When Donkey Kong Bananza was first released, its energetic platforming and creative mechanics instantly cemented it as one of Nintendo’s best new-age titles. With the release of DK Island and Emerald Rush DLC, the developers clearly wanted to offer both a heartfelt homage to the past and something fresh for players who can’t get enough of DK’s heroic adventures.
Results are mixed, but ultimately rewarding, especially for those who want another excuse to keep rolling, pounding, and surfing through the jungle.
Welcome to DK Island
DK Island is exactly the kind of postgame content we were hoping for after finishing Bananza’s main campaign. And by the looks of it, DK Island delivers on that. Its jungles and sun-drenched beaches feel like they’ve been straight out of a classic SNES game and refurbished to HD.
You can leisurely explore various parts of the island, including the wreckage of King K. Rool’s Gangplank galleon, climb the giant stone DK face set into the cliffs, and travel through minecart tunnels filled with Easter eggs, all of which strike the perfect nostalgic chord.
Credit: Nintendo
Unfortunately, this trip down memory lane won’t last long. Once you’re done sightseeing, you’ll find that there isn’t much to do here. There are no Vanandium gems to collect on this island, and some of the challenge rooms are recycled from the main game. For the price, it feels like a shame, especially when games like Super Mario Odyssey’s Mushroom Kingdom gave players fresh months and secrets to uncover.
Still, what DK Island lacks in substance, it almost makes up for in atmosphere. It’s a lovingly crafted backdrop that shines brightest when paired with the real star of the DLC: Emerald Rush.
Emerald Rush: The Banana Roguelike You Didn’t Know You Needed
Emerald Rush is where the DLC really kicks into gear. Nintendo took the bold leap of injecting roguelike elements into the world of Donkey Kong. It’s a game that doesn’t seem to fit into the roguelike category, but it works surprisingly well.
The premise is simple. DK ends up working for the villain Void Kong and his company, Void Corporation, and is tasked with mining the newly discovered emeralds. Each Emerald Rush run unfolds as a series of rounds, where you smash, surf, and roll your way through a destructible environment to complete your quota of emeralds before the timer runs out.
Credit: Nintendo
Start each run without gaining any skills in the main campaign. As you progress, you earn banana chips and complete missions from Void Kong, such as defeating certain enemies, surfing a certain distance, and even high-fiving Cranky Kong. These contracts reward you with new upgrades and allow you to rebuild your DK’s power set on the fly.
The roguelike design is a perfect fit for DK’s fast, physical playstyle. Each run is a chaotic combination of destruction and discovery, forcing you to make quick decisions as you choose between three upgrades to increase your yield of emeralds, increase damage from certain Bananza forms, or enhance your treasure-hunting abilities. It’s an addictive gameplay loop that highlights everything that’s great about Bananza’s core mechanics.
reward the faithful
What makes Emerald Rush so appealing is the way it turns familiar environments into strategic battlegrounds. As the difficulty increases, the distance between the emeralds and the objective becomes greater, making each new mission feel like a mayhem-filled mini-puzzle.
The tension of barely making it through the round while watching your emerald allotment dwindle as the enemy closes in is exhilarating. And a persistent progression system by Void Co. employees keeps you coming back again and again. As you level up, you unlock new perks, costumes, and harder difficulty tiers, giving you even more reasons to keep coming back.
Credit: Nintendo
It’s all in the design that gives long-time players a reason to keep coming back. Even if DK Island felt like a missed opportunity, Emerald Rush could justify the DLC price tag for fans of the genre.
final thoughts
DK Island and Emerald Rush are must-have games for fans of the retro series and anyone who loves roguelike challenges. DK Island provides the nostalgic trip we’ve been craving for so long, but it lacks the meaningful gameplay elements to make it truly memorable. Meanwhile, Emerald Rush is a bold creation that breathes new life into Donkey Kong Bananza, combining satisfying movement, tactile destruction, and roguelike madness.
It’s not a perfect expansion, but it ensures that Donkey Kong remains at the forefront of Nintendo’s platform heritage, both as a character and as a franchise. After all, there are few things more satisfying than watching a great ape plow through chaos. And now he finally has endless reasons to keep it going.
3 stars (out of 5 stars)
Highlight: Excessive nostalgia. Roguelike gameplay will satisfy fans of the genre
Cons: Lack of content. I can’t find the banana gem
Developer: Nintendo EPD
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Available: Currently
Review was conducted on Nintendo Switch 2 using a code provided by the publisher.
A featured header image is also provided by the publisher.
