Donkey Kong Bananzahas taken the internet by storm thanks to its recent Nintendo Direct that delved deep into all the smashing and punching the titular hero can get up to with his shoulder-bound companion, Pauline. There was a lot of new information teased during the Direct, from revealing the new villains and the vague story to all the impressive powers Donkey Kong can unlock, including my all-time favorite, turning into a giant zebra that walks on its hind legs and can run across water. Basically,Bananzalooks absolutely bananas in the best possible way.
Naturally, the Direct, while nearly perfect, did reveal a few wrinkles. Fortunately,Donkey Kong Bananza’spoor performancewasn’t anywhere in sight, hopefully meaning Nintendo has ironed out any stuttering. However, what was highlighted rather prominently is thatDonkey Kong Bananzais carrying over a controversial mechanic fromSuper Mario Odyssey. While some people will undoubtedly enjoy its inclusion, and many will feel it is necessary, as I do, I can’t help but feel that maybe it isn’t the best possible implementation of this idea.
Donkey Kong Bananza Has Co-Op
Player 2 Plays As Pauline
Donkey Kong Bananzahas a co-op mode, which, were I to hear that without proper context, would fill me with joy. Unveiled during the surprisinglyexcellentDonkey Kong BananzaDirect, alongside a slew of other fantastic-looking features,the co-op mode allows player one to control Donkey Kong and player two to take control of Pauline. Again, that sounds like a lot of fun, until one realizes that playing as Pauline doesn’t really give you a lot to do, certainly not enough to sustain playing the entire game co-operatively with a friend, child, or partner.
Essentially,while controlling Pauline, player two can shoot words at nearby terrain and enemies. She can change the texture of these words to match the surrounding environment, and these words can be used in conjunction with Donkey Kong’s attacks and abilities to deal additional damage and make boss fights a little easier. Pauline more or less functions as an on-rails shooter, forcing players to use the Joy-Con’s motion control functionality or the brand-new,controversial Switch 2 mouse controlsto aim at nearby targets.
Naturally, this is disappointing for those who were hoping thatDonkey Kong Bananzawould offer a little more in the way of co-op functionality. Nintendo didn’t outline any other ways players could engage with the co-op features, so it doesn’t seem like there is much else to it beyond what is described in theDonkey Kong BananzaDirect. That is a shame, but crucially,it evokes the same issues thatSuper Mario Odysseysuffered from, as well as, frankly, a huge swathe of Nintendo games, including another Switch 2 launch title.
Donkey Kong Bananza’s Co-Op Doesn’t Look Great
It Seems As Bare Bones As Super Mario Odyssey
Simply put,Donkey Kong Bananza’sco-op mode doesn’t look great. In fact, it looks downright pointless, in my opinion. DespiteDonkey Kong Bananza’sinnovative featureslooking set to both revolutionize the platformer genre and all gaming itself, this seemingly tacked-on co-op mode feels like a regression in many ways. Titles likeIt Takes TwoandSplit Fictionhave proven thatco-op needs to make the experience enjoyable for both or all players, not just the one in the driving seat.Donkey Kong Bananzahas evidently forgotten that rule.
It is repeatingSuper Mario Odyssey’sbiggest mistake, asthat game had a similarly pointless co-op mode that allowed player two to control Cappy and do very little. You could interact with the environment, give Mario a little boost, and even remove things in player one’s way, but everything felt in service of Mario. You couldn’t go off and explore each map in search of its secrets or solve puzzles together. Player two could vaguely engage with minor systems. Their role was essentially participatory, and, were they to stop playing, the experience wouldn’t change remotely.
That’s not what you want from a co-operative experience, and, unfortunately, it seems the same is happening again inDonkey Kong Bananza. Clearly, I’m alone in this frustration, aseveryone loved theBananzaDirect, with many rightfully praising the many unique and innovative qualities of the latest Nintendo first-party title. However, I believe thatthis frustration withDonkey Kong Bananza’slackluster co-op mode stems from Nintendo’s seeming reticence to implement more fully-fledged co-operative gameplayin its first-party titles.
Nintendo Needs Better Co-Op Modes
It Shouldn’t Feel Tacked On
Nintendo has always felt like a huge proponent of local and online multiplayer, with it publishing two of the most bizarre and brilliant co-operative experiences on the Nintendo Switch,The StretchersandGood Job!- both of which aregames that deserve a sequelon Switch 2, and, at this point, we really need them. However, it feels like that’s no longer the case, asNintendo has either omitted multiplayer completely, despite fans asking for it, in experiences likeBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, or half-heartedly added it in certain first-party titles.
Case in point,Mario Kart World’ssplit-screen is functionally brokenthanks to a key missing feature. You can still do all the traditional races with a friend, but the open-world segment,the part that is unique toMK Worldand feels like it would be incredible to play with a friend by your side, is limited in split-screen. Getting split-screen to work in free roam mode is already a hassle, but once in it, you can’t start any races or complete any of the open-world activities, essentially reducing it to a lifeless sandbox you can explore and take photos in.
To playMario Kart World’sfree roam mode in split-screen, players need to select the two-player Online mode option, then select Friends, and finally hit Create Room. This will put them into an online lobby, which allows you to explore the open world, but not interact with it. Of course, while in it, you’ll constantly get a notification telling you the game is waiting for other players. It is baffling that this is how Nintendo chose to implement split-screen exploration of its titular feature.
I’m not really sure what has happened, as Nintendo was definitely at the height of co-op gameplay, especially during the Wii era. I hope that, for future first-party Switch 2 games, Nintendo considers adding better co-operative modes, one that actually gives the second player something to do, or adds something of substance to the experience. It shouldn’t be a throw-away addition; otherwise, the time spent developing it is for naught. Despite disliking Nintendo’s implementation of it,Donkey Kong Bananzashould have a co-op mode, and I’m glad it does, which is ultimately why I’m so conflicted.
