Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush is Good Fun but Definitely Overpriced
New roguelike mode went live last week.
Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island and Emerald Rush revels in nostalgia and its enjoyable roguelike mode, but it doesn't justify its pricing so far.
Last week's Nintendo Direct presentation had a few welcome surprises, though the Donkey Kong Bananza news caught me off guard. Leaning into Donkey Kong 64's influences while adding a new gameplay mode, the DK Island + Emerald Rush DLC sees you working with Void Kong to gather Emeralds, a new currency that’s functionally similar to gold but exclusive to this mode.
Accessing DK Island requires speaking with Squawks in the Racing Layer, though it becomes available post-game after talking to the Kong Elder. Hearing that new DK Island theme as I reach the new location, staying oh so faithful to the DK 64 version, is incredibly welcoming. Nintendo treats Rare’s older platformer with reverence throughout Bananza, and that’s evident once more.
You won’t find any bananas or fossils across DK Island outside of Emerald Rush, which leaves this feeling a little bare. Cranky, Diddy, and Dixie can be summoned to different photo spots, Squawks sells trophies for 100 chips each time, and DK’s house can also be visited. This isn’t a direct recreation of Donkey Kong 64’s island, and I want more to do. You don’t need that long to see everything in this new level.
Emerald Rush is the main draw, which wipes your abilities clean before starting. Your goal is to hit a gradually increasing Emerald quota within a time limit across different rounds, which gets enjoyable tense when you’re scrambling until the end. Sometimes, bonus objectives emerge from Void, like defeating a set of enemies or high-fiving a particular character, which adds decent variety to these stages.
It’s a fun distraction away from the main game. Unlocking skills by finding specific bananas is an interesting twist, and the difficulty levels feel decently balanced between risk and reward. Finding fossils and completing Void’s challenges grants perks, earning more Emeralds through multipliers or other boosts. There’s a nice little progression system too, though not especially compelling after a few hours, which gradually unlocks more layers for Emerald Rush, further perks, and new outfits.
There's decent depth here after four hours, though my bigger problem ties into the nature of this release. Why is it so expensive? This DLC feels like Nintendo ripped it out of the core game and gave it a £17 price tag, less than two months later. Suddenly, a £59 game is a £76 game if you want the complete experience. I don't mind paying extra, though maybe not much more than half. Right now, this is overpriced for what it is. Nintendo added Luigi's Balloon World to Super Mario Odyssey three months on, and while Emerald Rush is significantly more extensive, Balloon World was a free update.
The timing could come down to several factors, it's worth remembering Nintendo likes keeping games on the shelf. That means DLC plans might suddenly get backed up. Look at Fire Emblem Engage, for example. Six weeks of advance review access is almost unheard of, and the expansion pass finished after three months after launch. The first few waves are largely filler, sure, yet Engage also introduced a brand new storyline taking about five hours.
This also isn't comparable to Super Mario Party Jamboree or Kirby and the Forgotten Land, either. Both have since received official Switch 2 ports with sizeable expansions and technical upgrades, better justifying this since they first launched on the original Switch. Both also cost the same as the DK Island + Emerald Rush DLC.
I never like factoring price into my impressions or reviews unless it regards microtransactions or launch day DLC; a cheaper game lowers your expectations, but price and quality are unrelated. We'd be here all day if I got into the wider discussion around game pricing, though Nintendo's seen that play out plenty already with Mario Kart World and Welcome Tour. For what you're paying, what's here just isn't enough. That's even when you factor in the new Void Kong fight later on or the additional layers that aren't immediately apparent as unlocks.
It's disappointing because Donkey Kong Bananza is currently my Game of the Year. Donkey Kong 64 was one of my earliest gaming favourites growing up, so I'm delighted to see this DK Island back, while Emerald Rush provides surprisingly in-depth thrills. But as I put down Bananza once more, I certainly hoped for more. This DLC simply isn't worth the full price.
Henry Stockdale
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