Summary
Donkey Kong Bananzais a fresh start for Donkey Kong. It isn’t a spinoff of theDonkey Kong Countrygames, and it isn’t a sequel toDonkey Kong 64. That said, there are plenty of callbacks to both of those games, including cameos from otherKongsbeyond Donkey Kong himself.
There are new Kongs in the game too, who appear as villains, which is something new for the series. Overall, players may want to know who appears inDonkey Kong Bananzaand how well they are implemented.All the Kongs inDonkey Kong Bananzawill be ranked according to how well they are used and how much of an impact they have on the story and gameplay.
7Kong Elder
Bananzaaaaa!
There are five mystical Elders inDonkey Kong Bananzawho grant DK special transformation abilities. The first one,Kong Elder, gives DK the Kong Bananza form, which turns him into a massive ape who can destroy almost anything with ease. Players need Bananergy to transform, which they can get by collecting Gold throughout the underground world.
These transformations makeDonkey Kong Bananzabetter, and Kong Elder is the only ape-like being of the bunch. Technically, he’s not a Kong, but he is an ape, so it’s worth including him here anyway, as he is a cool character if only for a very limited time. The game doesn’t go into Kong Elder’s origins much, and Nintendo will probably never answer any questions regarding them, but it’s best to cover all the bases.
6Cranky Kong
Little More Than A Series Of Cameos
Technically,Cranky Kongfirst appeared in 1981 as the titular Donkey Kong in the originalDonkey Kongarcade game. After that, he was known as Cranky Kong, the grandfather of the version of Donkey Kong who appeared inDonkey Kong Country. Cranky Kong typically has a supporting role in these games, except forDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, which made him playable.
That was his greatest adventure, but inDonkey Kong Bananza, he just rambles on about old stories and then gives DK a Banandium Gem at the end. It is nice that Cranky Kong is accompanied by Rambi, though, one of the mounts fromDonkey Kong Country.
5Diddy And Dixie Kong
Could Have Been Better Utilized
Diddy Kongfirst appeared as DK’s partner inDonkey Kong Country.Dixie Kong, Diddy’s best gal pal, appeared in the sequel,Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest, which made Diddy the star. The two are inseparable, as seen inThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, so it made sense to pair them up inDonkey Kong Bananza.
They will challenge DK to a race in the Racing Layer, and that’s pretty much it for their contributions to the game. If there were more races, then maybe they would have ranked higher, but Diddy and Dixie Kong are only marginally better utilized than Cranky Kong. Dixie also mentions Candy Kong, DK’s girlfriend who first appeared inDonkey Kong Country, but she never makes an appearance inDonkey Kong Bananza.
4Poppy Kong
A Business-Centric Ninja
Poppy Kongis a new character inDonkey Kong Bananzaand one of Void Kong’s subordinates within Void Company. She’s a company spy who uses potions to turn herself invisible, which is a cool power. Unfortunately, compared to the other new villainous Kongs, Poppy doesn’t get to fight DK as often.
She’s more of a behind-the-scenes sort of corporate ninja, which is cool on paper, but less cool in practice. Plus, she does become an ally later on who helps break DK out of jail. She would make for a great lead character in aSly Cooper-like spinoffwith stealth, platforming, and ninja action, but inDonkey Kong Bananza,she’s very middle-of-the-pack.
3Void Kong
If Goro Majima Was A Monkey
Void Kongis the head of Void Company and the primary villain for most ofDonkey Kong Bananza. It’s kind of telling that he is evil, but not smart, as everything he uses is due to Grumpy Kong’s ingenuity, from his remote control to his flying banana. His speech patterns and costume make him look like he belongs in aYakuzagame.
Void Kong is a bit of a try-hard who gets what’s coming to him in the end. He is fun to hate on, though, like a Saturday Morning Cartoon villain, so in that way, he’s a good addition to theDonkey Kongfranchiseas a whole. In the end, his whereabouts are unknown, so he could return to seek revenge in a sequel or DLC.
2Grumpy Kong
Let The Man Work
Grumpy Kongis another new Kong inDonkey Kong Bananzawho works for Void Kong. He is the technician for Void Company who designed almost every random enemy and boss that players will face. True to his name, Grumpy is not a happy camper, but he does love his work, and he will clash with DK multiple times.
Even though he isn’t the head of Void Company, his mechanical abilities are top-notch, which makes him a bigger threat to DK. Like Poppy, Grumpy also eventually becomes an ally, but his reappearance only happens in the post-game.
1Donkey Kong
Of Course, The Game’s Titular Character Is Number One
Donkey Kong Bananzais the rebootDonkey Kongneeded on many levels. His strength is better showcased, as he never truly got to be a powerhouse in any of his previous games, fromDonkey Kong CountrytoDonkey Kong 64.Smashing walls in an open-world gamehas never felt this good before.
Even though he can’t talk, DK’s expressions are fantastic and thoroughly convey how the big ape is feeling. He’s not all muscle, though, as his partnership with Pauline is sweet and a big part of what makes the game sing. Hopefully, DK won’t have to wait this long to be the star of his own video game again.
