The Switch 2’s higher processing power has ledDonkey Kong Bananzaand its destructible environments to be a truly unique gameplay experience, Nintendo says. Calling Donkey Kong’s ability to manipulate and explore the environment a “chain reaction of destruction and discovery,” a Nintendo of America executive said that the game was something the company thinks hasn’t been seen in other games.
ScreenRantspoke to Bill Trinen, Nintendo’s Vice President of Player and Product Experience, who highlighted the increased processing power of the Switch 2 compared to its predecessor. Pointing toDonkey Kong Bananzaas the perfect example, Trinen stated:
“That game is really doing something that I don’t think we’ve seen happen in a lot of other games…You can literally punch through just about anything in that world, and it tracks your progress. Those things will interact with other things in the environment that will unveil something hidden in the terrain and cause you to want to explore.”
Through environmental manipulation, players can destroy much of the game world, literally carving new paths of exploration for themselves. Essentially, based on what’s been shown ofBananza,the Switch 2’s processing power can lead to new and unique experiences in games.
Nintendo’s New Games Couldn’t Be Done On Old Hardware
Better Technology Means New Features
With Nintendo championingDonkey Kong Bananzaand its capabilities, one might wonder how long the company has had ambitious ideas like this for the character. With a brand-new style of gameplay and evena new look for Donkey Kong, theSwitch 2 hardware is giving the franchise a refreshthat wasn’t technically possible on previous hardware.
Donkey Kong Bananza Looks Great, But Nintendo Should’ve Made Super Mario Odyssey 2
Nintendo Switch 2 missed an opportunity to give fans a new Super Mario Odyssey and instead focused on Donkey Kong Bananza, which is disappointing.
Thebeefier specs of the Switch 2 allow Nintendo to push things further and infuse new features and ideas, like the fully destructible environments ofDonkey Kong Bananza. Plus, it allows developers to add to the original Switch games with upgrades likeZelda Notes forBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomand even new gameplay content as seen inSuper Mario Party Jamboree.
What Other Games Feature Destruction Like Donkey Kong Bananza?
Destruction In Games Is More Common Than You May Think
WhileDonkey Kong Bananzais the first in the series to incorporate fully destructible environments, previous games have had their own takes on the feature. One of the biggest examples is 2009’sRed Faction: Guerrilla. WhileBananzaencourages destruction to find new methods of exploration,Red Factionpushes destruction as a force of violence. Players can topple walls, chimneys, and whole buildings to stop an impending attack or to infiltrate a building. It is not necessarily for creating new paths like withBananza, but rather to barrel your way through to the end objective.
Another game that also messes with destruction capabilities is theBattlefieldseries, something that willreportedly carry through in the next installment. In modernBattlefieldgames, players can take down trees, destroy cover, and demolish buildings. After enough damage is done to a structure, it will come crashing down. Again, this feature is not employed likeDonkey Kong Bananzadoes with the reward of exploration. Instead, the destruction is simply to hinder and take down an enemy force.
It seems that with examples likeBattlefieldandRed Faction, the destruction is more aligned with war and violence. Meanwhile,Donkey Kong Bananzauses the destruction of the environment to find something hidden and new.
