Donkey Kong Bananza on Switch 2 is a very, very good video game all about smashing stuff up and exploring gorgeous cartoon worlds as Nintendo’s favorite ape. But between all the banana eating, punching, jumping, and singing, there are loading screens featuring some wonderful retro-style artwork that I just adore.
When I started playing Donkey Kong Bananza earlier this month, I assumed the ability to practically destroy every level would be the main attraction for me, the one major reason I would love the game. And it is a big reason I enjoy Donkey Kong’s latest 3D adventure. However, I was surprised by just how charming the loading screen artwork is in the game.
It immediately stood out to me. It looked like it was imitating the kind of artwork Nintendo would produce back in the ‘80s and early ‘90s. It’s not trying to perfectly match the new Donkey Kong character design, but instead is just conveying the general vibes. It’s close enough in the best way possible.
The loading screen art is so good in Bananza that I started to get frustrated at how quickly the Switch 2 loads the game up. I’d sometimes look away for a moment, look back, and only catch a glimpse of some cool-looking art before the game was ready to play. At the very least, I wish there were a gallery where I could see all this art in-game. Thankfully, Nintendo fans have done a great job documenting the artwork online, though beware some late-game spoilers if you scroll around that useful database of Donkey Kong Bananza loading screen art.
I hope that if Donkey Kong Bananza gets a future expansion, Nintendo adds even more wonderful loading screen artwork to the game. And maybe, add an option to leave the loading screen up until I hit a button to make it go away. Sometimes, you just want to linger and enjoy some damn good art.
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