Groove Layer
| Groove Layer | |
|---|---|
| |
| Terrain strength | ★★★★☆ |
| Banandium Gems | 30 |
| Fossils | 30 |
Groove Layer is the fourteenth layer visited in the Underground World of Donkey Kong Bananza, occupying sublayer 1300. It is populated by Fractones. As its name indicates, it is a music-themed location, with disco balls hanging up in various places within its enclosed halls, and its stone terrain is also textured like disco balls. Its most prominent landmark is a gigantic tetrahedronal speaker which plays music as it slowly spins, while color-changing lights illuminate the disco hall in time to the music. Swap Harps make their first appearance here. It is also the location of the Fossil Museum, an exhibition run by the Collectone which fills up as fossils are spent in Style Shops.
After Donkey Kong and Pauline defeat Grumpy Kong in the Radiance Layer, the ground shakes underneath their feet and the Great Harmoneel, brainwashed by the Mind-Bender Mask, breaks through the ground and swallows Pauline, separating her from Donkey Kong. The latter then falls into the Groove Layer and is imprisoned by the Iron Jailer under the assumption that he destroyed the disco by silencing the music; the real culprit, Void Kong, gets away without consequence. During this visit to the layer, the Warp Gong cannot be used, nor is it possible to Teeleport.
After escaping his cell by breaking the floor, Donkey Kong encounters Poppy Kong, also taken here by the Great Harmoneel and imprisoned in one of the cells by the two jailers, with the rubber/gold jailer assuming that she was travelling with Donkey Kong.[1][2] Donkey Kong destroys the bars to Poppy Kong's cell and in return, she helps him reunite with Pauline by helping him restore the music, with the intention of summoning the Great Harmoneel and breaking him out of his mind-controlled state.
Donkey Kong travels to the Beat Source, Bass Source, and Melody Source to destroy Terravoiders silencing each of the respective elements of the Groove Layer's music and digs tunnels to the Disco Hall to create new pathways for the sounds, as indestructible Wallopoids block the original paths. Once this is done, Donkey Kong plays his drumbeat in front of the microphone and summons the Great Harmoneel, who breaks through the speaker and his mask promptly breaks, freeing him from his mind control. Poppy Kong places a Barrel Cannon for Donkey Kong to use to dive into the Harmoneel's gullet and save Pauline, who has transformed into her Odd Rock form again. With the duo reunited and Pauline's re-transformation undone, they are then teleported to the Feast Layer.
During the post-game, Grumpy Kong can be found here. Donkey Kong can pay him gold in order to repair the speaker. Alongside this repair, he also places down two DJ turntables, one in the Disco Hall and one below it, which allows Donkey Kong to change the layer's music to any discs he has unlocked.
Checkpoints[edit]
- Jail Hall
- Disco Hall
Getaway[edit]
This layer has one Getaway, the Disco Getaway.
Banandium Gems[edit]
- Main article: List of Banandium Gems in the Groove Layer
There are a total of thirty Banandium Gems in the Groove Layer. During Donkey Kong's first visit to this layer, he can collect twenty-six Banandium Gems. After Donkey Kong defeats King K. Rool in New Donk City, four more Banandium Gems become available to collect. This is the only layer not to feature any Banandium Gem bunches.
Challenges[edit]
- Groove Layer Challenge Course 1: Quest for the Top (Banandium Gems ×3)
- Groove Layer Battle Challenge 1: Crockoid ×2 (Banandium Gem ×1)
- Groove Layer Battle Challenge 2: Wallopoid ×4 (Banandium Gem ×1)
Enemies[edit]
- Wallopoids
- Crockoids (Battle Challenge 1)
- Munchoids (Challenge Course 1)
Fossils[edit]
- Main article: Fossil
Beaver (alt color) (×30)
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Oto no Kaisō |
Sound Stratum | [3] | |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 音乐的地层 Yīnyuè de Dìcěng (Mandarin) Yāmngohk dīk Deihchàhng (Cantonese) |
Music Stratum | [4] | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 音樂的地層 Yīnyuè de Dìcěng (Mandarin) Yāmngohk dīk Deihchàhng (Cantonese) |
Music Stratum | [5] | |
| Dutch | Discolaag | Disco layer | [6] | |
| French (European) | Strate du son | Sound stratum | [7] | |
| German | Discoschicht | Disco Layer | [8] | |
| Italian | Livello del ritmo | Rhythm level | [9] | |
| Korean | 소리의 계층 Sori ui Gyecheung |
Sound Layer | [10] | |
| Polish | Warstwa Rytmiczna | Rhythmic Layer | [11] | |
| Portuguese (Brazilian) | Camada do ritmo | Rhythm layer | [12] | |
| Russian | Регион «Парти-грот» Region «Parti-grot» |
"Party Cave" region | [13] | |
| Spanish | Estrato de la música | Music layer | [14] | |
| Thai | ชั้นท่วงทำนอง Chán tûuangtamnɔɔng |
Tune layer | [15] |
References[edit]
- ^ Rubber/Gold Jailer: ""Poll-een"? Oh yeah, we threw the girl who was with you in jail too. She got the good cell up top, with the nice view."
- ^ Poppy Kong: "I'm sure I ended up here the same way you did. The Great Harmoneel swept me up while it was running wild in the Radiance Layer. Next thing I knew, I was here."
- ^ mkのゲーム実況ch (November 1, 2025). 謎の生物にポリーンが食べられた!?新たな階層で探し出せるか!?Switch2で最速実況Part71【ドンキーコング バナンザ】. Japanese. Retrieved November 13, 2025 from YouTube.
- ^ losss (July 19, 2025). 咚奇刚 蕉力全开 part05. Simplified Chinese. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ^ AMU Game Channel (July 26, 2025). 咚奇剛:蕉力全開 劇情攻略 (22) 音樂的地層-地下1300層【共26個蕉鑽石】. Traditional Chinese. Retrieved November 13, 2025 from YouTube.
- ^ MEGA album of Dutch Donkey Kong Bananza screenshots
- ^ OcariKnights (September 17, 2025). Passage à la case prison - Donkey Kong Bananza #37 (7:20). French. Retrieved November 22, 2025 from YouTube.
- ^ Domtendo (August 2, 2025). DONKEY KONG BANANZA 🍌 #42: Discoschicht. German. Retrieved from YouTube.
- ^ Mariuigi Khed (July 24, 2025). Donkey Kong Bananza ITA [Live 5]. Italian. Retrieved from YouTube.
- ^ 김용녀 (July 25, 2025). 동키콩 바난자 [15화 따봉동키콩에게 맡기라 구!] (8:36). Korean. Retrieved from YouTube.
- ^ In-game name. Donkey Kong Bananza (Ver. 1.5.0). Nintendo. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
- ^ Um Caras Que Jogam (July 17, 2025). DONKEY KONG BANANZA - Jogo Completo PT-BR (Full Gameplay) (6:40:07). Portuguese. Retrieved from YouTube.
- ^ Trueku (August 18, 2025). Donkey Kong Bananza / Донки Конг Бананза [SWITCH 2 Прохождение #9 СВЕТОТЕНЬ] (1:15:29). Russian. Retrieved from YouTube.
- ^ RockDevil (July 20, 2025). Donkey Kong Bananza - Juego Completo en Español Latino - NS2 4K60 HDR (13:16:47). Spanish. Retrieved from YouTube.
- ^ In-game name from Donkey Kong Bananza
