Donkey Kong Bananza DLC: But the Fan-Favorite Might Not Be Worth the Price

Donkey Kong Bananza is still a hit with fans, and many were thrilled when Nintendo announced its new DLC in the most recent Direct. This add-on seemed like a dream: DK Island, a new place to explore, and a roguelike mode called Emerald Rush.

But while the DLC has some great parts, it also shows where the base game isn't quite perfect. DK Island content takes you back to the good old days of Donkey Kong Country. It's full of fan service, returning characters, and hidden messages. There's no denying the nostalgia factor, which adds to the charm of the original game and the new material.

As you look around the island, though, it feels empty. There aren't any skeletons, bananas, or important things to find. A well-thought-out playground with lots of set pieces is provided to players, but there are no real rewards, which makes them much less likely to explore.

Emerald Rush is the second feature of the DLC. It is a roguelike mode where players have to collect a certain number of emerald shards over some rounds. Every game starts with no skills, and players need to find fossils and bananas to get stronger. Void Kong adds new goals to help you succeed, but the main goal is still to get the required number of shards before time runs out.

For a short time, the mode is fun because it gives you new clothes, skills, and prizes. But after about 30 minutes, it starts to feel like the same thing over and over again, making it feel more like a short distraction than a fully engaging experience.

The trouble is that Emerald Rush is pretty much the only thing that makes DK Island worth anything. The mode works better on other levels where the environments are already important, but on DK Island, it feels like it was added as an afterthought to make the DLC package look more serious.

The material seems like it's been in other Nintendo games before. The Mushroom Kingdom in Super Mario Odyssey is a lot like DK Island, and Luigi's Balloon World is a lot like Emerald Rush, though it's a bit more complicated. Similarities are not a surprise since both Odyssey and Bananza were made by the same people. This expansion for Bananza costs $20, but Odyssey's material was either free or included in the base game. This is the main difference.

There's a chance that this DLC was meant to be added to the base game, but was separated to make more money. As it came out so quickly—only two months after the main game—it seems like a lot of it was already finished before it came out. A $5–$10 fee might make sense, but $20 makes the whole package $90, which raises standards for content and value that the DLC fails to meet.

The DLC isn't bad in the end. DK Island brings back memories and has a nice look, while Emerald Rush gives you a new way to enjoy the base game's gameplay features. But because it costs a lot and doesn't have a lot of material, fans might not be impressed with it.

Fans of Donkey Kong Bananza will enjoy the DLC's short bursts of fun and fan-service-filled exploration, but each player will have to decide for themselves if it's worth the extra $20.