It’s been out for the better part of a year (which is two decades in video game years) but I think Donkey Kong Bananza is still pretty interesting and worth discussing.
I think the argument about whether or not video games count as art or if they can be a legitimate story telling medium got settled literally decades ago. Yes, video games are an art form. And yes, they are perfectly lovely medium for telling stories.
Donkey Kong Bananza does have a fun and amusing storyline with a couple of good twists (one of which they use almost right away by revealing the true nature of Oddrock) The music is solid enough that I’ve listened to it outside of the game.
However, what I think is really interesting is how destruction is your main interaction with the game. I am not a video game guy so I’m sure Donkey Kong isn’t the only example of this but it sure is a profound one.
I think it’s fair to describe the game as 3D, open world platformer. However, Donkey Kong can destroy just about everything in the game. He can smash pretty much all of the terrain.
In Super Mario Odyssey, which was made by the same developers, Mario is at the mercy of the terrain. You have to figure out how to puzzle out the world around you. Donkey Kong, on the other hand, just smashes his way through.
Donkey Kong is a hammer in a world that is made of nails. The ability to destroy just about away defines how you interact with the world. Maybe I just haven’t played enough games (Actually, I definitely haven’t played enough video games to have any kind of informed opinion) but this was a whole new world for me.
It feels like wish fulfillment. Obstacles normally define the world in games. Video games, RPGs and board games. In Donkey Kong Bananza, obstacles belong to you. You get to destroy the countryside and have a great time doing it.
Oh, I’m terrible at it. But being able to smash the world? That is satisfying.
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