means, goi🏅ng a completely different direction with Bananza has allowꦗed 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.

9 ♛ Evolving Moveset

Never A Skill Issue

donkey kong as a zebra in donkey kong bananza.

While there are some more obvious differences between how DK controls in Bananza compared to Mario in O🍒dyssey, 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 can customize throughout your adventure, feeling slightly different layer by layer.

8 More Than Cosmetics 🍌 🧔

Fossilized Fashion

pink and blue donkey kong in donkey kong bananza.

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 th༺e 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.

7 ඣ ♐ Pauline > Cappy

Competing Companions

Donkey Kong and Pauline looking shocked in Donkey Kong Bananza.

Gameplay-wise, Cappy is undeniably the best part of Mario Odyssey. The way the transforming hat opens up Mario's platforming capabil𝓡ities is a big part of the reason why people still return to Odysse♏y, and speed-runners especially have so much fun with the game.

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However, personality-wise, Cappy is incredibly lacking, not really adding anything substantial to the plot or vibe of Odyssey. Pauline, while nowhere near as 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:directly involved in the gameplay, is a much mo🍎re active character in the story, and her dialogue 💝makes her a charming companion to have along for the journey.

6 ♉Cohesive Combat 🅷

Throwing Down

Donkey Kong punches an enemy with Kong Bananza activated on the Stompy Ascent challenge course in Donkey Kong Bananza.

When Nintendo is cra♊fting 3D platformers, the focus is rarꦡely 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 ple🏅nty of options for how you want to best tackle each unique foe found in the game.

5 𒅌 Giving 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 far𝕴.

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 ജstill got some more subtle details to her physical characterization that make her easy to root for.

4 Tactile 🌺Pacing ꧋

Dig A Little Deeper

Donkey Kong and Odd Rock diving in Donkey Kong Bananza.

Arguably a big part of Odyss𝄹ey'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 hav🌠e 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 atꦰ 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.

3 🤡 M🌠apping It Out

Watch Where You're Going

Donkey Kong and Pauline in Donkey Kong Bananza.

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.

The intro to the original 1981 Arcade Donkey Kong.

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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 wor💟lds are.

2 New Start For DꦏK

Sturdy Reboot

donkey kong falling through the sky in bananza.

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 out 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:since Tropical Freeze in 2014. Returning with a💎 notably refreshed design, it feels like this often-overlooked character is finally getting the attenti🃏on and fresh perspective needed.

It all contributes to Bananza feeling like an overwhelmingly re🐈freshing experience, and also a great starting point for DK to take hi💫s 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 titlesไ 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.

1 🍌 Flexible Levels ꦏ

Carve Your Own Path

The varied levels in Mario Odyssey are fantastic, and the unique themes make them especially impressive upon first visit. Howeve𝓀r, 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 c🦹o🌳ntent 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.