Essential Tips to Get Started – Donkey Kong Bananza Guide

Whether you’re punching through dirt or battling tough foes in Donkey Kong Bananza, knowing how to manage the terrain and your resources can turn the tide in your favor. We’ve compiled some of the most essential tips for early players that’ll keep you digging smarter, fighting harder, and building your way to victory!

Since you’re able to destroy most surfaces, except for certain “bedrock”-type areas, it’s easy to dig yourself into a hole, literally, and lose track of how to get back on course. Luckily, you can reset the terrain at any time by pressing the + button while viewing the map.

Resetting the terrain is also extremely helpful for restoring gold deposits and giving yourself more material to dig through again in search of treasure chests.

Different types of terrain behave in unique ways, so it’s important to know what you’re working with in each layer. You can quickly get information by grabbing a chunk with ZR, then holding ZR to aim. This lets you see both the terrain type and its toughness. If no toughness is listed, it usually means you’re looking at indestructible “bedrock.”

When facing tougher enemies, don’t underestimate the power of hurling a terrain chunk at them. Most surfaces allow you to hit harder than with your regular attacks, which can be vital for breaking through the armored shells of skeletal foes.

There are several currencies to keep track of in Donkey Kong Bananza, and it helps to know what’s worth collecting.

• Banandium Gems (Bananas) unlock more skill points. Certain “bunches” give you multiple points toward the next Skill Point, and are awarded for progressing through the main story. There are many, many more hidden in every layer, but they aren’t required to progress the game.

• Fossils let you purchase outfits specific to that layer. Bigger, more expansive layers have three types of Fossils, while smaller layers only have one type to be spent on costmetic fur dyes for DK. The outfits you can buy with Fossils can even be upgraded, and provide some great bonuses you don’t want to miss out on.

• Gold can be used to buy items, maps, and more at the Stuff Shop once you reach the Hilltop Layer and beyond. In addition, you can talk to certain crystal-like NPCs to unlock constructions like getaways, blast barrels, and more in exchange for Gold.
• Banandium Chips can be found in the earth, chests, or in boxes, and you can use them to to trade for Banandium Gems at Chip Exchange shops if you’d rather not spend time searching for more bananas. The more you exchange, the higher the price, and they only count toward one collectible marker per layer.

At first, digging through the earth with your fists might feel a bit aimless, but you’d be surprised at what you’ll find. Gold and Banandium Gems can show up almost anywhere, and there’s always a chance you’ll stumble upon a Treasure Chest.

These can contain anything from piles of gold to helpful supplies like Balloons or Apple Juice, and most importantly, treasure maps that reveal the location of a Fossil on your map.

Once you reach the Canyon Layer, keep an eye out for NPCs shaped like little houses. They’ll offer to build getaway homes, and the more you unlock in a layer, the more amenities they’ll offer – like bonus hearts when you sleep, access to shops, and more.

Plus, they serve as fast travel points, making it much easier to move around the map.

Don’t be afraid to go full Bananza whenever you want. The extra power makes tunneling and fighting enemies much faster, and it doesn’t take much gold to refill your meter—letting you activate your stronger forms almost anytime.

While it’s tempting to spend Skill Points right away, saving them up for bigger upgrades is often the better move.

This is especially important if you’re in a layer where you’re trying to unlock a new Bananza. Stockpile your points so you can immediately invest and strengthen your new abilities.

Don’t overlook smaller enemies, they often make the best accidental projectiles. Even if they charge you, stand your ground, land a punch, and send them flying into other foes. You can even use the terrain they crash into to clear your path forward.

Don’t forget about fast travel! If you ever get stuck in a hole, you can easily warp to any checkpoint or getaway you’ve built.

Buy Balloons! When you die in Bananza, you lose 10% of your gold, up to a maximum of 500. Since you’ll need as much cash as possible for Banandium Gem missions, items, getaways, and more throughout the game, buying balloons in bulk from the Stuff Shop on each layer is a smart investment.

If you fall off a ledge – whether it’s the edge of a layer or in a challenge room – a balloon will lift you safely back to the last platform you stood on. This gives you the freedom to attempt high-risk moves without worrying about your wallet.

You also get a free jump in midair after rolling off a ledge, just like in classic Donkey Kong Country. You can cover long distances by chaining a roll-jump-roll combo—similar to the second dive you get after bouncing off Cappy in Super Mario Odyssey.

Originally Appeared Here