Living in a voxel world.
During an interview with IGN, Donkey Kong Bananza Producer, Kenta Motokura, and Director, Kazuya Takahashi had a lot to say. One thing in particular was the differences between Donkey Kong Bananza and Super Mario Odyssey. For their full responses, we have them here:
Kenta Motokura: I think one of the biggest differences is that in the case of Donkey Kong Bananza, the entire world is made up of this voxel technology. And the reason for that is we wanted to create an arena that would make the best use of Donkey Kong’s physical strength as a character. So I think for me, that’s the biggest difference.
Kazuya Takahashi: And I think you can see this come across in the level design where we had to consider the importance of the continuity of destruction. And on one level, similar to Super Mario Odyssey, each level has to be fun just if you’re playing through it the normal way without doing a lot of destruction. But the makeup of this game also allows for the kind of destruction that keeps connecting to new discoveries. If you see something in front of you and you pick it up and you throw it and it brings down a wall and there’s something interesting behind it, but then you also start to destroy the wall in that back area and it leads to another new item or area. That’s what we mean by the continuity of destruction.
Also, you may even encounter a Banandium Gem, which is different from the Power Moons in Super Mario Odyssey. In Donkey Kong Bananza, Donkey Kong actually eats the Banandium and gets a skill point that he can use to power up his skills. So you also might have different playstyles where experienced gamers are using these skill points to enhance or embellish their skills, whereas relatively new players or less experienced, might want to add to their life bar, for example, for survivability. We also have a gameplay cycle that I think differs from Super Mario Odyssey in that you can also go collect a lot of gold through your various explorations and use these to buy things which then allows you to experience different things in the game, creating a virtuous cycle that is different from what you would see in Super Mario Odyssey.
For more from the full interview, we highly encourage you to check out the complete piece on IGN by clicking here.
About Donkey Kong Bananza:
The big guy is back—and he’s not alone! — Explore a vast underground world with Donkey Kong and Pauline—by smashing your way through it!
With DK’s brute force and Pauline’s special singing abilities, you can crash through walls, carve tunnels with your fists, punch straight down into the ground, and even tear off chunks of terrain to swing around and throw in groundbreaking exploration. The more you smash, the more areas open up to explore.
Take a deep dive into fun — Join DK and his companion, Pauline, as they delve deep underground—and discover that this subterranean world is a lot more than it seems on the surface. Uncover a variety of environments such as arid canyons, lush forests, and frigid tundra as you peel back the world’s layers!
Pair up with Pauline — Pauline is a 13-year-old girl with a powerful voice—so powerful it can blast rocks and even bestow powers on Donkey Kong!
Bananza time! — Pauline’s singing can empower DK with different Bananza Transformations, each with its own unique power. Pump up DK’s strength, speed, and more!
Underground folks — Donkey Kong and Pauline meet a lot of interesting characters along the way—some might even help them out on their adventure!
Void Company The Planet Core is said to have the power to grant any desire—and Void Kong, the ruthless head of the greedy Void Company, will stop at nothing to reach it and claim all the world’s riches for himself. Smash your way to the Planet Core before the greedy Void Company gets there first!
Team up with a friend — In 2-player co-op mode, one player controls Donkey Kong while the other can be Pauline, riding on DK’s shoulder, using her powerful vocal blasts to clear a path and zap baddies. (You can even try Joy-Con™ 2 mouse controls for more precise aiming!) Pauline can also copy nearby terrain to add some environmental umph to her blasts. When DK and Pauline work together, the bad guys don’t stand a chance!
Assist Mode — If you’re a new player or just want a more mellow experience, try out Assist Mode! Get helpful features like automatic path guidance, aim assist, reduced damage, and regenerating health!
Different ways to play together!
- Local | one game + one Nintendo Switch 2 system
- Local | one game + two Nintendo Switch 2 systems using GameShare
- Online | one game + two Nintendo Switch 2 systems using GameChat + GameShare
Source: IGN
