One user online has noticed thatDonkey Kong Bananzafeatures a mechanic it likely took fromDark Souls:after being defeated, players can go back to the spot where they died and retrieve their lost gold. This is a very well-knownDark Soulsmechanic, where if players die, they drop all their souls and can later come back to the same spot to recover them—otherwise, they’re gone.Donkey Kong Bananzahas been out for less than 10 days, and thisDS-inspired feature may have flown under the radar for many.
So far, since its release,Donkey Kong Bananzahas enjoyed a hugely positive reception. The highly awaited return of the gorilla has been worth it, as players have embraced Nintendo’s new take on the franchise. This time, DK moves through voxel-based, destructible terrain, punching his way forward through the different levels. TheDonkey Kong Bananzadirector said he took inspiration from every game in the series, revealing he played every entry in order to deliver a coherent experience that fans would enjoy. However, players have noticed one mechanic that hasn’t come from theDKseries, but from a very different franchise.
As noticed by a Reddit user named mikel501055, every time one dies while playing thepopularDonkey Kong Bananza, a lava gold statue of the gorilla screaming appears on the spot where the player was defeated. Not only that—upon respawning, players can go back to the same place, destroy the statue, and get their gold back.
DK Bananza Lets Players Recover Their Lost Gold the Dark Souls Way
WhileDonkey Kong Bananzais neither a FromSoftware-inspired game nor atitle one would necessarily recommend to aDark Soulsfan, it’s true that this mechanic directly resembles the one seen in theSoulsseries. Though there’s nuance in how it’s implemented, it clearly draws inspiration from the RPG franchise—a detail some may have overlooked.Dark Soulsis arguably one of the most influential titles of the century, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that any new game (even outside its genre) might take a page out of its book.
Despite this subtle similarity,Bananzais a completely different type of game, whose mechanics and style have really engaged fans on the recently released Nintendo Switch 2. The title is doing so well that many fans even believeNintendo missed a big opportunity by not includingDonkey Kong Bananzaas a Switch 2launch title, as it leverages the console’s new features more than the flagship launch title,Mario Kart World.
