The Nintendo Switch 2 Is Finally Letting Me Fill in a 22-Year Blindspot

Like many gamers with semi-disposable income, I bought a Nintendo Switch 2 on launch day. I know it isn’t the most technically impressive generational leap, but for someone who’s used to playing on a Let’s Go Pikachu & Eevee Switch model from 2018, it’s quite the jump. The graphics, the framerates, even the new UI for the Switch 2 system menu are enough to impress me thoroughly right now.

But even then, it’s less so the improvements themselves and more what they open up for me. I lost interest in most first-party Nintendo franchises a few years ago due to the original Switch’s shortcomings, so the Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t just my gateway to the future of Nintendo, but to the past as well. And right now, the Switch 2 is my gateway to a franchise I haven’t touched in over 20 years.

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My History With The Donkey Kong Franchise Has Been Short But Sweet

My One and Only Donkey Kong Game

One of my very first video game consoles as a kid was my parents’ beat-up Game Boy. We only had a handful of games for it, and most of the cartridges had seen better days. To this day, I have no idea if the Zelda game I played as a kid was Link’s Awakening because the front of the cartridge was ripped off.

But one of the few games kept in pristine condition was Donkey Kong Country for the Game Boy Color. Of course, Game Boy Color games don’t work on the original Game Boy, but little 3-year-old me didn’t know that. I remember staring longingly at Donkey Kong’s face on the transparent cartridge, wondering just what kind of crazy antics that gorilla could be getting up to.

I never played that version of Donkey Kong Country. Instead, a few years later I was gifted a blue Game Boy Advance SP for my birthday, the first console I properly owned, and one that’s managed to survive two decades of wear and tear, and even a water bath courtesy of my then-4-year-old sister. Along with it came Donkey Kong Country, a 2003 remake that’s apparently a sizable downgrade from the original SNES version. But I didn’t know that at the time.

All I knew was that I could finally play Donkey Kong Country, and the wait was worth it. The music, the visuals, the addictively frustrating minecart missions. I loved all of it. My obsession was so strong that even two decades later I still hear King K. Rool’s boss fight music echoing in my ears, usually at the most inopportune moments.

Watching Donkey Kong From The Wings

But for some reason, Donkey Kong Country was my one and only brush with the long-running Nintendo franchise. I’ve never played the DK Country sequels. I’ve never tried the ambitious Nintendo 64 game. I haven’t even dipped my toes into the Donkey Kong entries on Nintendo Switch. This hasn’t been an active effort on my part; I just haven’t had the desire to jump into any of the Donkey Kong games that have passed me by over the years. But that’s all about to change.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Is Opening a Lot of Gorilla-Shaped Doors

Donkey Kong Bananza Is My Most Anticipated Game of the Year

Out of nowhere, I’m suddenly incredibly excited for Donkey Kong Bananza, and I can pinpoint a few reasons behind my unexpected interest. First and foremost, I’m desperate for more Nintendo Switch 2 games. After a week and a bit with the console, I feel like I’m still just scratching the surface of what it can do, and I’m hoping Donkey Kong Bananza will be a great demonstration of its shiny new features.

It also helps that Donkey Kong Bananza‘s gameplay is much more my speed than previous entries in the franchise. I enjoy 2D side-scrollers, but it’s far from my favorite genre. 3D platformers are much more up my alley, and I’ve been a sucker for destruction mechanics ever since 2001’s Red Faction.

I also find myself leaning more towards breezy, colorful adventures at the minute. I love hard-hitting narratives like the ones found in The Last of Us, God of War Ragnarok, and the recent Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, but I often feel the need to balance those out with less-intensive experiences.

It Might Be Time to Revisit Some Older Donkey Kong Entries

But Donkey Kong Bananza isn’t out for another month. While I wait, I’m strongly considering making my way through the entire Donkey Kong franchise’s back-catalogue. Nintendo Switch Online has a few Donkey Kong Land games that I’ve heard good things about, and there are a few Switch 1 DK entries that I’m sure will look at least a little brighter and run a little better on Switch 2. It’s time for me to make up for some lost time.