Donkey Kong Bananza is a masterclass in cathartic game design, and by far the most satisfying moments in the game come following transformations that let you rip through environments and pound enemies to dust even quicker than usual. That said, there's one elephant-sized transformation that even Nintendo admits is a little overpowered.
"I think we can agree the most destructive transformation is the Elephant Bananza, and honestly speaking, it probably went too far," says programmer Tatsuya Kurihara in an interview with Game Informer. "But at the same time, it's fun, it feels good. And that's what matters most."
Kurihara is absolutely right. The peak Donkey Kong Bananza experience is one of controlled demolition, and although from a strict gameplay perspective the elephant power-up might be a little unbalanced, by the time you've unlocked it late in the game it very much feels like a moment of earned release.
Donkey Kong Bananza released a couple of years after Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a game that also prominently featured an elephant power-up, but Bananza producer Kenta Motokura insists there's zero connection between the two transformations.
"To be honest, the fact that we both had elephants was a complete coincidence," he says. "When I think about how the elephant transformation works in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, it's clear to me that there were different goals for what they were trying to accomplish, even though it's the same animal transformation."
