Emerald Rush
This article is under construction. Therefore, please excuse its informal appearance while it is being worked on. We hope to have it completed as soon as possible.
Emerald Rush is a game mode available via paid DLC in Donkey Kong Bananza and unlocked by beating the main story. It sees Void Kong recruiting Donkey Kong and Pauline to gather emeralds for his company. During this mode, the player has to collect emeralds scattered across a layer as they try to fill increasingly more demanding quotas within a series of timed rounds. DK begins each run without any of his previously-learned skills, which he may re-learn over the course of the run, and can collect various exclusive Emerald Perks that further boost his performance. The mode is reminiscent of roguelike games, featuring a multitude of individual objectives that shift randomly across the map and encourage the player to adapt their strategy.
Gameplay[edit]
Emerald Rush can be initiated by interacting either with Void Kong at DK Island or with the Squawks in any other eligible layer. This mode is played in individual runs, during which all gold present on a layer is replaced with emerald. In addition, Banandium Gems and fossils gain distinct, emerald-adjacent properties that may improve the player's emerald-hunting capabilities. Each run strips DK of any of the skills, upgrades, and Bananzas acquired in the main game, though he may regain them in two ways: either by unlocking them in his skill tree in exchange for special Emerald Chips (which replace Banandium Chips in this mode), or by breaking specific Banandium Gems that are randomly selected to conceal these skills.
Every run spans a number of rounds, each with a given emerald quota to fill within a time limit of 80 seconds. A while into the first round, Void Kong begins issuing Void Goals that award the player bonus emeralds and Emerald Chips upon completion. Breaking a fossil, finding a new skill in a Banandium Gem, or completing a Void Goal grants the player an opportunity to unlock one of three random Emerald Perks, which interact with the player's skills, actions, and achievements in various ways; for instance, certain Perks multiply the number of emeralds earned when the player defeats enemies or destroys terrain while wielding a chunk or wearing a specific Bananza transformation. Initially, every possible source of emeralds, whether bullion, enemies, or destructible terrain, yields as much emerald as it would normally yield gold, but this amount can increase dramatically the more Perks the player has accumulated. Multipliers earned from Perks can stack depending on what those Perks act upon.
The player can only proceed past a round if they meet the given emerald quota. In this case, the quota is deducted from the total amount of emeralds collected up to that point in the run, and the player begins the next round with the resulting difference. If the quota is not met, the run ends. At the end of a run (which entails completing the run, losing a round, or prematurely ending the run), the player's performance is assessed using a rank, which, from lowest to highest, can be E, D, C, B, A, or V. This rank is only shown on the respective run's results screen. The player's performance translates into Rating Points, which contribute towards unlocking new Perks, outfits, and discs, as well as layers to play Emerald Rush in.
Events[edit]
- Main article: Event (Donkey Kong Bananza)
This mode hosts periodic events where players can earn exclusive collectible statues by surpassing certain emerald scores. These events feature a limited amount of Emerald Perks that may revolve around a particular element, such as Emerald Chips.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | エメラルドラッシュ[1] Emerarudo Rasshu |
Emerald Rush | |
| Chinese (simplified) | 绿宝石淘金[2] Lǜbǎoshí Táojīn (Mandarin) Luhkbóusehk Tòuhgām (Cantonese) |
Emerald Gold-Panning | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 綠寶石淘金[3] Lǜbǎoshí Táojīn (Mandarin) Luhkbóusehk Tòuhgām (Cantonese) |
Emerald Gold-Panning | |
| Dutch | Smaragdjacht[4] | Emerald hunt | May be a play on goudjacht ("gold rush") |
| French | Course aux émeraudes[5][6] | Emerald run | |
| German | Smaragdrausch[7] | Emerald frenzy | May be a play on Goldrausch ("gold rush") |
| Italian | Caccia agli smeraldi[8] | Emerald hunt | |
| Korean | 에메랄드 러시[9] Emeraldeu Reosi |
Emerald Rush | |
| Portuguese (NOA) | Caça às esmeraldas[10][11] | Emerald hunt | |
| Russian | Изумрудная лихорадка[2] Izumrudnaya likhoradka |
Emerald rush | |
| Spanish | Caza de esmeraldas[12][13] | Emerald hunt |
References[edit]
- ^ Nintendo 公式チャンネル (September 12, 2025). ドンキーコング バナンザ DKアイランド&エメラルドラッシュ [Nintendo Direct 2025.9.12]. YouTube (Japanese). Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ a b In-game DLC Info menu in Donkey Kong Bananza.
- ^ September 12, 2025. 《咚奇剛 蕉力全開》的付費新增內容「DK島＆綠寶石淘金」現已發布！《咚奇剛 蕉力全開》的體驗版也現已發布。. nintendo.com (Traditional Chinese). Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ Nintendo Nederland (September 12, 2025). Donkey Kong Bananza – DK-eiland & Smaragdjacht, nu verkrijgbaar! (Nintendo Switch 2). YouTube (Dutch). Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ Donkey Kong™ Bananza: Île de DK et Course aux émeraudes. nintendo.com (Canadian French). Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ Nintendo France (September 12, 2025). Donkey Kong Bananza : Île de DK et Course aux émeraudes – Disponible ! (Nintendo Switch 2). YouTube (European French). Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ Nintendo DE (September 12, 2025). Donkey Kong Bananza – DK-Insel & Smaragdrausch – Jetzt erhältlich! (Nintendo Switch 2). YouTube (German). Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ NintendoItalia (September 12, 2025). Donkey Kong Bananza – Isola DK + Caccia agli smeraldi, disponibile ora! (Nintendo Switch 2). YouTube (Italian). Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ September 12, 2025. 「Nintendo Direct 2025.9.12」에서 공개한 소프트웨어의 최신 정보를 전달!. nintendo.com (Korean). Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ Donkey Kong™ Bananza: Ilha DK + Caça às esmeraldas. nintendo.com (Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ^ Nintendo Portugal (September 12, 2025). Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo Switch 2) – Ilha DK + Caça às esmeraldas já disponível. YouTube (European Portuguese). Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ Donkey Kong™ Bananza: Isla de DK + Caza de esmeraldas. nintendo.com (Latin American Spanish). Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ Nintendo España (September 12, 2025). Donkey Kong Bananza: Isla de DK + Caza de esmeraldas – ¡Ya disponible! (Nintendo Switch 2). YouTube (European Spanish). Retrieved September 18, 2025.
