Donkey Kong Bananza Fans Have One Problem With the Switch 2 Game (And We Don’t Blame Them)

Donkey Kong Bananza has been out for a few weeks now, and it’s safe to say that the game is a pretty big hit with Nintendo Switch 2 users. The latest adventure for DK clearly scratched the itch of those who were desperately searching for a great single-player exclusive on the new system. That isn’t to say that players have been happy with all aspects of the game, though. A number of fans have taken issue with one specific feature in the game, and that’s the lack of audio options. As posters on Reddit have pointed out, the game simply doesn’t offer any way to turn up the music, while turning down everything else.

In Donkey Kong Bananza, there’s a lot going on. Players are constantly smashing through terrain, and there are plenty of vocals and sound effects that drown out the game’s music. That’s a real problem for players that would prefer to hear Naoto Kubo’s music compositions a little higher than everything else. Unfortunately, there’s no way to turn up the volume on that specific part of the game. While the game does offer a number of other ways to customize the experience, it’s lacking in the audio options.

This isn’t something that’s isolated to Donkey Kong Bananza, either. As many posters have pointed out, Mario Kart World is also lacking in audio customization. The soundtrack for Mario Kart World has gotten a lot of praise since the game launched alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 back in June, but fans have been pretty frustrated with how often that game’s music similarly gets drowned out by the sounds of the Karts and characters. Not everyone is going to feel the same way, but it would be nice if these game allowed players a chance to tweak the audio if they feel the need.

Hopefully Nintendo sees these requests from fans and adds them in future updates, while also making more of an effort to include them in the first place. The fact of the matter is, video games have come a long way over the years, and fans want the option to customize their experience in ways that suit their specific needs. We’re seeing accessibility features becoming increasingly more important in the modern era, and fans can’t be blamed for feeling frustration when they can’t access something that’s a pretty basic feature.

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One thing that is notable about Nintendo is that the company has gotten pretty good at updating its software. In the Switch era, we’ve seen games get updates years after launch, resolving issues, and adding quality of life improvements. As such, fans shouldn’t give up hope that these audio options might get added at some point down the line. If the current Game-Key Card controversy is anything to go by, it’s the fact that Nintendo is acutely aware when fans aren’t happy about a specific change that can be made.

Is this an accessibility feature you would like to see in Donkey Kong Bananza? What features would you like to see added to the game in the future? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!