Donkey Kong Bananza, the latest title for the Nintendo Switch 2, is now available and has quickly become a hit. However, many seasoned players of Nintendo platformers, particularly those familiar with games like Mario Odyssey, might find something slightly unusual about its default control scheme. Specifically, the jump button feels a bit off when you first start playing.
In Donkey Kong Bananza, the jump action is by default mapped to the A button on the Switch 2, a departure from the more customary B button found in many classic Nintendo titles. This design choice was made to logically align the other face buttons (X, Y, and B) with Donkey Kong`s various punch directions: X for upward, Y for forward, and B for downward punches. While this system offers a clear visual correlation for combat, it can be disorienting for players accustomed to Nintendo`s long-standing button conventions, especially dating back to the Super Nintendo era where the jump button was almost universally positioned at the bottom of the face button diamond.
Fortunately, there`s a straightforward way to revert to a more traditional jump button setup. From the game`s start menu, navigate to the “Options” section, which is typically the fourth menu item and marked with a gear icon. Within the options, scroll down to the “DK`s Action Buttons” submenu. Here, you`ll be given the choice to swap the functions of the B and A buttons, allowing you to assign jump to the B button and the downward punch to the A button. While this isn`t a comprehensive button remapping system, its inclusion signifies that Nintendo acknowledges that some players may prefer the traditional jump button placement.
It`s worth noting the trade-off: if you opt for the traditional jump on B, the punch directions will no longer perfectly correspond to their positional layout on the face buttons. This control scheme dilemma has even sparked lively debate among game reviewers and players alike, with some swearing by the intuitive nature of the default controls, while others find them too foreign to adapt to. The ultimate choice rests on personal preference. For example, the original reviewer spent nearly 20 hours with the default controls and found them to be perfectly natural, whereas other players quickly made the switch and adjusted seamlessly to the new punch button assignments.
Regardless of your chosen control configuration, Donkey Kong Bananza promises a truly engaging and enjoyable experience. As a highlight of the Switch 2`s launch lineup, it expertly fills the role of a substantial single-player adventure, a hallmark of Nintendo`s signature titles. More importantly, it stands as an exceptional game in its own right, deserving to be recognized alongside acclaimed titles like Mario Odyssey as one of Nintendo`s finest recent works.