The latest adventure of the big ape Donkey Kong and his friends, the Donkey Kong Bananza for the Nintendo Switch 2, has been nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards, which has turned out to be a tremendous boost for Nintendo. This nomination comes as a great milestone for the large ape and his fellows, putting them right next to other top nominees during the awards season. Nintendo was the first to report the news on their official Twitter account, and soon it was the players’ reaction in vast numbers all over the world that the news was.
So, the question is, what exactly is Donkey Kong Bananza? In fact, it is the most recent installment of the classic Donkey Kong tale. It is bringing back the old, classic, barrel-throwing, and vine-swinging action that everyone has loved over the years. However, now the gameplay is adorned with great visuals and some wild new features. For the gaming community, it has been a topic of conversation since its first reveal and by praising its entirely smooth gameplay, and the return of the villain King K. Rool, which was so unexpected that it became one of the epic moments of the game. One of the users on the platform, Mr.Gabo:v, even considered this point as a major positive and tweeted, “Plus the epic and unexpected King K Rool’s Return.” That’s actually very impressive for the loyal fans of the classic DK.
Without a doubt, the nomination has been a promoter of engagement within the community. The online reaction is very varied, which is typical for any game that is under spotlight. Players who are right in the middle of the nomination tussle are feeling true mixed emotions. User SwoopySwoopington declares, “WE ALL VOTING FOR THIS TO WIN,” thus, supporting the idea that the passionate fans are already mobilised. Another user, Julius Caesar opted for the simpler approach when saying, “I already voted for DK.” Therefore, the support is not just coming, but actually, it is already arriving. The buzz is definitely there, as user Sir Obsern said, “THE GAME AWARDS WILL BE GOING BANANZA WHEN DK TAKES THE AWARD HOME!!” Isn’t that an absolutely fantastic atmosphere?
However, it is still the case that it is the internet, and therefore, some controversy can be expected. The game is not supported by everyone. Some critics have pointed out that the game is one of the cases where the hype has been too much. User Zeldameister was reading a review about the game that stated: “a solid 7/10 but like one of the most overhyped games ever,” and he concluded that it is not worth the hype. Another user, 313 Villain, partially agreed and said, “The game is great. I think the overhyping is what ruined it for me so far.” It seems like a high expectations vs everybody else phenomenon, a thing that seems unavoidable in the case of almost all major releases in the gaming market today.
In addition to the criticisms, the game has also powerful competitors. The gamers who are competing for The Game Awards’ Game of the Year title are always mindful that Donkey Kong Bananza will have a tough time running against the other mighty titans. User Mr.Gabo:v mentioned the strong competition saying, “I hope we win, we are up against silk song and expedition 33, and they are also brilliant bangers, but they’ll all miss the factor of: MONKEY.” That is indeed a valid point. Another question that might be popping up in the minds of the hardcore gamers is, who else but a huge gorilla can we play as when collecting bananas? The community is already mentioning the long-anticipated Hollow Knight: Silksong alongside what appears to be something called Expedition 33 or CO33 as the main competitors. User GUARD expressed a balanced view and said, “If you are a huge DK fan like I am and played Bananza to the end, you would probably vote for DK. I would. That said, E33 was amazing, don’t sleep on it.” It looks like an extremely close contest.
The excitement, fever, and quarrels have led to the occurrence of some… strange … subjects in the replies which cannot be ruled out. Yorch Torch Games, one of the users, accused Nintendo of “chickening out” for taking a game called “The Great Rebellion” off the eShop and declared, “No more support for Nintendo.” Another user, HamSammich was pleading with Nintendo to “Stop blocking content with time-sensitive DLC events.” And, in a move that could be interpreted as either brilliant or chaotic, user Suic1d4 tweeted directly at Nintendo saying, “DROP THE PRICE! IM VOTING FOR SILKSONG.” While there is no fault in a gamer trying to bargain a deal, right?
There are also discussions about PlayStation and Xbox Crocs happening in the broader gaming community.
