I recently watched the latest Nintendo Direct, and was overjoyed when they announced that DLC for Donkey Kong Banaza was not only coming, but would be released later the same day. I thought it was a bit strange to receive this kind of DLC just a couple short months after the main game was originally released, but as I thought about it more I supposed it made sense to strike while the iron was hot. This is, after all, the summer of Donkey Kong. (Or, if you’re a DK Vine reader, Stinky Ape Summer).
The Emerald Rush mode didn’t seem that compelling to me, but being able to fully explore an updated (“present day”?) DK Isle was a nostalgic dream come true. I would say that I spent so much of my early life running around on DK Isle in DK64, but the truth is I’ve spent much of my adolescent and adult life there, too. I pick DK64 back up every couple of years, and love the environments there.
So naturally, I coughed over the extra $20 and downloaded the DLC.
I must admit, though, that I am somewhat disappointed in everything it has to offer. Not only that, but I think it has very slightly diminished my overall rating of Banaza. I still rate it highly, of course, but I can’t help but feeling that Nintendo chopped out part of the core content of the game so they could sell it to us at an upcharge later.
I’m not going to get into in-depth spoilers for Bananza. The most I will say is that after exploring DK Isle, it’s clear to me that this area was designed to be part of the main game, and would have been a fun reward for completing the main storyline. There is quite a lot of post-game content, which it awkwardly delivers to you by starting you over in the same area that the game begins. Instead, it would make way more sense for you to return to your home on DK Isle, and begin the post-game from there.
I love the design and nostalgic touches of DK Isle. I love the fact that it’s littered with little easter eggs for fans, like the end-of-level targets from DKC2 that are present on the shipwrecked Gangplank Galleon, or the original banana horde from DKC1 underneath DK’s house. There are dozens of callbacks and references, and is just the right amount of fan service for an optional DLC.
But once you’ve spent twenty minutes or so walking around the island, there’s not much else to do (other than the Emerald Rush mode). The scale of DK Isle isn’t as large as I would have hoped. It’s not a full level/layer. There aren’t any new collectibles to grab. No new bananas or banandium gems. There’s just not enough here to justify the extra price.
The level select (Eelevator) screen, even in the original version of the game, has a clearly visible (but unavailable) DK Isle at the top of the picker. I have no doubt that this was ripped out at Nintendo’s request, when it could have been included in the original game.
With the DLC, Donkey Kong Banaza costs a full $90. That is a ludicrous amount, even for something I love and have waited for for literal decades.
But then I think, what if they had charged $80 for the main game, with DK Isles included? And then offered the Emerald Rush mode as a $10 DLC? I think in that scenario, I would find it more reasonable.
Ultimately, Bananza is an incredible game, and being able to explore DK Isle is a real treat. I can sit here and be cranky about the nickel and dimeing, or I can have fun with my old animal buddies. I’d much rather do the latter.