Load of Croc!

Originally I wanted to write a review of Donkey Kong Bananza. I recently beat the game, and I really enjoyed it. It felt like Donkey Kong’s answer to Super Mario Odyssey, which I assume was intentional. However, there’s a lingering issue with the game that won’t leave me alone, and I’ve decided it’s worth discussing it. It’ll involve spoiling the game, but that’s inevitable. Because it really bothers me:

I don’t think King K. Rool should’ve been the real villain.

For context, this game follows Donkey Kong and a 13 year-old girl named Pauline as they head to their planet’s core. Along the way, they encounter Void Co., a mining syndicate desperate to get there first. It’s basically a race between DK/Pauline and Void Co., with various shenanigans along the way. Together with Pauline’s singing voice, DK punches his way through enemies and textures, sometimes as animals called “Bananzas”, so as to outwit Void Co. It’s a fun experience with many inventive worlds.

Toward the end of the game, the story makes a bold reveal. Apparently, the leader of Void Co. has mistaken the Banandium Root, the planet’s core, for a sleeping crocodile. Said crocodile is DK’s foe from previous games, King K. Rool. King K. Rool, for some reason, wound up in the planet’s core after a battle with DK, and he’s out for revenge. After discarding Void Co.’s leader like he’s nothing, King K. Rool decides to use the Banandium Root himself. Realizing they’ve unleashed a monster, DK and Pauline chase after him.

Now, I was spoiled by King K. Rool being in this game via a YouTube thumbnail before I’d even encountered him. However, I thought that his presence was a fake-out, perhaps a decoy by Void Co. So when it turned out that King K. Rool was the true mastermind, I was disappointed. Yes, his two battles are as challenging as they are enjoyable, and I appreciate the nod to Donkey Kong Country with the fake credits. But his inclusion was unnecessary. In fact, it’s as bad as the Zant/Ganondorf fake-out in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, except worse because Ganondorf was foreshadowed early on.

For those who remember my ScrewAttack days, I have two rules for whether or not twist reveals are good: they should make sense in the context of the story, and they should progress the story in a good direction. King K. Rool being here fits the latter (somewhat), but fails at the former. It’s a shame, as King K. Rool isn’t a bad villain, even putting up a worthy fight. Nevertheless, I must remain firm in my assertion that his presence wasn’t telegraphed effectively. In fact, it wasn’t telegraphed at all.

I know some of you will disagree, stating that he was “the best part of the game”. To that, I only half-agree. Yes, King K. Rool returning after a decades-long absence was cool. He hadn’t been in a mainline Donkey Kong title since Donkey Kong 64 in 1999. He’s also more threatening than Void Co. But he wasn’t necessary. And his absence wouldn’t have hurt the overall experience.

Some of you might claim that the other baddies would’ve telegraphed his presence. I disagree. Yes, the enemies looked suspiciously like King K. Rool’s goons. But that doesn’t mean anything. After all, up until the final layer, none of them looked like his goons when defeated. They looked like skeletons that turned into gold after being punched by DK.

Truthfully, Donkey Kong Bananza should’ve gone one of two ways with King K. Rool. The first is to have him be the villain from the get-go. Bypass Void Co. altogether, simply have King K. Rool be who DK and Pauline have to stop. It’s not like his inclusion couldn’t work from the start, especially with the wacky shenanigans he’s been up to before. Alternatively, if you wanted to include Void Co., have them as hired goons.

The second option would be axing King K. Rool. Like Bowser and Ganondorf, not every entry, even a mainline one, in the Donkey Kong franchise needs to have King K. Rool as the primary antagonist. Besides, Void Co. was plenty threatening! Their leader even put up a decent fight multiple times! And if the game wanted an epic finale, have Void Co.’s leader, who was already frustrated, head for the Banandium Root and cause chaos himself. It’d make more sense than him as a cheap fake-out.

I suppose it’s too late to remedy this. Irrespective of my thoughts, King K. Rool’s the final boss, and I have to live with that. Though it doesn’t make me any less-frustrated. It feels cheap and unearned, even if many people liked it. I say this despite loving the game and both fights with King K. Rool. Go figure!

Yes, Nintendo isn’t known for their high-grade storytelling. Yes, having Pauline be active, as opposed to a damsel in distress, is a step in the right direction for a company averse to change. But that doesn’t change how King K. Rool being the true antagonist is a cop-out. And if it weren’t for his history with Donkey Kong, he’d also be forgettable. I expect better from Nintendo.

So yes, I’m not happy about King K. Rool’s presence. It doesn’t make Donkey Kong Bananza any worse, but it’s a disappointment.