Okay, so, here’s the thing. The Nintendo Switch 2—it’s like a new ride on an old roller coaster, you know? The developers, those genius game wizards, are kind of hitting a wall with this slick new hardware already. Imagine that. There’s this interview somewhere in Spain (seriously, I’d love a trip there) where Kazuya Takahashi, the brain behind Donkey Kong Bananza, spilled the beans. “Performance may drop,” he said. Like, he just came right out with it. Why? Because they’re using this wild 3D voxel technology for the game’s breakable world. It’s a big deal! So Takahashi says they chose “fun and gameplay” over, um, smooth sailing performance. I mean, who doesn’t want chaos first, right?
Oh, speaking of Donkey Kong Bananza—this game, it’s been on a twisty path to land on Switch 2. Originally, it was supposed to be a regular Switch game. Sounds simple, yet here we are, first time in the 3D world since, like, forever (remember Donkey Kong 64? Legend.). This isn’t just smashing bricks. No, DK can punch through walls, dig tunnels, rip stuff apart for weapons, or whatever other antics. Explosive antics, I’m guessing. But, the 3D voxel engine, it’s hungry. Gulp, back it goes—Switch 2, better get ready!
Side note, there’s a clip floating around, make sure to peep it—whoa, wait! “Don’t miss these,” says the screen. I miss tons of things, honestly, but not this. A journo from La Vanguardia asked about some “frame drops” they saw in a version of Donkey Kong Bananza. Takahashi had answers. Funny little things like hit stop or slow-mo to make impacts look rad. Uh-oh, scenery changes? Bam. Performance drop. But hey, they weighted it out for more fun. Suppose you could forgive a stutter when you’re tearing the place up?
Gonna pause here because, apparently, Nintendo knows about these hiccups. They might patch things up later with updates. Maybe sprinkle some of that magical DLSS spice on it. Who’s counting? Anyway—where was I? Oh yeah, for a full scoop on Switch 2’s opening act, there’s an analysis out there from June. Dive into that if you’re curious.
Quick detour down gaming memory lane: voxel games didn’t pop up yesterday. We had them as far back as 1992! Comanche: Maximum Overkill, folks. Voxel engines written in assembly language. Old school tech flexing hard!
Oh, right, the release day? It’s hitting the shelves this Thursday—July 17 if you’re marking calendars. And don’t miss the latest from Tom’s Hardware on Google News. Just, you know, follow them, why don’t you?
