Review of Banana Kong 2, the new potassium-rich endless runner

A decade is certainly a long time in the gaming industry, but time seems to have stood still for Banana Kong: The first episode, which aired in 2013, offered an endless runner experience, with a particular focus between Donkey Kong Country and Jetpack Joyride. Various situations and scenarios that are generated absolutely randomly with each new game.

Well, we’re grappling with it today Banana Kong review 2it’s exactly a sequel that comes almost a decade later, but it looks decidedly conservative from the start, ceasing to introduce who knows what innovations compared to the beginning of the series, and really ends up sacrificing something at the altar of realizing a more refined technique. .

Gameplay: old school, baby

If you’ve spent a lot of time with the original Banana Kong, you should have no problem getting used to it. formula Since it’s basically the same, the gorilla hero of this new chapter of the Game actually has to escape from the collapse of a banana mountain that he caused, a bit like in Alto’s Adventure, but he will have to avoid many obstacles along the way.

Going through a series of more or less dangerous creatures, from rocks to barrels, we will have to use it. bounce (can be operated with a simple touch of the screen) “beech” hooked (holding down) a large leaf to avoid traps and keep running, or to overcome long distances, even project downwards in correspondence with flowers that allow you to jump and reach unprecedented heights.

not happy with the avalanche banana Behind us, we’ll be able to recruit others during the game and use them as a bargaining chip to buy aesthetic items or upgrades, whether temporary or permanent, from one try to the next. That’s not all: just like with the original Banana Kong, we’ll be able to fill a gauge that once charged will allow you to sprint forward powerfully and save the ground.

In the meantime, we will see the scenario change frequently and willingly, through gateways and makeshift tools, which we will discover to be essential. Some will go underground, others will go to the bottom of the sea, Gameplay and new mechanics to jump on both platforms and hazards to avoid.

Banana Kong 2 is a game free, therefore it is possible to download and use it for free without certain limitations: ad trailers appear from time to time, but can be skipped, but if desired, an in-app purchase of 14.99 € is available, which eliminates ads and offers a variety. awards. Frankly, the figure is a bit high, but let’s talk about it a little bit. microtransactions nothing but mandatory.

Beyond the lack of concrete news compared to the first episode, unfortunately there is a problem with the responsiveness and precision of the show. touch controlssometimes it leads to inevitable disappointments that don’t take our inputs well, especially with regard to the forward kick, and this often turns into undeserved overplays (after all, one blow is enough to die).

Technical realization: better or worse?

From a technical point of view, Banana Kong 2 tries to reinvent the style of the series a bit, completely reimagining it. graphic eliminating the two-dimensional approach of beginnings that many admire. The result is certainly somewhat controversial in the sense that there is more animation and detail, but there is a feeling that you have lost the original charisma.

A discourse extending to the industry sound, also here it is fully functional and not very original, for some reason it lacks the heady solutions, but above all it emptied some beautiful sound effects of the first episode. Bongo and xylophone based music is cheerful enough to accompany the action.