ENTERTAINMENT

Donkey Kong Bananza on Switch 2: A Look at the Good and the Not-So-Good

Wed Jul 16 2025

Impressive Features

  • Interactive and Destructible Environment
  • Opens up new paths and gameplay possibilities.

  • Camera Performance
  • Works well, even in underground areas.

Notable Issues

  • Pop-In
  • Objects and parts of the environment appear suddenly as you move forward.

  • Shadows and Lighting
  • Poorly rendered shadows.
  • Outdated lighting, reminiscent of the original Switch's visual problems.

  • Resolution and Blurriness
  • Varies between 1080p and 1200p.
  • Some parts of the environment look blurry.
  • Handheld mode likely runs at 1080p, offering better image quality than docked mode.

  • Frame Rate Problems
  • Slows down during certain animations, like picking up a banana.
  • Drops to 30 frames per second during boss battles.
  • Frame rate also drops in photo mode and handheld mode.
  • Handheld mode benefits from variable refresh rate (VRR), but issues persist.

Overall Impression

  • Mixed Image Quality and Performance
  • Doesn't ruin the experience but has noticeable flaws.
  • Future updates are hoped to address these issues.

questions

    Does the poor shadow rendering mean Donkey Kong is secretly a vampire?
    Is the poor shadow rendering a cover-up for hidden secrets in the game's environment?
    What steps could developers take to address these issues in future updates or patches?

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