Donkey Kong Bananza has exploded onto the Nintendo Switch 2 with vibrant visuals, destructible terrain, and a fun tag-team system with Pauline. But many longtime fans are asking: Is this new Kong adventure too easy?
The short answer: not if you’re ready to dig deeper. While the early game is beginner-friendly, Donkey Kong Bananza gradually reveals layered difficulty, optional hardcore runs, and some brutal post-game surprises.
Let’s break down what makes Bananza seem easy—and how to crank up the challenge for a true test of your skills.
✅ 1. Easy Early Game, But a Late-Game Skill Spike
The game opens with colorful and forgiving levels in Hilltop Layer and Lagoon Layer, where hazards are minimal, enemies are slow, and apples or healing balloons are abundant. But don’t let the opening fool you.
Once you reach Forest Layer and beyond, things start to heat up:
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๐ฅ Poison swamps that deal damage over time
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๐ฆ Spike-armored VoidCo grunts that can only be hurt with environmental tools
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๐งฉ Complex puzzles requiring precise use of transformations like Ostrich Bananza’s glide-and-bomb mechanics
Pro Tip: Skip early health upgrades. Focus on terrain-smashing upgrades and movement speed to prepare for the tougher zones.
⚔️ 2. No Official Hard Mode? Here’s How to Create One
Try these self-imposed challenge runs:
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❌ No Skill Tree Runs: Don’t upgrade your health, damage, or ability cooldowns.
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๐ฏ Normal Mode Only: Skip Assist Mode. You’ll lose more gold on death, and waypoints disappear.
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๐ง Limit Transformations: Try to solve puzzles using Donkey and Pauline’s base moves. Use forms only when absolutely necessary.
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๐ Permadeath Challenge: If you die, delete your save and start fresh. This one's not for the faint-hearted!
๐ฎ Developer Insight: Game Director Kazuya Takahashi mentioned in interviews that Bananza was designed to be approachable, but “later levels were made intentionally brutal for completionists.”
๐ 3. The Real Test Is in the Post-Game
Once you finish Bananza’s ~20-hour main campaign, the real grind begins.
๐ A. Hidden Challenge Rooms
Over 50 secret trials are unlocked post-game:
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๐ฟ Bramble Country: A high-difficulty tribute to Donkey Kong Country 2, filled with insta-death vines and barrel launches.
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๐ฅ Bunch of Boss Battles: Refight VoidCo bosses with stronger attacks, tighter arenas, and new attack patterns.
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๐ซ Crossing Through Crosshairs: Navigate laser traps—one misstep, and you restart the gauntlet.
๐ B. Collectibles with a Purpose
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Banandium Gems: Vital for completing the skill tree and unlocking powerful outfits (like the Golden Hide, which grants +20% damage).
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Fossils: Optional collectibles that trade for cosmetic gear, some with added resistances like poison or burn reduction.
๐ C. Speedrunning & Leaderboards
With destructible environments and alternate routes, Bananza is ripe for speedrunning. Community leaderboards already track best times for boss fights, challenge rooms, and full game clears.
๐จ 4. Co-Op & Artist Mode Add Unique Difficulty Layers
๐ฅ Co-Op Mode:
Playing with Pauline in co-op makes some puzzles easier. Her terrain manipulation and vocal attacks give an edge, so if you want more challenge—go solo.
๐งฑ Artist Mode:
Once unlocked, you can build your own voxel terrain and levels. This is a challenge of creativity and precision, perfect for those who want to push the engine's limits.
๐ง 5. Final Verdict – Not “Too Easy,” Just Smartly Balanced
While Donkey Kong Bananza starts soft, it ramps up in creative and brutal ways:
✅ Great for New Players: Assist Mode, forgiving lives system, and easy early levels
✅ Satisfying for Veterans: Hardcore self-runs, hidden content, sequence-breaking
✅ Strong Post-Game Value: Challenge Rooms, speedrunning, 100% completion grind
Some critics felt the main bosses could’ve packed more punch, but the post-game delivers the real trials. If you're willing to experiment and push the systems, Bananza has teeth.
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