Donkey Kong Bananza DK Island and Emerald Rush DLC evaluation

Out of the entire issues I would expected from the September 2025 Nintendo Direct, Donkey Kong Bananza DLC was once now not on my record. Regardless of DLC additions for contemporary Splatoon and Pokémon video games, I nonetheless by no means watch for extra content material from a Nintendo sport, frequently to keep away from getting my hopes up. So, once I noticed DK’s face illuminate, mine did the similar, desperate to spend extra time platforming and pulverizing on my Nintendo Transfer 2.

To get you up to the mark, I gave the bottom sport a ten/10 ranking in our unique Donkey Kong Bananza evaluation, relating to it as “the primary Nintendo Transfer 2 masterpiece,” sooner than right away including it to our information to the perfect Transfer video games. A few months later, and I stand via that ranking, however admittedly, I have not revisited the sport all that a lot, having amassed the entire fossils, outfits, and Banandium Gem stones.

So, what does this DLC include? Neatly, there is a new space to discover in DK Island and a contemporary sport mode in Emerald Rush. Whilst there is a hyperlink between the 2, I will means each and every a part of the DLC for my part, as, a minimum of so far as I am involved, there is a little bit of a gulf in high quality between the person portions.

Let’s get started with Emerald Rush. I adore it. Now, I’m a bit of biased, as I really like roguelike video games, and Nintendo has co-opted a couple of concepts from that style in Emerald Rush. The tale at the back of the brand new mode is that Void Kong is again, however he is not on the lookout for hassle. As a substitute, he desires to rent Donkey Kong as an emerald miner, and he is satisfied to praise the loveable ape for his paintings.

Emerald Rush is divided into 99-second rounds, and you’ve got a quota of emeralds to search out each spherical. The glossy inexperienced gem stones seem in all places gold would within the base sport, so there is lots to search out in barrels, enemies, and veins. Fossils, which reset each run, release perks, which spice up the volume of emeralds you obtain relying at the supply, the Bananza shape you are the usage of on the time, or different components. Banandium Gem stones, which additionally reset each and every time, can bag you Bananza paperwork and ability upgrades, in addition to additional emeralds and Banandium Chips.

In terms of Bananza paperwork, Emerald Rush wipes your talents blank, so that you get started each and every spherical with simply 3 well being and no souped-up sonar or turf browsing power-ups. You’ll be able to improve at the fly via the usage of Banandium Chips within the talent menu, however on occasion that is not the most suitable option, as positive perks praise you for hoarding chips or now not unlocking any Bananza paperwork. Emerald Rush repeatedly throws selections at you, and whilst they could really feel immaterial within the first few rounds, each perk makes a distinction by the point your quota swells.

For some time, I wasn’t certain how a lot I used to be playing the Emerald Rush mode. Then, sooner than I knew it, I would spent 4 hours looking to beat my prime ratings, developing some in reality damaged builds on my method. At one level, I would closely invested in perks that boosted the volume of emeralds I earned whilst in Ostrich Bananza shape and from taking down Crockoids, to the purpose the place I may just earn my quota to proceed to the following spherical simply by beating down a few the Crockoid monstrosities on DK Island’s beachfront with a swing of my wings. It is Donkey Kong Bananza at its maximum chaotic, and I will be able to’t get sufficient.

Regardless of my love for Emerald Rush, I am prepared to confess it isn’t easiest. It appears like Nintendo has designed DK Island particularly for the brand new sport mode, however it isn’t somewhat as fluid in different layers, such because the Lagoon Layer or Banquet Layer, which may make the early sport tough while you dial up the trouble. I additionally had a few runs the place I decided on Kong Bananza-adjacent power-ups, simplest to comprehend that the Kong Bananza improve wasn’t to be had anyplace at the map. It appears like the sport will have to be sensible sufficient to show off power-ups associated with a particular Bananza shape if I will be able to’t use it right through that specific run, so I do not waste the dear and restricted upgrades from discovering fossils and Banandium Gem stones.

Whilst I am a large fan of Emerald Rush for probably the most phase and will already see myself doubling my present playtime in that sport mode by myself, DK Island itself is somewhat underwhelming. It is a great sufficient little nostalgia go back and forth to try DK’s treehouse and the remainder of the island, however it simply feels a bit of empty, with a scarcity of latest fossils or Banandium Gem stones to seek down out of doors of Emerald Rush. There is something new to gather, even though, as you’ll be able to change 100 Banandium Chips with Squawks the parrot for statues, which vary from other fractones you encountered in the principle quest to icons from the Donkey Kong sequence.

Those statues are lovely cool, they usually do make DK Island really feel somewhat extra enticing, nearly like a post-game museum, however there is a problem there, too. In case you are now not partial to the Emerald Rush mode, which rewards you with Banandium Chips, it’ll take so much longer to grind for Chips to release new statues. For me, this is not an issue, as I have already spent over ten hours taking part in Emerald Rush, however if you are now not a fan, it nearly makes DK Island a bit of of a bust via default.

If I am dressed in my cynical hat – and it’s one in every of my favourite hats – I do marvel why Emerald Rush mode wasn’t a part of the unique sport. Whilst Donkey Kong Bananza did be offering a good bit of post-game content material, it is not anything extremely replayable, which is how I would describe Emerald Rush. It feels very similar to the cherry on most sensible, and whilst I am individually prepared to phase with extra money for that, I believe like some would possibly really feel somewhat shortchanged, with the entire Donkey Kong Bananza revel in now atmosphere you again the most productive a part of $100.

All in all, the Donkey Kong Bananza DK Island and Emerald Rush DLC is implausible for a definite roughly gamer, which I so occur to be, however may well be somewhat missing for others. Given its $20 value level, which, sure, I do know, is equal to Hole Knight: Silksong, I want there have been somewhat extra to DK Island to make it pop. That mentioned, I nonetheless cannot get sufficient of Emerald Rush, which provides a replayability issue to a sport that was once moderately missing one when you’d amassed all there may be to gather.

That was once our Donkey Kong Bananza DK Island and Emerald Rush DLC evaluation. For extra of our ideas on the newest and largest Transfer video games, make certain to try our Big name Wars Outlaws evaluation and Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion evaluation. Or, if you are on the lookout for extra Donkey Kong lovers, sign up for within the amusing via heading over to the authentic Pocket Techniques Discord.