Donkey Kong Bananza |OT| Red Faction Gorilla

Been thinking about this game all day.. I took about a week off from playing it and picked it up again Saturday - so enjoyable to play. Can't wait to hopefully play some this evening, but have to fight my daughter for the Switch 2. Though admittedly, if she's wanting to play a game I tend to yield - granted she's playing this very game, so at least I can still live vicariously.
 
What makes collectables so much more fun in DKB compare to other platforms is one just act of finding one is fun thanks to its fun destruction gameplay and two is EVERY collectibles are useful even a simple gold.

Edit: Also after putting 50 hours finishing this game, I just find out you can parry.
 
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Bruh I spent I think two hours in that fucking mine yesterday before I had to call it quits (for the day, not because I don't like the game).

I haven't even left yet. I don't even have Pauline. This feels like DS2 all over again where I spent 20 hours in Chapter 1 raising my star levels for all of the facilities. OCD at its finest :messenger_dizzy:

I feel like only Nintendo could make such a basic mechanic like smashing stuff and make it infinitely satisfying. They're still the only ones that know how to always tap into those childlike dopamine rushes when it comes to their heavy hitters.
 
Bruh I spent I think two hours in that fucking mine yesterday before I had to call it quits (for the day, not because I don't like the game).

I haven't even left yet. I don't even have Pauline. This feels like DS2 all over again where I spent 20 hours in Chapter 1 raising my star levels for all of the facilities. OCD at its finest :messenger_dizzy:

I feel like only Nintendo could make such a basic mechanic like smashing stuff and make it infinitely satisfying. They're still the only ones that know how to always tap into those childlike dopamine rushes when it comes to their heavy hitters.
It's quite a long game. Careful you don't burn out. I thought I was nearly done until I found out I wasn't even half way.

The game starts great and just keeps getting better the further down you go.
 
It's quite a long game. Careful you don't burn out. I thought I was nearly done until I found out I wasn't even half way.

The game starts great and just keeps getting better the further down you go.

Yeah that's exactly what I don't want to happen and I've gotten into a bad habit of it this year :messenger_grimmacing_
 
Yeah that's exactly what I don't want to happen and I've gotten into a bad habit of it this year :messenger_grimmacing_
I'm nearing the end but having a break having played nothing much else since launch.

Good thing about DK is you can pick it up, smash some stuff for 20 mins and grab a few bananas then pick up again no problems next time.
 
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Did anyone else find it extremely satisfying to (late-level spoilers, no story stuff) run around on and smash through that giant burger? Those textures and the way they react to DK are just insane. Makes me want a voxel-based game entirely based on different enormous foods.
 
Yeah burnt me out. I did too much collecting before moving on.
When I realised how big it was i just started playing each layer until I felt like moving on. I'll probably finish it this week if I have the time. Doubt if i'll have even half of the collectables.

Be nice to have on the Switch 2 to just hop back on from time to time and snag a banana or 2 once I'm done.
 
When I realised how big it was i just started playing each layer until I felt like moving on. I'll probably finish it this week if I have the time. Doubt if i'll have even half of the collectables.

Be nice to have on the Switch 2 to just hop back on from time to time and snag a banana or 2 once I'm done.
Yeah my kid's way of playing games turns out to be the way to play this one. Full speed ahead.
 
18 hours in and I think I've got maybe 2 layers to go. Not playing full completionist, but still doing a ton of side stuff and finding as many bananas and fossils as I can.


The most pure enjoyment I've had with a game in years.


I think this is edging out Expedition 33 as my GOTY. We'll see how the last few hours go!
 
When I realised how big it was i just started playing each layer until I felt like moving on. I'll probably finish it this week if I have the time. Doubt if i'll have even half of the collectables.

Be nice to have on the Switch 2 to just hop back on from time to time and snag a banana or 2 once I'm done.

Ok so what do you suggest? Just gather whatever I can and just keep focusing forward? Is the game really that big?
 
Ok so what do you suggest? Just gather whatever I can and just keep focusing forward? Is the game really that big?
I like to get around half the bananas and fossils per layer before moving on. This lets me spend a good amount of time in each stage without getting burned out.
 
Ok so what do you suggest? Just gather whatever I can and just keep focusing forward? Is the game really that big?

If you go the full completionist route, the game can reach ~50 hours.

I'd say if you gather most of what you can but keep moving forward it's closer to 25ish hours.


So yeah, really really big for a 3D platformer.
 
Ok so what do you suggest? Just gather whatever I can and just keep focusing forward? Is the game really that big?
I can't answer that mate, I don't know your tolerance for this kind of stuff. Just go with the flow.

I know a few in here 100%'d it in a week but I don't have the attention span or the stamina for that these days.

I like to get around half the bananas and fossils per layer before moving on. This lets me spend a good amount of time in each stage without getting burned out.

Solid advice, this is how im playing.
 
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Pacing is great with this game because you go at your own. Everyone ends up somewhere between a rabbit run and completionist route when they realize how big it is. There's a real incentive to collect bananas because they upgrade your abilities, but the payoff of getting further in the story is juxtaposed with it. It's brilliant design.

Postgame is a little underwhelming/short to me but that might be in comparison to the main game, which is so big. I did all the rehearsals and just going to collect all bananas in the end, don't think I'll do all fossils and music tracks necessarily. Bananas are more satisfying to me.
 
Pacing is great with this game because you go at your own. Everyone ends up somewhere between a rabbit run and completionist route when they realize how big it is. There's a real incentive to collect bananas because they upgrade your abilities, but the payoff of getting further in the story is juxtaposed with it. It's brilliant design.
yeah but you don't really need the abilities upgraded because the game is pretty easy.

ONly halfway thru maybe, but I felt like I upgraded too much crap too soon for little noticeable payoff.
 
Postgame is a little underwhelming/short to me but that might be in comparison to the main game, which is so big. I did all the rehearsals and just going to collect all bananas in the end, don't think I'll do all fossils and music tracks necessarily. Bananas are more satisfying to me.
I finished DKB's main story close to 50 hours, I don't think this game needs long post game.
 
Is there a better music player in-game than the little phonograph by the getaways? I like the music and it's rewarding to get records but it sounds so tinny and rough coming from there.
 
yeah but you don't really need the abilities upgraded because the game is pretty easy.

ONly halfway thru maybe, but I felt like I upgraded too much crap too soon for little noticeable payoff.
Game gets harder in second half but collecting bananas shouldn't power you up too much to me, that's just a bonus since moons didn't do anything in SM Odyssey. You actually can "power up" if you suck at the game adding hearts and apple juice can give you more chances at getting hit making the game even easier.
 
I'm a snake? I hate snakes! Worst game ever!

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Reached the Feast Layer and I've collected all the bananas and fossils in the layers above. There is probably a deeper discussion on the psychology of games here as Nintendo has created a classic collectathon and introduced modern tropes as rewards (skill trees, costumes with stat bonuses) which are all mostly unnecessary and mostly serve as dopamine hits to keep players collecting.
 
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like... is there a fast way to farm banandium chips other than going into an enemy challenge and just repeating it over and over?

all that I am missing for 100% is 2 skills that each cost 5 skill points... but already have all the normal bananas, so the only way to get additional ones is farming chips.

🙃
but my urge to 100% everything forces me to continue...
 
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like... is there a fast way to farm banandium chips other than going into an enemy challenge and just repeating it over and over?

all that I am missing for 100% is 2 skills that each cost 5 skill points... but already have all the normal bananas, so the only way to get additional ones is farming chips.

🙃
but my urge to 100% everything forces me to continue...
I think there is a tie that increase how much chip you get.
 
like... is there a fast way to farm banandium chips other than going into an enemy challenge and just repeating it over and over?

all that I am missing for 100% is 2 skills that each cost 5 skill points... but already have all the normal bananas, so the only way to get additional ones is farming chips.

🙃
but my urge to 100% everything forces me to continue...

There is surfing challenge early on that has a bunch of chips in it and if you finish the challenge over the 20s mark, you can quickly restart the challenge.
 
oh yeah, I already have that equipped... but damn... I need thousands of them to unlock the 2 remaining skills
You said you got all the normal Bananas, is that include Grumpy Kong challenge in post game? that gives you lot of Bananas.
 
I guess all you can do is grind for Banana chips.

seems like it... just gotta find the best/fastest challenge room.

it's a bit annoying tho ngl. they should have added a way to maybe buy chips in the end game with gold... or maybe some casino like thing where you put in 1000 gold and it gives you random amounts per play.
 
There is surfing challenge early on that has a bunch of chips in it and if you finish the challenge over the 20s mark, you can quickly restart the challenge.

I think I remember the one you're talking about. gotta check how many it has.

most of the enemy based ones will also just throw chips at you per killed enemy, so one with lots of really weak enemies would probably be the bet
 
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I think I remember the one you're talking about. gotta check how many it has.

most of the enemy based ones will also just throw chips at you per killed enemy, so one with lots of really weak enemies would probably be the bet

Thorny Hill Speed Surf has 30 chips in it.
 
seems like it... just gotta find the best/fastest challenge room.
Fastest I've found was the one with 10 Squeeloids in the Canyon Layer (it's below the Eelevator gong, behind a breakable wall next to a ladder). If you don't move and let the enemy in the front come to you and punch it, it sometimes starts a chain reaction that kills all the other ones, so it is super fast! I usually got 25-30 chips per run iirc; just use "retry" once you're in front of the exit barrel to make farming even faster.
 
Game gets harder in second half but collecting bananas shouldn't power you up too much to me, that's just a bonus since moons didn't do anything in SM Odyssey. You actually can "power up" if you suck at the game adding hearts and apple juice can give you more chances at getting hit making the game even easier.
i think we're saying the same thing.

I didn't mean they made the game so much eaiser. I meant the game was easy so there wasn't point in grabbing so many bananas so soon. Similar with fossils.

So one should really just push forward and don't worry about getting everything...unless they are having trouble with the difficulty. I would play more that way if I knew what I know now.
 
I think I've got enough bananas to complete the post-game stuff, but I'm going back to collect more to finish the remaining bananza skill trees before I complete those.

This is just amazing. I'm revisiting areas and smashing the levels to pieces looking for hidden stuff, and when I find it DK makes that monkey noise, which is exactly how I feel. It's so dumb, and yet completely genius.

40+ hours. I wish I could play something else, but I haven't really had the urge to start another game since this came out. After the first trailer I was expecting very little, but now it's probably my GOTY.
 
Fastest I've found was the one with 10 Squeeloids in the Canyon Layer (it's below the Eelevator gong, behind a breakable wall next to a ladder). If you don't move and let the enemy in the front come to you and punch it, it sometimes starts a chain reaction that kills all the other ones, so it is super fast! I usually got 25-30 chips per run iirc; just use "retry" once you're in front of the exit barrel to make farming even faster.

I used that one to farm the rest.
I doubt there's a faster one. but I think you need to manually collect the chips for them to have the chance to count double. whenever I just let them all explode and let the game "auto collect" them after the challenge is over, I got noticeably less per round (like 20 max) while rolling around like a schizo and clapping constantly to collect as many manually as possible got me more (like almost 40 per round).

I had to farm about 3000 chips 🙃
seems like all in all you have to buy 71 bananas to max out your skills. so I'd recommend anyone who's planning to do that to always have the 40% double chance tie equipped.
because even after getting all other bananas I was missing about 7 level ups or so even tho I did buy many bananas before



my save file now has 3 stars.
is there other stuff that adds stars? the only thing I could think of would be maxing out all the materials on each layer... which I absolutely won't do tho 😂 because that sounds like an insane task.
 
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I liked Mario Odyssey a lot but with this game Im officially become fan of Odyssey team.

I can't wait for their next game.
 
Ok so what do you suggest? Just gather whatever I can and just keep focusing forward? Is the game really that big?

Yeah don't try to smash all the levels and "collect everything" —you'll burn out before you even get halfway, that opening level isn't even a third of the size of the real game levels. And most of the stuff other than bananas and fossils just randomly spawns in as you smash anyways, it's not actually there to collect in the first place.
 
755 bananas now and all fossils collected. This has to be the end, right? Stay tuned until tomorrow for the next episode of bender bender plays monkey kong.

I liked Mario Odyssey a lot but with this game Im officially become fan of Odyssey team.

I can't wait for their next game.

I really hope the collection aspect is toned down in the next Mario. The costumes were a nice touch but 880 moons was a bit more than a bit too much.
 
I really hope the collection aspect is toned down in the next Mario. The costumes were a nice touch but 880 moons was a bit more than a bit too much.
The issue with moons was they were not useful and rewarding to collect same way Banana was in DKB.

Some moons just there to get with no effort, in DKB even more simple Bananas you need find them with sonar and actively dig it out which makes it more fun compare to how Odyssey does it.

Also one big reason why the journey was more fun in DKB, your side kick was actual character with proper personality instead of being object with eyes.
 
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The issue with moons was they were not useful and rewarding to collect same way Banana was in DKB.

Some moons just there to get with no effort, in DKB even more simple Bananas you need find me with sonar and actively dig it out which makes more fun compare to how Odyssey does it.

Also one big reason why the journey was more fun in DKB, your side kick was actual character with proper personality instead of being object with eyes.

Disagree a bit. The problem is that there are just too many moons and I'd pin that on Monkey Kong too, even with the dopamine hits of exchanging the bananas/fossils in for skill points/gear which are mostly unnecessary. Less is often more and when you have hundreds upon hundreds of collectables, the majority of them are going to feel like throw away busy work even if you can exchange them for a new fur color or an upgraded chest beating.
 
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