Most gamers are familiar with the subtle changing
of the name Donkey Kong to avoid copyright
infringement from aping (if you'll pardon
the pun) the famous movie about the giant
gorilla and the woman that loved him.
Banana Kong has a similar smell about it,
trying to attach itself to a more popular
property.
However, while Donkey Kong could at least
excuse itself with an innovative and engaging
play experience, Banana Kong is just another
endless runner clone built around in-app purchases.
It's not entirely terrible however so let
us explore further.
All apes love bananas, this is well known.
It seems this gorilla's greed has gotten too
much for his own good, as he must now outrun
a banana pile that threatens to crush him
under its sheer weight.
More surprising is on this mad dash for freedom,
you spend your time collecting bananas for
use in the store.
I guess old habits die hard.
A tap on the screen will cause the ape to
jump, a swipe down will send him to the platform
below.
While in the air, tapping and holding will
deploy a parachute that can be used to collect
more bananas and also clear larger gaps.
During play the banana pile will start to
creep up on you.
Collecting twelve or so bananas will fill
a dash meter that can be triggered with a
swipe to the right.
This not only doubles as a way to get rid
of obstacles, but is the key to traveling
to the mines and treetops.
Along the way you can ride toucans and receive
a helping hand from giraffes and wild boars,
but all this is fun distraction from a central
running mechanic that is honestly quite frustrating.
There are procedurally generated sections
that you encounter as you travel, usually
requiring you to avoid an obstacle, change
platforms, or utilize the jump pads and your
gliding.
Some obstacles will slow you down, but most
will end your run with an anti-climactic thwack.
Especially when the game starts to speed up,
it's far too easy to have a rolling boulder,
falling stalagmite, or even a stationary rock
spoil your experience, and the amount of times
you find yourself restarting coupled with
the shop really emphasize the grind this game
was designed around.
I mean yes the visuals are pleasant enough,
but amusing animals and lush backdrops can
not replace engaging gameplay, and especially
for those on endless runner burnout, Banana
Kong really doesn't offer anything you can't
get in a better example of the genre.
